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How much actuation force is required for a membrane keyboard?

4klips

I am currently using membrane keyboard and I want to buy a mechanical keyboard. But there are so many cherry MX key switches out there so I am in a dilemma. I just want to know how much force in grams a membrane keyboard requires so I can decide the better mechanical key switches for me. As blue requires 60g, red and brown requires 45g.

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8 minutes ago, 4klips said:

I am currently using membrane keyboard and I want to buy a mechanical keyboard. But there are so many cherry MX key switches out there so I am in a dilemma. I just want to know how much force in grams a membrane keyboard requires so I can decide the better mechanical key switches for me. As blue requires 60g, red and brown requires 45g.

Blue requires 50g. Black requires 60g.

I don't know if there is a standard for membrane keyboards. Membrane keyboards don't use mass-produced switches, and every manufacturer basically has their own membrane, so it's hard to quantify. Membrane keyboards are not standardised. 

I recommend Cherry MX Blues. They have an incredibly satisfying and very audible 'click', are very easy on the fingers, and are pretty responsive for gaming.

I would not recommend Cherry MX Browns. They are terrible switches. They're basically the same as linear red switches, except that instead of a tactile clicking mechanism, they just have a notch in the plastic. You don't get a real 'click'- they're just scratchy.

If you don't want the clicky sound, then get Cherry MX Reds.

Go to a shop and see if you can try a few keyboards to see which one you like best.

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1 minute ago, Fonzie92 said:

https://deskthority.net/wiki/Membrane_keyboard#Pressure_actuation

 

Thismight help, but it depends on the specific keyboard too :( 

 

there should be a general force though for membrane hmmm

I think getting a general value would be difficult. Membranes rely on you "bottoming" out the keys, the force to do that would depend on the weight of the keyboard keys, distance to the bottom, etc. All of these are different from keyboard and another.

 

Don't quote me on this however.

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1 minute ago, Aereldor said:

I would not recommend Cherry MX Browns. They are terrible switches. They're basically the same as linear red switches, except that instead of a tactile clicking mechanism, they just have a notch in the plastic. You don't get a real 'click'- they're just scratchy.

Hmm, this is the first negative opinion on browns I hear of. Mind elaborating on how they don't have a click to them?

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Not all membrane switches are the same, You could get a keyboard that is very light to press and some that are VERY uncomfortable to type on.

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2 minutes ago, L.Lawliet said:

No kidding most people love brown including me.

They just like blues only they didnt emit a clicking sounds but still has a tactile feedback.

Its a switch for those whose wife are annoyed when u are typing in the middle of the night with blue switch.

Lol emit? to hell with english.

Well keyboards keys are bit of personal choice, so there is that.

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3 hours ago, Castdeath97 said:

Hmm, this is the first negative opinion on browns I hear of. Mind elaborating on how they don't have a click to them?

Well, MX Blues have an separate 'clicking' mechanism - a white piece on the shaft of the switch that makes the actual contact - which is there specifically to create tactile feedback, and it does a damn good job. MX Browns, on the other hand, are just cherry MX Reds with a little 'notch' in them. They don't feel clicky, but just scratchy. I find they're way more irritating than they are satisfying to press. I think a keyswitch should either be linear, or have a mechanism for tactile feedback like Cherry MX Blues and Greens do. The Browns are pathetic in this way. Their 'tactility' just interrupts the key travel, and it's not pronounced at all. 

Here's a website with GIFs for Blues, Browns, and Blacks.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/242037/mechanical_keyboard_faq_pick_the_right_switch.html


A well-respected keyboard reviewer on YouTube, Chyrosran22 (perhaps one of the best), shares my opinion on this. I've linked the video to start playing at 3:10, which is where he talks about Brown switches.

 

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3 hours ago, L.Lawliet said:

And that which made it clicky right? if they implemented it in brown it would also made it clicky which defeating the purpose of brown switch.

That's hardly a defense. The brown switches are known as 'scratchy reds'. Their tactility sucks. It doesn't contribute to the typing or gaming experience- it detracts form both. It's not real tactile feedback- it's just a lazy notch that 'scratches' to produce that faux-tactility. Furthermore, the notch actually interferes with the linear switch movement, making it less comfortable to type on.

And you're proving my point. Cherry MX Brown switches shouldn't exist. They should never have been made. 

I think many membrane keyboards have an advantage over MX Browns.

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  • 2 years later...

Old post I know, but my membrane keeb needs 70g to actuate.

Really depends...

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On 7/2/2017 at 7:12 PM, Castdeath97 said:

Hmm, this is the first negative opinion on browns I hear of. Mind elaborating on how they don't have a click to them?

Not really, go into the custom keyboard community, most people there hate browns with a passion, They often refer to mx browns are broken linears, or scratchy reds. The main reason for this is their weak tactility and scratchiness. 
top-clack-holy-panda.png.34d731fb3a91846b571264d9b97c5cc9.pngcherry-mx-brown.png.f2be03630332b9b9aa2079b513cc87cd.pngLook at the difference in tactility. 

 

 

 

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