mechanical keyboards

[Fireonice]

What is your favorite mechanical keyboard and switch type and why? Recommendations? Thoughts?

 

I want one! I'm looking at Deck Hassium pro with MX cherry browns. I will mostly be gaming (fps, star citizen) but I still need to type accurately.

[bp9801]

I have two with Cherry Reds and another with Blues. Reds don't take as much force as Blues, but are worlds quieter.  Blues have that lovely click-clack noise, which isn't always appreciated if you're around coworkers/loved ones. For mostly FPS games the Reds are good, while Browns are a nice all-around switch. For a first-time user, Browns may be the way to go for you. Not much noise, good for gaming and typing, and not super stiff/hard to press. They do have a tactile bump, too, like the Blues, while the Reds lack that tactile bump (and conversely makes some people not like them).

[Coors]

I have a Ducky Shine 9008S with Cherry blacks.  I like it.

[Guest_Jim_*]

I've a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth that acutually uses Razer-orange switches. Basically they're Cherry Browns with the same pressure and tactile feel, but (according to Razer) have a longer life span and shorter actuation point, so it takes less distance to trigger them. I'm definitely happy with it, especially because it isn't clicky. I don't need noise to tell me I pressed a key; that's why my fingers have a sense of touch. (Don't need the special tactile feedback either, but then I got this at a very nice sale price, so I'm not complaining and am still quite happy.)

[Bubbaxm2]

I have and love my Logitech G710 with blue's. Loud as hell and I love it!

[bp9801]

I've a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth that acutually uses Razer-orange switches. Basically they're Cherry Browns with the same pressure and tactile feel, but (according to Razer) have a longer life span and shorter actuation point, so it takes less distance to trigger them. I'm definitely happy with it, especially because it isn't clicky. I don't need noise to tell me I pressed a key; that's why my fingers have a sense of touch. (Don't need the special tactile feedback either, but then I got this at a very nice sale price, so I'm not complaining and am still quite happy.)

 

I think the new Razer switches are Kailh instead of Cherry. Little cheaper to produce than Cherry, but similar feel. The Razer Greens are in effect Blue switches (go figure, right?), so they have that loud click-clack. Still a nice switch, just it'd be nice if Razer dropped the price a hair since the switches aren't as expensive as Cherry. But hey, can't go wrong with a sale like you did.

 

@Coors, how do you like the MX Blacks? Always been curious about how those feel compared to others.

[Fireonice]

 

 

I've a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth that acutually uses Razer-orange switches. Basically they're Cherry Browns with the same pressure and tactile feel, but (according to Razer) have a longer life span and shorter actuation point, so it takes less distance to trigger them. I'm definitely happy with it, especially because it isn't clicky. I don't need noise to tell me I pressed a key; that's why my fingers have a sense of touch. (Don't need the special tactile feedback either, but then I got this at a very nice sale price, so I'm not complaining and am still quite happy.)

I think the new Razer switches are Kailh instead of Cherry. Little cheaper to produce than Cherry, but similar feel. The Razer Greens are in effect Blue switches (go figure, right?), so they have that loud click-clack. Still a nice switch, just it'd be nice if Razer dropped the price a hair since the switches aren't as expensive as Cherry. But hey, can't go wrong with a sale like you did.

 

@Coors, how do you like the MX Blacks? Always been curious about how those feel compared to others.

That is exactly why I will be staying away from Razer. Love their mice but I want cherry MX switches if I'm paying 150$+...

 

Aren't the blacks just heavier reds? I'll be staying away from linier switchss. I will be trying o rings too still stuck on the browns for some reason. Read some more reviews and comparisons.

[bp9801]

Essentially, yeah, which is why I'm curious since I mostly use reds. The Clears are a heavier version of Browns, Whites a heavier Blue, and Black a heavier Red.

 

How much are you looking to spend on a keyboard? Code Keyboards is an option if you're thinking of Deck. Code has Green and Clear switches, with O-rings already installed on the Greens. White backlighting, Helvetica font, DIP switches on the bottom to change layouts/Alt to Cmd for Mac/disable Windows key/change Caps Lock to an extra Ctrl/other options.

