Are Mechanical keyboards just a costlier thing to make more money?

[Gamer Guy]

Hi All,

 

I'm new to Linus Tech Tips. I'm looking forward to discuss, read, learn about computer hardware here (not to often).

 

Coming to the topic, I saw this image somewhere in the internet.

This made me confuse on buying a mechanical keyboard 

[Guest]

Mechanical switches last up to around 100 million key presses so by the time it reaches that you'd probably already moved on with your life 

[Orangeator]

Membrane keyboards don't last half as long due to the impossibility of cleaning them. My KM780 will last many years longer then my Cm-storm membrane keyboard. Hell the space bar on that one has already gone out. The typing experience on a Cherry MX Brown keyboard is incredible. I would strongly suggest you get one. Worth every penny.

 

Edit: Typed on a $140 keyboard with no regrets.

[themctipers]

Springs don't wear out..

 

you honestly only go mechanical to either get

1. smaller travel distance 
2. that satisfying sound
3. RGB!!
4. less actuation force required 
5. feels nicer, and smoother

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, themctipers said:

 

 

you honestly only go mechanical to either get

1.  
2. RGB!!
3.  

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816083&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

[RadiatingLight]

that's wrong

 

mech switches last longer, and IMO feel much better.

 

also, the switches on a keyboard don't cost $5. if they did, then there would be companies offering mech keyboards for $20.

the lowest you can get a mechanical keyboard for is about $60, which indicates that mechanical switches do cost a lot to make.

[RadiatingLight]

1 minute ago, deXxterlab97 said:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816083&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Well that's corsair. they would RGB their dicks if they could.

 

[themctipers]

4 minutes ago, deXxterlab97 said:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816083&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Romer G feels like Chinese mx red 

[manikyath]

2 minutes ago, Orangeator said:

due to the impossibility of cleaning them

i beg to differ.

 

as someone with a membrane keyboard, mech keyboards really are the more durable solution, *if* you're willing to pay the price. they stay more "consistent" as they wear over time, they are repairable in case something goes broken (which on membrane is pretty much a no), per-key RGB backlight is pretty much impossible with rubberdome, and mech keys allow you to choose a key for the typing experience you prefer, whereas rubberdome is essentially "only the way rubberdomes feel".

 

that said, mech keyboards cost A LOT of money, and if you take good care of your rubberdome, they'll outlast a sensible upgrade cycle.

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Gamer Guy said:

Hi All,

 

I'm new to Linus Tech Tips. I'm looking forward to discuss, read, learn about computer hardware here (not to often).

 

Coming to the topic, I saw this image somewhere in the internet.

This made me confuse on buying a mechanical keyboard 

Really, it's the feeling of the keys. If your a basic computer user that doesn't want to type super fast or game a lot, you won't feel the benefit. If you do type a lot, people tell me types faster and feels good.

[Guest]

Mechanical keyboards also have the advantage of not having to bottom out when you press a key, leading to faster typing and less finger fatigue - I can vouch for this first hand, using a Cherry MX Blue keyboard on my machine.

 

That said, I don't really consider membrane boards to be "not durable" - they'll stop working sooner, but after how long? Most regular users will likely not reach the limits of a membrane keyboard in 5-10 years, IMO. Plus they're more easy to waterproof than mechs, and 10 million keypresses don't matter if you spill water on it after the first 10 thousand.

 

Mechanical boards are worth it, but only if you actually need the benefits they offer, like reduced travel distance for gaming, a better typing experience, or maybe just a more vintage feel. My grandfather in particular loves my mech, saying it reminds him of the days of going to the telegraph office to send messages. So there's that.

[nobiggieBIG]

12 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

that's wrong

 

mech switches last longer, and IMO feel much better.

 

also, the switches on a keyboard don't cost $5. if they did, then there would be companies offering mech keyboards for $20.

the lowest you can get a mechanical keyboard for is about $60, which indicates that mechanical switches do cost a lot to make.

you can get a mechanical keyboard for 30$ mine cost me 45$ with full rgb.

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, namandoesnotpanic said:

they'll stop working sooner, but after how long?

it's the same story as overclocking i guess, you know OCing (or rather upping the voltage), you know it shortens lifespan, but the livespan is essentially "impractically large number" so it doesnt really matter if you dont go extreme.

[Mr.Meerkat]

Are they overpriced? Depends on which ones you look at. 

Are they "better" than membrane keyboards? Subjectively, Yes

 

Something like this exists which features no extra gimmicks other than it uses cherry switches and is the price really that bad? I mean once we factor in the cost of manufacturing the switches, PCB, casing, keys ect and other things like paying salaries, electricity, insurance, the initial costs of the machinery used ect, it's priced pretty well against membrane keyboards. Especially when it's using cherry switches which usually carry a "premium".

