Help me find a keyboard for my very specific needs

[nox_]

Hello, I'm having a bit of a trouble finding a keyboard,  I have a condition, which is duchenne muscular dystrophy, my muscles are not in very good  condition, and my needs for keyboard are very specific, I need low profile, robust, tenkleyless keyboard, with tactile and easily clickable keys, not too loud, i'm thinking cherry mx red,also heard something about  gateron clear, but i'm not very informed about switch types, I used old mechanical keyboard, but it broke a year ago, and I have no idea what model that keyboard was, It was IBM, but I have no info about switches or anything. Any suggestions about what keyboards I should look up? My budget is ~ 110 euros, but i'm willing to go up if the keyboard will comply with all my needs. RGB would be great, but any lighting options will do. Robust keyboard is a must, because I type ~ 4 - 8 hours a day most of the time and even pricey logitech k800 only lasted me about a year until plastic became creaky and some keys started to wobble. 

[maximus732]

maybe a k70,k70 rgb, k70rgb lux 

 

it is a good keyboard i plan to get it(k70 rgb lux.

 

it has a strong frame ( metal so it will last long)

rgb ( depending on model)

all come with wrist rest

and more  

 

not exactly sure about price in euros but if you cant then a k65 or k55 will be good

[seon123]

3 minutes ago, maximus732 said:

maybe a k70,k70 rgb, k70rgb lux 

 

it is a good keyboard i plan to get it(k70 rgb lux.

 

it has a strong frame ( metal so it will last long)

rgb ( depending on model)

all come with wrist rest

and more  

 

not exactly sure about price in euros but if you cant then a k65 or k55 will be good

Tenkeyless means not having the numpad. 

[nox_]

Tenkeyless is very important, that's why i'm having trouble finding a keyboard, most keyboards that would be good are not tenkeyless.

[geo3]

1 hour ago, noxdeouroboros said:

Hello, I'm having a bit of a trouble finding a keyboard,  I have a condition, which is duchenne muscular dystrophy, my muscles are not in very good  condition, and my needs for keyboard are very specific, I need low profile, robust, tenkleyless keyboard, with tactile and easily clickable keys, not too loud, i'm thinking cherry mx red,also heard something about  gateron clear, but i'm not very informed about switch types, I used old mechanical keyboard, but it broke a year ago, and I have no idea what model that keyboard was, It was IBM, but I have no info about switches or anything. Any suggestions about what keyboards I should look up? My budget is ~ 110 euros, but i'm willing to go up if the keyboard will comply with all my needs. RGB would be great, but any lighting options will do. Robust keyboard is a must, because I type ~ 4 - 8 hours a day most of the time and even pricey logitech k800 only lasted me about a year until plastic became creaky and some keys started to wobble. 

Cherry red and Gateron clear are both linear switches, not tactile. But they are both easy to press, Gateron clears are in fact the lightest mass produced switch you can get. You can mod switches to be lighter though.  Gateron and Cherry Brown switches are both light and tactile.  First determine what kind of actual switch you want, then go looking from there.

 

If you can't find something that matches, than an easy option would be to get a GMMK, a modular keyboard that has a TKL version, and add what ever switch you like. 

[nox_]

Light press is much more important than tactility. GMMK looks great, but shipping cost to my country is very high sadly..

[geo3]

4 minutes ago, noxdeouroboros said:

but shipping cost to my country

Where are you?

[nox_]

Lithuania.

[geo3]

I think their shipping to Europe is only $15. Though finding a TKL with red or clear switches else were shouldn't be too difficult either.

 

Anyway, depending on your typing style getting a switch that's too light could be worse for you. This is because the switches are too easy to press and just resting your fingers there can cause them to register and it takes continual effort to not press them. For me at least the optimal weight is just above the resting weight of my fingers so I can just add a small amount of pressure to active the key.

[b emoji]

11 hours ago, noxdeouroboros said:

Hello, I'm having a bit of a trouble finding a keyboard,  I have a condition, which is duchenne muscular dystrophy, my muscles are not in very good  condition, and my needs for keyboard are very specific, I need low profile, robust, tenkleyless keyboard, with tactile and easily clickable keys, not too loud, i'm thinking cherry mx red,also heard something about  gateron clear, but i'm not very informed about switch types, I used old mechanical keyboard, but it broke a year ago, and I have no idea what model that keyboard was, It was IBM, but I have no info about switches or anything. Any suggestions about what keyboards I should look up? My budget is ~ 110 euros, but i'm willing to go up if the keyboard will comply with all my needs. RGB would be great, but any lighting options will do. Robust keyboard is a must, because I type ~ 4 - 8 hours a day most of the time and even pricey logitech k800 only lasted me about a year until plastic became creaky and some keys started to wobble. 

