Keyboard recommendations please

[sdooweloc]

My keyboard died today unfortunately so in the market for a new one. My current one was a Corsair K70 MK2 low profile with red switches.

 

I will be using this board for gaming as well as a decent amount of productivity probably about a 50/50 split between the two.

 

I am hoping to find a keyboard fitting the below parameters

• Ideally looking for Brown switches
• Swappable switches for maintenance and replacement when needed
• 100% keyboard with separate media controls and numpad
• ideally some kind of backlit keys, doesnt need RGB or any fancy LUA scriptable just want to be able to see my keys in the dark lol
• ideally $150 USD or less
• ANSI layout with en-us legend
• Ideally not having any secondary legends on the F keys
• Linux user so extra software isnt a selling feature for me since none of them work anyway haha
• Wired or wireless doesnt matter too much but it will be sitting at my desk 99% of the time so wired isnt a downside at all to not worry about batteries haha
• ideally aluminum body to have a sturdier build than plastic.

If any of this is unrealistic or anything please let me know. Open to suggestions and options.

[ImWilly]

Some that I could think of:
Keychron Q6 (wired only), Glorious GMMK Full size, and Akko 3098B

 

It should check almost all of the list of your requirements, assuming the brown switch variant is in stock (or you can add it yourself), except:

44 minutes ago, sdooweloc said:

ideally some kind of backlit keys, doesnt need RGB or any fancy LUA scriptable just want to be able to see my keys in the dark lol

Unless the keycaps is passthrough ABS, any RGB/backlit is pretty much useless in the dark even at max brightness

Usually a more premium keyboard would have PBT keycaps that is not passthrough, but offer more durability and 'thocker' sound due to thicker material compared to ABS counterpart

 

[sdooweloc]

1 minute ago, ImWilly said:

Unless the keycaps is passthrough ABS, any RGB/backlit is pretty much useless in the dark even at max brightness

Usually a more premium keyboard would have PBT keycaps that is not passthrough, but offer more durability and 'thocker' sound due to thicker material compared to ABS counterpart

 

Ill give those a look for sure. The backlit is one of the lower priority things. I would much rather have a keyboard that is good and feels good rather than some extra leds. Thats more a luxury thing and I can certainly live without.

[sdooweloc]

18 minutes ago, ImWilly said:

Some that I could think of:
Keychron Q6 (wired only), Glorious GMMK Full size, and Akko 3098B

So looking at those options I think I am partial to the Keychron's layout and look. I'll keep an eye out for other suggestions but leaning towards the Q6 for right now.

[SpookyCitrus]

57 minutes ago, sdooweloc said:

So looking at those options I think I am partial to the Keychron's layout and look. I'll keep an eye out for other suggestions but leaning towards the Q6 for right now.

Can't go wrong with Keychron, I love my Q1.

[GarlicDeliverySystem]

Keychron V6 MAX (fits more into the budget) or something from Nuphy/Monsgeek.

 

Software you want to look for VIA/QMK compatible, since that is open source and VIA even runs in a browser.

[Gork]

11 hours ago, sdooweloc said:

My keyboard died today unfortunately so in the market for a new one. My current one was a Corsair K70 MK2 low profile with red switches.

 

I will be using this board for gaming as well as a decent amount of productivity probably about a 50/50 split between the two.

 

I am hoping to find a keyboard fitting the below parameters

• Ideally looking for Brown switches
• Swappable switches for maintenance and replacement when needed
• 100% keyboard with separate media controls and numpad
• ideally some kind of backlit keys, doesnt need RGB or any fancy LUA scriptable just want to be able to see my keys in the dark lol
• ideally $150 USD or less
• ANSI layout with en-us legend
• Ideally not having any secondary legends on the F keys
• Linux user so extra software isnt a selling feature for me since none of them work anyway haha
• Wired or wireless doesnt matter too much but it will be sitting at my desk 99% of the time so wired isnt a downside at all to not worry about batteries haha
• ideally aluminum body to have a sturdier build than plastic.

If any of this is unrealistic or anything please let me know. Open to suggestions and options.

Not at all unrealistic!

Only that as a concerned citizen, keychron's quality assurance is very hit and miss after about 6-7 months. I'm 110% gang: give me bright RGB pretty lights, and macrokeys.

Just a few recommendations in general for you to look at: Way back in 2016 I got a razer 2014 ultimate. Weirdly? easily eeeeasily slots into a top 15 keyboard for me as long as you keep some gotchas in mind: only has bright green RGB. lol because...of course it does. It's very heavy and extremely substantial even thought the body is made out of Unknown Plastic #91828192  the keys are propper loud and clicky. And I think I'm one of 15 people left that actually likes the macro software.

I have a Keychron C3 Pro: It does come with brown switches. and is VIA compatible. I only used the keyboard a few weeks before instantly going out to find something with a lot more spit and polish. VIA is extremely rough around the edges IMO. Keychron has done a lot to make it less of the bad kind of jank. For this specific one you'll need to google for it's json file. how ViA works is it stores macros directly on the keyboard. Which is pretty awesome. How via does it is a little janky though. Supposedly the C3 has RGB. If it does I couldn't find a way to turn it on.

