Which keyboard to choose?

[Chris030]

Hello people,

As i finally choose all hardware components for my desktop, I still need the peripherals. So, after wandering around about different keyboards and sites, I still can't figure if I should go for a mechanical keyboard or non-mechanical keyboard... And even if I want it wireless or not...

The things I know for sure is that I would use the keyboard for typing many documents for the university (in english, german and french) and also for casual gaming. Also, if I choose a mechanical keyboard, the Cherry Mx brown seems to be the chosen one.

Media shortcuts would be nice, I don't need fancy lighting and a numberpad is a must.

I live in Austria and a layout like my laptop keyboad would be nice! It's a swiss layout I presume, qwertz and both french (é, è, à) and german (ü, ö, ä) characters between the letters and the enter button.

So here you come in play, what type of keyboard do you use and why? what would you suggest?

 

P.S.: it is my first desktop and also my first peripheral I'm going to buy. I've used an old keyboard while I was at home (at least 5 years ago) which was in the price of the old desktop but that's it.

 

Hope you guys and girls can help me with this tormenting question.. ^^

 

 

[shadowbyte]

I use a Corsair K95 RGB with cherry mx reds. It's a very nice keyboard, mostly made out of metal, with great keycaps and lighting. I got it as a christmas present. Previously, I was using a 10 dollar membrane keyboard with terrible actuation points, so it was a welcome upgrade. 

[Hackentosher]

Mechanical is absolutely worth it. I have a CM Storm Quickfire Rapid with Cherry blues. One of the best $80 I've ever spent.

[Marziman]

6 minutes ago, Chris030 said:

Hello people,

As i finally choose all hardware components for my desktop, I still need the peripherals. So, after wandering around about different keyboards and sites, I still can't figure if I should go for a mechanical keyboard or non-mechanical keyboard... And even if I want it wireless or not...

The things I know for sure is that I would use the keyboard for typing many documents for the university (in english, german and french) and also for casual gaming. Also, if I choose a mechanical keyboard, the Cherry Mx brown seems to be the chosen one.

Media shortcuts would be nice, I don't need fancy lighting and a numberpad is a must.

I live in Austria and a layout like my laptop keyboad would be nice! It's a swiss layout I presume, qwertz and both french (é, è, à) and german (ü, ö, ä) characters between the letters and the enter button.

So here you come in play, what type of keyboard do you use and why? what would you suggest?

 

P.S.: it is my first desktop and also my first peripheral I'm going to buy. I've used an old keyboard while I was at home (at least 5 years ago) which was in the price of the old desktop but that's it.

 

Hope you guys and girls can help me with this tormenting question.. ^^

 

 

Corsair K65 or K95 really reign supreme but please DON'T buy a Razer mechanical.  The Chinese switches feel cheap and are made to sound overly loud and exaggerated.

[Hackentosher]

4 minutes ago, Marziman said:

Corsair K65 or K95 really reign supreme but please DON'T buy a Razer mechanical.  The Chinese switches feel cheap and are made to sound overly loud and exaggerated.

I wouldn't say the corsair keyboards reign supreme, but they're very good. Also, plus 1 for team screw Razer.

[2001jaden]

11 minutes ago, Marziman said:

Corsair K65 or K95 really reign supreme but please DON'T buy a Razer mechanical.  The Chinese switches feel cheap and are made to sound overly loud and exaggerated.

whats wrong with the k70?

 

[jswan]

I think Corsair's K70 is a great value. I have had mine for about 5 months now and really enjoy typing on it. It has good weight, solid feel and comes with a nice wrist rest.

[Chris030]

Do you feel a big difference in typing and gaming when using a mechanical keyboard in comparison to membrane ones?

Ok, I'll stay away from Razer :-P

The ones you mentionned are quite expensive, I don't know if I want to spend more than 100€ on my first mechanical keyboard...

While surfing around the Logitech G710+ caught my eye, I don't know why ^^ the price range seems about right (is on sale right now). how is this keyboard? are there others in this price range that are equal to the g710+ or better? it doesn't have to be Logitech

[Marziman]

2 hours ago, 2001jaden said:

whats wrong with the k70?