Here are some common switch:
Linears
MX RED -  Red Stem - Light 45 linear
MX SILENT RED - Pink Stem - Light 45 linear with rubber padding inside the housing to dampen the down and upstroke
MX SPEED - Silver Stem - Kinda Stiff >45 - Slightly heavier mx red with less travel and a shorter actuation distance 
MX BLACK - Black Stem - Heavy 70 Linear Prob worst linear switch scratchy af compared to gateron and vintage mx black 
Cherry MY - Black/White stem with open housing - Heavy ~70 - Linear AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS FEELS LIKE SHITTTT!!!!!


Tactile 
Mx Brown - Shit Coloured Stem - Light 45 - very light tactile and tactility is not very defined IMO, feels like shit
Mx Clear - Clear Coloured Stem - Medium 65 - More tactile than Mx brown, stiffer when bottoming out.  Tactile bump is near the start of the switch fells kinda like a rubber dome but is good for touch typing
Mx Tactile Grey - Lught Grey Coloured Stem - Heavy 80 - Most tactile cherry tactile switch - Best tactile cherry switch imo 

Clicky
Mx Blue - Blue coloured Stem - Medium-light 55 - Very Loud and clicky Most common clicky switch 

Mx Pale Blue - Pale Blue Stem - Heavy ~75 - Rarely found least tactile and loud cherry clicky switch
Mx Dark Blue - Dark Pale Blue Stem - Medium-light 55 - Rare, Smoother feeling to Mx Blue 
Mx White/Milky - White Stem - Heavy 75-80 - Predecessor to Mx Blue Quiter than Mx Blue due to the grease applied to damn the sound - IMO best cherry clicky switch

Mx Green - Dark Green Stem - heavy 80 - Heavier and more tactile than Mx Blue 

Clones:

Gateron - Probably imo, the best Cherry Mx Style "Clones" they feel similar to vintage cherry mx switches (Smoother and less grainy feeling than Modern Mx switches) 
Some of their best switches are:

Gateron Blacks - Smoother version of cherry mx black
Gateron Yellows  - Smoother version of cherry mx red

 Gateron/Zeal PC Zealios, Tealios and Zilents  - Smoother version of cherry mx brown with more defined and stronger tactility 

Kailh - one of the most common "clones" some of their switches have production quality issues but their new switches are pretty decent
Some of their better ones are:
Kailh x Novel Keys Box Jades - very clicky even more than mx blue and green

Kailh x Novel Keys Box Royals - more tactile than mx brown
Kailh x Novel Keys Box Navy - more tactile and clicky than Mx Green

 

Alternatives:
Topre - Very nice and smooth feeling capacitive domes, ONLY GOOD IF YOU HAVE A SPARE KIDNEY OR TOO MUCH MONEY

ALPS - Better than Cherry Mx in many ways how ever is no longer produced, and they feel terrible when dirty
Romer G - Kinda like a Mx Clear with the tactility of Mx Brown (Light tactile bump near the start) Also has relatively short travel 

Optical Switches - Flaretech makes some nice optical switches like the ones found the the Wooting keyboard they're contact less switches and feel very smooth, possibly the smoothest switch. 

[b emoji]

Quote

On 10/28/2018 at 12:12 AM, geo3 said:

I think their shipping to Europe is only $15. Though finding a TKL with red or clear switches else were shouldn't be too difficult either.

 

Anyway, depending on your typing style getting a switch that's too light could be worse for you. This is because the switches are too easy to press and just resting your fingers there can cause them to register and it takes continual effort to not press them. For me at least the optimal weight is just above the resting weight of my fingers so I can just add a small amount of pressure to active the key.

