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Mechanical Keyboard

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Posts

  • KrisKris Edmonton, ABRegistered User regular
    Yeah, if I were able to pay out of my own pocket I would have already bought one for work. $100 to me is nothing for something I use 8 hours a day. Unfortunately we're not allowed to bring in our own hardware for company use.

    Oh well, I'm a patient man. I'll keep my eyes peeled for deals.

    XBL: Zephyrall || PS3: Zephyrall_KN || Battle.Net: Zephyrall.398
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    Bummer. Can you justify the cost if you leverage the "I need something for repetitive stress" health issue angle? Prior to my mech. keyboard I was using an ergonomic split keyboard, but honestly I think the lighter touch of the mechanical keys does more to ease strain than the ergonomic shape of the previous one did.

    You must join the club.

  • KrisKris Edmonton, ABRegistered User regular
    Haha, oh I'm already a club member. Loving the hell out of my Black Widow at home (although my wife may have a different opinion :P ).

    XBL: Zephyrall || PS3: Zephyrall_KN || Battle.Net: Zephyrall.398
  • GihgehlsGihgehls Registered User regular
    I've had two mechanical keyboards for a while now, both with Cherry MX Browns. Regarding the noise, I find that the majority of the noise coming out of my keyboard is from when the keys come UP, not down.

    The keyboards I have are the Razer Blackwidow Stealth, and the wireless Xarmor U9W. I hadn't heard of WASDkeyboards until I found this thread, and now I'm seriously considering a third keyboard...

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  • GnomeTankGnomeTank Registered User regular
    The browns make the most noise on the up movement, because that's when the tactile "click" kicks in. It's to let your fingers know the key is back in the ready position.

    The other sound most people hear is the key bottoming out on the keyboard shell.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, D3: Brainling#1998, NintendoID: Brainling
  • GihgehlsGihgehls Registered User regular
    Ahhh yes.. I'm not talking about the tactile portion of the switch, I'm talking about what could be considered the inverse of the cap bottoming out. If you slowly (silently) press a brown until it bottoms out, then quickly release you will hear what I'm talking about. It isn't something an experienced user would hear if he/she were, say, pressing backspace a bunch of times, or typing multiple letterzzzzz in a row, because they would be operating in the narrower tactile range of the switch rather than bottoming out and fully releasing. He/she would hear it, however, when bouncing from one to another key to anotherfrfrfrf.

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  • GnomeTankGnomeTank Registered User regular
    Yeah, that sound is the tactile click of the key moving back in to full ready position. It's the little plastic dingaling on the switch clicking back in to place. You actually can hear it if you type the same letter over and over, you just need to do it slow enough that the switch fully resets it's actuation. Most people do not do this when pressing the same key over and over, they just press it as fast as they can, not leaving time for the switch to fully reset.

    If you watch the brown switch animation, you'll see the plastic dingaling I'm talking about.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, D3: Brainling#1998, NintendoID: Brainling
  • GihgehlsGihgehls Registered User regular
    It's not important that you understand exactly what I'm talking about, since the effect is the same: They key makes sound coming up as well as down, something o-rings can't help. I have seen the animations of the keys, and what I am describing happens about a millimeter above the actuation range of the switch, something that animation doesn't accurately represent.

    Anyway, I'm not complaining at all about anything. I swear by MX Browns. I'm just thinking out loud about what actually is making the most noise on keyboards like mine.

    PA-gihgehls-sig.jpg
  • CantidoCantido Registered User regular
    I sold my Quickfire, so I bought a Blackwidow Ult. I'm deciding on whether to sell my Blackwidow Stealth or use it for coding at work.

    EDIT - I did take it to work because the keyboards there are shit :D

    Cantido on
    The sound of eight hooves reaches his ears, comes from the heavenly light, two wolves howls fills his heart with fear, and he sees two ravens fly. Down from the sky a warlord rides, like fire his one eye glows, and just before the preacher dies he knows his god is false.
  • mtsmts Registered User regular
    i kind of want a mech keyboard, but i know it would drive my wife nuts since i game mostly at night after her and the baby go to sleep

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  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    i kind of want a mech keyboard, but i know it would drive my wife nuts since i game mostly at night after her and the baby go to sleep

    cherry reds or blacks only make a noise when the key bottoms out and hits the backplate of the keyboard, so if you learn to type without bottoming out keys, or get a set of dampeners it will be the quietest keyboard you have ever used.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    i kind of want a mech keyboard, but i know it would drive my wife nuts since i game mostly at night after her and the baby go to sleep

    Cherry Red switches with dampeners keep the noise level down to roughly that of a regular keyboard. Check out some sound comparison videos on YouTube to see.