 

I forgot to mention it.

[Hackentosher]

2 hours ago, Chris030 said:

Do you feel a big difference in typing and gaming when using a mechanical keyboard in comparison to membrane ones?

Ok, I'll stay away from Razer :-P

The ones you mentionned are quite expensive, I don't know if I want to spend more than 100€ on my first mechanical keyboard...

While surfing around the Logitech G710+ caught my eye, I don't know why ^^ the price range seems about right (is on sale right now). how is this keyboard? are there others in this price range that are equal to the g710+ or better? it doesn't have to be Logitech

Membrane (and arguably cherry mx reds) keys are super mushy while mechanical switches feel more solid and nice. It's hard to describe, but it's worth it especially if you do a lot of typing. 

 

My friend has a g710+, but he's had a lot of issues with the key caps. I'm not sure if he types by dropping bricks on the keys or if they're actually crap, but he had to replace them. Look at cooler Master keyboards, I have one and have no issues except a lack of backlighting #firstworldproblems.

[Chris030]

9 minutes ago, Hackentosher said:

Membrane (and arguably cherry mx reds) keys are super mushy while mechanical switches feel more solid and nice. It's hard to describe, but it's worth it especially if you do a lot of typing. 

 

My friend has a g710+, but he's had a lot of issues with the key caps. I'm not sure if he types by dropping bricks on the keys or if they're actually crap, but he had to replace them. Look at cooler Master keyboards, I have one and have no issues except a lack of backlighting #firstworldproblems.

Yeah, I've read about that. and also that mechanical keyboards are more solid?

I've read about the key cap issues from the g710+ but I thought they were mostly fixed as most negative reviews were at least 3 years old. A friend of mine owns one and hasn't had that issue.

I'll check Cooler Master as well!

[Takkun]

Don't get a wireless one, and get a mechanical keyboard. I was one of those people who loved my rubber domes, never saw the point to shell out all the money for a mechanical keyboard. Didn't even particularly like the cherry MX switches, cuz blue's annoying, Reds too easy to actuate, I do like browns, but I recently got a Logitech Orion Spark and I friggin LOVE it! It's like tailor made for someone like me who likes a switch in between Reds and Browns which doesn't exist in the cherry lineup. I was curious about topre switches but I didn't want to shell out 250 dollars and also I wanted RGB lighting. I couldn't be happier with my choice. The point is, when you find a mechanical keyboard that suits YOU, you'll love it and never want to go back to rubber dome again! Personally, I would recommend either the new Logitech Orion G810 because it has an understated design (many people hate the Orion Spark). Either that, or you could get a K70 with browns. If you REALLY wanted a slick keyboard you could go with Duck Shine 5 or WASD or DAS. It all depends on what you want though. But ya, Corsair, Logitech, Ducky, DAS, or WASD. Pick any of those keyboards, you WON'T be disappointed, I promise you.

 

EDIT: After re-reading your post and seeing the part about not wanting fancy lighting, I have found the keyboard for you:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JG01QTY?keywords=das%20professional%20tactile&qid=1455502325&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

 

Just screams sexiness. This is the keyboard I would've gotten if I hadn't have loved the Romer G switches so much. Which is funny because it's the polar opposite of the Orion Spark, this is reserved and classy, built to last with media keys too. You can decide between the professional or ultimate, only difference being that the professional has writing on the keycaps whereas the ultimate is just blank. Ok, yes, it's damn near 200 dollars. But, it's built like a tank, has all the functions you need in a keyboard. Plus, just look at this fucking thing. 

 

DOUBLE EDIT:

 

This coolermaster also has an understated design aestestic in browns and is much cheaper than the DAS, and comes in the choice of full or tenkeyless, depending on whether you need the number pad or not. Also, it's half the cost of the DAS, so it may be a better introductory peripheral.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Storm-QuickFire-Rapid-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B007VDKLLM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1455502574&sr=8-4&keywords=coolermaster+keyboard

[NumLock21]

Does not have mechanical keys, but IMO Logitech Wave.

[Takkun]

5 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

Does not have mechanical keys, but IMO Logitech Wave.