 

 

On 10/27/2018 at 9:57 PM, noxdeouroboros said:

Hello, I'm having a bit of a trouble finding a keyboard,  I have a condition, which is duchenne muscular dystrophy, my muscles are not in very good  condition, and my needs for keyboard are very specific, I need low profile, robust, tenkleyless keyboard, with tactile and easily clickable keys, not too loud, i'm thinking cherry mx red,also heard something about  gateron clear, but i'm not very informed about switch types, I used old mechanical keyboard, but it broke a year ago, and I have no idea what model that keyboard was, It was IBM, but I have no info about switches or anything. Any suggestions about what keyboards I should look up? My budget is ~ 110 euros, but i'm willing to go up if the keyboard will comply with all my needs. RGB would be great, but any lighting options will do. Robust keyboard is a must, because I type ~ 4 - 8 hours a day most of the time and even pricey logitech k800 only lasted me about a year until plastic became creaky and some keys started to wobble. 

Leopold FC750r sounds like a good choice, they're very robust and comes with cherry mx clears, reds and many other switches. Its also a tkl, but you might need to buy a wrist rest for it. 

[geo3]

1 hour ago, b emoji said:

 

Leopold FC750r sounds light a good choice, they're very robust and comes with cherry mx clears, reds and many other switches. Its also a tkl, but you might need to buy a wrist rest for it. 

MX Clear is a very different switch from Gateron Clear. The Cherry version is tactile and quite heavy. The Gateron is light and linear.

[_Hustler_One_]

On 10/28/2018 at 12:57 AM, noxdeouroboros said:

I need low profile, robust, tenkleyless keyboard

Havit HV-KB390L, maybe.. It features Kailh PG1350 Blue switch, tenkeyless, low profile overall build.

 

[Zandvliet]

Have you seen the Cooler Master SK series keyboards? They are coming end of this year for the wired and wireless will be next year. They are low profile Tenkeyless cherry MX red. They have 3 variations: SK620 (compact-tenkeyless), SK630 (tenkeyless) and SK650 (full size)

Sources: 

• https://pokde.net/events/computex-2018-cooler-master-introduce-new-peripheral-lineup-keyboards-and-gaming-headsets-anyone/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/coolermaster/comments/9qmee7/sk630_cherry_mx_low_profile_anyone/
• https://www.anandtech.com/show/12924/cooler-master-unveils-ck620-a-thin-wireless-mechanical-keyboard

 

A quote from CM person on Reddit

Quote

We'll have 2 versions for the 630 and 650, it will be as below:

• SK630; Wired, Tenkeyless and coming late Q4 of this year

• SK631 Wired/Wireless Hybrid (BT), Tenkeyless and coming Q2/Q3 next year.

• SK650; Wired, Full-size and coming late Q4 of this year

• SK651 Wired/Wireless Hybrid (BT), Full-size and coming Q2/Q3 next year.

And of course we also will have our SK621, which is the 65-key small formfactor model, also wireless hybrid (BT) and coming Q1/Q2 next year.

 

[nox_]

Yes, I have seen these, I'm thinking about waiting for them, but still have not decided. 

 _Hustler_One_ This is blue switches, that does not suit me.

Leopold FC750r I really like, but it's too pricey for me, cause in my country it would cost me additional ~ 40 euros in taxes + shipping.. 

As for the GMMK I was mistaken, the shipping is not very high, but I will have to pay 40 euros in taxes on top of it, but I'm very much considering GMMK, but  first I will go to a tech store, and try some switch types, then will decide. Thanks everyone for all the help.  

[nox_]

 

b emoji geo3 

The questions are addressed to all of course.

 

I need some assistance in deciding what keyboard I ultimately should buy, I went to the tech store and had the ability to check out few choices of mechanical keyboards, they had cherry mx red, blue, black, but no browns.So no blues or blacks for me, I kinda hated them, I liked reds, but they don't have any browns. I thoroughly checked this keyboard : http://www.coolermaster.com/peripheral/keyboards/masterkeys-pro-s-white/ with cherry mx red, I really like the look and feel of it,only thing is not great, that cm logo on windows keys. Now me questions are :
1. Is corsair really that much better at making keyboards than CM that I should not even look at Cooler Master,or it's not an issue? 
2.  Is the quality of build in long term will be good enough? Because now it looks just great. Maybe someone has experience  with this particular model? Again I'm referring to this one : http://www.coolermaster.com/peripheral/keyboards/masterkeys-pro-s-white/  They have rgb model too, but other than that I believe they are the same.
3. Are PBT key caps really worth to pay more? Any drawbacks of PBT other than price? CM has this model with PBT, but price is a bit higher.
4. Cherry mx red vs cherry mx brown is the tactile bump of browns the only difference between them? Dows that tactile bump has a lot of resistance? Will it would be  a lot harder to press down?  

