Normal Keyboard or Mechanical?

Im looking a t a new KB.

Ive read up on the mechanical ones, and they sound better, but is the difference really noticable between them and the normal KB's?

 

Yes, very noticeable.

Worth it? Depends on the person.

I say if you type a lot, or type quickly the mechanical will start to be more fitting.

Moving from normal --> mech I did not notice how much better it was much at first. Moving back from mech to normal though feels horrible like the keys require a lot more pressure and you have to mash the keys down all the way.

 

Ok, thanks, sound like the mechanical might be the go then.

 

I think the thing to look for is more comfort in typing, less fatigue and your average speed to increase, not so much your max speed.

You may not think typing is fatiguing, but it is, you will notice when switching back and forth between a good mech and a membrane keyboard how much more effort is required on a membrane one.

I have a Das Keyboard with the Cherry MX Blues, going to try to get a review on it done this week.

I would like to also try a similar keyboard wit the MX Browns or Clears.

 

What do you think of the Razer Blackwidow?

 

That its a piece of crud and not worthy of being called a mech keyboard.

Its got cramped key placement, causing issues with one key pressing down another key around the same area. Keys get stuck on it causing multiple inputs sometimes.

Its build quality is just bottom of the barrel.

When about any mech keyboard cost about $100+ you have to wonder how Razer could make one for about $70 to compete....

Especially when it has the Razer name on it (automatic price increase compared to same product from non Razer name) and the answer is simple, they made a really bad keyboard and hope to make sales based off of their name, and then they like to charge like $50 more to add blue lights too it.

I was looking at the black window at first myself, even the ultimate version since I do like back light, and I liked how it had macro keys. However after searching far and wide on google I found numerous complaints and many poor user reviews.

 

Wow, that's a pity, I too like the backlight and extra keys. Any other worthy models with backlighting and good range if keys

 

The Deck fits the bill, but its also a expensive bill

 

If you have a spouse/significant other, keep in mind that the sounds from a mechanical keyboard can/will annoy him or her. Complaints from my wife prompted me to sell my mechanical keyboard.

 

MX Blue is clicky but Brown & Clear do not make much sound, I would not group all switch types together as loud since they can be quite different from one another. Me bottoming out a key now and then is actually much louder than even the blue type switches.

 

Whether a mechanical keyboard is right for you depends on what you want out of a keyboard. If you care about things like lots of programmable macro keys and function keys, something like a Logitech G19 would be fit the bill.

But if you want a keyboard that is a good *KEY*board (as in, you actually care about how the keys feel and respond), then mechanical would be a good choice. There is added benefit that a mechanical keyboard is TOUGH (they weigh 3+lbs, because of the steel plate used in the construction of many mechanical keyboards), and will last you damned near forever.

Deck Legend 104-key.

Same opinion as Vicious... Razer Blackwidow is an overpriced piece of junk.

 

Thanks, the deck and logitech are a little too pricey, maybe the mechanical keyboard is overkill for me.

Whats the verdict on the Logitech g510, or Alientware Tactx?

 

I love mine, but if you've never used one then make sure you try one out before you order - they're not for everyone, and it will feel weird if you've never used one.

Das Keyboard user here - migrated from my Model M a couple of years ago when I started using laptops a lot more & got used to having a Windows key.

I do love thin and light laptops and such, but there is that satisfying feeling of 'I could bludgeon someone to death with this and it would still fulfill its duties absolutely fine afterwards' that gives you a lot of confidence about a piece of technology.

 

Logitech G510 - If you're going to be spending $100 USD on a keyboard, you might as well buy mechanical. If you can't spend $150 for a Deck Legend, then get a Steelseries 6GV2 for $100 USD. Steelseries mechanical keyboards are no joke - they are rated very highly by mechanical keyboard purists. The only reason I didn't recommend the Steelseries 6GV2 earlier was because it doesn't have backlighting.

