A marginally useful LCD and mushy tactile feedback make the G19 a tough sell at $200. Gamers form highly personal attachments to their keyboards and mice , because finding the perfect peripheral can favorably impact the ratio between triumphant victories and humiliating defeats.

Programmable G-keys; customizable backlighting; integrated media-player controls; two powered USB ports

LCD isn't all that useful; mushy keyboard action; expensive

Whether you spend your days hunched over a desk pounding out verbiage or prancing through Khaz Modan in search of Monkey Gauntlets , the tool you wield can make all the difference. Sadly, the science of keyboard design seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent years.

More customizable than a box of Legos; Two self-powered USB ports; Dedicated D-pad and menu keys let you control LCD directly from the keyboard; Convenient cable management lanes carved into bottom of unit lessens clutter slightly; Choose-your-own-color adventure with adjustable backlighting.

Limited desktop space? This is NOT your keyboard; Price tag to match gargantuan footprint; Requires power brick to run; After it's novelty wears off, built-in LCD becomes more of a distraction than a useful tool

The Logitech G19 isn't for everyone, that's for sure. Not every user has £140 to spend on a keyboard and it is even a stretch for those who normally enjoy a touch of extravagance.

Logitech has a well-deserved reputation for making some of the best gaming peripherals around. All the way from its G5 Gaming Mouse to the recently-reviewed G13 Advanced Gameboard , its G-Series has consistently won TR recommended awards.

To pre-empt my full review of the Logitech G19 I've tossed together a very quick and dirty video using the Ricoh CX1 and a bit of iMovie magic. I'm not sure if it's me or the camera that should be blamed for the atrocious quality.

Logitech is a name you definitely think of when it comes to gaming keyboards and mice. The last gaming keyboard we took a look at from them was the G15 way back in 2006. Since then they have made some revisions to the G15, but today we have to chance to check out the new G19 gaming keyboard.

Backlit with any color; 12 fully programmable Gkeys; GamePanel LCD; Easy to use software; 2 USB ports

Not that many programs for the LCD; Requires external power source

The Logitech G19 is an interesting beast at its heart; a great functioning keyboard with an ample amount of features designed for multi-taskers and gamers built around a beautiful color LCD.

If you're a PC gaming enthusiast, Logitech G19 is the gadget to have. Powerful macro scripting, customizable key backlighting, and the best external LCD platform on the market make for a great keyboard. The powered USB 2.0 hub and stylish design is just icing on the cake.

User-configurable backlighting; Intuitive creation of powerful macros; Vibrant and responsive LCD display; Backwards-compatible with G15 apps; Open SDK for developers; Powered USB 2.0 hub built-in; Supports any six simultaneous keypresses; Gaming Mode disables the Windows key

High MSRP; AC adapter hates vertical power strips; Limited backlighting brightness; Cable routing is ineffective when the G19 is propped up; Keys are responsive; but aren't mechanical in design

New to this model (aside from the colour LCD) is its capability to recognise five simultaneous key presses. Macro-happy gamers and digital artists, in particular, should appreciate that feature, which opens up a greater level of mastery to run repetitive commands.

Large colour LCD supports digital photos and video playback; Included software development kit opens LCD up to home-brew and community-made apps; 16 million colour options for backlit keys; Built-in USB 2.0 ports; Improved macro recording capabilities with support for five simultaneous key presses

High price could limit adoption and thus hurt community software momentum; Configuration software needs consolidation

Over the last month I've been using Logitech's G19 & G13. While a month may sound like a long time to come up with a review of a keyboard, I wanted to make sure that this review isn't just …