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Hey everybody. My son's keyboard just broke down. It was a Rosewill k51 Neon. Very pretty but its space key mechanism broke pretty fast, the plastic underneath broke so not quite sure if it can be fixed. Anyway, I'm looking to buy him another one, not a very expensive one as he's still a child but hopefully something that won't break within a few months. I'm outside the US so options are kind of limited. I'm looking to spend $25-40 ideally. These are two keyboards I saw near me and liked. One is mechanical but very entry level, another one is apparently a membrane 'hybrid' just like the Rosewill one we had but hopefully better quality. 1- The Redragon k509 is an RGB "mechanical feel" membrane keyboard that's $30 and seems well liked going by comments and reviews. https://www.amazon.com/Redragon-K509-RGB-Keyboard-Mechanical-Illumination/dp/B07YNW3L2P My son was especially happy that it can play 7 color patterns on top of rainbow mode (shown here) but it's still membrane. 2- Then there's the Philips SPK8614 which is $40 and true mechanical, but very entry level judging from the complaints on some reviews I've read. For example, keys stay a single color. But overall most reviewers seem very happy with it. https://www.amazon.com/Philips-SPK8614-Mechanical-Keyboard-Computers/dp/B07TTTDH75 Which would you get for a 9 year old? Thanks for any opinions :)

Hello forum! Wondering if someone has some info / advice / help on a bit of a predicament I am facing. I have a Tofu96 with the DZ96 PCB. I was about to solder my switches in (Zealios v2 65g) but decided I wanted to solder LED's in as well. I'm having a hard time finding proper info about what LED's to use, size, type, etc. Was hoping someone here had a better idea or some experience. I don't need RGB, just static white is okay for me. I am looking at these 3mm LED Diodes to solder for each switch. If these are correct, will they interfere with the switch itself? Here are some pics of the sockets. I am also a bit confused as some have 3 holes, but almost all have 2 holes. Am I even looking at the right thing lol? I have solder switches before, but never RGB LED's or 2-pin LED's. Thanks in advanced!

Since optical mechanical keyboards don't have the metal leaves inside them to complete the circuit on contact, are they prone to fail less? do they experience no key chatter and when they fail, they fail completely? I'm pretty sick of key chatter and I'm looking into optical mechanical keyboards. What do experienced users have to say?

I had bought a Redragon k552 with outemu blue switches a long time ago. It started chattering and was pretty unusable after a point. After a while I ordered Gateron reds from KBDfans and got all the outemu switches replaced. The Gateron reds started chattering too after a few short months. Membrane keyboards don't really match the mechanical feel and I have been spending more time on the computer, thus I felt the desire to get a Keychron keyboard. However, I'm really sick of exeriencing keyboard chatter. Some enthusiasts or lucky people have pointed out that they have had various mechanical keyboards but never experienced chattering. I'm confused with the feedback. So will an expensive obscure brand work chatter free for years? I'm not sure what other specific question I should think of either. I would love to own a mech keyboard again, but I'm very concerned about chatter and key issues.

When any of my blue switch keys start having key chatter, I apply a few drops of isopropyl alcohol and then press and blow into the switches. This usually removes the key chatter. For example, today I had key chatter on my W key so I did the usual steps and it got fixed, however, a few hours later my D key started having key chatter so I did the usual steps to remove key chatter and it got removed but after about 30 mins, the D key lost its click. I tried the usual key chatter removal steps again and the isopropyl alcohol temporarily restored its click but then the click got lost again after about 20 mins. What happened? And what can I do to restore the blue switch click without desoldering? 20221026_190134_1.mp4

