Not long ago, Razer released their new keyboard called the BlackWidow X Chroma. According to them, this keyboard expands their BlackWidow Line with a new budget friendly option. In addition to that they say that the new Razer BlackWidow X keyboard is a basic minimalist version of the multi-award winning Razer BlackWidow with an exposed military-grade metal top construction and a choice of lower cost. Like we said before, the new keyboard is called BlackWidow X Chroma. The Front Cover is made out of aluminum and also designed that this keyboard has freestanding key switches. This type of design is called “Exposed Housing”. But is this keyboard a perfect made hardware which can be used for gaming and the daily work in the office? Let’s find out.
.
First, let’s take a look at the hardware’s features:
.
- Razer Mechanical Switches with 50 g actuation force
- 80 million keystroke life span
- Chroma customizable backlighting with 16.8 million color options
- Individually backlit keys
- Military-grade metal top construction
- Razer Synapse enabled
- 10-key roll-over anti-ghosting
- Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
- Gaming mode option
- Cable management routing
- 1000 Hz Ultrapolling
- Braided fiber cable
.
Let’s also take a look at the keyboards hystory. Unfortunately, this type of gaming-keyboards was not so popular in the year Razer released their first mechanical keyboard. But we noticed, that Razer’s first model of mechanical keyboards become a bestseller quickly. Razer added to their line the Cherry MX blue in the same year. After that they released a Stealth Edition in the year 2011. These keyboard had the Cherry-MX-Brown-Switches. This switches have give the user only a haptic feedback but not an acoustical one. After that they released the BlackWidow in 2013. They do not only changed the color. They also included the specially for Razer made green and orange switches. After that they included in the latest version the well known RGB lighting. What we like is that the new Black Widow X Chroma we are testing for you also includes the same RGB lighting.
.
.
BlackWidow X’S case is made of aluminum and like other keyboard developers, Razer decided to mount the key switch on the chassis and not to admit them in the case. This is the most noticeable visually changes that you can see at the first glance comparing this keyboard to the BlackWidow. You also can see directly, that the new Black Widow X Chroma has no USB or audio ports compared to the BlackWidow Chroma, too. This Keyboard also do not have any macro keys separately from other keys. According to Razer they wanted to 
focus only on features that Gamers need. This includes also the RPG-lightning that can be totally switched off. It is also possible to choose one of the 20 different brightness levels. Thanks to Razer’s Synapse Software it is possible to set a different color option for each button.
.
We also love how easy it is to use Macro programming which also included a direct recording function. Unfortunately, this keyboard do not have a internal memory that can save shortcuts or profiles. The BlackWidow X Chroma can only save the last chosen light effect if you pull out the plug. All other settings move into the Synapse Cloud. Unfortunately, user have to be connected to the internet permanent to choose the lightning effects or to program each keys.
.
What we also like is that this keyboard has a button to switch of the windows-button. This also shows that Razer focusses with this keyboard on Gamers. This is also the reason why this Keyboard has a 1.000 Hz Polling-Rate and six multimedia keys. This multimedia keys are available as double use buttons on the F1 to 
F3 and F5 to F7 keys. What we love is the cable canal which is on the bottom of the chassis that made of plastic. This fixes the USB cable and directs it frontal or on the left side out of the keyboard.
.
We also like the extendable height adjustments which are holding the keyboard in its position very well. Because of the missing macro keys it is not possible to push them accidentally if you want just to use the Shift, Caps lock, Ctrl or even the Esc key. What we also like is that the F-Keys are very close to the rest of the main field of keys. This also shows, that Razer focusses with this keyboard on Gamers, because they use them more often than others. We can confirm that because of the Exposed Housing Key-Configuration and the in the end higher standing keycaps it is also possible to distinguish the F-Keys haptically.
.
Comparing the keyboard’s keycaps with the previous models you can see that not only the lines of the letters and characters are more filigree. On this keyboard less light is shining on the surface of the keyboard chassis thanks to the free standing keys and a not transparent case. Unfortunately, only the top item on the keycap is 
illuminated. This is a problem that they unfortunately did not changed.
.
Our BlackWidow X Chroma has the green Razer-Switches that gives us an acoustic and also a haptical feedback. This is very important for players. With this switches they get a double feedback and do not have to push the buttons down to the table to get sure that they pushed it. Razer want to release a version of this keyboard with the significantly quieter orange switch. Razer build this switches by himself. This allows them to guarantee an increased durability of up to 80 million keystrokes.
.
Synapse offers an option that allows you to have an overview on how often you push the keys. In the menu ‘Stats’ you can see how often you pushed the button and the period of time between the actuation. We also love the Synapse-Software’s useful features like the preset lighting effects like Breathing, Reactive, Spectrum, Twinkle Twinkle, Static, Wave and Splashing. It is also possible to configure the colors of each key, so that only the keys are illuminated that you need for the game you play. In some game, like the new Overwatch, it happens automatically. This keyboard offers a lot for your money. Razer includes the best features in short trailer. Take a look and enjoy:
.
.
Unfortunately, Razer’s BlackWidow X Chroma is not an innovation in the market of mechanical keyboards but we can confirm that other models of mechanical keyboards are not so good as this one. The BlackWidow X Chroma settles optically with its case made of aluminum and the free-standing switches from its predecessor. We think that without the macro keys and USB and audio ports Razer focusses on what this keyboard is for, GAMES! On the other hand we think that the missing ports could be a great feature for gamers. That means that Razer should think about it to bring this feature back in the next version with the brown-switches. We love the keyboard’s great haptical and acoustic switches, the successful made and working software and modified keycaps. We can not confirm if the keys really handle 80 million actuations but we can confirm that in addition to the previous Black Widow, this is one of the best keyboards we tested in our laboratory. And this is the reason we want to give Razer the ‘jadoRendr Award’ for ‘BEST input device’. Well done Razer.
.
.
.