Razer Ornata Chroma vs Blackwidow Chroma
Many people agree that mechanical keyboards are the best. You can have various programmable keys and multi-colored backlighting, but it is the mechanical switches that affect the feel and performance of the keyboard. Many people believe that Razer Blackwidow Chroma is one of the best mechanical gaming keyboards available for the money. This multi-award winning model is indeed really impressive. However, the company has released a new model that proposes a threat to all mechanical keyboards, which is Razer Ornata Chroma with the mecha-membrane technology. See the comparisons between Razer Ornata Chroma vs Blackwidow Chroma below!
Mecha-Membrane or Fully Mechanical
Of course, the primary difference between Ornata and Blackwidow is on the keys. Ornata uses a hybrid mecha-membrane system, which are significantly less loud (but still audible to a degree). The keys feel very nice. They are cushy, yet responsive and precise. This keyboard is definitely a wiser choice if you don’t want to disturb your roommate with your keyboard. See our previous post about Razer Ornata Chroma vs DeathStalker Chroma here!
But some other people prefer an actual mechanical keyboard. If you prefer a true mechanical keyboard, you should choose the Blackwidow. It has true mechanical keys that have great actuation and precision. However, the keys are much louder.
Padded Wrist Rest
One great thing about Razer Ornata Chroma is that it comes with a padded wrist rest. The pad is detachable, which means that you can easily remove the pad when not needed. The pad attaches to the keyboard using magnets. The pad is not overly cushy, but it is soft and comfortable enough to prevent soreness and wrist pain. In fact, many people love this keyboard simply because of the wrist rest. You will love it very much for long sessions of typing and gaming.
On the other hand, Razer Blackwidow Chroma does not have any wrist rest. The lower part of the keyboard extends just a little bit, but it is indeed solid and not padded. If you never have any wrist pain issue, this is perhaps not a problem. But if you get wrist pain from using a keyboard continuously, you need to equip yourself with a padded wrist rest.
Audio and USB Ports
Next, consider if you really need an extra set of audio and USB ports on your keyboard or not. Razer Ornata Chroma does not have any additional port, and it simply requires a USB port on your computer. On the other hand, Razer Blackwidow Chroma has audio and USB ports which are indeed handy if the ones on your computer are all used.
Backlighting
Let’s now compare the backlighting of Razer Ornata Chroma vs Blackwidow Chroma. Both keyboards support the Chroma SDK, which allows these keyboards to have programmable backlighting. Their backlighting can also respond to different in-game events and synchronize with other Chroma-enabled devices. However, Razer Ornata Chroma has brighter lights. The lights are more powerful. Razer Blackwidow Chroma’s lights are a little bit less bright.
Conclusion
In general, Razer Ornata Chroma is more recommended. The mecha-membrane keys feel awesome, and the padded wrist rest is very comfortable. However, if you prefer a true mechanical keyboard or if you really need the audio and USB ports, Razer Blackwidow Chroma is the way to go.