A good gaming keyboard can significantly impact your overall gaming performance, so it’s worthwhile taking the time to get one that’s right for you. Gaming keyboards are also great for office work if you work on a computer all day. Of course, there’s no shortage of gaming keyboards on the market. If you’ve spent any time at all researching keyboards, then you’ll almost certainly have come across Razer, one of the leading manufacturers of gaming accessories. 

Two of their most popular keyboards are the Razer Ornata and Razer Cynosa. While these two keyboards may look similar on the surface, there are some notable differences between the two that potential buyers should be aware of before making their purchase decision. Read on and you’ll find a side-by-side comparison and get the gamer view of each keyboard.

Ornata vs Cynosa Side-by-Side Comparison 

The Razer Ornata and Cynosa have a broadly similar layout and design, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s not much difference between the two. And indeed, this is correct, but only up to a point. The Razer Ornata has a few subtle but noticeable differences that make it generally the better option for people who don’t have a budget in mind.

For one thing, it comes with wrist support, which can make a big difference to the comfort levels of gamers who like to play for hours on end. The Ornata’s keyboard is also superior. It’s a mechanical/membrane hybrid, which gives it the best of both worlds. The Razer Cynosa has a membrane keyboard. That might not be too important to some people, but if you like your keys to pop, then there’s no doubt that the Ornata is the way to go. Mechanical keys generally hold up better over time as well.

This isn’t to say that the Razer Cynosa is a bad keyboard. It’s still much better than the vast majority of keyboards on the market. Both the Ornata and Cynosa are beautifully backlit and come with generous 6ft+ cables. They have virtually identical latency scores, so if that’s your main criterion, then either keyboard will work. Both keyboards can be modified using Razer’s Synapse software. 

The Gamer View

So what do gamers have to say about these keyboards? Unsurprisingly given that they’re Razer keyboards, both received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with each keyboard receiving an average rating of 4.7/5. The Ornata has over 12K reviews while the Cynosa has over 16K reviews on Amazon for this 4.7 rating.

Indeed, both received virtually identical scores and comments. 82% of Cynosa buyers gave it five stars; 83% of Ornata buyers gave it five stars. Many gamers commented on the build quality, comfort, and the all-around performance that the keyboards provide. Another thing that came up very often is how great a value each of these keyboards is for their price range. 

The Bottom Line 

In the end, there’s no doubt that the Razer Ornata is the better keyboard of the two. Most of that comes down to the inclusion of wrist support and the quality of the membrane/mechanical hybrid keyboard. However, the Cynosa also packs a powerful punch, and its only shortcomings are in relation to its superior brother. The Razer Cynosa is also cheaper, so if you’re on a budget and don’t mind missing out on the few additional touches that the Ornata offers, then you’ll be more than happy with your purchase.

Do you have experience with either of these keyboards? If so, let me know what you think in the comments! Also, if you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy our recent post on the best budget keyboards under $100.