Razer and its peripherals have often stood as an example of excellence in modern gaming.
This level of performance, however, usually comes at a price.
The Razer Cynosa Chroma ($59.99) gaming keyboard, however, is an exception.
This entry-level model is the second keyboard entry in Razer's "Essential" line, which offers similar performance to some of its more elaborate models, but sheds mechanical switches in favor of membrane or mecha-membrane hybrid designs.
These more conventional switch designs lower the price point you might associate with a gaming-grade keyboard, while allowing you to retain the excellent proprietary Razer Synapse software.
Bare Essentials
The design of the Cynosa Chroma is simple: With the exception of the RGB lighting, from a cursory glance it does little to differentiate itself from a stock-level keyboard.
The shallow, recessed keys, similar to the ones on the Razer Ornata Chroma($68.26 at Amazon), are housed in a black plastic chassis, with no additional macros, media buttons, or even USB pass-through.
The overall lack of add-ons makes it modestly sized as 104-key keyboards go.
It's only 2 pounds and measures 1 by 7 by 18 inches (HWD), which makes it comparable in size to most conventional membrane keyboards.
Seen and Not Heard
The biggest difference between the Cynosa Chroma and other Razer keyboards is the shift from mechanical to membrane keys.
If this is your first gaming keyboard, you likely won't notice too much of a difference, but anyone who has spent considerable time with mechanical switches will immediately feel the contrast.
Making the shift from the emphatic, tactile clicks of mechanical switches to the subdued, audible, and haptic response of membrane keys is a little jarring.
Even after a spending some considerable time re-acquainting myself with using membrane switches, the lack of feedback at times left me wondering whether my inputs had registered.
Hardcore gamers are likely to balk at the switches, but casual users should find them pleasing to play on.
The Cynosa Chroma is the first keyboard to work with the latest version of Razer's Synapse client.
Synapse 3 is easily the most user-friendly and attractive peripheral software available.
It pairs new and improved functionality in a slick, redesigned UI.
The Cynosa Chroma integrates exceptionally well with its client software when stacked against its competitors, and offers some of the best lighting options for an entry-level gaming keyboard with vivid per-key RGB lighting and eight preset effects that can be layered over each other.
However, what sets synapse apart is the Chroma Workshop, which allows specific games or applications to coordinate with your keyboard's backlighting.
My favorite is the integration for Blizzard's Overwatch, which has specific color palettes that change based on which character you use.
This version of Synapse also introduces support for Razer's new "Hypershift" function, which allows you to assign secondary capabilities for any key.
Hypershift, paired with the Cynosa's ability for on-the-fly macro recording, ensures limited trips back to the Synapse 3 software to custom tailor your gaming experience.
This iteration of the Synapse software, while functional, is still in beta, so full compatibility for apps developed in the Razer Chroma Workshop is not yet supported.
Unfortunately, the software supports just a handful of current Razer keyboards, which include BlackWidow and Ornata models in addition to the Cynosa.
The lack of backward compatibility for other Razer hardware means you won't be able to consolidate management of your older Razer products on Synapse 3; at least, not yet.
No More, No Less
Few keyboards on the market today can match the Razer Cynosa Chroma in terms of its compromise between aesthetics, function, and cost.
While you could pay for a more robust gaming keyboard, the modest pricing for the Cynosa Chroma still gets you access to extensive RGB lighting options and some of the best client software available for gaming peripherals.
If you're looking for more features or bleeding-edge performance, you might be better served by the Editors' Choice Corsair K95 RGB Platinum($170.95 at Amazon) or the Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum.
Just be prepared to spend about $100 more.
But for casual gamers, or those not wed to mechanical keys, the Cynosa Chroma is a solid entry-level gaming keyboard.
The Bottom Line
The Razer Cynosa Chroma is a versatile and inexpensive bare-bones entry-level gaming keyboard.
