Computer gamers are a strange breed of people aren't they - they over-clock their systems, install fans everywhere on their gaming rigs and spend absurd amounts of money on fancy keyboards and mice.

Now, they can also lay their hands on Logitech’s new toy - the G13 Gameboard (S$139).

The G13 comes with 25 programmable keys, 22 backlit keys, a mini-joystick and two additional keys on the right for your thumb.

Plus, there are three mode buttons that give you effectively 75 programmable keys in one profile.

You can store up to five ready-to-play profiles on the Gameboard so that you can plug it into any computer and start mauling your opponents.

The G13 even sports a 160x43-pixel GamePanel LCD to show live game stats, system information and other data like RSS news. But gamers might be too busy focusing on the action to peek at the puny screen. What I do like about the LCD is that its colour can be customised.

Customisation is a breeze thanks to Logitech’s intuitive software, which supports Windows and Macintosh platforms. On-the-fly macro creation is the biggest boon when it comes to customisation, particularly for MMO (massively multi-player online) gamers.

In fact, the Logitech software comes with pre-configured settings for many games, such as World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online and EverQuest II.

It’s quite cool to see the gameboard automatically detect games like Crysis and Fallout 3 on my rig and I was able to get straight into the action!

The G13 is impeccably designed... for right-handed gamers. Your left hand rests comfortably on the slick, black wrist rest, your fingers arch over the centre keys and your left thumb is in control of the mini-joystick.

The ergonomic design prevents you from suffering any wrist or finger aches despite hours of gaming.

It’s a pity Logitech did not do more with the mini-joystick - I would love to see precision aiming implemented on the mini-joystick.

It does take a while before you get used to the gameboard. For old gamers, the learning curve is steep. I find myself switching back to my gaming keyboard in the heat of the action, out of familiarity.

Nevertheless, with its great ergonomic design, great customisation abilities and on-the-fly macro creation, the Logitech G13 Gameboard is a wonderful ally for the hardcore gamer.
- TODAY/yb