FWIW I had the most fun from RGB from a clear acrylic keyboard. I actually would be surprised if those are as propper rugged as a keyboard with a metal chasi.  Just for being super fun to look at a Wormier TKL I got 2 years ago was sooo fun to use and look at. 

I simply have no idea what full sized ones of those are around. Sounds like you'd rather skip plexiglass anyway. 

 

Have you considered seeing if a barebones basic...I guess it'd be a kit. all the keyboard put together. but then they expect you put to whatever switches and caps you'd like in it?

[sdooweloc]

18 hours ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

Keychron V6 MAX (fits more into the budget) or something from Nuphy/Monsgeek.

 

Software you want to look for VIA/QMK compatible, since that is open source and VIA even runs in a browser.

 

Thanks for that. Whats the difference between V6 and Q6?

 

8 hours ago, Gork said:

Not at all unrealistic!

Only that as a concerned citizen, keychron's quality assurance is very hit and miss after about 6-7 months. I'm 110% gang: give me bright RGB pretty lights, and macrokeys.

Just a few recommendations in general for you to look at: Way back in 2016 I got a razer 2014 ultimate. Weirdly? easily eeeeasily slots into a top 15 keyboard for me as long as you keep some gotchas in mind: only has bright green RGB. lol because...of course it does. It's very heavy and extremely substantial even thought the body is made out of Unknown Plastic #91828192  the keys are propper loud and clicky. And I think I'm one of 15 people left that actually likes the macro software.

I have a Keychron C3 Pro: It does come with brown switches. and is VIA compatible. I only used the keyboard a few weeks before instantly going out to find something with a lot more spit and polish. VIA is extremely rough around the edges IMO. Keychron has done a lot to make it less of the bad kind of jank. For this specific one you'll need to google for it's json file. how ViA works is it stores macros directly on the keyboard. Which is pretty awesome. How via does it is a little janky though. Supposedly the C3 has RGB. If it does I couldn't find a way to turn it on.

FWIW I had the most fun from RGB from a clear acrylic keyboard. I actually would be surprised if those are as propper rugged as a keyboard with a metal chasi.  Just for being super fun to look at a Wormier TKL I got 2 years ago was sooo fun to use and look at. 

I simply have no idea what full sized ones of those are around. Sounds like you'd rather skip plexiglass anyway. 

 

Have you considered seeing if a barebones basic...I guess it'd be a kit. all the keyboard put together. but then they expect you put to whatever switches and caps you'd like in it?

 

Interesting. Ive heard almost nothing but good things about Keychron in my searching and googling.

RGB can be nice but its not to die for for me lol.

As for macros and such they can be nice but also arent a deal breaker. Honestly most of the macros I would program would likely just end up being mapping some key combos to be like special things for game utilities and such or maybe hotkeys in coding or something idk lol. But good to know how VIA works somewhat.

I appreciate the input. Ive thought about barebone/kit but dont think I want to go that far just yet lol.

[GarlicDeliverySystem]

3 hours ago, sdooweloc said:

Thanks for that. Whats the difference between V6 and Q6?

Q-series: Aluminium case

V-series: plastic case

 

There are also a few other differences among the different versions that are noteworthy:

• Q6: wired only, aluminium and gasket mount. Simplest and earliest version
• V6: wired only, plastic, tray mount.
• Q6 Pro: successor of the Q6, this time with BT in addition to wired. supposedly better sound due to different foam and gasket design.
• K10 Pro (really just a V6 with a different name): Basically a V6 with wireless

Now, all of these were effectively superseded by the V6 MAX and Q6 MAX:

• Both are now gasket mounted
• both have wireless (2.4GHz and BT)
• Both have all kinds of foam, especially the Q6 MAX.

So, I would recommend to go with the V6 MAX over the Q series, since it only costs around 100$ vs 220$. Yes, the Q6 MAX is more premium, but you can buy pretty nice switches and keycaps (or games etc.) for the price difference.

 

I would NOT recommend going for any Pro or regular version, unless you know what you are looking at, simply because they are overpriced in comparison to their newer iterations.

[sdooweloc]

1 hour ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

Q-series: Aluminium case

V-series: plastic case

 

There are also a few other differences among the different versions that are noteworthy:

• Q6: wired only, aluminium and gasket mount. Simplest and earliest version
• V6: wired only, plastic, tray mount.
• Q6 Pro: successor of the Q6, this time with BT in addition to wired. supposedly better sound due to different foam and gasket design.
• K10 Pro (really just a V6 with a different name): Basically a V6 with wireless

Now, all of these were effectively superseded by the V6 MAX and Q6 MAX:

• Both are now gasket mounted
• both have wireless (2.4GHz and BT)
• Both have all kinds of foam, especially the Q6 MAX.

So, I would recommend to go with the V6 MAX over the Q series, since it only costs around 100$ vs 220$. Yes, the Q6 MAX is more premium, but you can buy pretty nice switches and keycaps (or games etc.) for the price difference.

 

I would NOT recommend going for any Pro or regular version, unless you know what you are looking at, simply because they are overpriced in comparison to their newer iterations.

Gotcha thanks for the info! Ill definitely take it under consideration when making my decision