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  • mtsmts Registered User regular
    curse you all. those corsairs look sweet, especially after watching a noise video. reds are the same noise level as black more or less right?

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  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    curse you all. those corsairs look sweet, especially after watching a noise video. reds are the same noise level as black more or less right?

    More or less. I found blacks to be maybe juuuuuuust a bit quieter because they require a lot more force to press, so you end up not bottoming out quite as hard. But really, they're seriously stiff compared to other switch types.

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  • smokmnkysmokmnky Registered User regular
    I wish I could figure out a way to get work to buy me a mechanical keyboard...

  • mtsmts Registered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    curse you all. those corsairs look sweet, especially after watching a noise video. reds are the same noise level as black more or less right?

    More or less. I found blacks to be maybe juuuuuuust a bit quieter because they require a lot more force to press, so you end up not bottoming out quite as hard. But really, they're seriously stiff compared to other switch types.


    So K60 vs K90. are those extra MMO keys useful for those who don't play MMO's or non-gaming (ie work)

    other red or brown switch alternatives to think of?

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  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    smokmnky wrote: »
    I wish I could figure out a way to get work to buy me a mechanical keyboard...

    If you work for a large enough company, they'll bend over backwards to accommodate ergonomics to avoid RSI.

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  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    mts wrote: »
    curse you all. those corsairs look sweet, especially after watching a noise video. reds are the same noise level as black more or less right?

    More or less. I found blacks to be maybe juuuuuuust a bit quieter because they require a lot more force to press, so you end up not bottoming out quite as hard. But really, they're seriously stiff compared to other switch types.


    So K60 vs K90. are those extra MMO keys useful for those who don't play MMO's or non-gaming (ie work)

    other red or brown switch alternatives to think of?

    I never really used them at all. Even in MMOs.

    Another alternative: WASDKeyboards.com

    You can choose your switch type, the printing and colors of the keycaps, and lots of other awesome stuff. Very, very happy with mine.

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  • GaslightGaslight It's not your fault Video games are amazingRegistered User regular
    I fully expect I will never even use half the ridiculous number of macro keys on my K90, but I like to know they're there. :D

    For me, the floating keys was a big thing (I hate getting crud down in my keys) and the K90 has backlighting but the K60 doesn't. Plus I had already pretty much decided I wanted the M90 mouse over the M60, so I figured they might as well match.

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  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    Gaslight wrote: »
    so I figured they might as well match.

    This sentiment costs me so much goddamn money in computer parts/peripherals.

    minor incident on
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  • interrobanginterrobang we can tear up this rotten world together we'll break and smash and pound it into dustRegistered User regular
    Gaslight wrote: »
    so I figured they might as well match.

    This sentiment costs me so much goddamn money in computer parts/peripherals.

    that's why you just go LED-less on everything

    saves you money and ensures uniformity!

  • smokmnkysmokmnky Registered User regular
    smokmnky wrote: »
    I wish I could figure out a way to get work to buy me a mechanical keyboard...

    If you work for a large enough company, they'll bend over backwards to accommodate ergonomics to avoid RSI.

    We are decent sized but I'm not sure how I could pass off a Mechanical Keyboard as RSI preventive

  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    smokmnky wrote: »
    smokmnky wrote: »
    I wish I could figure out a way to get work to buy me a mechanical keyboard...

    If you work for a large enough company, they'll bend over backwards to accommodate ergonomics to avoid RSI.

    We are decent sized but I'm not sure how I could pass off a Mechanical Keyboard as RSI preventive

    Lots of people use them for that purpose, actually. The lower amount of pressure required to actuate the keys can reduce the strain on your fingers, lowering the risk of RSI.

    Mechanical keyboards can require as little as 45g of pressure to actuate, while modern rubber dome/membrane keyboards typically require anywhere from 65-90g.

