Mechanical Keyboard

cardboard delusions

I've been using my Filco Ninja w/ cherry browns for a few weeks and I absolutely love it. I am wondering though, again I know it's all preference, but does anyone use cherry blacks or reds for gaming. I know Razer has the BlackWidow w/ blues but I'm not really interested in all those bells and whistles. Just trying to gauge which keyboard will be my next purchase.

freshmasterfresh

I got a Filco with blacks, and I use it for gaming. I like it quite a lot. The keys are predictable, so I often don't even press them all the way down to the bump stop.

The only mechanical keyboard I have to compare it to is my 1987 IBM Model M, and I much prefer the linear action of the blacks.

cardboard delusions

I'm leaning towards picking up a CM Storm Quickfire Rapid w/ red switches, seems to be everyone should try and own a cherry red.

verbel

I am using a filco with cherry blues and I really like it. Sometimes I wish it had browns so I could type in silence. Overall I really like the clicking of the blues so I will stick with them.

Spoiler:

cardboard delusions

Nice - you're on GH too!

CarbonFire

I just got one of these this past december:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201044


Super boring to look at, but the Cherry MX Red keys are sublime. Have it hooked up through PS/2 port so I get full n-key rollover, which is really nice to have in games (the main reason I got a mechanical KB). Keyboard is built like a tank, and the keys are not really any louder than your typical rubber dome KB (if you don't bottom them out, they're even quieter).

Only a few cons to speak of: Space bar squeaked when I first got the KB (common problem, easy fix). Printed keys get dirty fairly easily, though I'll probably be replacing some of the frequently used ones (WASD). Had to get a separate wrist rest, but that is pretty typical with most mechanical keyboards because of their height. Also no media keys, but there's 3RVX for controlling volume, so who needs those

Overall been very happy with my purchase, and plan on keeping this keyboard for many, many years.

verbel

I would like to try a board with reds but have not had the chance as of yet. I really want one of the mini model M's but they go for to much so I don't see that happening.

Trenog

I've got a Filco with Browns and it's great to use. Very comfortable to type and for the occasional game. Some of the keys are showing a need for cleaning though now that I've had it for almost a year now. Sadly it isn't nkro since I didn't see that model until after I bought this one. Still great for typing however!

I remember reading about reds being a betweener of black and brown with an emphasis on the lightness of browns (whereas clears have the toughness of blacks) so they always intrigued me.

GnomeTank

I use a Das Keyboard Pro Silent with MX Browns and swear by it. Just stick with your browns, you won't be disappointed.

CarbonFire

GnomeTank wrote:

I use a Das Keyboard Pro Silent with MX Browns and swear by it. Just stick with your browns, you won't be disappointed.

Yeah, Browns would have been my second choice, and would have gone with those had I need a keyboard more for typing than gaming.

Pariel

I'm using a Rosewill RK-9000BR (same as CarbonFire, but with Cherry MX Browns). I really love it, although I would like to try out Blues soon.

cardboard delusions

Pariel wrote:

I'm using a Rosewill RK-9000BR (same as CarbonFire, but with Cherry MX Browns). I really love it, although I would like to try out Blues soon.

NewEgg has the Quickfire that has blues, they also have Razer Blackwidow around the same price, I want to try blues too, just don't know if I want one more than a having reds.

GnomeTank

CarbonFire wrote:

GnomeTank wrote:

I use a Das Keyboard Pro Silent with MX Browns and swear by it. Just stick with your browns, you won't be disappointed.

Yeah, Browns would have been my second choice, and would have gone with those had I need a keyboard more for typing than gaming.

I do both, a lot of typing and a lot of gaming. I'm a software engineer, so typing comes with the territory. In that sense, I find the Browns to be the perfect compromise switch. I found I liked the Blues a TAD better for gaming, but nearly as much for typing.

Day of the Bear

I absolutely adore my blues. They are serviceable enough in bf3 and tor, and a complete joy for typing

GnomeTank

And this is why I tell everyone to try and type on a variety of MX switches before they buy a keyboard, if they can...because no one is going to be able to tell you what balance of sound, tactile feedback, spring action + mechanism and key pressure is going to make your fingers happy.

Apostate

GnomeTank wrote:

And this is why I tell everyone to try and type on a variety of MX switches before they buy a keyboard, if they can...because no one is going to be able to tell you what balance of sound, tactile feedback, spring action + mechanism and key pressure is going to make your fingers happy.

Speaking of which does anybody know of a store that has them on display so you can try these? Best Buy doesn't carry any that I'm aware of. I'm in the Seattle area.

I suppose I could order one and just ship it back if I don't like it but that can be a hassle sometimes (also expensive in some cases).

minor incident

I'm a longtime fan of Cherry Blues. I loved them on my Razer Blackwidow.

Unfortunately the noise (CLICKER-CLACK) was getting to be a bit much for my wife since my PC is now in the bedroom, so I switched to a Corsair K90 with Cherry Reds and I absolutely love it. It's a bit lighter of a touch than the Blackwidow which took a little getting used to, but now I love it, and it's so very quiet. It's totally fine for gaming, and even better for typing than the Blues were.

