Technologies
Best Gaming Keyboard Under $100 for 2023
Improve your stats with a good gaming keyboard that won’t break the bank.

A keyboard can make or break your PC gaming setup. Don’t let a bad one ruin your gaming experience. A new keyboard is an easy upgrade, especially considering the plethora of great options under $100. We tested tons of budget-friendly keyboards to help you decide which one is going to give you the most bang for your buck.
Just like picking out a new gaming mouse, getting the right gaming keyboard has a lot to do with personal preference — from ergonomic design (hello, wrist rest) to whether you prefer RGB lighting, mechanical keys, tactile feedback, programmable keys, dedicated media keys or so many other features that we can’t even begin to list them. To help narrow your keyboard design preferences, check out GameSpot’s glossary of keyboard terms.
Read more: Best Gaming Mouse Under $50 for 2023
It’s worth noting that Aukey, which makes one of our top picks, was booted from Amazon last year because it was one of several vendors reported to have solicited positive user reviews for gift cards. But since our experience with the quality and value of Aukey accessories has been positive, we continue to recommend its hardware.
If you’re most comfortable doing your office work on a membrane keyboard, the Cynosa might be the gaming keyboard for you. It’s a membrane keyboard, not mechanical, so the keys are quiet and definitely feel softer than the others here and some might find them mushy. Still, if you’re looking to use one keyboard for both work and play, this is a fine compromise for its $60 list price.
Many of the original Cynosa’s features carry over, including per-key RGB lighting — a rarity at this end of the market — and durable spill-resistant design. What’s new is a set of media keys added to the upper right corner. Razer also added cable routing under the keyboard so you can keep your desk a little tidier.
This is also one of the most programmable keyboards here. There are a lot of preset lighting effects to pick from and you can also create your own using the Synapse 3.0 software. There’s also Razer’s Hypershift feature that lets you set up a secondary set of functions for your keys that are accessed with a «shift» key you choose. You can also rebind keys and set macros with the software.
Whirlwind FX’s Atom 60% mechanical gaming keyboard isn’t too different from other similarly sized options. The compact build is a space saver, great if you need extra mousing room while you game. It’ll also slide easily into a backpack for travel. (It also has a removable braided USB-C cable to help with that.) The company offers a choice of three mechanical switches, and they’re all brilliantly lit with RGB LEDs.
The Atom’s backlighting, or more specifically the software that controls them, is where this little keyboard stands out. The thing is, you don’t even need the keyboard to use the software.
The SignalRGB app lets you set the keyboard’s lighting to have different effects during regular use and when media is playing including various games. The app has a library of game integrations to choose from. I tested the Battlefield V integration, for example, and it does things like turn the keyboard lights red when HP is low or green when you’re healed. The Fortnite integration will change the keyboard to pink and red when you take damage or purple when you add experience. There are a lot of games available and, if you really like to tinker, you can create your own integrations using the company’s open-platform lighting software.
However, the SignalRGB software lets you take things a step further by expanding the effects to your other RGB gaming peripherals. It supports more than 150 devices from Razer, Corsair, HyperX, Logitech, SteelSeries and others. You can also request others that aren’t supported yet.
Also, if you prefer a full-size keyboard, check out the company’s second-gen Element keyboard that has the same switch options but it has directional keys and a number pad.
Even on Logitech’s lower-end models such as the G413 backlit gaming keyboard, the company doesn’t cheap out on build quality and components. It uses the same Romer-G Tactile switches found on its more feature-filled models and has the same slim, simple and durable keyboard design with brushed aluminum-magnesium alloy top case. It has a braided USB cable with a USB passthrough port on the back right and channels underneath for mouse and headset cable management.
The tactile key switch is relatively quiet with no click when actuated, just a subtle bump and a short actuation. If you love to hear and feel your keypresses, this probably isn’t the best switch for you. There’s just one color for the backlight — red — but the backlighting is bright and the key font on this full-size keyboard is easy to read. Logitech includes 12 faceted keycaps, which is nice but we didn’t feel much difference.
The G413 is programmable with Logitech’s G Hub software, letting you set up macros and custom functions on the F1-F12 buttons and there’s a game mode that shuts off the Windows key. Overall it’s a more polished mechanical gaming keyboard than the others here, but it’s also pricier.
Finding a good wireless gaming keyboard can be difficult. These babies are a rarity because the last thing you want to do is potentially introduce lag into your performance. The G613’s Lightspeed wireless performs as well as wired and its battery life is stellar at up to 18 months on two AA-size batteries. That said, the keyboard has no backlight whatsoever, which while understandable for the power savings, no keyboard backlighting really kills the gaming experience in the dark. You do get six programmable buttons down the left side, so that’s something.
