Logitech G110 VS Microsoft Sidewinder X4?

[mgoon11]

Hey guys, I know there have been past topics on this, but I pose the question again because right now Newegg has them both on sale with the X4 at just $42.99 with promo code and the G110 at just $49.99 - both free shipping. I'm really stuck between the two for lots of reasons. I will be using the keyboard for all types of gaming from FPS to RTS to RPG, etc. , as well as a lot of other tasks such as basic use, productivity, etc. Features important to me are anti-ghosting (X4 supposedly far superior?) , macro keys (G110 apparently has a lot more), back-lit lighting (preference is red, which they both cover anyway but G110 ability to change is certainly a plus), and sound and feeling of keys (I have heard, unconfirmed, that G110 much softer in terms of feel and sound but less "distinct" feeling while X4 much more distinct but louder). Furthermore, features are also very nice but not going to be a "deal-breaker". By this I mean for example is the USB ports, audio ports, and er "rolling" volume control of the G110 worth it over the X4? I'd like to know what all of you think in terms of everything combined with taking into consideration features, price, etc. (Also, the little extra for the G110 really doesn't bother me at all especially considering they're both great bargains compared to others as it is) Thanks in advance!






Don't...

Bump posts


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/283384-33-read-first

 

[wr6133]

I have a sidewinder X4 its ok. I prefered my 2004 vintage MS digital Media Pro keys were crisper but the spacebar finally died from all my bunnyhopping. Unless your buying mechanical for big money just get whatever fits your budget and offers things you want. Personally I dont bother with macro's and the backlighting I find pointless as I mostly play FPS and looking down at the Keys is sort of a big nono.

 

[HEXiT]

you dont have to pay big money for mechanical. both cherry and qpad do mechanicals for £60 amazon often have different 1s on reduction. i got my mk 85 for 99.99 yeah thats a lot but its 1/3 off, there was an mk 50 for £41 at the same time which is roughly the same price as the x4. just keep checking over a week or so.
sure it doesnt have back lighting but it does have full nkrol, a much more useful feature if you play tekken or similar with a keyboard.
its also more responsive per key press meaning you will start typing faster because the actuation is half way down the key press instead of at the bottom.

 

[spat55]

the x4 is nice but i'm thinking of getting the x6 as it has a detachable numberpad

 

[mgoon11]

Thank you both for your replies! Hexit, unfortunately the keyboards you mentioned are expensive for me, for the US as well - the particular MK50 you mentioned is sellign on amazon for over $100 US, over double the price of the X4 and G110. However, I'm really looking to see if anyone has input on specifically the X4 vs G110 because I have searched far and wide and waited and I've narrowed it down to these two as the best choices (let alone cheapest) for me. Furthermore, since I obviously do not own either of these yet I would like to know more about them and confirm things about them (such as my questions in my first post) if possible

 

[mgoon11]

the x4 is nice but i'm thinking of getting the x6 as it has a detachable numberpad

I originally wanted an X6 too but it seems to be rather scare and there are none to be found for me - especially still cheap. They're all out at Newegg for example.

 

[spat55]

I originally wanted an X6 too but it seems to be rather scare and there are none to be found for me - especially still cheap. They're all out at Newegg for example.

thank god i live in the UK then, think theirs some on UK amazon, have you tried ebay?

 

[spat55]

also i find that the g110 is better than the x4 as it has a better wrist support, but i think i like the x6 more than the x4 and g110

 

[mgoon11]

Thanks for your input, yea I've pretty much been searching for a long time everywhere and like I said I've narrowed it down - I mean I'd love these options if they were possible haha. And can you confirm and/or answer any of the things I mentioned in my first post?

 

[spat55]

Thanks for your input, yea I've pretty much been searching for a long time everywhere and like I said I've narrowed it down - I mean I'd love these options if they were possible haha. And can you confirm and/or answer any of the things I mentioned in my first post?

I think either two, just look at them, and choose the pros and cons, i think if it were me i'd have the logitech but not sure, up to you, PM me what you buy and what it's like as i'll be buying one soon..