Why has nobody made an ergo mechanical keyboard yet is beyond me

[NumLock21]

18 minutes ago, Takkun said:

Why has nobody made an ergo mechanical keyboard yet is beyond me

Because mechanical keys are targeted towards gamers and they would rather have pain than comfort. Those who thinks they're part of that idiotic PCMR.

Yeah somehow playing a game, with a expression like your taking a diarrhea makes you look extremely cool.

[Trikein]

10 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

Because mechanical keys are targeted towards gamers and they would rather have pain than comfort. Those who thinks they're part of that idiotic PCMR.

Yeah somehow playing a game, with a expression like your taking a diarrhea makes you look extremely cool.

Do you know mechanical keyboards came out first, and it wasn't until PC became big in Business that there was a need for a quieter design. If you look like poop while gaming, you are doing something very wrong. Maybe a little mech keyboard envy?

[NumLock21]

8 minutes ago, Trikein said:

Do you know mechanical keyboards came out first, and it wasn't until PC became big in Business that there was a need for a quieter design. If you look like poop while gaming, you are doing something very wrong. Maybe a little mech keyboard envy?

I don't have mech keyboard envy. My current keyboard is the G105 and it works great for the price of around $50 bucks. BTW, I've used mechanical keys before, them really old ones, ALPS switches, that uses a AT connector. Yes, I know they came first, but died off and now they're back again, but instead of marketing towards gamers, people who type would type a lot would greatly benefit with a mechanical one, but they won't hear too much about it.

[Trikein]

17 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

I don't have mech keyboard envy. My current keyboard is the G105 and it works great for the price of around $50 bucks. BTW, I've used mechanical keys before, them really old ones, ALPS switches, that uses a AT connector. Yes, I know they came first, but died off and now they're back again, but instead of marketing towards gamers, people who type would type a lot would greatly benefit with a mechanical one, but they won't hear too much about it.

I thought you were insulting people who use mechanical keyboards. Like how you said "Those who thinks they're part of that idiotic PCMR." It isn't wise to call PC users idiotic in a PC forum. And the reason why PC gamers use them is reduced latency and response. If you are a pro gamer, these things matter. Show me one Pro gamer that doesn't use a mechanical keyboard. 

[byalexandr]

I would definitely get a mechanical keyboard. Before you buy though, I would first get a Cherry MX switch tester and see what type of switch you like best. MX Reds, MX Blues, MX Browns; it just depends on what you like the best.

 

After you decide what switch you want, I would highly recommend a Corsair K65/K70/K95 if you happen to like MX Reds or Browns, but also pretty much any Ducky, Filco, or Majestouch keyboard. They are built like tanks and last for years and are very pretty at the same time. Since you don't want any fancy lighting, I'd say a Shine 3 is nice, since it has a single color backlight with an RGB spacebar. And since you need a particular typing layout, I would also get a set of keycaps that suit your needs. ABS plastic keycaps are nice, PBT plastic is especially nice.

[NumLock21]

20 minutes ago, Trikein said:

I thought you were insulting people who use mechanical keyboards. Like how you said "Those who thinks they're part of that idiotic PCMR." It isn't wise to call PC users idiotic in a PC forum. And the reason why PC gamers use them is reduced latency and response. If you are a pro gamer, these things matter. Show me one Pro gamer that doesn't use a mechanical keyboard. 

Well I don't know any pro gamers, so I can't answer that.

[Trikein]

1 minute ago, NumLock21 said:

Well I don't know any pro gamers, so I can't answer that.

Here are some.

[olbaze]

I use a SteelSeries 6Gv2. My choice to buy a mechanical keyboard had nothing to do with gaming: I bought it at a time when I was starting to do a lot of writing for my university courses, as I had taken a liking to LaTeX. When I got it 2 years ago, RGB wasn't a thing in mechanical keyboards. Since this was my first keyboard, I was very hesitant to spend a lot of money on it, since I wasn't sure it it would be worth it. So what I ended up with was a non-backlit keyboard with Cherry MX switches and a non-standard key layout. What this means is I have a barebones keyboard that I can barely get any keycaps for since it requires a special Enter key and I need the Nordic layout.

