yalox

Uh, that's not how it works?

yikes

The keyboard you tried probably had SteelSeries's own Omron switches, which are very wobbly/mushy. The Apex PRO has "hall-effect" optical switches, which are not mushy. They also feel smoother than most of the stock switches on the market. I wouldn't choose either of the boards for the price, but I would take the Apex PRO over the Huntsman.

Just built up my silver Love TKL, threw a cheap KPRepublic set on it (no WKL caps) while waiting for my OG Cherry dyesubs. Switches are vintage blacks (early 1990s, small logo) lubed with 205g0. The switches have Gateron Yellow springs and TX films, built on a thin H87a and polycarb plate with a nice amount of flex. I've also ordered some 50a O-Rings to mount the plate on, hopefully to isolate the sound.

Ah, thanks for the heads up!

Yeah, I've found that recent batches of retooled blacks are subpar. A few years back they were great though.

Hey, does anyone know any alternatives to the H87a PCB that are in stock? Been searching forever for a TKL PCB but I can't seem to find anything other than the TX Suo.

Were you looking for tactile or linear? Also, what's your budget? Decent switches can range from $0.4/switch all the way to over $1 per switch.

Most Cherry switches are less desirable than their counterparts (Gateron, Kailh, etc.), in tactility/smoothness/wobble. To be honest, the only two Cherry switches I'd consider are vintage blacks and retooled blacks (from an earlier batch).

RAMA M60-A build I did for a customer! Kuro M60-A w/ internal dampener Silent Gateron Inks lubed with 205g0, 60g TX Springs Lubed/Clipped pre-retool GMK Stabilizers

The DPI doesn't really matter on sensors, but the Elite does have a better sensor, being less prone to lose tracking.

The Elite has a PMW3389, the V2 has a PMW3399, while the Essential has an SDNS-3988 sensor. The Elite and V2 sensors are both top-performing, and nearly identical in performance. The Essential has a slightly older sensor, which still performs well, but does lose tracking if you swipe too fast. Apart from sensors, the Elite and V2 have DPI buttons, while the Essential does not. Your best bet would be to look around Best Buy or Amazon for a DA Elite. They've been going for as low as $25 new recently, due to the new V2 launch.

Yup, definitely do this, stock Cherry springs are terrible, squared.

Beautiful boards.

DM Pad, G640 (coating wears off fast though), and AMP500 are good choices.

While yes, swapping the switches out could potentially work, a simpler solution would be to place a few layers of electrical tape over the switch, shortening the travel distance and adding pressure onto the switch, which would result in a lighter button.

I wouldn't try that, since although you'll be reducing the travel distance, the actuation distance will still be the same, meaning that it'll be very difficult to get the travel distance just above the actuation distance while maintaining viable typing. Even if you unlikely do get the distance perfect, the typing feel will be terrible, very mushy and muted. Try other low-profile switches, like the Kailh Chocs, which have a travel distance of ~2.4mm.

In terms of performance, the GPW/Viper Ultimate are on par. RJN's rankings aren't a base for how good the mouse is, it's up to your personal preference. The first 20 mice on his list are equally viable.

I would still pick up the 3700X. As for the cooler, the Wraith Prism actually performs very well for a stock cooler, there isn't any need for a low-mid range air cooler like the 212, if you have the Wraith Prism.

...how much did you sell them for?

To be fair, nearly all gaming keyboards have the same issues. The G610/G810, for example, have poor quality laser-etched ABS keycaps, which have also been known to fade out. The stabilizers are poor as well, with a substantial amount of rattle/inconsistency (most gaming keyboards have the same issue). As for the case, it's also made out of plastic. Although the Alloy FPS isn't a great value either, it has an aluminum case.

The typing experience and build quality/stabilizers will also be better, I'd go for a Leopold board. You can buy them off Amazon and other sites as well.

The keycaps on the G610/G810 are thin ABS, which are not very good. They've also been known to fade through the coating. Leopold keyboards have the absolute best stock keycaps I've ever found on a keyboard, double-shot thick PBT keycaps.

Blue Outemus aren't even bad as far as click-jackets go, they're better than MX Blues to me.

There are many cheap, low-quality parts from China, but then again, 80-90% of PC parts are made there.