One finds beautiful real mechanical keyboards in the same price range as Apex 5 without having to give up the quality and the feeling of real mechanical switches. The APEX 5 uses membrane-actuated keyboards, which are a hybrid between membrane actuation and the clicking, springy effect of mechanical style keys.
SteelSeries Apex 3 Price
The lack of mechanical switches did not stop us from wholeheartedly recommending SteelSeries a new, price-conscious keyboard. SteelSeries APEX 3 Gaming Keyboard has an MSRP of $49.99 (PS39, AU $76) and is one of the flagship products in the range, but we were surprised by the rugged features, ergonomics, and comfort of the keyboard. We will recommend people to buy the APEX 7 instead of the conventional mechanical keyboard switches, as we appreciate the SteelSeries “innovation in the field of mechanical keyboards.
If you have a budget, it can be difficult to choose a great keyboard but SteelSeries Apex 3 aims to make it easier with an impressive variety of features. The market for high-end peripherals is awash with high-priced devices, but SteelSeries APEX 3 proves that you don’t have to break the bank to get a keyboard that looks and works well. If you’re looking for a great game or all-purpose keyboard for the budget, this is the keyboard to beat.
SteelSeries Apex 3 Details
The SteelSeries Apex 3 is a full-size keyboard with ten keys, a numeric keypad, and a special media button. It is surprisingly light compared to high-end mechanical boards. It doesn’t react as snappily as a mechanical keyboard, but the keys are quiet and, as advertised, feel fantastic after a short period of getting used to them.
The SteelSeries APEX 3 is a very good gaming keyboard with a rubber dome switch. This is my first Apex SteelSeries keyboard and I am very impressed. As already mentioned, the buttons on the Apex 3 are set a bit too high and the wrist rest is attached, but it is loosened and the keyboard surprised me how comfortable it is.

The Apex 7 is a mechanical keyboard that comes with red, blue, or brown SteelSeries switches. I wondered if the keyboard keys were high enough, but I now know that they are on the Apex 3.
If you want to control the backlight of the keyboard, simply press the apex key to the right of the Ctrl key or press the F11 and F12 keys. The basic set of keys allows a complete representation of the 10 zones of RGB illumination, which are fully customizable using SteelSeries Engine software. You can use the SteelSeries Engine 3 software suite to create macros and customize the generous RGB effects on your keyboards.
As a by-product of the waterproof design, the APEX 3 “s RGB backlight is very attractive, giving a soft, diffuse glow that is more calming than the sharp, bright RGB illumination of other keyboards. It offers 10 zones of RGB lighting – which is great for a budget keyboard – and allows reactive RGB – effects in certain games and apps such as Discord and Minecraft. It has basic presets for selecting RGB illumination zones across the keyboard as well as selected zones.
The included palm rest, a comfortable rubberized finish that snaps on the keyboard base, is the finishing touch that sets SteelSeries apart from the crowd – and we love it. 8.4 / 10 8.8 / 10 Summary If you can leave the fact that the SteelSeries APEX 3 uses membrane keyboards behind, you will find a quiet gaming keyboard that looks amazing, offers fantastic and functional RGB lighting, and comes with one of our most popular wrists rests for a price that everyone can afford. To get that bargain price, there are a few minor compromises, but the APX 3 retains everything you need in a great keyboard and throws in a few clean tricks like IP32 waterproof to sweeten the deal.
The SteelSeries Apex 3 is a membrane gaming keyboard designed to offer high quality, good-looking performance at an affordable price. With the Apex 3, SteelSeries is venturing into unknown waters with a budget gaming keyboard that stems from its risky decision to stick with membrane keyboards. The waterproof Apex3 is a full-fledged gaming keyboard designed to combine the latest SteelSeries technology with a range of game-focused features.
One of the advantages of the APEX 3 membrane switches is that they make the keyboard waterproof (at least IP32 certified) as well as dustproof and waterproof.
With a tiny OLED display and quick adjustment, the SteelSeries Apex 5 is one of our recommendations for the best gaming keyboard with a USB passthrough (the latter is a pity, but not surprising for such an affordable keyboard). Gaming-oriented consumers are likely to reject the SteelSeries “decision to opt for Apex 3 membrane keypads over mechanical ones, especially given that there is a market for price-conscious mechanical circuit boards. Hybrid switches are a cross between mechanical switches and rubber hood switches, and one would assume that SteelSeries would make do with what it has to save in costs by offering mechanical keyboards in a lower price range.