 

What I can say is that the keyboard was definitely worth it. It took me a considerable amount of time to get used to the keys, especially since I was coming from the low profile Sidewinder X4. However, whenever I have to use a membrane keyboard, I'm definitely feeling the worth in spending money on a mechanical keyboard. My family members have also commented on how comfortable the keyboard feels whenever they get a chance to use it.

 

So when looking for a mechanical keyboard, there's a few things you should take into account:

• What switch do you like? The best way to determine this would be to go to a shop to test out the various switch types or to buy a keyswitch tester. You shouldn't buy a keyboard just because you tried one at your friend's place and liked it; there might be something better out there for you. You should aim to avoid cheaper switches such as Kailh, as they are not tested for consistency as rigorously as Cherry MX switches, which often results in a few keys having a different feel to the rest. There's also the Romer-G switch and the QS1 switch, used exclusively by Logitech and SteelSeries, respectively.
• What kind of backlight do you want? There are a few options when it comes to backlighting, including single colour, RGB and a dual-colour setup (which is usually red and blue, allowing you to produce purples as well).
• What keys do you want? There's plenty of keyboard layouts for mechanical keyboard. There's the standard fullsize, a numpad-less TKL layout and even a 60% layout that doesn't include dedicated F-keys or arrow keys at all. My personal favorite has to be the CM Storm QuickFire TK layout with its TKL size while including a numpad.

[Chris030]

Thanks for all the posts!

You guys are putting water in my mouth…

 

@Takkun: I went to a local electronic store and tested the presented keyboards. these had cherry mx blue, red and brown switches. I do like browns the most. The clicking sound from the blue is annoying and would annoy my girlfriend the red ones don't make much difference to me than a membrane keyboard. Even if the keyboard comes with lighting, it's fine as long as I can turn it off whenever I want.

That Das Keyboard looks sexy! But.. that price...

The coolermaster storm-quickfire-rapid looks decent. I can't live without number pad, it's just usefull!

 

@byalexandr: I had the opportunity to test different mechanical keyboards at the store and the MX Browns is the choosen one!

Cool, that is a thing? I buy a keyboard and the keycaps I need for my typing layout and can change it on the OS? Do I find keycaps for all the keyboards? And where to buy?

 

@olbaze: Yes, I also mainly took that writing argument into account and that I want something better and new ;-)  The switch I like (and that I could test) is the MX Cherry brown. I also saw some videos (from Linus & co) about it. I don't think I need/want backlight but I'm sure if I had one that I would play with it

I want a keyboard with a number pad, the F-keys and the arrow keys ^^ after some thought, media keys aren't a must, in fact, my laptop has some and I find myself more often clicking around rather than using them.

 

I will take a closer look to the proposed keyboards. But I think I don't want to spend too much on my first mechanical keyboard and go for an introductory peripheral. And then, in the future, change to a better/more expensive/sexier one and convince my girlfriend to take mine ;-)

So the introductory models I could pick out of your posts are: logitech g710+, Coolermaster Storm Quickfire, SteelSeries 6Gv2 (although they only have Cherry MX black?). Did I miss some or do you have some more to suggest?

Other keyboards: Das Keyboard 4 Professional Soft Tactile (4), Logitech Orion G810, Corsair K70/K65/K95, Ducky Shine 3.

 

Where would you buy the keyboard from?

 

P.S.: Am I allowed to use the real name of electronic stores and such?

[ElectroShock]

16 hours ago, NumLock21 said:

Because mechanical keys are targeted towards gamers and they would rather have pain than comfort. Those who thinks they're part of that idiotic PCMR.

Yeah somehow playing a game, with a expression like your taking a diarrhea makes you look extremely cool.

LOL?

Mech keyboards aren't that uncomfortable, they are just not for every size/shape of hand, and that's why there's a huge variety of palm rests/keyboard sizes, and besides, ever head of Ergodox, or Kinesis?

[dtaflorida]

2 minutes ago, ElectroShock said:

Ergodox, or Kinesis?

Mechanicals are pricey. Ergo version are insanely pricey.