From the Steelseries website:

Up until the release of the SteelSeries 6Gv2 it was clear that in order to be considered a “gaming” keyboard it had to in some way glowed in the dark. Don’t take that the wrong way, we do like things that have lights and can be a bit flashy, but we don’t believe that’s what should define or set apart a keyboard for gaming. As we began to design the 6Gv2, we wanted to offer a keyboard that would do more than emulate the bridge console on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 and instead, we focused on raw performance and durability.​

I couldn't agree more.

See my reply in your other thread about mice:

(2) The Alienware TactX is a variant of the Logitech G9, not the G9X. It does not have interchangeable grips or adjustable weights. The only advantages of the Alienware TactX are its AlienFX colored LED lighting system, and the Alienware branding.

Don't get me wrong - I *LOVE* Alienware. But buy a mouse based on its performance as a mouse. To buy a mouse because of its brand or colored LEDs would be foolish.

 

yea, the backlighting is a must have for me. Sorta puts the steelseriies out of the equation.......

 

Do you value backlighting over keyboard durability and keystroke motion?

If so, may I ask why? Is there some absolute need, or is it a nice-to-have feature that you want?

 

hmmmm......i get tired of having to strain to see the keyboardat night, the lighting isnt always great at my desk.

(and dont say get more light )

 

Ok, fair enough.

If backlighting is a must, and your budget doesn't allow you to go up to $150, then a non-mechanical is probably your best bet.

 

ok, so im sort back to square 1 i guess, if ya reckon that $100 is too much for a non-mechanical, any advice on a good backlit logitech?

 

Lol... sorry to say, I can't be much help here. My advice on a good backlit Logitech keyboard would be to not buy one.

I'd ditch the membrane-based backlit keyboard (which would last you 2 years for a $50-$100 keyboard) and get a mechanical instead (which will last you 10 years for a $100-$150 keyboard).

... which isn't very helpful advice to you. So, I will have to defer to other forum members for their recommendations.

 

hah........damn, go-on then, gimme your reccomendation on a good gaming backlit mechanical....

I might need to scrape up the spare change.....lol

 

Ummm, well, see earlier recommendation for Deck Legend. Costs around $160 USD. Here's a post that I made about it a while ago, on ViciousUSMC's thread about keyboards.

Otherwise, I'd go with a non-backlit Steelseries 6GV2 for $100 USD.

 

Get a Das Keyboard with nothing printed on it. This will force you to learn to touch type properly, at which point backlighting is not needed.

 

Customizer 101

You might try one of these non-lighted ones first.

Honestly -- I have tried most of the cherry switch keyboards -- and non feel better than the original IBMs.

OP -- this is relatively cheap (non-lighted unfortunately) and will let you get a feel for whether you like it or not.

I have used this versus the others mentioned and this feels better for typing.

Overall, if you can get new old stock IBM Model M keyboards off of eBay -- they feel better in my opinion than the Cherry switches mentioned here.

Actually, I would also suggest getting a cheap used model M from Ebay (within $35), get the PS/2 converter from ClickyKeyboards and see if you like the feel. If you don't want the hassle go with pckeyboard.com.

Lower cost of entry overall than the lighted ones (an IMHO better feel than Steelseries, Das, Deck, etc) at half to 1/3 the cost.

 

ROFL! This is good stuff. Pity that it's all true, too.

 

YouTube - Update on the razer black widow keyboard issue

Seen people say it happens when using shift in FPS games and getting double key presses from a stuck key as well.

It uses good switches it was just a poor design and build quailty.

 

The Filco line up is worth a look (elitekeyboards.com), amazing build quality and quite a few options such as ten-keyless, optional replacement keys like swapping the wasd with red or light purple wasd keys etc.

Also go check out geekhack forums - Powered by vBulletin

Those guys live for mechanical keyboards. Seriously though some of them do.

 

That site led me in search of a silver label IBM Model M. Best I could was get one that was used -- supposedly considered among the best of those manufactured.

 

Yup. Related to the #KRO (# key rollover), which is how many keys you can simultaneously depress and still have them all register properly with the keyboard. It is based entirely on the engineering design and circuitry of the keyboard.