Of course, my one deal-breaker requirement for a keyboard is backlighting, since I do most of my gaming in a dark room, so my choices are limited with regards to mechanical keyboards.

If you have a Microcenter near you, they keep all their keyboards out on display to try out.

verbel

I would like to try a Happy Hacking Professional 2. They are super expensive so I don't know if I would be willing to spring for it, but I am interested in what it may feel like. I don't think I would want to use it for gaming at all but for coding it might be pretty good.

GnomeTank

Apostate wrote:

GnomeTank wrote:

And this is why I tell everyone to try and type on a variety of MX switches before they buy a keyboard, if they can...because no one is going to be able to tell you what balance of sound, tactile feedback, spring action + mechanism and key pressure is going to make your fingers happy.

Speaking of which does anybody know of a store that has them on display so you can try these? Best Buy doesn't carry any that I'm aware of. I'm in the Seattle area.

I suppose I could order one and just ship it back if I don't like it but that can be a hassle sometimes (also expensive in some cases).

Best Buy's around here (Portland Oregon area) have the Razer Blackwidow, which is Cherry Blue's, but that's it. Do you have a Microcenter or a Fry's up there? Those would be your best bet.

Cantido

The Razer Blackwidow Stealth Edition is steadily turning out to be a waste of money. The actual lettering on the keys is rubbing off. I got my tax credit and am thinking of getting something with back lighting. I'm considering the Ultimate Edition but am open to any suggestions, as long as it's another mechanical.

It has a year warranty, and I bought it directly from Razor, which originally could be considered a bad move, but it might come in handy now. Maybe they'll let me change it out and I'll pay the different on an Ult.

minor incident

Cantido wrote:

The Razer Blackwidow Stealth Edition is steadily turning out to be a waste of money. The actual lettering on the keys is rubbing off. I got my tax credit and am thinking of getting something with back lighting. I'm considering the Ultimate Edition but am open to any suggestions, as long as it's another mechanical.

That's one of the reasons I went with the Ultimate (non-stealth) a year or so ago. The lettering won't rub off like on the printed keys.

For what it's worth, I loved my Ultimate for like a year, but it eventually got to be too annoying for my wife since the computer is now in the bedroom where she likes to watch movies and sleep (of all things).

That being the case, I recently bought a Corsair K90, which uses Cherry reds, and it's backlit. It's very quiet. No audible click at the actuation point, only a thud when the key bottoms out. The backlighting is as perfect as the Black Widow, and it's got a nice batch of macro keys. It's very industrial and sexy looking. It's basically a slab of aluminum with the keys on top. It doesn't have the audio pass-through, but I've never actually used that. The only other thing to note on the K90 is that while MOST keys are mechanical, a few are not. The main keyset, arrows, and numpad are all mechanical, but the esc, f-keys, and home/end/pageup/pagedown block are membrane domes. I don't personally mind, but it's something that should be pointed out.

So yeah, it you otherwise love the Black Widow, the Ultimate is a solid piece of hardware, and is probably exactly what you'd expect. If you'd like to try something new, the Corsair K90 is about as good as you're likely to find in backlit mechanical keyboards. It's rock solid and looks fantastic.

cardboard delusions

It's out in the US finally!!! http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=761

GnomeTank

My Das has laser etched keys, and they are still rubbing off after about six months. When I get another mechanical one of these days, I'll probably get something back lit. Anything short of injection molding is going to rub off.

CarbonFire

GnomeTank wrote:

My Das has laser etched keys, and they are still rubbing off after about six months. When I get another mechanical one of these days, I'll probably get something back lit. Anything short of injection molding is going to rub off.

I didn't think the laser etching could rub off, I thought it just got really dirty.

Day of the Bear

Just get blank key caps!

cardboard delusions

High five bear!

GnomeTank

CarbonFire wrote:

GnomeTank wrote:

My Das has laser etched keys, and they are still rubbing off after about six months. When I get another mechanical one of these days, I'll probably get something back lit. Anything short of injection molding is going to rub off.

I didn't think the laser etching could rub off, I thought it just got really dirty.

You'd think, but I've tried everything to clean them out. Wet cloth, Clorox wipe, qtip with peroxide...I still have several keys that are either very faded, or very dingy.

Cantido

minor incident wrote:

Cantido wrote:

The Razer Blackwidow Stealth Edition is steadily turning out to be a waste of money. The actual lettering on the keys is rubbing off. I got my tax credit and am thinking of getting something with back lighting. I'm considering the Ultimate Edition but am open to any suggestions, as long as it's another mechanical.

That's one of the reasons I went with the Ultimate (non-stealth) a year or so ago. The lettering won't rub off like on the printed keys.

For what it's worth, I loved my Ultimate for like a year, but it eventually got to be too annoying for my wife since the computer is now in the bedroom where she likes to watch movies and sleep (of all things).

