Dell AT101W review (Alps SKCM Black)

[chyros]

I decided to make written reviews for the videos I made earlier. Starting with the Dell AT101W .

This is one of the most common vintage mechanical keyboards out there, there are millions of these. On eBay there is always a host of these available, and you can procure a good one these for as little as £20 or less. As a result, and because of the switches it uses, it is a great first mechanical keyboard and a great way to get into Alps boards if you haven't already. For what they generally cost on eBay, they have one of the better price/quality ratios I've found.

The board itself is a fairly common Bigfoot design, with a pretty strong plastic case and a metal mounting plate and feels fairly weighty. It's quite big in size, so if you're looking for a space saving design or if you have a tiny desk, this might not be ideal for you. The keycaps are laser-engraved standard-thickness ABS with a noticeable groove in the lettering.

The switches it uses, Alps SKCM Black, is a tactile switch, the vast majority of which are found in the AT101W, so much so that the two are almost inherently linked to each other. They are almost completely silent when pressed slowly, but when bottomed out produce a sharp, instantly recognisable TACK-like sound. It's not extremely loud, but for a non-clicky keyboard it's very "present." The keyfeel is related to other Alps switches, but distinct anyway. It has a noticeable tactility which comes and goes rather gradually, leading to a rather rough feel that not everyone likes. Especially compared to other Alps switches, these feel a lot less clean. Nonetheless, this design has its advantages because the gradual rather than sharp tactility makes it feel a little bit like a hybrid tactile\linear switch and of all the Alps switches I've tried I found these are one of the better ones for gaming. The switches are fairly stiff at 70 gf, and require a heavy typing hand, but it's far from hard to get used to these even if you normally type lightly.

All in all these are very reasonable for the price they typically come at. Although I prefer other Alps switches for typing, they're still pretty decent, and these are also pretty decent for gaming. The Dell AT101W has no glaring weaknesses that I can find, being sturdy, cheap, readily available and reliable; all in all, a jack-of-all-trades, really.

[o0002]

Excellent and really helpful review 

[Firebolt1914]

Could you compare these switches to mx browns, as he way you described it makes it seem similar to browns especially the part where you said it was a hybrid of linear and tactile.

[chyros]

Could you compare these switches to mx browns, as he way you described it makes it seem similar to browns especially the part where you said it was a hybrid of linear and tactile.

The idea behind them is comparable, and they more or less fill the same role, but when you try them out, they are night and day.

MX Brown is a typical Cherry switch in every way. Simple, light and reliable. SKCM Black is probably the worst Alps has to offer, but is a good switch nonetheless - it does something other switches don't, and personally I think it's mildly underrated. They each have their own advantages over the other:

MX Brown:
Pros:
*much smoother keyfeel
*less sensitive to off-centre keystrokes
Cons:
*tactility is weak, unclean and sawtoothy


SKCM Black:
Pros:
*tactility is much more pronounced and singular rather than sawtoothy
*much nicer sound
Cons:
*Keyfeel is quite rough

MX Brown is also much, MUCH lighter at 45 gf compared to 70 for SKCM Black. Depending on your preference for heavier or lighter switches, you might want to take this into account.

Overall I'd say both are quite suitable for gaming as well as typing, but SKCM Black is probably slightly biased towards typing and MX Brown towards gaming. Both can do both at least fairly well though.

[Firebolt1914]

Thank you for the comparison. I guess the black alps are like an introduction into alps rather than a representation.

[chyros]

Thank you for the comparison. I guess the black alps are like an introduction into alps rather than a representation.

Yes, a much more representative example would be SKCM White, for example, which is closer in characteristics to other Alps switches than Black is (and feels nicer too). It's still typically an Alps switch though - if you try out SKCM Blacks, you'll probably easily recognise other Alps switches just by touch (or even sound).

If you want to try out Alps switches, Blacks give a nice entry-level example for you to try. They're found in good boards that are both easily obtained as well as very cheap, and which you can use for a variety of purposes. Just be aware they're not the pinnacle of what Alps has to offer .

[slaction]

I used this board for a long time back before you could get mechanical keyboards so easily.  Love the switches.

[chyros]

I used this board for a long time back before you could get mechanical keyboards so easily.  Love the switches.

I agree, I think it's underrated .

[smeggysmeg]

I just started using a Dell AT101 with Black Alps after coming off a Chicony KB-5181 with White Alps, and there's such a big difference between the two. White Alps seem so much more clickier and lighter. I was surprised by how rough/scratchy the Black Alps are. Still, they're nicer than domes.

[chyros]

I just started using a Dell AT101 with Black Alps after coming off a Chicony KB-5181 with White Alps, and there's such a big difference between the two. White Alps seem so much more clickier and lighter. I was surprised by how rough/scratchy the Black Alps are. Still, they're nicer than domes.

Just to be clear, is that a AT101 (old logo) or an AT101W (new logo)? The old logo one feels much better and less scratchy than the new logo one (unlike the new logo one it's horribly overpriced though - 90 pounds or more).

I do prefer White Alps myself though . But the older Black Alps are pretty cool too.

[jacobolus]

“Scratchy” usually means the keyboard was stored somewhere on a dusty shelf for a couple decades, and can happen to any type of switch.

[chyros]

Tbh, the AT101W SKCM Blacks do feel a bit like that even when brand-new though. However, I still prefer them over any of the current Cherry switches, and they're geniunely not bad to game on.

[smeggysmeg]

I just started using a Dell AT101 with Black Alps after coming off a Chicony KB-5181 with White Alps, and there's such a big difference between the two. White Alps seem so much more clickier and lighter. I was surprised by how rough/scratchy the Black Alps are. Still, they're nicer than domes.

Just to be clear, is that a AT101 (old logo) or an AT101W (new logo)? The old logo one feels much better and less scratchy than the new logo one (unlike the new logo one it's horribly overpriced though - 90 pounds or more).

I do prefer White Alps myself though . But the older Black Alps are pretty cool too.

It's definitely a Dell AT101 with the old logo, and no Windows key. Like what was suggested, it was stored on a shelf and likely exposed to dust.

[Ditistomhuibers]

Hey i really want this keyboard! but what is the key rollover of this keyboard?

[klennkellon]

Hey i really want this keyboard! but what is the key rollover of this keyboard?

Wow's, what a Necro!

It's 2KRO

[Ditistomhuibers]

pity.

[chyros]

Wow, this was my first ever review, that's been a long time! xD

Did you come here after my Linearise video by any chance?