    It may not be much, but I'm sure it has just as much of an effect as half the crap they'll buy for you in the name of "ergonomics."

    Edit: my wife has pretty bad RSI, and can't type on most desktop keyboards for very long. When she worked for a bank, their ergonomics people gave her an option between a Microsoft Ergowhatchamacallit keyboard and some adesso "light touch" keyboard that was actually mechanical. She went with the mechanical and actually liked it a lot. She still prefers low-profile laptop style keyboards, but mechanicals are basically the only other style of keyboards that don't kill her hands.

    minor incident on
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  • smokmnkysmokmnky Registered User regular
    smokmnky wrote: »
    smokmnky wrote: »
    I wish I could figure out a way to get work to buy me a mechanical keyboard...

    If you work for a large enough company, they'll bend over backwards to accommodate ergonomics to avoid RSI.

    We are decent sized but I'm not sure how I could pass off a Mechanical Keyboard as RSI preventive

    Lots of people use them for that purpose, actually. The lower amount of pressure required to actuate the keys can reduce the strain on your fingers, lowering the risk of RSI.

    Mechanical keyboards can require as little as 45g of pressure to actuate, while modern rubber dome/membrane keyboards typically require anywhere from 65-90g.

    It may not be much, but I'm sure it has just as much of an effect as half the crap they'll buy for you in the name of "ergonomics."

    Edit: my wife has pretty bad RSI, and can't type on most desktop keyboards for very long. When she worked for a bank, their ergonomics people gave her an option between a Microsoft Ergowhatchamacallit keyboard and some adesso "light touch" keyboard that was actually mechanical. She went with the mechanical and actually liked it a lot. She still prefers low-profile laptop style keyboards, but mechanicals are basically the only other style of keyboards that don't kill her hands.

    hmm...I did ask for a new chair and they ended up letting me spend like 1k on some fancy office chair. What's ~$100 on a keyboard

  • GnomeTankGnomeTank Registered User regular
    I used to think my ego was helping my RSI, but once I switched to a mechanical, my typing related wrist issues went away.

    Now, my MOUSE related wrist issues on the other hand...

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, D3: Brainling#1998, NintendoID: Brainling
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    I think I said it a bit earlier in the thread, but having a non-ergonomic mech keyboard at work really does make my hands/fingers/wrists feel better at the end of the day than with the membrane ergonomic I used just prior.

  • LawndartLawndart Registered User regular
    So, the peer pressure of this thread inspired me to replace my grime-encrusted Microsoft keyboard with a fancy new mechanical keyboard.

    I'm digging it so far, but man, if the Cherry Red switches are the quietest ones, the loud ones must sound like the old-school typewriter sound effects from All The President's Men.

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  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    Lawndart wrote: »
    So, the peer pressure of this thread inspired me to replace my grime-encrusted Microsoft keyboard with a fancy new mechanical keyboard.

    I'm digging it so far, but man, if the Cherry Red switches are the quietest ones, the loud ones must sound like the old-school typewriter sound effects from All The President's Men.

    Blues are all CLACKCLACKCLACK

    I love 'em

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  • LawndartLawndart Registered User regular
    Lawndart wrote: »
    So, the peer pressure of this thread inspired me to replace my grime-encrusted Microsoft keyboard with a fancy new mechanical keyboard.

    I'm digging it so far, but man, if the Cherry Red switches are the quietest ones, the loud ones must sound like the old-school typewriter sound effects from All The President's Men.

    Blues are all CLACKCLACKCLACK

    I love 'em

    Well, that does give me two excuses to use on the wife if or when she complains about the noise.

    "Hey, they could be so much louder"

    and

    "Hey, I'm busy uncovering Watergate!"

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  • KrisKris Edmonton, ABRegistered User regular
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Lawndart wrote: »
    So, the peer pressure of this thread inspired me to replace my grime-encrusted Microsoft keyboard with a fancy new mechanical keyboard.

    I'm digging it so far, but man, if the Cherry Red switches are the quietest ones, the loud ones must sound like the old-school typewriter sound effects from All The President's Men.

    Blues are all CLACKCLACKCLACK

    I love 'em

    Well, that does give me two excuses to use on the wife if or when she complains about the noise.

