It's no secret that online gaming is becoming more popular in the mainstream. While LAN gaming and early FPS titles dominated the market in the late 90s and early 2000s, PC gaming was still in obscure territory.

With the arguably oversaturated amount of FPS (First Person Shooter) titles on the Xbox and Playstation consoles, gamers began to turn to new genres after Everquest and World of Warcraft brought MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) gaming into the mainstream.

PC gamers have the natural advantage of not having to buy an entirely new console for each generation of gaming. PC gamers need only pay for new parts and upgrades to their system as they become available, but PC gaming in the long run is generally less expensive than console gaming.

For hardcore PC gamers, it is important to have a setup that gives an advantage in online and competitive play. This means that gaming mice and keyboards are an essential part of any system.

Why is it so important to have a good gaming keyboard?

Having a keyboard with a lot of extra keys means that players can assign their spells, weapons, or in-game interface options to a number of customizable, easy access keys.

The top gaming keyboards allow for a HUD (Heads Up Display) add on screen that displays relevant information about the game or the status of the player's character.

Most high-tier gaming keyboards are made to last, which means they are a valuable investment for all gamers to consider.

Some gaming keyboards include stencils or customizable stickers to help players remember the functions of each of their essential buttons.

Let's take a look at the top five gaming keyboards for competitive play:

1. Saitek Cyborg - Saitek has an excellent line of backlit keyboards, and the Cyborg is the classiest of them all. The only bad part about owning a Saitek keyboard is a lack of American support. The company's main repair center is located in South Korea.

2. Merc Stealth - This fancy gaming keyboard is both rugged and built for comfortable, ergonomic play. Rubber keys replace the standard WSAD configuration, making long gaming sessions a lot less painful on the fingertips.

3. Razer Black Widow - Razer is well-known for their long line of PC gaming mice and keyboards, and the Black Widow is the best of the best. With responsive keys and a comfortable wrist rest, it's the perfect board for a serious gamer.

4. Logitech G15 - With an attractive LED screen that gives in-game contextual information, the G15 is adept at quick macroing. It is a perfect choice for most gamers.

5. Optimus Maximus - While this keyboard is ludicrously expensive ($1600 USD list price), it makes this list just for the cool factor. Each key on the keyboard is its own LCD display, and users can customize the icons on each key.

Costway US $311.00 Modern Loveseat Sofa Couch with Side Storage Pocket and Sponged Padded Seat Cushions-Blue Costway US $106.00 Oversized Camping Chair Folding Loveseat Camping Couch with Cup Holders & Thick Padding-Blue Costway US $141.00 Loveseat Cushioned Patio Steel Frame Swing Glider-Brown Costway US $225.00 2-Person Rocking Loveseat with Mesh Fabric and Tempered Glass Table Costway US $311.00 Modern Loveseat Sofa Couch with Side Storage Pocket-Light Gray Costway US $255.00 2-Person Double Rocking Loveseat with Mesh Fabric and Center Tempered Glass Table-Black Costway US $185.00 Outdoor Porch Steel Hanging 2-Seat Swing Loveseat with Canopy-Turquoise Costway US $218.00 Garden Bench Chair Outdoor Wooden Loveseat with Iron Armrest Costway US $484.00 4 Pieces Patio Acacia Wood Thick Cushion Loveseat Sofa Set-White Costway US $244.00 Outdoor Gliding Loveseat Chair with Tempered Glass Coffee Table-2 Pieces