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[stb]

I've been lurking in this thread for a few months, and have finally decided to take the plunge on a mechanical as a birthday present for myself.

I THINK I'm going to settle for a Corsair K70 RGB as a placeholder (more on that, below), but wanted to run through my environment, requirements, and wants before I do so, to see if I've somehow missed something:

Environment:
- home
- dedicated gaming/PC room
- BUT that room adjoins my master bedroom (want to avoid wife aggro)
- AND and I do tape a podcast at the machine this keyboard would be used with
- as such noise isn't the PRIMARY concern (otherwise I'd get the Matias Quiet Pro)

Requirements:
- Cherry MX Brown, Black, Red, White (in that order -- I have a tester from WASD, so I'm as confident in the switch preference as anyone can be without having used a full keyboard with those switches for some time)
- full size (104 keys/number pad)
- solid construction/good build quality
- NOT "extreme" "gam3r" design (e.g. Logitech G910; even the CM Storm Quickfire Ultimate is really pushing it, aesthetically)

Wants:
- white or RGB backlighting
- metal construction
- multimedia keys (shared/function keys OK)
- standard key layouts to simplify/enable changing/collecting caps
- detachable USB cable
- if not detachable, braided USB
- USB hub (really low priority)

These reqs led me to a shortlist:
- Ducky Legend (can't find brown switches with white LED in stock anywhere, which really annoys me because I really like this board and it's monster 5mm aluminum top plate)
- WASD Code (brown switches out of stock)
- Das Keyboard 4 Professional (no backlight, pricey)
- Coolermaster CM Storm Quickfire XT (no backlight)
- Coolermaster CM Storm Quickfire TK (a little "gamer" for me -- the keys are SO ugly; weird layout with 92 keys)
- Corsair K70 RGB (heard some complaints about the RGB controller/flickering)
- Corsair K95 RGB (same RGB controller complaints, don't need 18 dedicated macro keys)

I realize the K70 RGB doesn't have standard key layouts (funky bottom row), detachable USB cable, or a hub, but it has all the other requirements and wants, and I'm thinking it's a good way to get my feet wet. Then I can resell this later when the Code or Legend come back in stock (possibly with different switches

Thoughts?

Also, is anyone familiar enough with /r/mechanicalkeyboards to know if I can/should crosspost this there?

 

[Deleteeeeee]

There are a few keyboards coming out in a couple of months that might interest you:

• CM STORM XTi (back lighting, no 'gamer font', detachable braided usb cable, cable routing, not sure if you can set the blue red LED to white though)
• DUCKY SHINE 5 RGB(hyped as fuck)
• Corsair STRAFE RGB( RGB version of the strafe with new drivers as well, which has been the achilles heel of the corsair rgb boards for a while, has a usb passthrough port, they also have exclusive [for 6 months] silent cherry mx switches, initially it will be only black and red silent versions with blue and brown coming later.)

honestly it feels like corsair are on the verge of revising their K series boards with these new switches and drivers.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

I got my Das Keyboard Pro 4 for Mac with Browns today. Really like it, it reminds me of my old Commodore 64 keyboard, which is nice. Built like a tank, and the volume & mute buttons are handy, as is the play buttons for itunes. Loving the browns, too. Nice feel and is making typing much more enjoyable after using a slimline mac keyboard for years. Good stuff.

 

[EricB]

Whenever this thread gets bumped to the front page, it brings back memories for me. It was one of the first threads I read through back when I joined up here on Neogaf and it was singlehandedly responsible for leading me to buying this Happy Hacking Pro:

This was despite the fact that I in no way needed a professional keyboard, since I do most of my typing on the road on an iPad. Nope, I bought this baby simply because it looked cool. I have no regrets and the keyboard feels as great today as it did three years ago.

 

[Deleteeeeee]

Does anyone have or had experience with the Rosewill Apollo RK-9100xBBR keyboard? I have the opportunity to buy one used so I'm seriously considering it as it's at a reduced price.

I have read that online at sites like amazon and newegg that some people have had problems with this keyboard, like letters repeating after a keypress, couple of reviews even mentions this. I'm wondering if anyone had some experience with this?
Also general impressions regarding build quality.


Edit: well I saw the guy today and bought the keyboard for 75AUD, it's been used for about 8 months, has brown switches:

Typing on it now, for the price I really can't complain.
I'll post more impressions when I have spent some time with it.

