Mechanical Keyboard Help

Technology and Gaming
#1

So I just built a new PC. It’s really nice but I REALLY skimped out on the keyboard/mouse and went with a $15 Keyboard/Mouse combo from Logitech. They’re actually not that bad but they could be better. I find myself mistyping a lot and and they both feel kind of cheap (no surprise there) Currently, I am looking at some mechanical keyboards and have narrowed it down to two but am having some trouble deciding. Any suggestions?

1.) Corsair K60: A very nice and aluminum brushed keyboard. It uses Cherry MX Red mechanical keys except for the F buttons and the insert, home, page up/down, delete and end keys. The WASD and 1-6 keys also come with optional red, textured keys. The space bar is also textured but does not come with a replaceable key. It also has a nice arm rest on the left side. It’s primarily made for FPS games unlike its older brother, the K90, that comes with extra keys and is designed for MMO’s and RTS games.

2.) The Razer BlackWidow: This keyboard is all black and uses Cherry MX blue mechanical keys on the whole thing. I picked this one instead of the BlackWidow Ultra since it’s a little more pricey and the only real extra features is that it’s backlit and has come extra ports on the side.

So which do you like better? My big decision here are really the keys. Having never owned a mechanical keyboard, I really don’t know what’s best. I’ve heard the blue’s are good for typing and make the click sounds. But the BlackWidow, like the K60, is made for gaming. I’ve heard Cherry MX Reds are good for gaming but don’t have the click sounds. Now really, the click sounds aren’t a MAJOR factor, but I do kind of like it. Really all it comes down to what’s best for playing games but also isn’t a total disaster to type on.

#2

Don’t waste your money on a mechanical keyboard. The only real advantage to them is how long they last (which is nullified by the fact that the input type will probably change before the keyboard breaks meaning this is pointless). Also the unit price for years having keyboard / price is probably similar if not geared toward rubber dome since they are produced in greater quantity and thus made even cheaper. People talk all the time about tactile feed back but that’s a matter of preference. Second its loud so if your PC is in a public area its going to be annoying. Even if you prefer loud you can find rubber dome keyboards. (Mine is quite loud for example)

Unless you are a huge fan of macros I wouldn’t even suggest a gaming keyboard. As if you need more buttons available you can always switch from WASD to TFGH or something.

If you are concerned with gaming performance get a good gaming mouse.

This is only my opinion though.

#3

I agree. Get a cheap keyboard that feels good and then get a gaming mouse with a few extra buttons on it. I can’t even imagine not having the mouse buttons to bind to commands in games any more. Some games don’t let you but those are usually the ones with very little keybinds anyway.

#4

I’ve got a black widow, and its pretty good. The mechanical keys are a bit noisy, but I do note that they now make a “stealth edition”. WOrth a look: https://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.235228400

#5

Hopefully, you have a major retailer nearby that has these in stock so you can actually get a feel of it. I have a Razer Tarantula that I absolutely love and I never would have gotten it if I hadn’t had the opportunity to try it out first. My best advice is to never buy a keyboard or mouse without actually trying it out first.

#6

This, definitely.
Tactile feedback goes a -long- way when it comes to typing accuracy and speed. I…pretty much can’t use rubber dome keyboards any longer, they’re just…mushy shit.

A friend got this Adesso keyboard:
https://www.adesso.com/en/home/keyboards/mechanical-keyboard/250-mkb-135b.html
He loves it, and it’s held up well.
Though he subsequently replaced it with a Unicomp (here https://pckeyboard.com/ )(made in Michigan!) because he could get it with a rubber nub or trackball.

I love my IBM Model M, personally :slight_smile:
Though since I broke that(which is probably the first time one has ever been broken), I now use a keyboard from an IBM PS/2, which has a different style of keyswitch and chirps with every stroke. It’s pretty great!

And the final point: Anything marked “gaming” has a price premium on it. Because it costs so much more money in ink to add “gaming” to the devices. I got a decent Logitech mouse with a couple extra buttons(MX500, warranty replaced it with an MX518), and my Model M(now PS/2 keyboard), and I’ve been totally satisfied with them. Plus no annoying windows key…not that it bothers us Linux users much. :stuck_out_tongue:

#7

uhm, better don’t buy anything from Razer, they’re known for bad product quality.

#8

I dont get why you’d want to pay that much for a keyboard…
I mean… mistyping … yeah blame the hardware

#9

this… Also there are 0 advantages to a mechanical keyboard.
Mice on the other hand, actually have importance with DPI and a few extra remappable keys for games.

#10

It comes down to preference. I prefer a mechanical keyboard for many reasons that are my own. Others prefer not to use a mechanical keyboard. And as others have stated, a decent mouse is typically more important than a decent keyboard.

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