– The Havit KB462L is an affordable mechanical keyboard packed full of features such as RGB lighting, G macro keys, media control center, and additional USB ports. It has astounding value for money and one of the best budget keyboards we have tested so far.
The Good
- Â Exceptional value for money
- Â Comes with a lot of high-end features
- Â Nice clicky switches
- Â A lot of customizability with RGB lighting and macro keys
The Bad
- Very large due to the G-keys, media control and wrist rest
- Outemu switches feel slightly less smooth than Cherry switches
Havit has long been one of the best brands when it comes to creating gaming products with a very high value for money and the KB462L is certainly no exception. This keyboard comes with full RGB lighting, a ton of programmable buttons, complete media control and a wrist rest at a very affordable price.
If you wanted to get a mechanical keyboard with this array of features from one of the more prominent brands you would usually have to pay double the price of the KB462L.
That said, that does not mean it is perfect and on par with the more expensive brands on every level.
The keyboard is made almost entirely out of plastic, including the wrist rest, and it uses Outemu switches which is a cheaper alternative to the Cherry MX keys. In terms of quality, you can definitely feel a difference from the KB462L compared to the best high-end keyboards on the market. However, the difference is pretty negligible for the most part, and the difference between the Outemu switches and Cherry MX is not something most people will notice. They are slightly less smooth in the actuation but otherwise feel identical.
The KB462L is an excellent keyboard for its price range, and I would be hard-pressed to mention a keyboard with a better value for your buck. It is an excellent pick for people on a budget than still want all the benefits of a mechanical keyboard, especially if you love a feature-filled product.
If you are a competitive player that doesn’t mind spending a bit of extra money on a high-quality product, then I would probably recommend that you look for something a bit more expensive.
Design & Quality
Esthetically the Havit KB462L is very pleasing with its well-lit RGB lighting and large overlay with media control and G-keys. It is also quite comfortable to use once you strap in the wrist rest.
However, the design does lose a bit of its glamour once you get up close as it is made almost entirely out of plastic and does feel a bit on the cheaper side when you hold it. You don’t notice it to the same extent once you use the keyboard since the keys and mechanical switches work very well.
The quality of the keyboard is not less than what you pay for, and when you get this much keyboard for your buck, I don’t think it’s fair to complain that it uses a plastic board.
Keyboard layout – Big but not wasted
The Havit KB462L is a huge keyboard due to its extensive amount of additional macro keys and media outlet. Fans of the compact keyboard size will have an issue with it, but if you like having a pair of extra keybindings or just like being able to adjust your volume and media from the keyboard, then you might love it.
It comes with 6 ”gamer-keys” and 5 media keys, all of which can be programmed to whatever use you see fit. The G keys are meant for in-game keybindings whereas the Media keys can be used to attach a specific custom RGB setting.
It is not ideal for small desk setups or gamers with limited spacing, but if you have the room for it, then it is an incredibly useful and convenient keyboard. The media controls are easy to use and always nice to have so you don’t have to turn down the PC volume on the desktop manually.
As for the G-keys, I imagine they see slightly less use. It is not too common to need more keys than a regular full-sized keyboard offer. However, if you play a lot of heavy macro games such as World of Warcraft or real-time-strategy games, then they are handy. Sometimes those extra keys will allow you to have all of your spells and abilities keybound which can give you a significant advantage over other players.
The KB462L is large, but the spacing is not wasted. Every inch of the keyboard is littered with useful features.
Performance – Clicky bang for your buck
So, let us talk about the performance of this feature-heavy Havit keyboard.
Mechanical keyboard performance generally comes down to the switches. The Havit KB462L uses the Outemu blue switches, which is a cheaper alternative to the Cherry MX Blue but a good one at that.
I am a huge fan of Cherry switches, and a lot of knock-offs do fall short by quite a bit, but the Outemu switches is a pretty good alternative.
Outemu switches are identical in every way apart from materials. They have the same actuation point, force and is also similar in sound. They both have a very clicky sound when used, which can feel really satisfying to use but also be annoying if you live with other people. You can read our full guide on mechanical switches if you want to know more.Â
So, on paper, they are equal to the Cherry MX, but it is not that simple. The cheaper materials can be felt if you are a longtime user of Cherry MX or one of the other high-end switches. The switches feel slightly less smooth, and although the actuation force is the same, it does not feel as clean as the Cherry MX blue.
Nevertheless, it is a perfect alternative if you don’t want to spend your money on the more expensive brands such as Logitech, SteelSeries, etc. Ultimately I don’t think the regular casual gamer will feel the difference, and it still gives a substantial competitive advantage compared to membrane keyboards.
Customization – Bright RGB lighting
The keyboard is very customizable for its price range, and you can program the RGB lighting as well as the macro keys in numerous ways using the Havit software.
The Havit software is pretty straightforward and easy to use for beginners, which is always a major plus. You can attach different profiles to specific situations; So you can have a profile for competitive play where the RGB lighting is less distracting or turned off as well as a casual profile with all the light and colors it can muster.
The keyboard has 6 G-keys and 5 media keys. The G-keys can be assigned to any in-game ability or command that you wish, which is great for heavy macro games.
The media keys can be used to quickly alter the RGB lighting or activate a custom media profile with a specific volume, brightness, etc.
Final Verdict – Exceptional value for money
The Havit KB462L is not as good as the best on the market, but at more than half the price, it is not surprising. However, for its price, you get a ton of performance and features that you would usually pay well above a hundred bucks for with the top brands.
If you want a highly customizable and feature-rich mechanical keyboard but don’t want to break your budget, then this keyboard from Havit is one of the best ones out there. Its performance, durability, and layout is only slightly worse than keyboards twice the cost.
In short, an exceptional keyboard for gamers on a budget that still want the competitive edge and feel of a mechanical keyboard.
are the switches hot-swappable
Is switches hot swappable?