Drop Carina 60% Build A Fun & Easy Build with RGB Flair! Intro: Right now this is a really popular market segment, 60% layouts are all the rage and the Carina seems to tick all the right boxes. What’s the deal with 60% layouts? 60% layouts have risen in popularity mostly due to the growth in the custom keyboard space. They are a great choice as you can enter the world of customs for a fraction of the price compared to other larger layouts, and for most users you do not lose too much functionality. This keeps things simple and minimalistic (everyone's favorite word). Why would you want this? For a basic typist, or gamer who wants to build a custom, 60% layouts are great. Question where or not you need some additional keys like arrows or an additional column of function keys, if so look at 65%, layouts, otherwise this is the layout for you! The Carina offers many desirable ‘wants’ as well, you get hot-swap switches with all the flashy RGB you could ever want! Why I bought this: I knew this was not my ideal layout, as a 65% is already limiting for myself, however adding a simple 60% to the collection is something I wanted. And the frosted acrylic body caught my eye. The board itself is a good value option and in a competitive market segment, If anything it would be enjoyable to build and review. Parts (USD): This is another buy where the bulk of parts came from Drop. At $120 the Drop Carina feels like good value, depending on what your definition of value is (more on this in the conclusion). And the Drop Skylight series keycaps are a nice touch for a reasonable price as well. I added a white coiled cable to another order but the Carina comes with a plain white cable, so purchasing one is not required. My switch of choice was something linear, and heavy. Kailh Box Heavy Dark Yellows it is! These switches are also phenomenal value, and are RGB friendly. My thoughts on the Drop Carina: The Carina has been in my hands for a few months now. I took delivery on January 7th 2021, and I had it assembled and ready the next day! The key features for me being: Hot swap sockets for both 3 & 5-pin switches RGB to the max, per key lighting and tasteful under glow Well designed and made acrylic casing USB-C with dual ports on both left and right, plus included white cable Easy assembly and instructions The PCB brings in the entire aesthetic feel with a gloss white finish, and while this goes mostly unseen, a nice touch, especially if you happen to be staring at the under glow RGB. Speaking of under glow, there is good spacing between LEDs, you get a nice full color spectrum, and great light coverage. The acrylic holds up, this has been well designed and the lighting does an excellent job shining evenly throughout the entire case. For the price I am pleased as I think for many, this would be one of the main features to pick this over other options. It has solid large rubber feet and a nice angled design. The included stabs are boring old clip-ins, I was expecting this, but it would be easy enough to implement a superior screw in design, ultimately for this price range not a deal breaker by any means. I went for the default Aluminum backplate, you can opt for Brass or Copper, but these come at an additional cost of $30 & $40 respectively, making the overall price less competitive. Pictures: As this is a hot swap board and a more compact layout it was a quick assembly process. For more thorough details on assembly check out my past review of the OLKB Preonic and upcoming KBD67Lite. Mildly triggered that there is no blue 'Forward Slash' keycap included in the Drop Skylight keycap set... Oh well. This is where the white PCB is noticeable as it blends in, any other color would be very noticeable. Type Test: My switch of choice was the Kailh Box Heavy Dark Yellow (linear), un-lubed, stabs lubed with TriboSys 3204. Drop Carina - Box Heavy Dark Yellows Unlubed.mp4 * Amplified audio by 10db * (Audio recorded with a Blue Snowball Mic, at approximately 15cm from the keyboard) Worth mentioning, box switches, f#cking amazing, the stability these add to the feeling of the keys is massively noticeable. One of those things that you won’t notice until you try and have hands on experience, so this is something that I highly recommend everyone tries. Which has me thinking, stem switch on Zealios? Conclusion: Overall I like the board and the features, it delivers on all fronts and other than some nitpicking on the choice of stabs, hence I have no real complaints. At least none that prevent me from recommending it. For those looking at a budget custom mechanical 60% hot-swap boards, this would likely top that list. However, this segment is growing, and there is stiff competition, at the time of this review I think the biggest competitor is the KBD67Lite, a 65% layout (more keys) for $10 less, at $110usd (shipping not included), it comes in and out of stock with a wireless version also available. For that price the KBD67Lite has very similar features, per key RGB, an ABS case with a polycarbonate back plate, hot-swap sockets, it even address my complaints with the Carina, screw in stabs included, additionally a nice carry case. Case and backplate construction is somewhat sacrificed vs the Carina, but you get a few other features in a better layout, so when looking to buy these are options to weigh. When I ordered the Carina the 67Lite was not an option, but now it is, and I have since purchased one. Another big competitor is the new GMMK Pro, mine has just arrived 2 days ago and I am in the process of assembly and testing, it comes in at a slightly higher price of $170usd, but the extra $50 is going to good use. You get a much more solid construction, per key RGB and 5-pin hot swap sockets remain, with the addition of a better 75% layout, and a highly coveted rotary knob. My review of that is coming soon as well, but my initial impressions are very good. It is hard not to justify the extra $50 for a more usable layout that lacks no features. So while the Carina is an aesthetically pleasing board, I find that my mind now goes to other options. Within the time frame of ordering the Carina, to receiving it, a lot of new competition is now purchasable. Personally this is not my daily use board, as said earlier I have a hard time scraping by with anything less than a 65% layout. But otherwise, I have no reason not to recommend this board, if you have weighed your alternative options. Drop has done a great job here, but now faces more competition than ever before. Reviews on the KBD67Lite and GMMK Pro are soon to follow.

