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Tech head-to-head

Logitech MX MechanicalvsSteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

Same ballpark on the average, 8.0 and 7.9, and nothing alike on the axes: SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 wins Performance by 1.6, 9.4 to 7.8.

Logitech MX Mechanical

Logitech

8.0

Mechanical switches inside an office keyboard, with Logitech's multi-device pairing intact.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

SteelSeries

7.9

Actuation you set per key, from a hair of travel to the full stroke, on a board that charges for it.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Performance, SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 ahead 9.4 to 7.8. They come closest on Durability, 8.2 to 7.8. Left of center is Logitech MX Mechanical, right is SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3.

Logitech MX Mechanical versus SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Logitech MX Mechanical run left from the axis labels, bars for SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 run right. Logitech MX Mechanical: Performance 7.8, Value 7.4, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 8.8, Design 7.8. SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3: Performance 9.4, Value 6.2, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 7.4, Design 8.6.Logitech MX Mechanical (left)SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 (right)PerformanceLogitech MX Mechanical — Performance 7.8 out of 107.8SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Performance 9.4 out of 109.4ValueLogitech MX Mechanical — Value 7.4 out of 107.4SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Value 6.2 out of 106.2DurabilityLogitech MX Mechanical — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Ease of useLogitech MX Mechanical — Ease of use 8.8 out of 108.8SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Ease of use 7.4 out of 107.4DesignLogitech MX Mechanical — Design 7.8 out of 107.8SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 — Design 8.6 out of 108.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Logitech MX Mechanical

Leads on Value, Durability and Ease of use.

  • Three machines on one desk and one keyboard between them
  • You want mechanical feel without mechanical height
  • Backlighting that reacts to your hands approaching

Take the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

Leads on Performance and Design.

  • Competitive games where actuation depth is worth tuning key by key
  • You want a handful of keys set shallow and the rest left normal
  • Media control and profile switching without opening an app

What each one gets wrong

Logitech MX Mechanical

  • You intend to change switches later — these are soldered
  • You want the deep travel of a full-height board

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

  • Typing is the main job — shallow actuation punishes resting fingers
  • You would rather not have the SteelSeries suite installed to configure it
  • You expect to change switches later; these are not sockets

Specs, side by side

SpecLogitech MX MechanicalSteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3
LayoutFull size or 75 percent MiniTenkeyless
SwitchesLow-profile, not hot-swappableOmniPoint 3.0 magnetic, 0.1–4.0 mm adjustable
ConnectionBluetooth and Logi Bolt—
BatteryBacklight off extends it dramatically—
Top plate—Aluminum alloy
Extras—OLED display, onboard profiles, double-shot PBT keycaps

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Only 0.1 separates them. What breaks the tie?
Performance does, at 9.4 against 7.8. That axis covers how well it does the core job. Logitech MX Mechanical leads on Value, Durability and Ease of use. If Performance and Design matter more to you, take the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 instead.
Why are the totals this close?
The total is the plain average of the 5 Tech axes, so opposite results cancel. Logitech MX Mechanical averages 8.0 and SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 averages 7.9, a gap of 0.1, while the individual axes run as far apart as 1.6.
Which one ranks higher in "Every board here is sold on exactly one feature"?
Logitech MX Mechanical sits at #3 in "Every board here is sold on exactly one feature", SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 at #4.