Das Keyboard Prime 13 Review

Item Reviewed

Author

Great typing board
White backlight looks great – bright and vivid
Full n-key roll over
Ships with key puller

Only one USB pass through
Design is starting to feel a bit old in comparison to older units
Only allows white color – no multi-color or lighting effects
Black finish will show finger prints easily

Now With Backlighting

The new Das Keyboard Prime 13 model looks, functions, and performs very similarly to previous Das Keyboard models. The biggest difference with the Prime 13 model is white LED backlighting but is still a dream come true for typists.

The packaging

If you have not seen, or more importantly heard/felt, a Das Keyboard before, you owe it to yourself to track one down and type on it for yourself. The mechanical sound and tactile feedback is a must have for any typist. Yes, these keyboards make noise when in use but that is the point. You might wake the baby or piss off your coworker but I find the clicky sound to be addicting and strangely satisfying. Although, the clicky effect is not as soundy as the original model; it sounds like one of the previous Das Keyboard versions with the quieter key design.

Ooooh… ahhhhh….

The white backlighting is the feature to talk about with this new model. Requiring two USB ports to fully power, the lighting makes it easy to type in total darkness. The backlighting can even be adjusted by utilizing the first couple function keys at the top of the board in case the light might be too much or not enough – there is about half a dozen options to choose from. While other boards have the ability to change color and how the lighting is displayed, such as flickering or pulsing effects, the Das Keyboard Prime 13 model is only available in white. The good news is the white light is bright and clear.

Difficult to tell from this pic but this is the board lit up

Like previous models, the Prime 13 is a wired-only design but the USB cords are long, two meters, and braided for added strength. The one issue that I have with this white back-lit model is that there is only one USB pass through port; other Das Keyboard models had two pass through ports. I suppose the reason for this is that the backlighting requires some extra juice to fully power, which is why there is a need to plug the board into two USB slots. Luckily, I can still use this one extra pass through port to sync my FitBit or connect my phone without fumbling around the back of my tower.

Das Keyboard Prime 13 has one USB pass through port

It is also worth mentioning that this model ships with a key puller. Even though each key is said to work for years of heavy use, I suppose there is a chance you might need to swap a key in time. The key puller makes it easy to pop off individual keys. My guess is you will probably lose this little doodad before you ever need to swap a key though.

Pull your keys with ease

Using the Das Keyboard is a no brainer. It is truly plug-n-play with no extra software or drivers to install. And if you want to get technical, the instructions state you don’t even need a USB 2.0 port. But if you are still using a computer from the late 90s, you probably are not interested in a new keyboard either.

Now with light!

I think I have reviewed most, if not all, versions of Das Keyboards over the last several years and have not stopped using them. But if I have to be honest, this Prime 13 model is really no better or worse than previous versions. The backlighting is cool but this board still carries the same size, shape, and even weight of the previous models. Although the overall design is starting to feel a little old, there is no denying that these boards are reliable, feel great, and are my favorite boards in which to type. Only now I will be able to compose my myGamer content in the dark thanks to the backlit keys.