I'm looking for a keyboard to replace my old Steelseries Apex 350. As a keyboard to use for both typing and gaming I have really enjoyed it but its now a solid 5 years old and keys are starting to become a bit sticky and its just generally a bit of a nightmare to use as it has constant disconnection issues forcing me to completely reconnect the keyboard which is far from ideal. Recently came across a cheap Corsair K100 (with OPX switches) so i bought it and tried it but didn't really enjoy using it much, found the keys were just generally too tall feeling and I hated how light the actuation force was and it was causing me to type all over the place and not enjoy gaming as much. Was thinking something low profile, since the apex 350 is fairly low profile, maybe along the lines of Logitech G915 but still concerned that it will be too light as with my K100. Idealy the keyboard would also have volume + media controls, and at least a few programmable macro keys (like dedicated quick keys for discord mute and deafen) Not massively bothered about it being a mechanical keyboard as I really liked my membrane keyboard despite it's other issues. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Hello there, It's been a couple months since I've purchased the tech in my current setup, and I'm looking for cleaning and repair kits to keep my stuff staying nice. So far I've been using monitor cleaning kits to keep my laptop's screen and my external monitor's screen clean, though I find it hard to clean all the nooks and crannies in between the switches of my mechanical keyboard, and in the ports that have been sitting vacant for so long. I remember LTT sponsoring iFixit, and I'm lead to believe they're kits should be pretty good. If they are, then my problem would be which kit to get. I'll say that I have a Dell XPS 17 9700, and I know it takes a couple screws and nice wedge to get into my laptop, so maybe someone would know which kit is right for maintaining my laptop. In addition, some of the ports in my Dell Docking Station - HDMI, DisplayPort, maybe some USB-A - have been setting open to the dust and air, as well as the SD-card slot and some thunderbolt ports in my XPS. Otherwise, I want to dive back to mechanical keyboards. I use a Razer Type Pro (104 keys) with Razer's Orange key switches. This is my first mechanical keyboard, and I love it. I kind of played around with some keyboards at my local Best Buys, and I really liked the feel of the Razer switches and keycaps on my Type Pro. I've heard that Razer's Orange switches - like the ones in my keyboard - are equivalent to a Cherry Mx-brown, which I also hear is sort of a benchmark for mechanical key switches - though if I'm wrong, please let me know, lol. I've been intrigued to play around and switch key switches, and probably key caps, too. And, so, do any of you also know if I'll be able to swap my key switches on my keyboard, and if so, what do you recommend I try, considering I really like the Razer Orange switches on my board.

Hey LTT Forums, I recently got a used Lenovo ThinkPad X280 laptop chosen for it's lightweight small size, allowing it to take minimal space in a bag. However, as much as I love the ThinkPad TrackPoint keyboard, I would much prefer a small 60% or 65% Mechanical Keyboard to throw in my bag and get a better typing experience when I have the space. I've been looking at something like the Corsair K65 RGB MINI, but I know this forum has a lot of passionate mechanical keyboard fans, and wanted to see if anyone had feedback as to what they would personally recommend! Wireless is obviously a perk when looking for portability but like, it's not something I'm picky about lol. I had considered putting this on the Mechanical Keyboards thread with 300 something pages but I have had bad experiences with those types of threads on other forums where every post is essentially buried and lost to time. Thanks, hope I get some good advice aha. - Madison

