Is the Blackwidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed any good? Trying the yellow switch!

In my previous post, I wrote about my first-ever switch to a mechanical keyboard. My last non-mechanical keyboard was the Logitech MX Keys, which I bought for work from home. In that post I also described my journey to the Razer Huntsman, a keyboard that’s mechanical but technically optical.

Why mechanical keyboards and Razer?

I switched to mechanical keyboards because they’re widely recommended in typist forums. On top of that, mechanical keyboards can be programmed with macros and remapped keys with custom functions. This is super useful for my daily work. I’ve loaded my keyboard’s extra functions with various text snippets for commands and methods in languages I frequently use, such as (R)markdown syntax, Python, and Stata.

For adding functions and alternate key assignments, I’ve found Razer to be among the best. It can remap all keys and add functions to every key (Razer calls this Hypershift). For example, I can store the text {{< icon name="exclamation-triangle" pack="fas" >}} on the K key. I can bring up that text by pressing fn+K. And every key can do this.

By the way, the syntax above renders on my blog as this ->

The main drawback of Razer is the price. Fortunately, in Australia and on Amazon, there are frequent big sales, especially around the end of the financial year and Boxing Day. Razer also has a student discount program, which is very helpful for a student like me.

Of course, mechanical keyboards aren’t for everyone. They’re quite pricey and you may not need their features. True, a mechanical keyboard makes me type faster, but the difference isn’t huge. If your work doesn’t urgently require fast typing, you may not need one. Macros and Hypershift aren’t for everyone either. Also, if you’re switching from a thin keyboard to a mechanical one for the first time, it might feel uncomfortable – sore fingers and such. If you have no issues with your current keyboard, switching to mechanical probably isn’t a priority.

Mechanical keyboards also come with all sorts of switch types. Since they’re expensive, most people will only buy one. But which one? In this post, I want to compare three Razer switches I’ve tried. They are Razer Purple, Razer Green, and Razer Yellow.

There are probably many keyboards that offer better value than Razer at their price point. Nowadays there are tons of great mechanical keyboards at affordable prices, if you’re only after the switches. For instance, if you don’t care much about software, macros, wireless, or RGB, you might be better off with a different brand. But be careful with availability in Indonesia since importing can be complicated.

This time I’ll discuss the Blackwidow V3 Mini with the Yellow switch.

First, let’s discuss why the Yellow switch.

Why Yellow switch?

Before getting to Yellow, let’s compare the Razer switches I’ve tried.

From the stats above, the Yellow switch is the lightest. Its travel is also not as deep as the clicky switches. Razer’s Yellow switch is comparable to the Cherry MX Red. The feel is linear with fast actuation.

Gamers typically prefer fast actuation because the shorter travel means you don’t have to lift the key as high to ‘reset’ and press again. Great for games requiring fast reactions like First Person Shooters – strafing (side-to-side movement) can be faster.

But for typing, I still find clicky more comfortable. It’s true that clicky switches have longer travel, but you don’t have to press all the way to the bottom. The feedback from the click is still more satisfying for typing. You can see in the table that my speed dropped slightly with Yellow, and accuracy dropped noticeably. More typos because the switch is too light.

In terms of noise, clicky is definitely louder. The Razer Yellow is reasonably silent.

Why mini?

The Blackwidow V3 Mini is a 65% keyboard, meaning it has no numpad and no F1-F12 keys.

How do you manage without numpad and F keys? F keys are accessed via Fn + number. For example, to refresh (F5), press fn + 5. To rename (F2), press fn + 2. Numpad? Just doesn’t exist.

Isn’t that inconvenient? Absolutely! Especially since the ESC key is now next to the number 1, making backtick and ~ awkward because you need shift and fn simultaneously. I remapped CAPS LOCK to Fn for convenience. So now I have two Fn keys – the original one on the bottom right and Caps Lock.

The advantage is space. The mouse can be closer to your left hand since there’s more room on the right side. My desk isn’t very big and I keep lots of stuff on it, so having a smaller keyboard is a huge benefit.

I still fumble sometimes. I’ve had to make several key adjustments. Besides Caps Lock, I also remapped Pg Up, Pg Down, and Ins. Space for macros is reduced since the Huntsman had way more keys.

That’s why key remapping is so important for a 65% keyboard. For instance, the V3 Mini doesn’t have Home or End – two keys I use often. But it has INS, which I never use. So they need to be remapped. If you buy one without remapping capability, make sure the keys it includes are ones you actually use.

So far, the space savings and closer mouse position seem like a pretty good trade-off. Just need a bit more adjustment.

Conclusion

The downside? The price, of course. At this price, you could get a keyboard of similar quality. With the decreasing cost of mechanical switches, you can get comparable keyboards for perhaps half the price. I only bought this because I got a discount. I’m also not confident enough to try other keyboards when I’m unsure about their programmable button setup. But if you want a regular 65% mechanical keyboard, you’re probably better off buying something else.

For typing, clicky is still more comfortable in my opinion. Unless you’re a competitive gamer, clicky is probably the way to go. This keyboard is more silent, but clicky is still better for typing. Trade-offs. But I don’t regret buying the Yellow either.

That’s it!