Keyboard - Replacement, maybe...?

[Eighjan]

Corsair K70 RGB PRO:

Is it a bad keyboard?
Is it just noisy, anyway, or just my typing style...?
Can it be modified to be quieter...?

Aside from Corsair seeming reluctant to keep stock of new wrist-rests for it (very difficult to keep it clean), it still works fine, but the noise gets a bit much to those around me if I'm typing a lot.

However, I'm in no position to justify multiple hundreds of £ for a fully custom unit of a similar style to my K70, if that's the main route to a quieter device; I've never been a great typist, so I'm pretty much a lost cause as far as that goes.

[Tech Reprise]

5 minutes ago, Eighjan said:

Corsair K70 RGB PRO:

Is it a bad keyboard?
Is it just noisy, anyway, or just my typing style...?
Can it be modified to be quieter...?

Aside from Corsair seeming reluctant to keep stock of new wrist-rests for it (very difficult to keep it clean), it still works fine, but the noise gets a bit much to those around me if I'm typing a lot.

However, I'm in no position to justify multiple hundreds of £ for a fully custom unit of a similar style to my K70, if that's the main route to a quieter device; I've never been a great typist, so I'm pretty much a lost cause as far as that goes.

If you are good with soldering/desoldering and have patience then I will suggest you swap out the switches for something quieter along with a foam mod under the PCB to make the clacking sound quieter. It will take a good amount of time but the keyboard will sound much better. 

 

For a cheaper and easier solution you can try O-Rings under your keycap stem. It can reduce the keycap hitting the switch sound by a bit but the true silence will come from either what I said above or a new custom keyboard with Foam and gasket mount in multiple layers.

[AndrewAsd]

It's an ok keyboard but can be better. Unfortunately the switches are soldered down so unless you're willing to spend a lot of time desoldering you're kind of stuck with what you have. But you don't have to spend a load of money to get a good keyboard.

Personally I've gotten a used RK84 75% keyboard, and threw in some new switches and a keycap set all in for about 65£.

Depending on how much you're willing to spend you can get a pretty good keyboard. A new RK84 is about 60£ and there are other similar keyboards at this price point, I'd recommend giving the Royal Kludge website a look. And if you're willing to spend a little extra there's also the RK84 Pro which is the same but has an aluminimum case instead of the plastic one at 80£

After that you can just order some switches, like Gateron Milky Yellows or similar, but if you want a truly silent experience then you might want to opt for some silent switches instead, although it is worth keeping in mind that to achieve that silence they do have a bit of rubber to dampen the noise and as a result when you bottom out on the switch it can feel a little soft or mushy. All in, for an RK84 and switches you're looking at somewhere between 80-90£. If you want to throw in a keycap set as well, although not necessary you're looking at an additional 10-25£ depending on choice and quality. The switch and keycap prices are from Aliexpress. 

[Timme]

A good, silent, mechanical keyboard doesn't need to cost hundreds of $$. And common brand mechanical keyboards are overpriced af
GMK104 keyboard kit + Gateron 0 Degree Silent + keycaps of your choice. 

Or the cheaper variant you are free to tinker with after EPOMAKER X AULA F108 PRO

 

[seon123]

1 hour ago, Eighjan said:

Is it a bad keyboard?

That's subjective, but it's definitely not designed with keyboard enthusiasts in mind. If you like using it, it doesn't really matter. 

1 hour ago, Eighjan said:

Is it just noisy, anyway, or just my typing style...?

Regular, non-silenced switches are just loud, if you type on them like a regular human. If anyone e.g. says that MX Browns or MX Reds are quiet, they're just straight up wrong. 

1 hour ago, Eighjan said:

Can it be modified to be quieter...?

You can try putting on QMX clips (or equivalent), which will dampen both the downstroke and the upstroke. O-rings will only dampen the downstroke, so the upstroke (when you release the key) will still be just as loud. 

 

Or, since it uses regular Cherry MX switches, you can replace the switches. It's just simple through hole soldering, and the switches are held in place by the plate, making it all very easy and comfortable to do. The RGB LEDs are attached to the PCB, so you don't need to worry about them either. I enjoy the Boba U4 that I have on my main keyboard, which is a silenced medium tactile switch. It'll have a bigger tactile bump than the MX Browns you're used to, but they're not super tactile, and they're very quiet. There are lots of options these days, so you can choose whatever suits your preference the best. 

 

Here's someone comparing a few on Reddit. 

 

If you want to make the silenced switches even quieter, you also have the option of lubing them, although this will not make a large difference. 

 

 

I replaced the switches on my G710 7 years ago (jeez, it's really been that long ), although I went the other way, making it a lot louder, instead of quieter. That one had LEDs above the switches, meaning I had four pins to desolder and then solder per switch, instead of just two. So replacing the switches is definitely something you can do without too much difficulty. 

 

[Eighjan]

Thanks for the input, thus far...
Things about the K70 I like:
Full size
Numeric keypad
MX Brown keys

Things I don't like:
Undampened key actuation (bottoming out?)