Over a year ago I paid way too much for a keyboard. Corsair k68. I should've bough a Cooler Master that was a quarter of the price of a K68 instead, but I thought well all the reviews say this keyboard is great, let's treat myself. First I find out that the switches are soldered in and aren't swapable, bummer. But worse than that, after 6 months of use the key caps start to randomly jump up making me lose confidence pressing keys when typing or playing games or doing anything, very frustrating. after 8 months, The right Ctrl key just broke. The plastic on the base just flat out broke and the key fell out. Tried to find key cap replacements, those things are cheap, right? Well they are but not for this keyboard which has longer Ctrl keys that the majority of key caps out there do not fit for. The ones Corsair is selling are way way more expensive than OEM key caps here. I could buy that Cooler Master Mechanical instead of buying a set of stupid keycaps that fit this keyboard for the same price. And now, the second Ctrl key just broke down the exact same way. Corsair says the warranty doesn't cover this because it fall under " wear and tear accosiated with normal use". How could this be when my previous mechanical keyboard, which was a no brand chinese mechanical, had a metal top and worked great for 2 years and even then I gave it away to a family member and still working. Screw this and screw them. This will definitely be my last Corsair purchase.

Dear keyboard enthusiasts, I have bought a Ducky One 2 Mecha Mini (Cherry Brown) and I am considering whether I should de-solder and lube the switches. I have - apart from the good improvement in the sound the switches make - no idea how much of an improvement lubing the switches will give to the feel of the keyboard. I don't much care about the effort/hassle of de-soldering, lubing and then re-soldering the board, yet I have next to no real experience soldering. We do however own a decent soldering iron, and I feel like it is something I could do. Next to all this I was thinking of putting in some dampening material in the aluminium case, to further help with the sound. What are your thoughts on this? Is it worth voiding the warranty on a new keyboard? I can't just go out and buy a new one if I were to mess it up badly, though I don't know if it is easy to actually kill the PCB. Would a dampening material help? Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone! I need to upgrade from my Redragon Membrane keyboard to a mechanical keyboard. I found a Razer TKL keyboard which I’m ready to buy, but I would like to see other options from the community since I heard some bad things about razer’s products. Information: Max price: 65USD (I can try to go to 70) Location: United States Must be TKL keyboard (not even 60% mechanical, doing other things then just game and won’t work well with Minecraft pvp). Can be any switch, but I prefer brown and blue’s. Must be on amazon. Thank you so much!

After a month of being held in customs my keyboard finally came in today. However when I plugged it in nothing lights up and typing doesn’t work. It's now popping up as "Device Not Recognized" by Windows and I can't seem to find a driver for it anywhere online. The software for RGB is the only thing I can find, and it doesn't seem to do anything since the device is not being recognized as plugged in. I’ve already tried numerous usb 3.0 and 3.1 ports so that is not the issue.

So I Was Searching for a 60% Mechanical Keyboard That is RGB on my local online Store And i Found a 60% Board called VortexSeries VX5 For Only 20$, they use outemu Switches and i want feedback of this.

After seeing Coolermaster sponsor the windows 9 video, I checked out their site and saw they still advertise the Storm Quickfire XT on their site, I have a Full Size Quickfire XT with blue switches as my work keyboard and I love it. I want one at home, but they seem to no longer be on sale it anywhere. Does any one know what they are still on sale at?

Anybody know where to find/buy mechanical keyboards that have the Cherry MX Green switches? It seems like the Cooler Master Trigger keyboards aren't produced anymore and I'd like something that is like it. However not many of the big named tech companies (ie: Corsiar, Roccat, Logitech) have any keyboards (either that or I didn't look hard enough). But they keyboard has to be backlit, as well with the letters on the keys, but RGB is optional. It must have a palmrest, macro keys aren't needed, it must not be tenkeyless, and have the arrow buttons, basically a full keyboard. It can look pretty cool too, but I'm not going to invest more than $170 into this. I'm mostly looking to get something with the switches, backlighting, and quality, RGB, and aesthetics are secondary. EDIT: I'll also be considering getting a board with Cherry MX Blue switches.