 

[HEXiT]

the x4 is the better keyboard although they are both dome membrane keyboards theres little to tell them apart other than the extras. the g110 is the successor to the g11 which was my keyboard till 3weeks ago, it was 4 years old and still problem free. all the keys and macro keys still worked but the backlighting was starting to fade due to the membrane being bio degradable so will cloud over time. the x4 has up to 26key anti ghosting roll over. the g110 has 6 key rol over. which means you can press up to 26keys at a time and they will all register, which makes the x4 a much better keyboard even if it doesn have hundreds of macros 18 is enough.

 

[casualcolors]

also i find that the g110 is better than the x4 as it has a better wrist support, but i think i like the x6 more than the x4 and g110

The X4 has better anti-ghosting than the G110, which is significantly more important than a wrist rest unless you have a physical condition that makes wrist rests a high priority item.

 

[mgoon11]

suppose I'm actually "okay" with the G110's 6key rollover anti-ghosting capabilities, do you guys have anything to say about the difference then? Because it seems like thats the only best feature of the X4

 

[casualcolors]

suppose I'm actually "okay" with the G110's 6key rollover anti-ghosting capabilities, do you guys have anything to say about the difference then? Because it seems like thats the only best feature of the X4

Aside from if you prefer mechanical or rubber dome keys, it's the only difference that actually matters lol. Otherwise, as far as you can be concerned they are all the same hunk of plastic coming from the same dingy factory somewhere in China or Taiwan, and you had might as well buy whichever will be cheapest.

 

[mgoon11]

True, thanks for the answer, however there actually are more important things such as what I mentioned in my first post:

sound and feeling of keys (I have heard, unconfirmed, that G110 much softer in terms of feel and sound but less "distinct" feeling while X4 much more distinct but louder)

I'm still wondering about this because although less noise can be appealing, i think the actual feeling of the keys and keyboard can be more important.

 

[casualcolors]

True, thanks for the answer, however there actually are more important things such as what I mentioned in my first post:

sound and feeling of keys (I have heard, unconfirmed, that G110 much softer in terms of feel and sound but less "distinct" feeling while X4 much more distinct but louder)

I'm still wondering about this because although less noise can be appealing, i think the actual feeling of the keys and keyboard can be more important.

They're both the same rubber membrane under the same kind of plastic. Any tactile difference between the two is going to be 99% placebo effect, and 1% variance between two different products. You could probably find a G110 that feels softer than another G110. They're not manufactured like jet engine components after all.

 

[HEXiT]

sounds like he's already made up his mind to get the g110... difference in noise levels will be nominal. you cant quieten the keys because you have to bottom them out to register them so there will be very little difference. any audiable difference will be down to the plastic the keys are made from and its density but as i say it will be nominal and a few weeks of wear will quieten any dome keyboards as the rubber wears in.
the sidewinder is better keyboard over all but if the g110 has the features ytou want good luck.
cas is rite in that theres no noticeable difference in the key press they both use a standard membrane so will require 70g-100g to press down.

which is much more than any mechanical key requires.
only mechanical keyboard have different tactile feel because they use different switch types to produce it. all dome keyboards are made the same way. all are linear. while mechanical can be linear, tactile, clicky tactile or extra tactile
red and black being linear.
black take more force to depress than reds,................................... blues being clicky tactile,.............browns being tactile,

and whites extra tactile.

whites most resemble dome keyboards in you have to press harder to bypass the bump buit they still register at 2mm while domes dont register at all till you bottom out the key.
(Source: Cherry, Animation: "Lethal Squirrel" on geekhack.org) reposted on toms where im re-using them. copyright is the prospective owners



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_technology if you want to know more about all key types and how they differ.

 

[mgoon11]

Thanks guys for all the information and help! I went with the G110 only because I was interested in its extra features and what it had to offer. Although some might say this is unimportant - I found the backlighting to be very nice and perfect. A nice surprise is that the keys and keyboard actually is really soft and quiet, despite all the info you guys gave! Obviously I can't compare to X4 and what people say to be loud but I can compare to the MS Comfort Curve 2000 (what I was using previously) and it is noticeably softer and quieter - and I already thought the CC2000 was good! Seems what people have said is true, the G110 is softer, quieter, and less distinct as well. I have not tried any macros yet or gaming but the rest of the normal feature keys are nice including the rolling volume control instead of buttons. However, I therefore cannot yet comment on the anti-ghosting capabilities and whether there are problems.