What are some good keyboards for gaming?

[GamerBlake]

Hey guys I’m currently gaming with a Razer Cynosa Chroma RGB keyboard and recently I’ve noticed that it’s staring to break down. Sometimes I’ll have to push a button 2 or even 3 times before it registers and it’s infuriating when I’m playing a game and die (not due to my own fault or being outplayed) because my keyboard decides not to do what I tell it too.

 

Anyway, I’m looking for a good keyboard with a sturdy build from a reliable company. Preferably with Cherry MX switches. Wireless would be a great perk but not absolutely necessary.

 

Budget: $250-$300 (preferably on Amazon since I have $350 rewards on my Amazon Card).

[kelvinhall05]

GMMK with keycaps and switches of your choice, possibly several types so you can try stuff out (since it's hotswap).

[TheSLSAMG]

Most people prefer linear switches for gaming from what I've seen but go for whatever you prefer. At that budget, I'd suggest building your own but that's nearly impossible on Amazon because a lot of the parts are niche.

 

6 minutes ago, kelvinhall05 said:

GMMK with keycaps and switches of your choice, possibly several types so you can try stuff out (since it's hotswap).

I like this choice personally. I have a GMMK Compact with Kailh Box Jade switches (kind of similar to MX Blue/Green) and Razer PBT Doubleshot keycaps and I really enjoy it so far. Amazon doesn't have the barebones models except for the Compact, so everything else they have is fully built. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8YNJH0/

If you like the 60% class layouts, there's also the Drop ALT which is a 65% and various GK61 barebones kits. All of these are wired. The nice thing about all of these options is if you experience issues such as double-typing or bad switches, they're super easy to swap out.

[GamerBlake]

5 minutes ago, kelvinhall05 said:

GMMK with keycaps and switches of your choice, possibly several types so you can try stuff out (since it's hotswap).

What is GMMK?

 

Also I’m not really familiar with swapping keyboard stuff so I’m preferably looking for a plug & play keyboard that I can just buy, un-box, and play.

[GamerBlake]

Just now, TheSLSAMG said:

Most people prefer linear switches for gaming from what I've seen but go for whatever you prefer. At that budget, I'd suggest building your own but that's nearly impossible on Amazon because a lot of the parts are niche.

 

I like this choice personally. I have a GMMK Compact with Kailh Box Jade switches (kind of similar to MX Blue/Green) and Razer PBT Doubleshot keycaps and I really enjoy it so far. Amazon doesn't have the barebones models except for the Compact, so everything else they have is fully built. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8YNJH0/

If you like the 60% class layouts, there's also the Drop ALT which is a 65% and various GK61 barebones kits. All of these are wired.

What about like the Corsair K100?

[kelvinhall05]

1 minute ago, GamerBlake said:

What is GMMK?

 

Also I’m not really familiar with swapping keyboard stuff so I’m preferably looking for a plug & play keyboard that I can just buy, un-box, and play.

You aren't gonna get anything good even for $300 if you aren't even willing to push switches and keycaps onto the board like Lego.

[TheSLSAMG]

6 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

What is GMMK?

 

Also I’m not really familiar with swapping keyboard stuff so I’m preferably looking for a plug & play keyboard that I can just buy, un-box, and play.

The GMMK is a keyboard that is either pre-built or barebones made by PC Gaming Race. If you want something plug and play though, that's totally fair.
 

6 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

What about like the Corsair K100?

It's a great keyboard as far as reviews indicate though enthusiasts will probably disagree. If you go that route, there are two versions. MX Speed switches are similar to Cherry MX Reds but with a higher actuation point. There is an optical-mechanical version too which on average should be more reliable/durable to prolonged use than the Cherry MX Speed variant.

[GamerBlake]

12 minutes ago, kelvinhall05 said:

You aren't gonna get anything good even for $300 if you aren't even willing to push switches and keycaps onto the board like Lego.

Well $300 is a lot for a keyboard so if I can’t get a good one for that then there is something wrong with the market.

 

Even Corsair’s top of the line K100 is only $229.99. 

[kelvinhall05]

16 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

Well $300 is a lot for a keyboard so if I can’t get a good one for that then there is something wrong with the market.

And that's precisely the problem! People will shell out big bucks for a keyboard that cuts corners everywhere and will be absolutely destroyed by a custom (or GMMK "custom") of the same total price.

 

Look, if you want to go drop $300 on something with $10 keycaps, shit switches, extremely average build quality, etc, be my guest. But you asked for advice and are now ignoring it, so...

[GamerBlake]

1 hour ago, kelvinhall05 said:

And that's precisely the problem! People will shell out big bucks for a keyboard that cuts corners everywhere and will be absolutely destroyed by a custom (or GMMK "custom") of the same total price.

