New Keyboard?

[iihoward]

I currently have a really nice set up that without SLI I would struggle to improve so I'm now looking to upgrade my peripherals with long lasting products.

I am using a standard membrane keyboard I found in my loft which seems a huge injustice alongside a £1600 set up.

I have heard a lot of talk about mechanical keyboards and would like to hear advice on how they are compared to membranes, are they all hype or is it actually worth the significant upgrade?

Also if I am too upgrade I'd prefer to secure myself against future content with getting a great product so the new craze of RGB appeals to me as it looks very modern and should last a while.

However I am ultimately looking for value. For uses of the keyboard for context I play a lot of Runescape so use AHK and type a lot of the time for university assignments but also use it for non competitive gaming.

Please advise based on UK prices and availability. I have a maximum budget of £150 but if better value can be found for less that is obviously a bonus especially around such an expensive holiday, thanks for any advice!

[Whorax]

I would wait for a Ducky Shine 5, whenever that happens to come out. I think that may be around your budget? Maybe.

 

As for switches, it sounds like Cherry MX Browns or Blues may suit you (I have Browns, they're a good base switch to start with if you don't know what you want imo), but for that you're better off going to a local tech store and trying the different switches out for yourself.

[jimakos234]

ducky shine 5 (or the year of the goat edition),

corsair strafe, k95,k70

coolermaster quickfire

[Dylan lol]

http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-blackbird-tenkeyless-tkl-cherry-mx-backlit-mechanical-keyboard.html if you want tenkeyless

 

if u want normal size keyboard ducky is prob best option

[Kobathor]

I would wait for a Ducky Shine 5, whenever that happens to come out. I think that may be around your budget? Maybe.

 

As for switches, it sounds like Cherry MX Browns or Blues may suit you (I have Browns, they're a good base switch to start with if you don't know what you want imo), but for that you're better off going to a local tech store and trying the different switches out for yourself.

The Shine 5 is out, it's just on backorder because they literally sold out less than an hour after release (also all the preorders.)

[Matt_Twinkletoes]

Razer Blackwidow.... jk jk

[Whorax]

The Shine 5 is out, it's just on backorder because they literally sold out less than an hour after release (also all the preorders.)

No kidding? I had no clue. I looked around a few weeks back and couldn't find anything on them. Maybe my Googling skills are just garbage.

[Kobathor]

No kidding? I had no clue. I looked around a few weeks back and couldn't find anything on them. Maybe my Googling skills are just garbage.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/incoming.php

 

The reason it says pre-order only is because they're out of stock, but they're getting more.

[iihoward]

Thanks all for such quick replies.

The DS5 looks a bit plain, not that is necessarily a negative however it's availability in the UK and value for money seems a negative.

How are people's opinions on the following models?

Strafe RGB - is it's plastically build a deal breaker over its aluminium counterpart in the K series?

K65 - does the lack of media keys and number pad really make much of a difference of value wise is it a good pick?

K70 - are the led's an issue or is that on the non rgb model? Is it perhaps just a more expensive version of the K65 and a 40% price increase that'd just be wasted?

[Whorax]

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/incoming.php

 

The reason it says pre-order only is because they're out of stock, but they're getting more.

What are these Nature White switches? Something new?

[Kobathor]

What are these Nature White switches? Something new?

They're the MX Whites from EU, since in the EU our Whites are clears and their clears are our Whites.

[Whorax]

Thanks all for such quick replies.

The DS5 looks a bit plain, not that is necessarily a negative however it's availability in the UK and value for money seems a negative.

How are people's opinions on the following models?

 

K70 - are the led's an issue or is that on the non rgb model? Is it perhaps just a more expensive version of the K65 and a 40% price increase that'd just be wasted?

I find that having multiple colors next to each other on my K70 RGB makes LEDs bleed into other keys, so sometimes colors look weird (AKA ugly). I wouldn't really recommend my K70 to be honest. The software is kinda bad. A lot of the reason I like the Shine 5 is because it looks plain, but it has no software AFAIK and the lights look quite vibrant.

 

Regarding your question on if the LEDs are an issue. I assume you mean burning out? That was fixed with the RGB model because of the LED being housed inside of the switches, making ESD more difficult to burn out the lights.

[iihoward]

I find that having multiple colors next to each other on my K70 RGB makes LEDs bleed into other keys, so sometimes colors look weird (AKA ugly). I wouldn't really recommend my K70 to be honest. The software is kinda bad. A lot of the reason I like the Shine 5 is because it looks plain, but it has no software AFAIK and the lights look quite vibrant.

Regarding your question on if the LEDs are an issue. I assume you mean burning out? That was fixed with the RGB model because of the LED being housed inside of the switches, making ESD more difficult to burn out the lights.

Does the K65 then have the same problem I presume as it uses the same LED's?

Have you seen the strafe RGB in action, any ideas how the LED's perform on that and also is the plastic exterior a huge trade off that's not worth taking?

[Whorax]

Does the K65 then have the same problem I presume as it uses the same LED's?

Have you seen the strafe RGB in action, any ideas how the LED's perform on that and also is the plastic exterior a huge trade off that's not worth taking?

The K65 RGB should be the same as the K70 RGB in terms of LED reliability. I have not seen the Strafe much though, so I cannot comment on that.

 

Also, welcome to the forum. Didn't realize these were your first posts. Don't forget to follow your topics so you get notified of every reply without people quoting you. Top right of the page, under the search box.

[iihoward]

The K65 RGB should be the same as the K70 RGB in terms of LED reliability. I have not seen the Strafe much though, so I cannot comment on that.

Also, welcome to the forum. Didn't realize these were your first posts. Don't forget to follow your topics so you get notified of every reply without people quoting you. Top right of the page, under the search box.

Thanks for all the advice and the welcome its very kind.

Overall it seems the strafe has the best LED's. The K70 and K65 have better build quality and also at £100 the K65 is significantly cheaper than the K70 so seems better value for me personally with having little use for the numpad and I doubt for the media keys also.

I can try looking for alternatives but in the UK the prices seem very inflated and mean it's hard to get great value and I'm conscious of letting the deal on the K65 out of my grasp

[iihoward]

Sorry if this is a bump and not allowed but just found a good deal in my country which kind of changes the situation.

So the Corsair RGB K65 is retailing on sale for £10 off at £98.99. The Corsair RGB Strafe is retailing on sale for £30 off for £99.99. Out of those the strafe seems a killer deal for what it is (both of those prices are for red switches only).

What are your guys thoughts on those two in terms of value?

[iihoward]

Bump:)