 

[Deleteeeeee]

Whenever this thread gets bumped to the front page, it brings back memories for me. It was one of the first threads I read through back when I joined up here on Neogaf and it was singlehandedly responsible for leading me to buying this Happy Hacking Pro.

This was despite the fact that I in no way needed a professional keyboard, since I do most of my typing on the road on an iPad. Nope, I bought this baby simply because it looked cool. I have no regrets and the keyboard feels as great today as it did three years ago.

How do the topre switches feel, compared to rubber domes? I have heard that it feels like a high quality version of rubber domes.

 

[EricB]

How do the topre switches feel, compared to rubber domes? I have heard that it feels like a high quality version of rubber domes.

Yeah, I guess that is a fair assessment. At first I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting clickiness but it felt more mushy to me. Now that I've used it for a couple of years I've really come to love the solid feeling compared to rubber domes. The keys don't require as much pressure as typical mechanical keyboards either so it is probably easier on the fingers, though I've not used any other mechanical keyboards for significant lengths so I can't pass judgement.

I guess it's an acquired taste and the keyboard is definitely not for everyone especially since it is tenkeyless and lacks function keys. I got it mainly for fun but also to learn, and it has served me well in both regards.

 

[Rock Howard]

Has somebody experience with the skydigital nkeyboard? I´m looking for a keyboard with Korean layout and this bad boy hast Cherry Red/Blue switches and some pretty nice LED effects

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzDS1uig1ZU

 

[Orayn]

Thinking about moving my Blackwidow Stealth Tournament to work and picking up something new to use at home. Can I get any fresh opinions on the Novatouch TKL? I got a brief chance to use a friend's Topre board a while back and I absolutely loved it, but I'm wondering if there are any issues I need to look out for in this one.

Also, I guess I'm focusing on the Novatouch vs. the Type Heaven because I may indeed want to replace the keycaps at some point. The Realforce looks nice but it's a little rich for my blood.

 

[AsianOni]

Also, I guess I'm focusing on the Novatouch vs. the Type Heaven because I may indeed want to replace the keycaps at some point. The Realforce looks nice but it's a little rich for my blood.

If you want to change the keycaps on Topre, the Novatouch is the only (practical) way.

 

[Tryxx]

So I'm thinking about buying the corsair k95 rgb cherry red keyboard. Would I be happy? I've been reading good things but I figured I'd ask you guys since I don't really know to much about them. Gonna be using it for gaming but also alot of typing for school.

 

[Audioboxer]

For £70 can I do any better?

http://www.box.co.uk/Cooler_Master_CM_Storm_Quick_Fire_TK_Mec_1347820.html

Don't really want to spend any more for now.

 

[Sir Abacus]

So I'm thinking about buying the corsair k95 rgb cherry red keyboard. Would I be happy? I've been reading good things but I figured I'd ask you guys since I don't really know to much about them. Gonna be using it for gaming but also alot of typing for school.

It depends. It's a gorgeous keyboard with good response like every mechanical keyboard. You can also get them in red, blue, and brown switches to match your preference.

However, the K95 has a fair amount of bleeding because of the design of the Cherry RGB switches:

But some people like that effect.

I prefer the Romer-G RGB switches because they use a directed light pipe with no bleeding which makes the keyboard much cleaner.

But the G910 only has one type of actuation which is roughly equivalent to reds.

 

[Diomedes]

Depends what kind of layout you want[...] Kul ES-87

I'll echo most of this poster but specifically the part about KUL.
I have a "ES-87 Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard" with clear switches and it's a good kind of different. Tried browns and reds before but I find myself preferring the clears. The diamond Fn keys and dipswitches are what keep me onboard. I love me some keyboard shortcuts, so not having to right click (Fn+shift) unless I have to is great.

http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/

 

[Tryxx]

I don't really mind that I'm more worried that I'll buy this now and in a couple months something from them comes out and is a lot better because it definitely is not cheap.

 

[Sir Abacus]

I wouldn't worry too much. Keyboard innovation is pretty slow because there's not a lot of improvement required.

 

[def sim]

Can I get any fresh opinions on the Novatouch TKL? I got a brief chance to use a friend's Topre board a while back and I absolutely loved it, but I'm wondering if there are any issues I need to look out for in this one.

Also, I guess I'm focusing on the Novatouch vs. the Type Heaven because I may indeed want to replace the keycaps at some point. The Realforce looks nice but it's a little rich for my blood.

