keyboard Need a Mech Keyboard For My Father

MrReject · November 20, 2023

I need a board for my Dad that I plan to give as a gift for Christmas alongside a portable monitor for his work. I already have switches to give him from my previous setup (Milky Yellows and/or Gateron Greens) but I don't know what non RGB board I could buy him. Preferably I want to get him a board that'll go on sale during Black Friday so I don't have to go super budget but it definitely needs to be 100%. Also, he's adamant about having USB passthru on the backside of the board for his mouse. It's an absolute must. Additionally, he really needs things like these shortcuts at the very top of his current board. See attached image for what I mean. (Volume slider not important but welcome)

I hope I'm not asking for too much, but I'd really like to surprise him.

GarlicDeliverySystem · November 20, 2023

Not gonna lie, those requirements make it hard to find something easily. Most mechs usually come in less than 100%, TKL or smaller and few have that many macro/extra keys. Also USB pass-through is not a common feature.

Some more gamer focused brands might have that, pretty sure they won't be hotswap though. Like these:

https://www.redragonzone.com/products/redragon-k550-rgb-yama-131-key-rgb-led-illuminated-backlit-mechanical-keyboard

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/keyboards/ch-912a01a-na/k100-rgb-optical-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-corsair-opx-switch-black-ch-912a01a-na#tab-techspecs

https://www.daskeyboard.com/p/4q-smart-rgb-mechanical-keyboard/

MrReject · November 20, 2023

34 minutes ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

Not gonna lie, those requirements make it hard to find something easily. Most mechs usually come in less than 100%, TKL or smaller and few have that many macro/extra keys. Also USB pass-through is not a common feature.

Some more gamer focused brands might have that, pretty sure they won't be hotswap though. Like these:

https://www.redragonzone.com/products/redragon-k550-rgb-yama-131-key-rgb-led-illuminated-backlit-mechanical-keyboard

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/keyboards/ch-912a01a-na/k100-rgb-optical-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-corsair-opx-switch-black-ch-912a01a-na#tab-techspecs

https://www.daskeyboard.com/p/4q-smart-rgb-mechanical-keyboard/

Yeah seems like my requirements were too precise. I appreciate your suggestions. Would there be any 90% boards then? And if not, what about some simpler 100% keyboard without the stuff at the top or the USB passthru? Preferably non-RGB.

GarlicDeliverySystem · November 20, 2023

21 minutes ago, MrReject said:

And if not, what about some simpler 100% keyboard without the stuff at the top or the USB passthru? Preferably non-RGB.

Well, the nice thing about RGB is that in most cases you can just turn it off or set it to white. Quoting from an earlier thread:

On 11/19/2023 at 8:28 PM, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

The usual things to consider when looking for keyboards (in my mind, at least) are:

look for hotswap switches, as it means you can change switches easily one by one should a switch ever fail. It also means you can experiment down the line without having to buy a new keyboard, just because you think the switches are a bit too loud, light, stiff, tactile etc.

Do you want wireless and if so, is BT fine or do you want a 2.4GHz dongle? Some popular brands only offer wired/BT and only limited 2.4GHz.

If you want macros, do you like VIA support?

Do you need RGB?

Having said that, the usual suspects around here are:

Keychron:

K10: solid entry, just make sure to get the hotswap version! Offers both wired and BT support

K10 Pro: upgrade over the regular K10, with a lot of custom keyboard features like better stabilizers or acoustic foams and silicone dampener. BT and wired, with QMK/VIA support, RGB optional.

V6: basically the wired only version of the K10 Pro (K10 Pro is really a wireless version of the V6 imho), most affordable of all of these.

Q6: custom keyboard, full metal frame, only wired. Also hitting the 200$ range here. Used to be awesome for the price, though the competition is improving all the time. Good out of the box, potentially great when modded.

Q6 Pro: flagship model with wireless functionality added. Only BT though.

A bunch of other models exist, most notably the L3 from Lemokey, which is Keychron's gaming brand. Not 100% though, only TKL.

Nuphy, no personal experience with it, but heard lots of good things about them.:

Air 96 V2: low profile board, wireless with BT and 2.4 GHz or wired. V2 now also has VIA support. Also hotswap, though only for compatible low-profile switches.

Halo 96: normal keyboard, also 96%. BT/2.4GHz/wired, but no VIA support yet.

GMMK:

No personal experience, but from some reviews I have seen they are considered overpriced for the quality you get. Though if you were to get a nice deal on it, why not.