 

Look, if you want to go drop $300 on something with $10 keycaps, shit switches, extremely average build quality, etc, be my guest. But you asked for advice and are now ignoring it, so...

You’re right I did ask for advice and I appreciate your input.

 

However I disagree that only custom keyboards can be good and that everything else is garbage or average.

 

These companies spend millions of dollars on designing things and, while there may be people out there who prefer something different, they design them for the masses.

 

It’s the same with computers in general. Just because you don’t build a PC yourself doesn’t mean any pre-built PC being sold is average or crap and can’t possibly be good because it’s prebuilt.

[CheeseGaming43]

Im going to recommend the gmmk because the hotswap and you can get any switch you want. 

[CheeseGaming43]

2 hours ago, GamerBlake said:

Hey guys I’m currently gaming with a Razer Cynosa Chroma RGB keyboard and recently I’ve noticed that it’s staring to break down. Sometimes I’ll have to push a button 2 or even 3 times before it registers and it’s infuriating when I’m playing a game and die (not due to my own fault or being outplayed) because my keyboard decides not to do what I tell it too.

 

Anyway, I’m looking for a good keyboard with a sturdy build from a reliable company. Preferably with Cherry MX switches. Wireless would be a great perk but not absolutely necessary.

 

Budget: $250-$300 (preferably on Amazon since I have $350 rewards on my Amazon Card).

or you could go with one of the drop boards as they are hotswap as well. 

[VeganJoy]

5 hours ago, GamerBlake said:

However I disagree that only custom keyboards can be good and that everything else is garbage or average.

 

These companies spend millions of dollars on designing things and, while there may be people out there who prefer something different, they design them for the masses.

 

It’s the same with computers in general. Just because you don’t build a PC yourself doesn’t mean any pre-built PC being sold is average or crap and can’t possibly be good because it’s prebuilt.

indeed, if you get a generic gaming keyboard it'll likely be fine, just like most people wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a decent prebuilt and a custom built pc performance and usage wise because in the end both are computers that get the job done. these companies making gamer keyboards are saddled with developing a wide variety of other products though; corsair makes power supplies, mice, headsets, aio coolers, computer cases, prebuilt pcs, custom watercooling components, ram, ssds, chairs, and rgb puke, and somewhere in there theyve also got keyboards. do you wanna spend 200-300 bucks on a keyboard from a company that makes a very wide variety of decent products or from a company that literally makes nothing but keyboards/keyboard components?

 

that being said, i have a corsair k95 and its a good keyboard, does everything i want it to do. i got it for 90 bucks and wouldnt spend more than 100 on it, but for that price its pretty good. compared to my buddy's ducky the build quality is clearly lesser but not by a significant amount. being a less mainstream product, his ducky has one or two obscure issues with connectivity every once in a while, which is just a side effect of being made by a much smaller company that probably doesnt have the resources for dealing with little issues in a timely manner. still a fine keyboard and there are many boutique keebs like it. 

 

all in all, it depends on what youre looking for. if you just want something that works, go ahead and get the corsair. it's certainly not bad, its just not as good as a custom keyboard of the same price, just like buying a prebuilt pc versus building it yourself. 

[Dr0y]

On 10/29/2020 at 9:06 AM, GamerBlake said:

You’re right I did ask for advice and I appreciate your input.

 

However I disagree that only custom keyboards can be good and that everything else is garbage or average.

 

These companies spend millions of dollars on designing things and, while there may be people out there who prefer something different, they design them for the masses.

 

It’s the same with computers in general. Just because you don’t build a PC yourself doesn’t mean any pre-built PC being sold is average or crap and can’t possibly be good because it’s prebuilt.

the things with prebuilt computer is that they usually cut corners at some places like the vrm quality on their board of the fact that a lot put only 1 stick of ram instead of two and things like that ... not all companies do it but some does and it makes it hard for enthusiast to recommend prebuilt over building your own.  There's the secret shopper video series from ltt you can watch that is really interesting in that regard. 

 

As for prebuilt keyboard it's kind of the same, specially from big companies ... they pack a lot of features but can use some cheap components like printed abs keycaps that will wear off fast or cheap case plastic and such ... you pay a premium for the brand name ... For the budget you have you can get something better quality and I would dare to suggest some ducky or durgod board if you are dead set on cherry switches. 

 

That being said I really would point you toward the gmmk and some high quality switches and keycaps.  The thing that is fantastic about that board is that if you ever get tired of your switches or if one fail you can just replace it quite easily.  Also you are not limited to cherry switches with that board ...