I have recently received the K70 Lux with Cherry MX Blue switches as a gift whilst I was abroad in Hong Kong and I am not too sure if it takes a while for me to get use to the switches but I think there is a little inconsistency in the switch in terms of the feel, I have tried a keyboard from ducky and other brands and they feel better than my K70 for some reason, is this a common thing that can be resolved or can it be a permanent problem for me. Keep in mind, I have had this keyboard for about 3 weeks since I have received it. I may also be my mind over thinking about it or something. Let me know what you think!

Best Mechanical keyboard under 80€

I bought my first mechanical keyboard, the Razer Blackwiddow Ultimate 2016 Edition, a while back, and I'm loving it. I find it annoying to go from the mechanical switches at home to the membrane switches at work. Luckily I can use my own peripherals at work, so I am looking into a good quality one without breaking the bank. Does anyone have any suggestions? Im finding I really like the feel and sound of the Razer green switches. I can't download any software onto my computer at work, so customizable lighting is on the bottom of my list of wants or needs. Im considering 10keyless for the sake of having it be small enough that it can be portable.

Hey guys, how's it going? i really want to get a new keyboard, but there's just so many freakin keyboard out there that i dont even know what keyboard is. BUT... there are couples of conditions that i want: - it has to have RGB (i mean duh, it's 2k17. i want a keyboard with good RGB that i can change the setting and stuff) - it has to be a mechanical one (i mean, do you really expect me to get the non-mechanical keyboard? i dont think so) Of course i did some research before but, can't be bothered (hehe) What keyboard do you suggest? Please tell me down there (dont worry about my budget) THANKS a lot guys, and Have A Nice Day

I currently have a Logitech G105 keyboard, it's good. But I'm finding a new keyboard because I want something tactile and clicky like the Corsair k70. A specific button I need is the Cherry MX blue. Much thanks! Edit: It's okay if it isn't a cherry MX blue, I want a keyboard that lasts and has that tactile and clicky feeling.

Hey ya'll. First time poster. I didn't think I needed anyone's help on this but I was wrong, seeing as how I'm not having much luck here. I work a fantastic job as a diesel kiosk manager where I need to constantly go through the repetitive acts of smashing my fingers on a touchscreen hoping to god I hit the correct area, as well as typing in company names fuel amounts and fuel costs for drivers. Currently the keyboard that we use is a Cherry G86-62401EUADAA Compact Keyboard with a questionable layout that's dirty, worn down, and a couple keys are broken. (Kind of expected from 24/7 use of a poor cheap plastic membrane keyboard used by multiple employees) I. HATE. This keyboard. The keyboard's numpad uses a "00" key that we all have gotten into the habit of using, so I'm definitely not looking to break their habits over me not finding the right keyboard. I've been talking to my coworkers about myself simply buying a new one, but something nice. I brought over my RGB K95 to see if they would like a mechanical keyboard and they loved it, and want one for the diesel kiosk. I also showed them how macros could work to make checking out customers easier, and they appreciated that more. I want the best of three worlds here, and I'm not sure if it exists. The closest I could get from my googling was a CM Storm Quickfire TK, however it doesn't have programmable macro keys, and is only available from third-parties at ridiculously high prices. I'm looking for... -Mechnical (Preferably Cherry MX blue or brown) -Has a "00" numpad key -Has programmable macro keys If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. Thank you very much for your time.