    "Hey, they could be so much louder"

    and

    "Hey, I'm busy uncovering Watergate!"

    Do you work from home? You could say "Baby, that's just the sound of money being made!"

    XBL: Zephyrall || PS3: Zephyrall_KN || Battle.Net: Zephyrall.398
  • smokmnkysmokmnky Registered User regular
    What is your guys opinion of this keyboard? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201040

    Newegg has it for 20$ off + free shipping and they are doing a 15% off all keyboards so with tax (i live in CA) I can get it for $72.99 shipped

  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    Definitely good enough for the price.

    The nice thing about mechanical keyboards is that as long as they use cherry mx switches, the important bits are all the same, so for a no-frills keyboard, one is just as good as most others (in general). The Rosewill may not be built around a 2-pound steel plate like a Filco, or have the sexy lines of a Das, but it's got the same mechanisms, so it'll be great to type on.

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  • timspork's ghosttimspork's ghost Registered User regular
    So I'm looking at the Corsair K90 or Black Widow Ultimate. Any opinions?

    3DS Friend Code: 5472-6198-4568
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    I'd recommend investigating if Cherry Reds or Cherry Blues are more your thing before I decided on any of the other differences between those two.

  • timspork's ghosttimspork's ghost Registered User regular
    wonderpug wrote: »
    I'd recommend investigating if Cherry Reds or Cherry Blues are more your thing before I decided on any of the other differences between those two.
    Is there a good way to test these? I don't know anyone with mechanical keyboards and know that the reds are less clicky than the blues. I also like typing on this old typewriter I have.

    Also willing to take suggestions for other mechanical keyboards. Only other requirement is that it have some kind of key lighting.

    Huh this Mass Effect Black Widow is actually pretty nice looking just for the red lighting and not gloss case.

    timspork's ghost on
    3DS Friend Code: 5472-6198-4568
  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    Black Widows have a little window in the box so you can play with the keys. They usually have them at Best Buy and such, so you can try them out, a little.

    Blues are very clicky and tactile. Very much the stereotypical loud CLACK CLACK CLACK mechanical keyboard.

    Reds, like on the K90 do not provide an audible click. They're linear, and still very light-touch like the blues, but MUCH quieter. I like both, but have mostly moved to Reds (and Browns) since the Blues annoy the hell out of my wife.

    The CM Storm Quick Fire Pro is an interesting one, too. I believe it comes with almost any switch (blue, red, black, brown, if I'm not mistaken), and it doesn't have full backlighting, but it does have the left-hand-side (the "gaming" side) and the number keys.

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  • timspork's ghosttimspork's ghost Registered User regular
    Black Widows have a little window in the box so you can play with the keys. They usually have them at Best Buy and such, so you can try them out, a little.

    Blues are very clicky and tactile. Very much the stereotypical loud CLACK CLACK CLACK mechanical keyboard.

    Reds, like on the K90 do not provide an audible click. They're linear, and still very light-touch like the blues, but MUCH quieter. I like both, but have mostly moved to Reds (and Browns) since the Blues annoy the hell out of my wife.

    The CM Storm Quick Fire Pro is an interesting one, too. I believe it comes with almost any switch (blue, red, black, brown, if I'm not mistaken), and it doesn't have full backlighting, but it does have the left-hand-side (the "gaming" side) and the number keys.

    I got no problem with the noise and would probably like the sound feedback.

    3DS Friend Code: 5472-6198-4568
  • minor incidentminor incident maliciously classy Registered User regular
    In that case, and assuming you want backlighting, the Black Widow Ultimate is a nice board, and definitely one of the most readily available ones. Good build quality, too.

    minor incident on
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  • timspork's ghosttimspork's ghost Registered User regular
    In that case, and assuming you want backlighting, the Black Widow Ultimate is a nice board, and definitely one of the most readily available ones. Good built quality, too.

    Thanks! I ordered the ME Black Widow Ultimate beacuse, 1) I had amazon credit, 2) I like red better than blue, 3) My current PC keyboard literally just broke.

    I will report back tomorrow. (Yay cheap one day shipping)

    3DS Friend Code: 5472-6198-4568
  • mtsmts Registered User regular
    fyi, woot has the black widow utimate keyboard (refurb) for 90 bucks

    are the blue switches the extra clicky ones?

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