The Chasm

Hello ladies and gentlemen, MantaRei here with something a little different for the channel. Today I’d like to talk about a line of Razer’s keyboards that seems to get put down more than I think it deserves: the Ornata and Ornata Chroma. 

Razer’s only Mecha-Membrane keyboard and sort of the red-headed stepchild of Razer’s keyboard offering, the Ornata and Ornata Chroma are described by Razer as “Combining a soft touch with a crisp tactile click… presents a… typing experience that’s swift and exact.” A full-length keyboard with mid-height keycaps (a feature shared with the Cynosa line), the Ornata has onboard 10-key rollover and anti-ghosting, and includes a padded leatherette wrist rest. Each key has a small metal clip next to the shaft that gives off an audible “click” and a slight actuation feel with each press: this is the mecha-membrane style Razer talks about. It usually retails for $99 USD but Razer often has $10 coupons at that price point and you can find them in stores and on sale from time to time.

So, how does a predominantly membrane keyboard stand up in a time when mechanical keyboards are the current king in gaming and power-user circles? Well, if you’re explicitly looking for a mechanical keyboard the answer is, “not well”. A mecha-membrane keyboard would fall far short of the promised advantages of a true mechanical keyboard, and at its price tag you could find a decent mechanical keyboard for not that much more. After all, mechanical keyboards offer accurate, smooth keystrokes, and have numerous switch types to offer different actuation forces, behavior and sound. You can pretty much build any type of mechanical keyboard you’re looking for if you can’t find it prebuilt, and that level of customization is an amazing feature all on its own. 

But what if you’re not looking for a mechanical keyboard? What if you’re not a fan of mechanical switches or full height keycaps? What if you want a keyboard with some clicky feedback, mid-height keycaps, soft actuation and some nice RGB lighting? Then the Ornata might be for you… 

“But MantaRei, how can you list just a few of the MANY benefits of a mechanical keyboard and then recommend some cheap membrane knock-off?” is what you’re probably asking. Well, that’s just it: when you compare the Ornata and (let’s pick another Razer keyboard so it’s fair) the Blackwidow you notice very quickly that the benefits lean towards the Blackwidow but only if you’re in the market for a mechanical keyboard. Contrary to popular belief, if you don’t like mechanical switches you are not alone: mechanical keyboards are not the end all-be all of keyboard manufacturing. And if you’re looking for a keyboard you more than likely use a PC, and one of the main features of PC is the ability to choose. Prefer WinRAR over 7zip? That’s okay: use what you like. Like the way the original Microsoft Optical Mouse works and feels? Fine: use it! Do you prefer membrane keyboards over mechanical? That’s fine, too. 

And this is my point: when you take away the looming shadow of which is better, the Ornata isn’t that bad, in fact, some would say it’s a perfectly functional keyboard that’s fun to type on and game with! I’ve been typing on two Ornata Chromas (work and home) for over a year now and have found that I personally prefer it to some of Razer’s mechanical keyboards because of the actuation force and “bump” you get from the membrane, plus the mid-height keycaps just sell it for me. Additionally, the membrane under the keys illuminates on the Chroma model imitating the recent pudding keycap fad, floating your keys on a sea of colors. 

I know that at this point you’re probably asking, “So is the Ornata a good keyboard or isn’t it?” Ancient Astronaut Theorists say yes. And so do I: it really depends on what you’re looking for. If you have your heart set on a mechanical keyboard then don’t buy the Ornata: you’ll be disappointed, and you can get a true mechanical keyboard for a little more money than the MSRP of the Ornata. But if you’re looking for a solid $100 keyboard with RGB, a unique typing experience, and most of Razer’s other keyboard’s bells and whistles like anti-ghosting and 10-key rollover I would heavily recommend the Ornata.

This has been MantaRei, and I’ll see you next time.