Logitech G515 Rapid TKL Review: Combines My Two Gaming Keyboard Must-haves

Introduction

Logitech wasn’t exactly quick to jump on the analogue keyboard bandwagon, but is making up for that here. The G515 Rapid TKL is one of the first boards to give magnetic switches the low-profile treatment, while avoiding the bloated feature list that’d usually send prices skyward.

It’s based heavily on the relatively inexpensive G515 Lightspeed TKL, but swaps mechanical switches for Hall Effect ones, and trades wireless connectivity for a USB cable. Prices for the two are identical in the UK, but US gamers have to pay a small premium to go analogue.

However, when a big part of the appeal of magnetic switches is their near-infinite adjustability, do they actually make sense in a low-profile form factor?

Design & build: slimmer of the year

Visually, there’s little to separate the G515 Rapid TKL from its Lightspeed stablemate. They have the same tenkeyless layout and use full-size keys, which is still unusual as many low-profile boards favour 65% or smaller. Each can be had in black or white colours, with the WASD keys being a slightly different hue.

Both have a super skinny 22mm profile, but this one is a lighter at 800g – I chalk that up to it not needing a battery. The all-plastic chassis also helps here, while a metal core keeps everything rigid while you hammer away at the keys.

Dedicated media controls and a volume rocker are still absent, so you’re reliant on the function row FN shortcuts. This would be easier if the icons for each shortcut were illuminated, but the RGB LEDs only shine through the main character on each key. The chunky plastic strip above the function keys only holds the Game mode button and Caps Lock indicator, which feels as wasted an opportunity as it was on the G515 Lightspeed.

The underside is mostly minimal, with a few rubber strips helping keep the board locked in place on my desk. Flip-out feet give two levels of height adjustment. It sits so low to my desk that I wasn’t worried about not getting a wrist rest included in the box.

Doubleshot PBT key caps are now the norm for Logitech, following issues with wear on its older ABS keyboards. The G515 Rapid TKL’s keys have a familiar textured finish that provides just enough grip, with next to no wobble while typing. After a month of use they’ve not shown any sign of fade. The cross-style switches underneath are a standard shape, should you want to swap the caps out for third-party alternatives.

Features & software: wonder

The G515 Rapid TKL’s reasonable asking price is largely down to the fact it’s a keyboard. Rivals that have wireless connectivity and analogue switches typically cost twice as much, if not more. Magnetic inputs draw more power than regular mechanical ones, so the built-in batteries need to be beefier to compensate.

Logitech has sidestepped all that by sticking a 1.8m USB Type-C to Type-A cable in the box. It’s not a fancy braided one, either, but does include a velco cable tidy to at least give you a fighting chance of keeping desk clutter to a minimum.

Otherwise features are basically on par with the G515 Lightspeed TKL, including per-key RGB backlighting that still hasn’t found an elegant way to illuminate the Euro symbol. Some of the larger legends, like the enter arrow and ALT GR text aren’t quite as fully lit as the rest of the board, but I’m splitting hairs at this point. It’s all fully customisable through Logitech’s G Hub software, if you’re not a fan of the long list of presets. Community-made downloads are a convenient way to mix things up, too.

Performance: switch it on

Even before you start adjusting actuation distances, the G515 Rapid TKL’s shorter key travel will take some getting used to if you’re coming from a traditional keyboard. There’s a maximum 2.5mm here, versus the 4mm seen on most high-profile ‘boards. The keys are more tightly grouped, too.

That didn’t affect my typing accuracy, as I’ve long been a low-profile convert, though because they need just 35g of force to activate, I had to use a lighter touch to avoid bottoming out each key. I’m a big fan of how quiet this keyboard is, with presses sounding more like “thunks” than “clicks” thanks to multiple layers of internal damping and the switches being pre-lubed from the factory.

Gaming is naturally where this keyboard performs best. The magnetic switches support Simultaneous opposite cardinal direction (SOCD) inputs, letting you peek quickly in and out of cover in shooters without fully taking your fingers off the A and D keys (in games that won’t ban you for using the tech, anyway).

Actuation can be adjusted from the full 2.5mm to a minuscule 0.1mm, making inputs feel virtually instantaneous. You can also set individual keys to pull off different actions depending on how far down you press them – say walking for a light press on the W key, or running with a full press – but the low profile nature means there’s less room to set these up. You need a lighter touch than with a high-profile ‘board, and I’d rarely have such finesse during hectic multiplayer matches.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that low-profile switches put speed ahead of tactile feel, so once you’ve lowered the actuation point typing can become a bit of a chore. I found it best to have different profiles for work and gaming, with the keyboard defaulting to the maximum actuation distance during my office hours.

Logitech G515 Rapid TKL verdict

While I largely clicked with the G515 Rapid TKL, the connection is a personal dealbreaker. I don’t mind having to charge my Steelseries Apex Pro Gen 3 every few days when it leaves my desk clutter-free the rest of the time, even if I had to pay extra for the privilege.

However, if you fall in the centre of the Venn diagram of low-profile lovers and analogue switch insisters, you’ll feel right at home with one of these on your desk. It’s speedy, effortlessly customisable, and doesn’t cost silly money either.