What do you want to know about the novatouch? The key difference between it and other topres are the cherry mx sliders. The only real downside being that the slider makes an audible sound as the key rebounds. If you're not too particular about how a topre board should sound, this won't bother you. I didn't mind it. One thing, though: I'm not a fan of the right angle micro usb wire it comes with. It can sometimes lose and quickly regain connection when you move it. I'd replace it with a straight micro to avoid accelerating wear and tear.

I haven't had the chance to use a type heaven. This might be an alright and affordable option if you absolutely need a numpad on topre, I suppose.

If you're going to add some nice PBT keycaps, the total cost might not be too far off a Realforce. Topre keycaps are even more expensive, so changing up the type heavens won't be cheap. Maybe that's something to keep in mind?

 

[TheSaddestSort]

Recently pulled the trigger and bought the CM Storm QuickFire TK with Brown switches. Still am getting used to the keys, but I'm liking it thus far!

 

[Orayn]

What do you want to know about the novatouch? The key difference between it and other topres are the cherry mx sliders. The only real downside being that the slider makes an audible sound as the key rebounds. If you're not too particular about how a topre board should sound, this won't bother you. I didn't mind it. One thing, though: I'm not a fan of the right angle micro usb wire it comes with. It can sometimes lose and quickly regain connection when you move it. I'd replace it with a straight micro to avoid accelerating wear and tear.

I haven't had the chance to use a type heaven. This might be an alright and affordable option if you absolutely need a numpad on topre, I suppose.

If you're going to add some nice PBT keycaps, the total cost might not be too far off a Realforce. Topre keycaps are even more expensive, so changing up the type heavens won't be cheap. Maybe that's something to keep in mind?

I was mostly wondering about the differences between it and a pure Topre board, and the noise thing sort of gives me pause. I really liked the quiet "thock" sound of my friend's Realforce, and you're right about the price. Novatouch runs ~$160 and a decent set of keycaps could be $30+, so I guess the price difference really isn't that large. Realforce keycaps are super high quality anyway, right?

 

[GhostWriter24]

I thought this was Reublican Lez Whinin talking about mechanical keyboards =/

 

[def sim]

I was mostly wondering about the differences between it and a pure Topre board, and the noise thing sort of gives me pause. I really liked the quiet "thock" sound of my friend's Realforce, and you're right about the price. Novatouch runs ~$160 and a decent set of keycaps could be $30+, so I guess the price difference really isn't that large. Realforce keycaps are super high quality anyway, right?

Yeah, I really liked the ones on the 87U. I'd be happy keeping that keyboard as is.

 

[Tryxx]

So I need some help think I'm gonna go with the k95 rgb. For someone brand new to mechanical keys and that will be using them for gaming as well as alot of typing for classes do you recommend reds or brown?

 

[Sir Abacus]

It comes down to personal preference. Go to a store with them and type on them to see which you prefer. Then ask the store to match the price at Amazon so you don't use them as a free showroom.

 

[stb]

There are a few keyboards coming out in a couple of months that might interest you:

• CM STORM XTi (back lighting, no 'gamer font', detachable braided usb cable, cable routing, not sure if you can set the blue red LED to white though)
• DUCKY SHINE 5 RGB(hyped as fuck)
• Corsair STRAFE RGB( RGB version of the strafe with new drivers as well, which has been the achilles heel of the corsair rgb boards for a while, has a usb passthrough port, they also have exclusive [for 6 months] silent cherry mx switches, initially it will be only black and red silent versions with blue and brown coming later.)

honestly it feels like corsair are on the verge of revising their K series boards with these new switches and drivers.

Thanks for the response. I was aware of the Strafe RGB, and the Shine 5 coming in RGB, but I hadn't heard about the XTi.

EDIT: it looks like the XTi only does blue and red backlighting, and whatever you can get by mixing those. Too bad; it was really close to checking all my boxes.

Unfortunately, they're all months away, and I'm jazzed to get one now. I'll probably pick up the K70 RGB with browns to scratch the itch, and keep an eye on the XTi/StrafeRGB vs Shine5/Legend/CODE. The "silent" reds and blues are intriguing, and a hopefully better RGB controller could be nice, but I'm gonna bet the Strafe RGB will be too close to the K70 RGB to bother with by then.

I think the Legends are probably out of stock for good, so unless I happen upon one used, I'm SOL. The CODEs come back into inventory periodically. But I have high hopes for the Shine 5.

