building keyboard help!

[memz]

Hello im looking forward to building a keyboard from scratch but i dont want to be spending more than £150. However my question is what would i need to build this and is there a cheaper option ( buying one already built is not an option for me!)

[Jakob.D]

Why can't you buy a pre-built?

It's often cheaper

[memz]

2 minutes ago, Jakob.D said:

Why can't you buy a pre-built?

It's often cheaper

i want to build one for maximum customization 

 

[Avanta8]

1 minute ago, memz said:

i want to build one for maximum customization 

 

What customization do you need?

[Deuxez]

5 minutes ago, Jakob.D said:

Why can't you buy a pre-built?

It's often cheaper

Yeah its ALOT cheaper almost all of the time, but is because some have either bad build quality, bad switches etc. I doubt you will get any better quality from a £150 custom keyboard than a £100 prebuilt keyboard. So @memz, just look for a prebuilt keyboard with all the features you want on it. You can still mod a prebuilt keyboard with O-rings, custom keycaps or lube(need to be hotswappable) if thats what you are after.

 

Got myself a blitzwolf KB1 with O-rings, that legit only set me back by like £60. It looks great, sounds OK (need better stabilizers), and feels OK too (worn out brown switches, id like red switches instead).

[memz]

Just now, Avanta8 said:

What customization do you need?

thats what i dont know i need to find out which parts i need 

 

[geo3]

2 hours ago, memz said:

thats what i dont know i need to find out which parts i need 

 

You will need, PCB, Case, Switches, Stabilizers, Keycaps and optionally a plate.

 

I'd also recommend getting lube and a switch open and lubing your switches (also lube your stabilizers)

 

 

KBDFans is the best 1 stop shop for first time builders. And it's definitely possible to hit price of less that  £150 (around $200)

[geo3]

Here's an example:

[Eschew]

Hey there.

2 hours ago, memz said:

However my question is what would i need to build this and is there a cheaper option

At the bare minimum, a custom keeb build is generally composed of:

• PCB
• Case
• Switches
• Stabilizers
• Keycaps
• Cable
• (Optional, Recommended) Mounting Plate

More info about each part, their purpose, different variants, compatibility, etc. in Section [4.1] of the Custom Mechanical Keyboards thread.

 

If you want cheap and custom, I'd suggest browsing KPrepublic's site and going with one of their keyboard kits (Search Filter: Keyboard Kits):

• 96% Keyboard Kits: GK96X
• TKL Keyboard Kits: XD87 HS, XD87, GK87s, GK87, XS87
• 75% Keyboard Kits: XD84
• 60% Keyboard Kits: GK68XS, GK68X, XD64, GK64X, GK61XS, GK61X, SK61, SD60

[Entropy.]

4 hours ago, DankDeuxez said:

Yeah its ALOT cheaper almost all of the time, but is because some have either bad build quality, bad switches etc. I doubt you will get any better quality from a £150 custom keyboard than a £100 prebuilt keyboard. So @memz, just look for a prebuilt keyboard with all the features you want on it. You can still mod a prebuilt keyboard with O-rings, custom keycaps or lube(need to be hotswappable) if thats what you are after.

 

Got myself a blitzwolf KB1 with O-rings, that legit only set me back by like £60. It looks great, sounds OK (need better stabilizers), and feels OK too (worn out brown switches, id like red switches instead).

Look at @geo3's post here. I wonder if you've ever tried a decent custom keeb? Prebuilt keebs are generally very gimmicky- with their software, rgb, special features (such as volume controls and say, extremely gimmicky items such as the k100's icue wheel), they usually have terrible switches, and pretty bad builds. For example, basically all prebuilt keebs from large companies such as razer have an all-plastic builds save for a thin metal plate on their higher-end boards. A $55 KBDfans case is a solid aluminum build. The cherry and cherry knockoff switches generally found in these boards (outemu, razer switches, ect.) are generally regarded as mediocre. Their tactiles aren't very tactile, their linears aren't very smooth, and blues.... kek. Keycaps are generally still cheap ABS caps that'll wear easily, the $200+ boards from these large companies are starting to get double-shot PBT keycaps-although they're still not great and can sometimes have warping issues. Now, there are decent boards out there such as the Durgod venus with gat yellows and with decent pbt keycaps, but it still doesn't hold a candle to custom keyboards- at least in it's stock form. If you want to de-solder the switches, re-lube them, and holee mod and lube the stabs, that can change the narrative, but that's seldom going to happen. Leopold and some other manufacturers also make some decent keebs. Still, in general I don't recommend prebuilt keebs unless you're on a very tight budget. 

 

4 hours ago, Jakob.D said:

Why can't you buy a pre-built?

It's often cheaper

Cheaper =/ better. If all people were concerned with was cheap, why go mechanical in the first place?