Mechanical or Membrane

[dangitcarl]

Is there a huge difference between mechanical and membrane keyboards? Almost everyone I've heard says mechanical keyboards are so much better, but there are plenty of membrane keyboards with really good reviews such as the razer cynosa chroma. i was thinking of getting that one bc i really like rgb and everything, but im wondering if spending some extra money for a mechanical keyboard will give me a competitive edge. Thanks!

[Guest]

In general mechanical keyboards feel a lot nicer to type on, with a consistent feel and clicks. While membrane in general are kinda mushy but are a lot more popular. The best way to know if you'll like a keyboard is to test it out, but that's probably difficult with Corona shutting everything down. Both mechanical and membrane can have RGB, this one is probably too expensive but you can usually find all the same features on mechanical or membrane.

[The Flying Sloth]

I personally like my membrane G15 and am not a huge fan of the really clicky mechanical switches, might eventually make the switch to something with MX browns if there's a keyboard with a similar screen to my current one with those switches when the G15 dies. It's down to personal choice really. If the clickiness and difference in feel matters that much to you go mechanical, if not, no need to spend the extra cash.

Sloth

[seon123]

Depends on which specific keyboards you are comparing. E.g. the IBM Model M is a membrane keyboard, but it's still going to be better than a lot of mechanical keyboards, especially low quality ones like the Corsair K95 Platinum. Inversely, a good mechanical keyboard will be a lot nicer than a low end rubber dome over membrane keyboard like the Razer Ornata.

 

Customer reviews are completely useless, as they are 99% people either:

• complaining about their DOA product, or
• Trying to justify their purchase

 

[LjjlijJ]

Mechanical keyboard likely won't give you a competitive advantage unless you are a professional gamer. For regular gamers, an anti-ghosting keyboard will be sufficient (a well reviewed membrane keyboard may well be more than sufficient). 

 

But in my opinion every gamer at some point should acquire a good quality mechanical keyboard. It's just one of those nicer and (generally) not overpriced things in life anyone who can afford one deserves one.

[Ockari]

If i'm being honest I regret buying my mechanical keyboard. Fair enough if I would have purchased some better mechanical keyboard I would have a better experience. I'm propably going to upgrade to Lenovo thinkpad bluetooth keyboard, since that is IMO the best keyboard ever

[e22big]

Mechanical keyboard is a lot mroe responsive than membrame, if you are a type of gamer who can make use of that extra response time (aka lower actuation force to press the botton), mechanical keybaord may give you an advantage in game. 

 

In a lot of case though, mecahnical switches will make typing and doing everything on it feel a lot easier as you literally spent less force to make the switches work. Some people don't like that kind of ultrasensitivity feeling (like mouse with high DPI and accuracy) some like it. For me personally, I found mechanical key switches to be significantly better both for gamign and producitivity but a specialised membrame (like scissor switches in laptop) can also be quite nice to use as well. 

[Gibs960]

It's all personal preference man and also, depends what you're using your keyboard for. 

 

I use a K70 with Cherry MX Red switches, but if I'm at work or at uni, I have to use membrane and it's not as if my hands drop off if I do.

[Mitzy]

18 hours ago, dangitcarl said:

Is there a huge difference between mechanical and membrane keyboards? Almost everyone I've heard says mechanical keyboards are so much better, but there are plenty of membrane keyboards with really good reviews such as the razer cynosa chroma. i was thinking of getting that one bc i really like rgb and everything, but im wondering if spending some extra money for a mechanical keyboard will give me a competitive edge. Thanks!

Mechanical is more expensive,more durable, lasts a lot longer than a membrane keyboard, alot louder than a membrane keyboard. Membrane is cheaper, isn't as noisy and not as durable and doesn't last as long as a mechanical and the quality in general with membrane keyboards is a lot cheaper for instance the letters on each keycap that are used are alot more cheaper and the letters would come off easier, but the mechanical keyboard is bettter quality than the membrane keyboard and has better keycaps and also is alot more noisy compared to the membrane keyboards pretty much you pay for what you get if you pay £10-£40 then you get a membrane keyboard but if you pay £40+ for keyboards then most likely the keyboard will be mechanical for e.g. you won't find a mechanical keyboard for a price that you would find a membrane keyboard and vice-versa/

[seon123]

28 minutes ago, Mitzy said:

alot louder than a membrane keyboard

Tell me more about how an HHKB Type S is louder than an IBM Model M.