Both SteelSeries keyboards have six programmable buttons so you can load your own custom macros and make different RGB settings. SteelSeries manufactures high-quality, durable mechanical keyboard products and found Apex 7 to be the best keyboard the company has to offer. The second keyboard, the Apex 5, is a hybrid keyboard that is more than worth the entry-level price.
It is suitable for the average player who does not want fast and responsive keys and is not looking forward to hearing the clatter of a large mechanical keyboard.
SteelSeries Apex 3 Drivers
So for these keyboards SteelSeries actually has a generic program they user for drivers. Its basically a utility suite. This program has the ability to customize illumination settings on your Arctis 5, or set up advanced macros and binds for your Apex Pro or Apex Pro TKL keyboard.
SteelSeries CloudSync lets you backup, share and sync your settings across all your platforms. Create a SteelSeries ID, login, and send your data to the cloud.
You can find the SteelSeries Engine here: https://steelseries.com/engine
SteelSeries Apex 3 vs Logitech G413
In the case of the $64 Logitech G413 Carbon (2017), we could not find enough data to reach a reliable conclusion. If you are considering purchasing a mechanical keyboard in the $60 range, we suggest you look at other options. The SteelSeries Apex 3 (2020), for example, is a great mechanical keyboard for its $35 budget.
The SteelSeries Apex 3 (2020) has been praised by both RTings and TechGearLab, two trusted sources that conduct in-depth practical testing. It was awarded by RTings the title of “Best Cheap Non-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard” by RTings and the title of “Best Full-Size Rubber Dome Keyboard” by TechGearlab. Returning to the Logitech G413 Carbon (2017), RTings also had big things to say. In fact, it was named in its Summer 2021 Roundup 6 Best Gaming Keyboards Under $100 as their best cheap gaming keyboard, which is quite the feat.
We performed an analysis of the overview data we found for the two products. We focused on the sources they tested and rated such as TechRadar and Tom’s Guide, to discover why they voted for Logitech G413 Carbon (2017). We also took a look at the high ratings the two keyboards have received.

We found that SteelSeries APEX 3 (2020) received a 9,6 rating from Lifewire, while Logitech G413 Carbon (2017) received the highest 9 rating by TechRadar tester. Now that we have the average score, we can find out how these two products compare with other mechanical keyboards on the market. What we learned is that both keyboards performed better than most of their competitors, with an overall rating average of 7.4 out of 10 for mechanical keyboards, while both the Axes and the G413 scored an average of 7.9 and 8.3 points, respectively. Due to price differences, it is important to bear in mind that the direct comparison between axles and G413 is not entirely fair, as some sources do not take value for money into account when allocating their values and tend to value more premium products.
Cited Sources
- https://www.gamesradar.com/steelseries-apex-3-review/ 0
- https://switchandclick.com/steelseries-apex-3-vs-apex-5-vs-apex-7-vs-apex-pro-which-is-the-best/ 1
- https://mrgadget.com.au/steelseries-apex-3-review/ 2
- https://wccftech.com/review/steelseries-apex-3-review/ 3
- https://www.lifewire.com/steelseries-apex-3-review-5180878 4
- https://www.gamestop.com/gaming-accessories/keyboards/pc/products/apex-3-rgb-wired-gaming-keyboard/11100827.html 5
- https://www.techradar.com/reviews/steelseries-apex-3 6
- https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/reviews/steelseries/apex-3 7
- https://www.cdw.com/product/steelseries-apex-3-keyboard/6163432 8
- https://www.microcenter.com/product/617999/steelseries-apex-3-rgb-gaming-keyboard 9
- https://steelseries.com/gaming-keyboards/apex-3 10
- https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/steelseries-apex-3-gaming-keyboard 11
- https://www.bestbuy.com/site/steelseries-apex-3-wired-gaming-whisper-quiet-switch-keyboard-with-10-zone-rgb-backlighting-black/6396205.p?skuId=6396205 12
- https://www.slant.co/ai/logitech-g413-2017-vs-steelseries-apex-series-2020
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