 

[sirap]

Thinking about moving my Blackwidow Stealth Tournament to work and picking up something new to use at home. Can I get any fresh opinions on the Novatouch TKL? I got a brief chance to use a friend's Topre board a while back and I absolutely loved it, but I'm wondering if there are any issues I need to look out for in this one.

Also, I guess I'm focusing on the Novatouch vs. the Type Heaven because I may indeed want to replace the keycaps at some point. The Realforce looks nice but it's a little rich for my blood.

I dont have the novatouch, but I do own a Realforce, HHKB 2 and HHKB 2 Type-S. Topre switches are my favourite switches for typing and general use.

It's funny, I have a dozen mechanical keyboards (even a model-m) and the one I like the most is a high-end rubber dome keyboard 😂

 

[Audioboxer]

Okay I've narrowed my choice down to

Cooler Master Storm Trigger Z - £73

or

Cooler Master CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid-I - £75

I guess it's down to full size (and wrist rest) vs missing numpad.

 

[itchy. tasty]

I think I'm ready for a new board.

What would be a good selection of keyboards for coding/developing (non gaming) ??

any past experience helpful. thanks

 

[laxu]

I think I'm ready for a new board.

What would be a good selection of keyboards for coding/developing (non gaming) ??

any past experience helpful. thanks

Depends on your preferences. Personally I love coding on Apple keyboards and would probably use them exclusively if they weren't completely crap for gaming.

If you have money to spare Topre keyboards feel great but there are no backlit models out until sometime next year. The models out there are also kinda annoying since the black Realforce has close to unreadable keycaps if that makes any difference to you.

I currently use a QPAD MK50 with red Cherry switches and it's ok but I'm not sold on its performance. To me the main issues with many Cherry based mechanicals is that there's a bit too much travel in the keys and they're noisy unless rubberbanded. For purely coding anything with the blue Cherry's might be a good option but they are even noisier.

Personally the main thing I'd like is a backlit keyboard now and the backlit Topre is the one I'd like but it's tough waiting until next year.

 

[sirap]

I think I'm ready for a new board.

What would be a good selection of keyboards for coding/developing (non gaming) ??

any past experience helpful. thanks

Topre, specifically the HHKB 2, is revered among authors. Typing on them feels incredible, and the sound they make is nice and weighty. I can't stand the sounds MX Blue keys make, even with quality PBT caps and plates.

 

[Chanser]

Corsair launched their Strafe keyboard, using silent cherry keys.

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/landing/strafergb

 

[diggmcbadass]

Are the Cherry MX Silent keys basically reds that don't make noise when bottoming out?

 

[laxu]

Topre, specifically the HHKB 2, is revered among authors. Typing on them feels incredible, and the sound they make is nice and weighty. I can't stand the sounds MX Blue keys make, even with quality PBT caps and plates.

I can't get along with the layout that KB has. While I don't mind getting rid of keys that are largely unnecessary or can be crammed behind a Fn combination, the HHKB goes too far for my tastes. Anything without arrow keys is a no go for me.

 

[tuffy]

I can't get along with the layout that KB has. While I don't mind getting rid of keys that are largely unnecessary or can be crammed behind a Fn combination, the HHKB goes too far for my tastes. Anything without arrow keys is a no go for me.

That's why I prefer the Realforce 87U line. I can get the same Topre switches as a HHKB, but with a set of arrows and function keys.

 

[Goroh]

When is the Ducky Shine 5 releasing? And where can i find it with an european layout?

 

[Windam]

Corsair K70 Cherry MX Red with blue LEDs owner checking in. Absolutely love this keyboard. Now if I could get used to only needing to apply a small amount of pressure to register the clicks...

 

[mnbnguyen]

When is the Ducky Shine 5 releasing? And where can i find it with an european layout?

This month, allegedly.

 

[sirap]

I can't get along with the layout that KB has. While I don't mind getting rid of keys that are largely unnecessary or can be crammed behind a Fn combination, the HHKB goes too far for my tastes. Anything without arrow keys is a no go for me.

Yeah, it takes a while to get used to but once I did I can't even imagine going back. It feels so streamlined having everything close together.

 

[Goroh]

This month, allegedly.

Nice! Do they even make them with european layout? I never bought a Ducky, but it was love at first sight with this one~

I've been using cherry blacks for a couple years now, and they feel pretty good for me. I wanted to try another type of switch, but i have no place to test them in my area. How is the feeling of cherry browns? I think they should suit me better, especially when i'm not gaming, but i wanted an opinion from experts...