29 minutes ago, Mitzy said:

doesn't last as long as a mechanical and the quality in general with membrane keyboards is a lot cheaper for instance the letters on each keycap that are used are alot more cheaper and the letters would come off easier

Tell me more about how the IBM Model M is lower quality and has lower quality keycaps than the Corsair K95 Platinum. What keycaps are used on a keyboard does not depend on whether it's mechanical or membrane.

30 minutes ago, Mitzy said:

e.g. you won't find a mechanical keyboard for a price that you would find a membrane keyboard and vice-versa/

There are several mechanical keybaords for ~$25, and there are membrane keyboards for $100.

 

 

Also, there is a thing called a period or full stop. I recommend using it a bit more often

[Mitzy]

3 hours ago, seon123 said:

Tell me more about how an HHKB Type S is louder than an IBM Model M.

Tell me more about how the IBM Model M is lower quality and has lower quality keycaps than the Corsair K95 Platinum. What keycaps are used on a keyboard does not depend on whether it's mechanical or membrane.

There are several mechanical keybaords for ~$25, and there are membrane keyboards for $100.

 

 

Also, there is a thing called a period or full stop. I recommend using it a bit more often

I know my punctuation is bad and miss some out sometimes but if I see that I need to use it then I will but it’s trash and can’t help it and it sort of does mate you won’t find a mechanical keyboard for £25  you will with the membrane but membrane you might find 1 for £100 and it does depend on the key caps and also the buttons that the keys sit on please do more research next time rather than talk about how bad someone’s punctuation is and how it can be better it’s a forum so a lot of slang is used and research more about keyboards next time rather than trying to argue with someone about keyboards when I wouldn’t have trash talked your post like you did to mine which is wrong.

[gloop]

11 hours ago, Mitzy said:

you won’t find a mechanical keyboard for £25

What’s this then? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071R6VPR1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Z58UEb1R2F5MY

 

 

[nox_]

27 minutes ago, gloop said:

12 hours ago, Mitzy said:

you won’t find a mechanical keyboard for £25

What’s this then? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071R6VPR1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Z58UEb1R2F5MY

There's this one too https://www.amazon.co.uk/LESHP-Mechanical-Keyboard-Anti-ghosting-Industrial/dp/B06ZYBP64Q/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Mechanical+Keyboard&qid=1589368098&refinements=p_36%3A-2500&rnid=428432031&s=computers&sr=1-4 and bunch of others.

[Mitzy]

9 minutes ago, nox_ said:

There's this one too https://www.amazon.co.uk/LESHP-Mechanical-Keyboard-Anti-ghosting-Industrial/dp/B06ZYBP64Q/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Mechanical+Keyboard&qid=1589368098&refinements=p_36%3A-2500&rnid=428432031&s=computers&sr=1-4 and bunch of others.

Oops didn’t see that one

 

34 minutes ago, gloop said:

What’s this then? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071R6VPR1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Z58UEb1R2F5MY

 

 

Oops I didn’t see that one 

[nox_]

1 minute ago, Mitzy said:

Oops didn’t see that one

 

Oops I didn’t see that one 

You missed many others too.

[Mitzy]

2 minutes ago, nox_ said:

You missed many others too.

Ye but there not expensive mechanical switches to be honest

[gloop]

30 minutes ago, Mitzy said:

Ye but there not expensive mechanical switches to be honest

But they are still mechanical keyboards, and are £10 cheaper than £25 pounds where you said you couldn't find any mechanical keyboards.

[Mitzy]

11 minutes ago, gloop said:

But they are still mechanical keyboards, and are £10 cheaper than £25 pounds where you said you couldn't find any mechanical keyboards.

Yes as I said my bad I got my information wrong

[Dr0y]

I have a blue switches mechanical keyboard and I don't really like to type on it.  First, the weight of the switch is a bit too high for my taste.  Second, the sound of the blue switches is not to my liking ... even worst is the ping/reverb caused by the spring during the upstroke (they are outemu switches).  Third, the stock keycap profile (oem) is not that optimal for me. 

 

I plugged back my old compaq ps/2 membrane keyboard and I really like it more than my cheap mechanical redragon k552.  I type way faster on that particular membrane keyboard.  The only thing annoying is that the layout is iso french canadian with the short left shift key.  Also the numpad is in the way most of the time. 

 

It's all a matter of preference, you should test the keyboard first.  You can get good or bad quality board with either membrane and mechanical.