Razer's Huntsman Elite is the best gaming keyboard to actuate at the speed of light, thanks to the use of opto-mechanical key switches that are a pleasure to type on. These premium switches come at a premium price though, so nice to see the Huntsman Elite offered up at a discount.
It's available on Amazon for $159.99. Admittedly, that is still a premium price for a mechanical keyboard. But it's also $40 below its MSRP, and $25 below what it's selling for on Newegg right now (up until December, this was still selling at its $199.99 list price, and still is at some places like Best Buy).
Opto-mechanical key switches take a slightly different approach to the standard mechanical key switch design. Instead of using metal contacts, there is a laser beam underneath each switch. When the beam is interrupted by a blocking fin, it instantly registers a key stroke.
This design allowed Razer to reduce the distance between the actuation point and reset point to nearly 0mm, enabling consistent switch behavior in both directions of travel. There's also a stabilizer bar attached to each switch to thwart key wobble.
You can read our review of the Huntsman Elite, but the Cliff Notes version is that this keyboard is a fantastic plank with a feel that is even more satisfying than Cherry MX Blue switches.