That being the case, I recently bought a Corsair K90, which uses Cherry reds, and it's backlit. It's very quiet. No audible click at the actuation point, only a thud when the key bottoms out. The backlighting is as perfect as the Black Widow, and it's got a nice batch of macro keys. It's very industrial and sexy looking. It's basically a slab of aluminum with the keys on top. It doesn't have the audio pass-through, but I've never actually used that. The only other thing to note on the K90 is that while MOST keys are mechanical, a few are not. The main keyset, arrows, and numpad are all mechanical, but the esc, f-keys, and home/end/pageup/pagedown block are membrane domes. I don't personally mind, but it's something that should be pointed out.

So yeah, it you otherwise love the Black Widow, the Ultimate is a solid piece of hardware, and is probably exactly what you'd expect. If you'd like to try something new, the Corsair K90 is about as good as you're likely to find in backlit mechanical keyboards. It's rock solid and looks fantastic.

Alright. If Razer says piss off I'll consider that a major alternative. Also, I have Amazon Prime, so that would be a favored retailer.

The stealth is not a bad keyboard. Maybe I'll keep it and move to my workdesk someday...

Seol

Recently got myself a Cherry G80-3000LPCGB-2 - basically a Das in an incredibly boring casing. £60, which is as cheap as you can get mechanicals in the UK. Cherry Blues, principally for typing (I don't really PC game).

Loving it so far.

Cantido

Razer says they are willing to send me the individual Blackwidow keys that are rubbing away. Isn't that sweet of them? I would consider buying an Ult anyway.

But it occurred to me: I've only replaced the weakass keys of a laptop keyboard, not a desktop keyboard, let alone a heavy duty mechanical keyboard. Is it simple?

Aioua

Blackwidow's keys are supra easy to replace. (Assuming the standard is the same as the ultimate I have, and I wouldn't see why not)
The switch ends in a + shaped post, there's a corresponding hole molded into the underside of the keycap. They're held on entirely by friction and gravity. Just pull up!

minor incident

Aioua wrote:

Blackwidow's keys are supra easy to replace. (Assuming the standard is the same as the ultimate I have, and I wouldn't see why not)
The switch ends in a + shaped post, there's a corresponding hole molded into the underside of the keycap. They're held on entirely by friction and gravity. Just pull up!

What Aioua said. Almost all (at least cherry-style) mechanical keycaps are nothing more complicated than pulling straight up. Way, way easier than laptop keys.

verbel

CarbonFire wrote:

GnomeTank wrote:

My Das has laser etched keys, and they are still rubbing off after about six months. When I get another mechanical one of these days, I'll probably get something back lit. Anything short of injection molding is going to rub off.

I didn't think the laser etching could rub off, I thought it just got really dirty.

I have some Dye sublimation keys that I have used for a long time and I don't think they will wear out. I think double shots look better though and they will not wear down either. Thats the great thing about the cherry switches as its pretty easy to find keys that will fit them.

Aioua

So, I spilled half of a rum & coke into my blackwidow. Popped off the effected keys, swabbed it out, thought I was good. Then I noticed coke leaking out the bottom of the keyboard. Fuck. Proceed to disassemble the keyboad. (The plastic bezel is a pain in the ass to get off, btw.) Underside of the board is covered in sticky, sticky coke residue. Go to town with some isopropanol and qtips. Put the thing back together. Then I notice a few of the keys must've gotten coke inside the switches, as they don't click anymore and take about three seconds to slowly creep back up after being pressed.

Well. I'd just taken the thing apart and I knew I'd probably break the thing if I tried to replace the switches with new ones. So with nothing to lose, I started swabbing isopropanol directly into the switch itself, while mashing it over and over. They loosened up considerably! After a day they were kind of sticky again, so I repeated the process. I do this for a few more days, and they're almost as good as new. And now, a week later, you can't tell at all!

So good job to Razer for making the thing not short and burn out, and a double good job to Cherry for making switches that not only survived that ordeal, but actually fully recovered!

GnomeTank

Well, they are mechanical switches...no amount of alcohol, or coke, or rum, should permanently harm them. You're only real fear would be getting liquid on the USB hub/board on the side of the keyboard, which it sounds like you didn't.

mojojoeo

cardboard delusions wrote:

It's out in the US finally!!! http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=761

I love it and I want it BUT the cherry blue one is 65$- cherry blues for gaming? I hear not great things? Anyone comment to that?

otherwise i guess ill eat it and get the reds.

Day of the Bear

I haven't tried reds out but I'm very fond of my blues.

I mostly play swtor and bf3 as far as games go, and this board has been serving great so far

Foomy

what switch you like is really a personal thing, depends if you like a smooth action or a little bump, and how heavy/light you like the key presses. best thing to do is find a place that has a few different types on display and try them out.

I personally don't really like reds, too light.

mojojoeo

that is my fear- I dont want feather keys.

Dont know what to do as i have no way to go feel what the differences are.....

MrDelish

I have blues and think they're great.

edit: they're definitely not feathery. They have a nice amount of resistance and plenty of clackity clack.

GnomeTank

mojojoeo wrote:

that is my fear- I dont want feather keys.

Dont know what to do as i have no way to go feel what the differences are.....

Blue is actually the preferred switch type in the StarCraft 2 community. I am personally more of a fan of browns...but honestly, you really need to try them to know. You're best bet is to find a place that has a few different keyboards out you can try, or order from a place that you can do an exchange if you hate the feeling of the switch.