Any mechanical keyboard worth buying has 6KRO (properly registers up to 6 simultaneous keypresses), which is the limit of USB. The Razer Blackwidow only supports 2KRO... which is why it is a piece of junk. They sacrifice performance to get a flashy keyboard within a certain price range, so that they can pawn it off on people who don't know any better.

 

I just got a nerd chubby reading that site.

 

Wait till you get into the nuances of the Model M. They distinguish logo types, how much of a metal backplate was used, which version of the same switch was used, replacing the seating on keys to make clickies non-clicky sounding etc.

 

Isn't Geekhack great? :laugh:

@allbald...I agree, first timers should get a cheap-ish mechanical keyboard. Then most on to something else more aligned with their personal preference.

Typed on a Cherry G80 MX-11900.

 

Oh yeah forgot about the NKRO, 2 is horrible esp for a "gaming" company.

I use the Das with PS2 so it has unlimited key roll over, but of course it does 6 with USB.

 

Lets keep this thread away from a Razer BlackWidow bashing thread. This thread has established that to this thread the BlackWidow is "crap". No point in mumbling about that.

Lets stick to helping the OP.

 

I have both a Silent Professional Das (Brown - unlabeled keys) and the xArmor (Blue - backlit keys). Both are very good, but I enjoy typing on the Brown switches more. While the Blue switches provide a very satisfying click, I don't live alone, and cringe when typing 'after hours'.

My one regret is that I wish I had gotten a keyboard without the numpad ~ don't use it, don't need it.

 

True True, sorry. Mention NKRO is important though, so we were just saying "as an example this keyboard would be bad...

Sometime down the road I would like a Deck but its pretty costly, so may get another Das Keyboard with the Browns. I would like to see how the clears feel though, I imagine more similar to the blues just without the click.

The click on the blue does not bother me at all even when gaming like I thought it might. Some people find the clicking to be soothing and calming. It is kind of neat if your typing away on a large amount of word material but it does not have the same effect when gaming or just typing small messages.

 

I would love the 82 Key Deck with Black switches... but I can't justify it with two perfectly functional (and will be for a long time) mechanical keyboards that cost over $100 each. The keyboard itself weighs almost as much as my laptops, so i can't even justify it as portable :'(

While Das is cheaper than Deck, its a very marginal difference (135 vs 159) ~ why settle at that point?

 

I was looking at the Tactile (mx clear) Decks they cost like $169+ while the Das is $129.00 that I got. So its a pretty big difference (about 25% more) I also do not understand why Deck does not offer there key switch type options for all colors. You have to choose Ice or Frost to get the tactile keys, I would really like to see them offer it for Fire & Toxic as well since those colors are more unique.

While I have not personally tried the MX Blacks (linear) I have a feeling I would not like them so much since I like the tactile feel and the lighter key press. I read the MX Blacks are a bit fatiguing to use, however some fps gamers really like them, but when it comes to gaming a regular membrane keyboard is just fine I think.

 

I have a Deck Legend with MX Black keys (linear), and have had it for a few years. I've also used other mechanical keyboards that use Cherry MX Blue keys (the "clicky" keys).

For gaming, I much prefer the MX Black keys. The smooth, non-clicking key motion definitely felt much better after long hours of gaming, such as spamming a bunch of spells during WoW raids.

The fact that the Cherry MX Black switch doesn't click, and has linear resistance is actually a big plus. When you spam the same key repeatedly (WoW raid), you start learning the actuation point where the keypress registers during the keystroke, and end up just using 1/4th of the full keystroke motion... just enough to un/actuate the key repeatedly. Using a Cherry MX Blue keyboard was much more fatiguing, because it required more force to actuate the keys.

Being able to talk about the difference between Cherry MX Blacks vs. Cherry MX Blues when it comes to keyspamming efficiency shows one thing... that WoW raiding is absolutely retarded.

 

:laugh:

It's funny because it's true.

 

Sigh.... It took me 3 years and 2 expansions to figure that out.

 

Mechanical Keyboard Guide - [H]ard|Forum

That's a pretty good summary from HardOCP site. Worth stickying.