The G613 uses the same Romer-G Tactile mechanical switches as the G413, so everything I said about that one applies here. I happen to like the feel of this switch for gaming and typing, though I was in the minority for our testing. This wireless keyboard is definitely one you should try before you buy if you can.
The $50 G14 is one of the most affordable mechanical gaming keyboards available and Aukey has stepped up its game with the build quality and software without increasing prices. This TKL keyboard is chunky but still saves desk space since it doesn’t have a number pad; check out Aukey’s G12 if you want that feature.
Although the case is all plastic, it has the heft of a metal frame. Combined with the nonslip pads on the bottom, this keyboard won’t slide around while you’re gaming. Plus, there are two sets of flip-out feet at the back giving you three typing angles to choose from — something you don’t always find on pricier keyboards. And while its USB cable is attached to the body, Aukey did add routing on the bottom so you can send the cable out to the left, right or center.
The company’s blue clicky switches are good for both typing and gaming with a tactile bump you can feel and hear. These switches have a loud click to them, something to keep in mind if you share a workspace). Also, there is no pinging from the switch springs, unlike the slimmer full-size G12 keyboard, so all you really hear is their click. There is some key wobble but it’s relatively minor and overall it’s a solid typing experience.
The keycap legends are difficult to read with the backlight off. However, with 18 preprogrammed lighting options to choose from and four brightness settings, there’s little reason to have the lights off entirely while you’re working. You can always replace the keycaps, too, and Aukey includes a puller. Software for the keyboard can be used to create your own per-key RGB lighting, set up key macros or change key assignments and save multiple profiles. The G14 is a great place to start if you’re just getting into mechanical keyboards for work or play.
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Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 16, #409
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 409 for April 16. Fore!

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Todays NYT Strands puzzle has a pretty clear theme, but unless you are into this activity, you may not know all the hidden words. One of them—spoiler—starts with a U—really stumped me. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Fore!
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Caddyshack.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- DIVE, DIVER, CHIT, CHIPPY, HIPPY, RODE, RULE, PUTT, FLOUT, EDGE, CHIP, DRIVE, TILT
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- PUTTER, IRON, WEDGE, DRIVER, WOOD, CHIPPER, UTILITY
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is GOLFCLUBS.To find it, start with the G that’s four letters to the right on the bottom row, and wind over and up.
Quick tips for Strands
#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.
#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.
#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 16, #205
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 205, for April 16.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Connections: Sports Edition was pretty easy for me today. The yellow group comes together quite easily once you think of the same action that can be done with a few of the words. If you’re familiar with the teams of a certain midwestern state, you’ve got the blue group covered too. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. You can also continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Toss it!
Green group hint: Let’s play.
Blue group hint: The Buckeye State.
Purple group hint: Put the same letter before them.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Throwing events.
Green group: Often found in a game room.
Blue group: Ohio sports teams.
Purple group: Words that can be preceded by T-.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is throwing events. The four answers are discus, hammer, javelin and shot put.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is often found in a game room. The four answers are air hockey, foosball, ping pong and pool.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Ohio sports teams. The four answers are Bearcats, Bengals, Cavaliers and Reds.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is words that can be preceded by T-. The four answers are ball, Mac, shirt and Wolves.
Quick tips for Connections: Sports Edition
#1: Don’t grab for the easiest group. For each word, think about other sports categories it might fit in – is this a word that can be used in football, or to describe scoring options?
#2: Second meanings are important. The puzzle loves to use last names and even college names that mean other things, to fool you into thinking they are words, not names.
#3: And the opposite is also true. Words like HURTS might seem like a regular word, but it’s also the last name of at least one pro athlete.
Technologies
Display Your Photography at Home With These Beautiful Wall Art Ideas
Don’t let your photos languish on an old hard drive. These ideas for dramatic wall art can give your images new life.

Whether you’re snapping away on your iPhone 16 Pro or Galaxy S25 Ultra, or if you’re using a great mirrorless camera, it’s never been easier to take stunning photos wherever you are. But all too often those images sit on our devices for years, cluttering up our camera roll and never being given the attention they deserve. Using those pictures to create beautiful wall art pulls them from the depths of your hard drive and shows off those stunning moments all around your home, providing a wonderful reminder of the good times you had and the beautiful places you’ve seen.
As a photographer myself, I know how it feels having countless photos I’m really proud of that just sit on my computer never to be looked at again. I also know how amazing it can feel to see my work printed out nice and big, so I’ve put together some of my favorite ways that I display photos in my own home.