 

[Dissitesuxba11s]

1 hour ago, noxdeouroboros said:

-snip-

1. Coolermaster keyboards are IMO better that the Corsair ones mainly because they have standard keycaps so you can change them whenever you want. Build quality is also good since I believe they are rebadged Filco boards.

2. Build quality is really good. I don't have experience with this particular keyboard, but reviews say it's good.

3. PBT keycaps are more durable than ABS but the only drawback that is typically seen with PBT is if the legends are dye-sublimated, they tend to not last as long as double-shot ones. Need to verify which one is on that one. See correction below.

4. Reds are linear (no bump) while Browns are tactile (with bump). I have browns on my keyboard and the bump is barely there. For Browns, the bump is at the upstroke (return) of the press so you will not see much of a resistance when actuating. 

Edited November 8, 2018 by Dissitesuxba11s

[nox_]

13 minutes ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

1. Coolermaster keyboards are IMO better that the Corsair ones mainly because they have standard keycaps so you can change them whenever you want. Build quality is also good since I believe they are rebadged Filco boards.

2. Build quality is really good. I don't have experience with this particular keyboard, but reviews say it's good.

3. PBT keycaps are more durable than ABS but the only drawback that is typically seen with PBT is if the legends are dye-sublimated, they tend to not last as long as double-shot ones. Need to verify which one is on that one.

4. Reds are linear (no bump) while Browns are tactile (with bump). I have browns on my keyboard and the bump is barely there. For Browns, the bump is at the upstroke (return) of the press so you will not see much of a resistance when actuating. 

Thank you, I will try to find out about PBT key caps. 

[Dissitesuxba11s]

1 hour ago, noxdeouroboros said:

Thank you, I will try to find out about PBT key caps. 

Forgot to mention about ABS keycaps, over time the oils in your fingers transfer to the caps and makes them shine. Just search "ABS shine" to see what I'm talking about.

 

Also, there are some PBT double-shot keycaps out there, so if you want and your budget allows, you can buy a set of keycaps and swap them out. I also, didn't mean to make it sound like dye sublimated legends are the worst things in the world. They will still last a long time, IBM Model Ms are dye-sublimated.

[geo3]

1 hour ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

3. PBT keycaps are more durable than ABS but the only drawback that is typically seen with PBT is if the legends are dye-sublimated, they tend to not last as long as double-shot ones. Need to verify which one is on that one.

This is not correct. Dye-sub is super durable. It will basically last forever. 

[Dissitesuxba11s]

3 minutes ago, geo3 said:

This is not correct. Dye-sub is super durable. It will basically last forever. 

You are correct. I might have been confusing it with another process. Corrected my comment.

[seon123]

16 minutes ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

You are correct. I might have been confusing it with another process. Corrected my comment.

Pad printing?

[Dissitesuxba11s]

10 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Pad printing?

Yes, that's the one.

[nox_]

Dissitesuxba11s seon123 geo3

Sorry to bother again, but a seller at a tech store near me claims that Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro S white pbt version uses pbt keys with pad printing, is that bad?

On a good note I got the chance to try out mx browns, and they hit the spot, that is the switch for me. I'm getting a bit of a discount on their last keyboard with PBT keycaps and mx browns, so my only problem is, is that pad print thing really bad or not? I could buy different key caps in the future, but I would prefer good key caps instantly not having to replace shitty ones in very near future. 

 

[geo3]

3 hours ago, noxdeouroboros said:

Dissitesuxba11s seon123 geo3

Sorry to bother again, but a seller at a tech store near me claims that Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro S white pbt version uses pbt keys with pad printing, is that bad?

On a good note I got the chance to try out mx browns, and they hit the spot, that is the switch for me. I'm getting a bit of a discount on their last keyboard with PBT keycaps and mx browns, so my only problem is, is that pad print thing really bad or not? I could buy different key caps in the future, but I would prefer good key caps instantly not having to replace shitty ones in very near future. 

 

Pad printing is easy to wear off, so the letters will fade with use. However I was under the impression the MasterKeys Pro S had back-lit keys, which would mean they have to be double shot caps