In the world of pro-level gaming, fractions of a second can mean the difference between life and death.

Obviously, I don't know that from personal experience. I'm no pro. In fact, my usual approach to any kind of virtual combat is repeatedly and randomly mashing any and all keys and controls as fast as I can in the hope I'll kill or disable my opponent or opponents before they can do the same to me.

This method can be effective up to a point. But not a pro-level point.

Or maybe I've just been using the wrong keyboard.

Here's what I know about people who take gaming seriously, they seem to prefer a combination of keyboard and mouse over any kind of handheld controller. So the Logitech G515 Rapid TKL is probably more for them than me.

The first indication this keyboard is for the upper echelons of the gaming elite is how boring it looks. Black and dark grey. How striking. Oh - wait, you can also get it in white and grey. Hold me back. In saying that, the W, A, S and D keys are a contrasting colour; a different shade of grey.

In fact, even as minimalist industrial design goes, the G515 Rapid TKL is pretty restrained - and I mean that physically. It's incredibly thin - especially for a mechanical keyboard - just 22mm tall. And this is how clever the Logi team have been, combining low-profile keys with magnetic analogue switches to give you the full travel feel without a lot of extra height.

To demonstrate just how out of my depth I am with this device, I didn't even know what TKL stands for. Hey, don't judge me. I happen to like number pads and I actually use them quite a bit. But I have recently started using a much larger mousepad and so I'm beginning to appreciate the ergonomic benefits of a more narrow layout. If your keyboard is "Tenkeyless," then the distance your right hand has to travel to get to the mouse and back is drastically reduced - and like everything to do with pro-level gaming, fractions of a second can mean the difference between life and death.

There's a nice, long 1.8m USB cable in the box but oddly, it's USB-C to USB-A. I thought the world had moved on from USB-A? Certainly many of the devices I might choose to plug this keyboard into have, which frustratingly meant I had to find a dongle to adapt that larger USB back into a small one. It's a minor niggle but when they're asking you to shell out NZ$389.95 already, I would have like to have at least seen an adapter included in the box.

However, once you do plug it in, things instantly get more exciting.

All customisations happen through the Logi G HUB app - and thankfully this seems to work just as well in its MacOS incarnation as it does for PC, which is not always the case for high-end gaming peripherals.

Obviously there's the obligatory RGB backlighting. While I'm not massively into this stuff, the options on offer here are close to infinite. There are both static and dynamic lighting presets, all of which can be customised to your preference. Or you can just go through the whole keyboard key by key and assign lighting on a whim. LIGHTSYNC allows you to match up with any other compatible RGB accessories and components too.

The G515 lets you assign pretty much any action to any key. So for example, if you are using it with with a Mac like I am right now, you can create a profile that swaps Windows shortcuts for Apple ones - most importantly, turning the Alt key into the Command key. Very difficult to cut and paste on a Mac without a Command key.

What is probably even more useful for gamers is how you can actually assign TWO actions to a single key - depending on how hard you press it. Perhaps a light push fires a single shot while holding it all the way down reels off a whole magazine. Like everything to do with pro-level gaming, fractions of a second can mean the difference between life and death.

Speaking of how hard you push the keys, being a mechanical keyboard you can adjust how each key physically works too. Customise the attenuation point - or how far the key has to travel to work - from 2.5mm all the way down to 0.1mm if you really want a genuine hair-trigger. There's a Rapid Fire option which is more to do with how far you have to lift off between presses and you can even set the priority between keys. This is very handy for a klutz like me who has a tendency to do things like try to shake hands instead of executing a roundhouse kick.

Different games require different controls, of course, so it goes without saying you can create any number of profiles and switch to them accordingly. And remember, all these settings can be applied to the whole keyboard, or just certain, crucial favourites. 

There's also a standalone Game Mode button at the top left-hand corner. When pressed, it deactivates certain keys you definitely don't want to tap by mistake mid-game. Like the Windows key; the last thing you need as you're entering the home straight or returning to base to complete your mission is to accidentally exit out to your desktop.

Basically, if you've ever done something stupid with your keyboard, the G515 can probably be configured in a way to avoid you doing it again. And if you've ever wished your zombie head-shot count per second could go a bit higher, have I got the keyboard for you? After all, like everything to do with pro-level gaming, fractions of a second can mean the difference between life and death.

Is this starting to sink in?

But now I have a quandary; I'm starting to really like using this keyboard. Although I've only had it plugged in for a week or so and I've definitely been using it more for typing articles like this than any kind of gaming, I feel like I've become a much better typist.

I know that's not the point of this device at all and yet... After the initial learning curve when I found myself typing way too many extra letters in every sentence because the G515 is just so damn responsive, I quickly got used to it and began typing much faster simply because that's what this keyboard physically enables you to do.

I have absolutely no qualms about its durability and lifespan either. The stainless steel top plate lends a heft and rigidity to the whole setup that you can really feel with every consistent keystroke. Even the rear foldout legs seem solid and reliable.

I'm struggling to find a way the G515 Rapid TKL could offer any more and if it's made this noob's life a little easier, just imagine what it can do for the legit gamers out there.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Logitech G515 Rapid TKL.