Read more: Best Cameras to Buy in 2025
Go big with a canvas
I’ve had small canvas prints before and they’ve looked OK, but this gigantic canvas makes a real statement. At 47 by 47 inches, it’s a real beast of a print and I had it hung over my stairwell to really show it off and add some color in an otherwise plain space.
While any image will work for a canvas print, I specifically wanted to go with something a little more abstract, opting for a square print of this coastal scene, that brings great seaside vibes into my house.
Buy canvas prints from Cewe UK here.
Read more: Best Camera Phone in 2025
Create a stark monochrome aluminum print
I love black-and-white photography and was especially pleased when I took some moody monochrome images using my converted infrared camera while on holiday on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland. Printed onto aluminum, these prints have a smooth, matte finish that’s free of any reflections and lends itself well to high contrast black-and-white images.
I had a print made in a whopping 55 by 41 inches and it’s a stunning addition to my home studio space, standing out nicely against the gray wall. My aluminum print came with hanging rails mounted on the back, although you can also use other wall fixings, as long as they’re strong enough. These large prints are heavy!
Buy aluminum prints from Cewe UK here.
Split your image into an eye-catching triptych
A triptych refers to any image that is displayed in three parts, whether it’s three different images designed to be displayed together, or one image broken up into sections. I went for the latter option, splitting a wide, cinematic view over a wintery Edinburgh into three foam board panels, each measuring 23 by 15 inches.
Hanging them in perfect alignment took a bit of doing, but I love the look of the three of them together. It takes what would be an otherwise regular print and gives it a slightly more modern, interesting twist by breaking it up, while still maintaining the visual impact of the original image.
Try creating triptychs using wide landscape scenes, cityscapes or other panoramic images. Or try it using three different images either from the same occasion (a wedding or holiday) or grouped by theme (black-and-white images, or three locations in different seasons).
Buy triptych prints from Cewe UK here.
Splash some color with an acrylic print
Acrylic prints are great options for vibrant images, as the way that light passes through the thick material allows colors to really pop with a satisfying contrast that almost gives the print a 3D effect.
I went with a print of an image I shot of the Northern Lights, shimmering over a bay in Iceland. It’s an incredibly colorful image, with vivid greens and yellows from the aurora, mixed in with deep blue tones in the night sky and I absolutely love how it looks in the 55-by-41-inch print.
Hanging it involved screwing mounting points into my wall, which is a bit fiddly for a DIY novice like myself to get right, but I love how the image looks against the deep blue of my room.
Buy acrylic prints from Cewe UK here.
Create a modern, hexagonal display
Hexxas tiles allow you to print your images on hexagons that you can then build up into an interesting honeycomb pattern on your wall. The seven tiles I received were enough to create a neat circular pattern, but you can order loads more and create much more interesting shapes that spread across your wall.
They’re a great way of showing lots of images as part of one set, so consider how you can theme your tiles so they work in harmony. I opted for a selection of my natural macro images, grouping shots of mushrooms and leaves that work well together. But these tiles would work really well to show off your images from various vacations, adding to them as you travel each year, resulting in an ever-expanding display of beautiful, modern-looking prints.
Buy Hexxas hexagonal tile prints from Cewe UK here.
Frame a hero print for a classic look
Going with a classic frame for your print may not feel like the most exciting, modern way to show off your photos, but sometimes the classics really work and will allow your prints to stand the test of time. But if you still want your framed art to make a statement on your wall then you need to go big.
I went for the largest 20-by-30-inch framed print Cewe offered, filling the black frame with an iconic view of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye. I love how timeless this piece of art looks on my wall and how well it fits against the other, smaller framed prints from other parts of Scotland.
Buy large framed prints from Cewe UK here.
Pack your memories into a stunning photo book
Not all your photographic artwork has to live on your walls. A photo book can be an amazing way to show off a whole selection of images that really tell the story of an occasion. Wedding albums are of course the most obvious ones to go for as you can include all of your images from the happy day into one book that you — and your family and friends — will enjoy flicking through for years to come.
But I’ve also loved creating photo books with sets of images from specific holidays around the world. I often keep photo books in mind when I’m away, ensuring I shoot lots of images that really tell the story of a location — architecture, shop fronts, food, street art — that will then fill the pages of my book like it’s a luxury travel magazine.
Good photo book makers (including Cewe) will allow you to fully customize the layout of your images, along with the paper type and choice of outer finishes. Cewe also offers books made with 100% recycled paper.
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