 

14 minutes ago, namandoesnotpanic said:

10 million keypresses don't matter if you spill water on it after the first 10 thousand

Tell that to the 3 membrane keyboards I killed by spilling water on em...

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

PCB

this is something i feel necessary to add.

 

pretty much every mech keyboard i've seen uses a PCB under all the keys, as compared to rubberdome that essentially only has a pcb for the electronics and uses flatflex for everything else. only because of this mechanical keyboards *feel* much more rigid while typing than for example cheapo rubberdome that's essentially just plastic case, flatflex, and keys.

 

and this also helps surviving gamer rage, offcourse

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

Tell that to the 3 membrane keyboards I killed by spilling water on em...

You're supposed to unplug them immediately and keep them upside down. The membrane can hold the water off, but not forever. They're not completely waterproof unless you make them that way, but due to the fact that they literally have a large rubber sheet covering all the electronics, it's a lot easier.

[RadiatingLight]

20 minutes ago, nobiggieBIG said:

you can get a mechanical keyboard for 30$ mine cost me 45$ with full rgb.

please link that.

I can't find one.

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, namandoesnotpanic said:

You're supposed to unplug them immediately and keep them upside down. The membrane can hold the water off, but not forever. They're not completely waterproof unless you make them that way, but due to the fact that they literally have a large rubber sheet covering all the electronics, it's a lot easier.

the rubber sheet doesnt cover the electronics, the rubber sheet only covers the flatflex that is essentially already waterproof.

[manikyath]

Just now, RadiatingLight said:

please link that.

I can't find one.

knockoff chinese mech keys, it's on his profile.

 

linus's cheap mech keyboards video is probably the resource to look for here.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, manikyath said:

the rubber sheet doesnt cover the electronics, the rubber sheet only covers the flatflex that is essentially already waterproof.

Doesn't that, um, prove my point?

[RadiatingLight]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

knockoff chinese mech keys, it's on his profile.

 

linus's cheap mech keyboards video is probably the resource to look for here.

 

22 minutes ago, nobiggieBIG said:

you can get a mechanical keyboard for 30$ mine cost me 45$ with full rgb.

 

 

ah ok. let me revise my statement.

 

 

also, the switches on a keyboard don't cost $5. if they did, then there would be companies offering mech keyboards for $20.

the lowest you can get a good mechanical keyboard for is about $60, which indicates that high quality mechanical switches do cost a lot to make.

plus, even cheap Chinese mech keys probably cost more than 5$ per keyboard. maybe $15-20 per keyboard for low quality fake switches, and maybe like $50 per keyboard for high quality cherry switches.

 

[manikyath]

Just now, namandoesnotpanic said:

Doesn't that, um, prove my point?

your point was this:

4 minutes ago, manikyath said:

they literally have a large rubber sheet covering all the electronics

while in reality most keyboards have the electronics where the cable comes in, next to said rubber sheet. in essence, the sheet is acting as a funnel to direct water *to* the electronics.

[nobiggieBIG]

6 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

please link that.

I can't find one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Water-Resistant-VicTop-Mechanical-Waterproof-Anti-ghosting/dp/B01DBYNVSY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1489257225&sr=8-2&keywords=victop+mechanical+gaming+keyboard

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MOTOSPEED-Inflictor-Mechanical-Keyboard-Backlit/dp/B01GHA4UXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489257217&sr=8-1&keywords=motospeed+inflictor+ck104

[Guest]

Just now, manikyath said:

most keyboards have the electronics where the cable comes in, next to said rubber sheet. in essence, the sheet is acting as a funnel to direct water *to* the electronics.

Oh, huh. I've only ever disassembled one keyboard, it was an HCL wireless something, and in that the rubber sheet covered the PCB too, if only thinly. Plus the PCB was way out in the corner, not in the center.

[RadiatingLight]

45 minutes ago, nobiggieBIG said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Water-Resistant-VicTop-Mechanical-Waterproof-Anti-ghosting/dp/B01DBYNVSY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1489257225&sr=8-2&keywords=victop+mechanical+gaming+keyboard

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MOTOSPEED-Inflictor-Mechanical-Keyboard-Backlit/dp/B01GHA4UXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489257217&sr=8-1&keywords=motospeed+inflictor+ck104

 

48 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

 

 

 

ah ok. let me revise my statement.

 

 

also, the switches on a keyboard don't cost $5. if they did, then there would be companies offering mech keyboards for $20.

the lowest you can get a good mechanical keyboard for is about $60, which indicates that high quality mechanical switches do cost a lot to make.

plus, even cheap Chinese mech keys probably cost more than 5$ per keyboard. maybe $15-20 per keyboard for low quality fake switches, and maybe like $50 per keyboard for high quality cherry switches.

 

 

 

also, you can tell it's a bad keyboard because it says this:

 

"60+/-15 grams keystroke force"

 

that's a pretty damn bad switch if every key feels slightly different.