Hi, I have these two alternatives:http://www.ttesports.com/Keyboard/201/POSEIDON_Z_RGB_Brown_Switch_Edition_/productPage.htm?a=a&g=ftr#.WJAkU9V96Ukhttp://gskill.com/en/product/ripjaws-km570-mx--cherry-mx-redWhere I live, these two are available within my budget and they cost the same(~100$). Gaming would be my first priority with typing being a close second.Now Pros of g.skill KM570 MX for me:1. Cherry MX Switches2. Available on Cherry MX Red which are supposedly better for FPS and fast-paced games though this is a very subjective verdict. Brown and Blue are also available.Cons:1. No RGB or software customization.2. Hardly any review online apart from guru3d.com maybe because this keyboard is quite new.Pros of Thermaltake Poseidon Z RGB:1. Basically from its feature sets like RGB lighting, keyboard customization by software, cable routing etc - it feels like a product of a higher-price category sold in mid-range price.2. Has lots of reviews online - mostly positive - implying its a trendy keyboard.Cons:1. Kailh switches (its supposedly inferior to Cherry MX though again its very subjective)2. Poseidon Z is not available on Kailh Red. Only Brown and Blue are available.I am coming from a normal membrane keyboard. So I've literally no experience typing on a mechanical one. Though I do have spent good 6/8 hours researching on various key types, brands etc.Also just before publishing here I read that:https://www.furiouspaul.com/articles/cherry-mx-keyboard-switches.htmlIt basically says Red/Black switches are worse for gaming compared to the Brown/Blue !! It's all gettting so confusing...So which one would you prefer of the two and why?? Your opinion would be much appreciated.Also I want to know your thoughts on the "cherry mx brown or red" topic. I know its an endless subjective debate and has already read a lot about it online. Still just because I've never used a mechanical keyboard and its not possible for me to test the keys before buying, any feedback on "brown vs red" topic will be welcome. Edited by Driimit - Yesterday at 12:22 pm View History

Hi all! I'm having a problem with my Corsair Strafe mechanical keyboard: it is no more recognized by the system: it is on, red leds are animated (with an animation which i didn't choose) and my usb headphones, connected on the back USB of the keyboard, are still working, when i try to type something, the keyboard does not work (even Caps-Lock or Block-Num are not working). _ I detatched the keyboard; _ on "device manager" i tried to uninstall the 4 voices "keyboard HID", _ then i uninstalled the updated CUE, _ update MB chipset and drivers, reinstalled everything but never hearing the magic "Too-doo!" when connecting the keyboard. Now i'm using an usb keyboard and, on the BIOS, i saw that there are 2 keyboards connected but just one of the USBs where my Strafe is connected is used by headphones. I don't know what to do T.T Pls help me if u can.... <3 Thank you P.S. MB: MSI z97 gaming 5 CPU: intel i5 4690k OS: Windows 10 x64 p.p.s. forgive my very bad english

Good morning everyone! I am looking for a new (mechanical) keyboard, and am running into some issues finding one that has everything that I am looking for. I currently have a Logitech g510s, which works great for gaming, but I've never liked typing on it. And i type a lot. So, what I'm looking for (in order of importance) is: Cherry MX Blue switches (or another reputable brand) Dedicated media controls, especially a volume controller Metal construction (or ate least a metal backplate RGB lighting other things that would be nice, but not mandatory: low profile keycaps USB and audio passthrough Wrist rest LCD screen (i actually use the one on my g510s to monitor my hardware temps and useage in-game, so I don;t need an OSD that will take me out of the action) As for other switch recommendations: I know a lot will say "try brown switches" or "try red switches"- I have, and I didn't like them. Here are some keyboards that I've found, but they are all lacking in something: Tesoro Gram Spectrum- Honestly, this is my first choice. I love the low profile design and keycaps, but its missing the dedicated media controls. Corsair K70/K95 RGB- this one would be perfect, but they discontinued the blue rgb switches. G,Skill Ripjaws KM780- This has literally everything I want, but is kinda ugly, and I've read that (at least at launch), the color transitions were NOOOT smooth. Does anyone know if this has been fixed via firmware/software updates? Razer Blackwidow Chroma V2- I REALLY like the switches, but it feels cheap, lacks the dedicated media controls, and is overpriced, considering its all plastic and has the Kailh switches. If anyone has any recommendations, that would be great. Ya'll are awesome. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i7 5820K (OC to 4.5ghz @ 1.25v) Corsair H100i V2 MSI 970 Gaming 4g SLI 16gb Corsair DDR4 Samsung 840 EVO 250 gb 7TB HDD Corsair 500r