Don't beat yourself up if you're not familiar with the Cougar brand. It's a German company that's been in the game since 2007, though its presence in the United States is largely overshadowed by companies like Razer and Logitech, two of the bigger dogs in the gaming peripherals scene. But like Roccat, another device maker headquartered in Germany, Cougar is making an effort to establish a higher level of brand recognition on our home turf by releasing competitive gaming gear that blend form and function.

The product we're looking at here is Cougar's 600K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. It's a subdued version of Cougar's flagship 700K intended for people who want the look and feel of the higher end plank, but not necessarily all the features (or price) that it comes with...