[IVIYTH0S]

I bought my friend Cooler Master quickfire with Cherry Blue switches and it was too loud (IMHO) but seemed nice enough and retro and all but I still prefer my good ol' membrane in my Razer Tarantula. I don't understand this recent obsession with mechanical keyboards. It's not like my membrane lacks key tactile feel or durability, I've had it for like 6-7 years now, don't you have a keyboard now that you can migrate to the new build?

 

I wish there was a place to try all the switches though, the reds or browns seem maybe more my speed I think... though I still don't see the point in all this rage/expense lol

[Guest_Jim_*]

I bought my friend Cooler Master quickfire with Cherry Blue switches and it was too loud (IMHO) but seemed nice enough and retro and all but I still prefer my good ol' membrane in my Razer Tarantula. I don't understand this recent obsession with mechanical keyboards. It's not like my membrane lacks key tactile feel or durability, I've had it for like 6-7 years now, don't you have a keyboard now that you can migrate to the new build?

 

I wish there was a place to try all the switches though, the reds or browns seem maybe more my speed I think... though I still don't see the point in all this rage/expense lol

There is this: Max Keyboard Tester Kit.

I do agree that the obsession with mechanical keyboards is kind of weird with how membranes are treated. I once heard a guy complain that membrane keyboards are louder. I'd say my 'silent' mechanical is still louder than my membrane. Only replaced it because it was a good deal, I wanted  to try a mechanical keyboard, and because the A key on the membrane had a very annoying snap to it. Worked fine, but was so annoying and cleaning it didn't help.

[bp9801]

 

I bought my friend Cooler Master quickfire with Cherry Blue switches and it was too loud (IMHO) but seemed nice enough and retro and all but I still prefer my good ol' membrane in my Razer Tarantula. I don't understand this recent obsession with mechanical keyboards. It's not like my membrane lacks key tactile feel or durability, I've had it for like 6-7 years now, don't you have a keyboard now that you can migrate to the new build?

 

I wish there was a place to try all the switches though, the reds or browns seem maybe more my speed I think... though I still don't see the point in all this rage/expense lol

There is this: Max Keyboard Tester Kit.

I do agree that the obsession with mechanical keyboards is kind of weird with how membranes are treated. I once heard a guy complain that membrane keyboards are louder. I'd say my 'silent' mechanical is still louder than my membrane. Only replaced it because it was a good deal, I wanted  to try a mechanical keyboard, and because the A key on the membrane had a very annoying snap to it. Worked fine, but was so annoying and cleaning it didn't help.

 

 

Yeah, there are tester kits you can buy and then later repurpose to other tasks if you feel like soldering.

 

Membrane keyboards can be crazy quiet. My Lenovo's laptop keyboard is super quiet, unless you hit the Enter key or Spacebar. My old Razer Lycosa was pretty quiet, and most Dell keyboards are quiet, too. If you want quiet, membrane is still the winner, since even fairly quiet mechanical switches are still loud when compared. O-rings can help, but to a degree. O-rings are also great at reducing the travel distance, so they can speed up your typing if you constantly bottom out keys.

[El_Capitan]

There's a lot of mechanical keyboards I have and like. However, the one that I have on my main is a Tesoro Durandal Ultimate G1NL Red LED Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Cherry MX Browns.

 

For typing and general work, I prefer Cherry MX Blues. I do have some Cherry MX Reds and Cherry MX Blacks, but I prefer the softer Cherry MX Blacks. Cherry MX Browns are my preferred for gaming.

 

I ordered a few soft o-rings to try out, but I've never gotten to getting them installed. They would provide softer sound and less keypress depth.

 

Feature-wise, I prefer no macro keys (I like to keep it small), a U.S. style layout (not UK/European), and a keypad for data entry. No USB ports on the right-side (I'm right-handed, so if I plug in something on the right, then it just gets in the way of my mouse), if there are USB ports, then put it on the back where the power cord is. Also, while I like the convenience of micro/macro USB ports for power/interface to the computer, they tend to lose connection (ahem, Rosewill).

Edited February 19, 2015 by El_Capitan