What's worse is I have even bought an old Apple Extended Keyboard that was like 15+ years cuz it was unused to recapture the IBM Model M feel (but it had some spanish language keys since it was the Spanish language version but I got desparate!).

I now use the horrible Apple chiclet keyboard to keep the noise down -- but i Hate! typing on it.

 

I always used normal membrane keyboards till i got my first one which was the abs m1 a cheap mechanical keyboard with black alps got it for 40$ from ebay which is still going strong today And ever sense i got it i couldn't go back too any membrane keyboards they just don't feel right and i cant stand them lol, Than i got the xarmor u9bl with cherry blues and wow they feel so nice and became my Favorited switch so i preordered the black widow ut too.

And about the black widow ut.

I preordered my black window ut when i first herd about it and when i got it it became my main keyboard and yes i had other mechanical keyboards like the xarmor xarmor u9bl which has NKRO Which also is another great board which was my main before the black widow but too me the black widow feels better and just feels more solid and the build quality is great too be and i have no problems with gaming on it or have any problems in the video.

But i should mention that my black window ut is the first batch of them which didn't have much problems if at all. And im a heavy gamer so i think if something would've failed it would of did it by now on mine.

And for NKRO too me at first it was nice knowing i had it on my xarmor but it wasn't needed because i haven't ran into a problem in any games i play which you could say i played every game out there And the key roll over on my black window ut is 4 too 6 i think the ony key it has trouble with which is 2 key roll over is zxc but no game requires that combo. And i haven't found a game i played that requires more than 4 keys, Maybe those music games need more than 4 forgot the names but i don't play those, And for emu for two players or so i use gamepads which what you suppose too use with them in the first place.

But ya i wouldn't call the black widow ut crap well i know mine ain't, But ya i did hear about other people having trouble with them but that was after the first batch so not sure what razer did there

And for the deck i was going too buy one before these mechs but decided i wouldn't like the switches it uses which are clears and wanted alot of feedback which the blues gives me. I know the build quality is super on them but wish they would come out with more switches.

I also have a old dell w101 mech.

But ya i love my mechs

 

I like my MX Blues as well.

I still want to try brown/clear though

Did the review of the Das Keyboard: http://forum.notebookreview.com/acc...das-keyboard-model-s-mechanical-keyboard.html

 

Ya i was thinking of trying a brown switch board, And i might try a deck down the road to.

Seems like when i got my first mech board it seems like i want too keep getting more mech boards.. lol


My Next board too try might be the das silent cherry browns. Be nice if they get a Backlight option tho like you said in your review even tho i hardly look at the keys but still a nice option too have

 

Yeah my keyboard I just replaced was a Saitek Eclipse, one of the better known fully lighted keyboards (backlight + key lettering) I did not have to look at keys to type but it was like my nightlight and if playing a game in the dark and needing to look for a key I do not use normally (like starcraft 2 I have issues trying to hit left control + number keys) it was easy to do.

I do not want a super flashy system, so I have no CFCL lights behind the monitors, nor do I build computers with clear windows or lighting any more, but just the keyboard lights was enough show to be fancy without being flashy.

Most keyboards I see with this option go up about $50+ in price though so to that extent I would probably save the money and go with a basic no-light model.

 

Pshhhht. Don't listen to all of these people telling you to get a quiet keyboard. Or a non-mechanical one.

Are you a regular dude, with regular wants and needs? Then sure, go ahead and get a regular keyboard. Accept mediocrity!

Or... are you someone who wants to experience simultaneous orgasms in your ears, fingers and loins? If so, you have two options. You could go to the local hardware store and pick up a feather, two fishing hooks, some peanut butter, a 6-foot length of chain, some barbed wire, five nails, and a rabbit.

Or you could get a mechanical keyboard.

 

LOL QFT Though if Topre Capacitive Switches are supposed to be as good (or better), how would that feel like

 

The other keyboard clicky switch type to consider white ALPS keys used in the old Apple Keyboards. They are quite nice from a feel standpoint. Matias, Dell AT101W, and Filco Zero fall in this category.

Worth checking out -- the Dell can be had pretty cheap on ebay.