 

[Aerocrane]

Nice! Do they even make them with european layout? I never bought a Ducky, but it was love at first sight with this one~

I've been using cherry blacks for a couple years now, and they feel pretty good for me. I wanted to try another type of switch, but i have no place to test them in my area. How is the feeling of cherry browns? I think they should suit me better, especially when i'm not gaming, but i wanted an opinion from experts...

Yeah Ducky makes keyboards with a variety of European language layouts. I've got a Shine 4 with Nordic layout.

 

[Ryne]

Looking at selling my K70 RGB to pick up that Ducky Shine 5. But I really like my K70.

I'll keep both.

Never thought I would ever purchase a mechanical keyboard, because I thought the prices were too high for these things. Buying one made me change my mind quickly, I cannot go without a mechanical keyboard now, typing on it is so satisfying.

 

[Einchy]

What's best and cheapest mechanical keyboard around? My Razer black widow is crapping out and I'm trying to find a replacement that's cheap. I don't need backlights, macro keys or any fancy extras.

The chepeast that I've found so far seems to be the Corsair Raptor K30 which also has decent reviews. Are there any others?

 

[Orayn]

What's best and cheapest mechanical keyboard around? My Razer black widow is crapping out and I'm trying to find a replacement that's cheap. I don't need backlights, macro keys or any fancy extras.

The chepeast that I've found so far seems to be the Corsair Raptor K30 which also has decent reviews. Are there any others?

Keep an eye on Massdrop, they sometimes have tenkeyless boards from smaller brands (with Kailh switches) in the $60-90 range.

 

[mnbnguyen]

What's best and cheapest mechanical keyboard around? My Razer black widow is crapping out and I'm trying to find a replacement that's cheap. I don't need backlights, macro keys or any fancy extras.

The chepeast that I've found so far seems to be the Corsair Raptor K30 which also has decent reviews. Are there any others?

Check out the r/mk wiki if you haven't already. Buying guide.

 

[Smokey]

Own 3 mechanical keyboards. In order of my favorites:

DAS Keyboard 4 Ultimate (Blue)
Razer BlackWidow (Blue)
Logitech G710+ (Brown)

The DAS feels so good. The USB 3.0 hub is helpful and houses my Sennheiser 363D and Logitech G502 mouse. Everything works and feels well. Only draw back for me is no back light.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

Own 3 mechanical keyboards. In order of my favorites:

DAS Keyboard 4 Ultimate (Blue)
Razer BlackWidow (Blue)
Logitech G710+ (Brown)



The DAS feels so good. The USB 3.0 hub is helpful and houses my Sennheiser 363D and Logitech G502 mouse. Everything works and feels well. Only draw back for me is no back light.

Why do you want a backlight if you don't have any lettering on your keys?

 

[Smokey]

Why do you want a backlight if you don't have any lettering on your keys?

derp moment

and because i like shiny things

 

[Phanatic8390]

Does anyone run the CUE alongside the Logitech Gaming Software? Thinking about getting a K70 or K95 but I'm not sure if I want to go RGB and run them both side by side or just go with the red backlight. G910 looks cool and let me just run 1 background app but I'm gathering its inferior to the K70 with reds?

 

[stb]

It looks like Corsair is going to start phasing out the K70 and K95 because they have reduced the price on their own site and it looks like at least Amazon is starting to reduce prices, if anyone was waiting to pull the trigger and doesn't want to wait or wants these at a discount.

K95
- RGB LED
- red switches
- old MSRP $189.99
- new MSRP $169.99
- for some reason Amazon has the BROWN switch keyboard for 159.95; I think they probably screwed up the price drop. Brown usually costs more on this model, so you may wanna jump on it.

K70
- RGB LED
- red switches
- old MSRP $169.99
- new MSRP $149.99
- recent Amazon price $154.99
- new Amazon price $139.99

YMMV, but since the K95-RGB-Brown was only $159.95, and the K70-RGB-Red was $139.99, I asked the Amazon CSR if he could give me the K70/RGB/Brown ($155, $4 less than the equivalent K95) for the K70/RGB/Red price ($139.99), and he did.

This will be my placeholder until I can order a Shine 5, CODE, or Strafe RGB.

 

[def sim]

I sold off my novatouch with dolch caps and bought an FC660C with grey dye subs.

Not my picture:

I'll be sticking with this one for a good long while.

 

[BleedOrange]

Just got the Razer BlackWidow Chroma and I absolutely love it plus now my room is a warehouse rave at night!