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geekhack Community => Reviews => Topic started by: chyros on Sun, 01 March 2015, 07:27:23
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Chicony KB-5162F
A review I did a while ago, now with written commentary.
I was lucky enough to get this for free in mint condition. I had to re-click a few of the switches (using the method I posted earlier) but everything was super clean and very functional.
The keyboard itself is much like an Alps Bigfoot - large size, fairly thick plastic case, metal mounting plate, fairly tight-held, screwed-in construction. Quite sturdy, I'd say - but not invincible. It has a bigass enter key, which I like, but a super-annoying single-unit backspace key that I simply can't get used to, even after weeks of using it. The layout may also be slightly askew or something because the keys appear to be in marginally different places I'd expect them to be - but this may be an illusion.
The switches are great. Alps White is essentially the clicky version of Alps Black, but because of how the click leaf works compared to a tactile leaf, the tactility in SKCM White is noticeably stronger than in SKCM Black. They both feel very much like Alps switches though, you could recognise these by touch (or by sound) instantly. They feel quite heavy at 70 gf, as with most Alps switches, but type very nicely. The sound is also gorgeous - thick, full and metallic - possibly my favourite sound so far. From what I've heard Blue Alps sound even nicer, and I can't wait to have a go on them, but even still these sound great regardless.
Like most of the other Alps switches I've tried, these are good all-rounders - they work for gaming as well as typing, though with an emphasis on typing. The stronger tactility is usually not a problem in gaming, but compared to SKCM Blacks, they don't fare quite as well with games requiring some special fingerwork.
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Seems a lot of alps-based boards from that era have the big enter key. This board looks pretty similar to my Chicony KB-5181 with Monterey blue alps.
Good review. I have yet to try white alps, but I do find that alps are pretty crunchy feeling in general. I feel like it's from a time when people didn't really sit and do the amounts of typing they do today.
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Seems a lot of alps-based boards from that era have the big enter key. This board looks pretty similar to my Chicony KB-5181 with Monterey blue alps.
Good review. I have yet to try white alps, but I do find that alps are pretty crunchy feeling in general. I feel like it's from a time when people didn't really sit and do the amounts of typing they do today.
Thanks! :) Yeah, that's quite possible. Ironically then, we're typing on ****tier boards the more we type xD .
You'll probably like your Montereys more; they have a much smoother feel. The whites are almost blunt in comparison. The noise is better though, IMO.
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Thanks for sharing the review! I really liked the shot of the little rubber filling in the switch stem and how the lock worked.
I always thought that leg on the back was clever. I just liked how that slider worked. The angle is a bit steep haha.
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Cheers mate, glad you liked it! :D
I think that might be my AEKII video though, I didn't happen to paste the wrong video in this thread I hope? XD (I can't see embedded videos on this forum so I wouldn't know xD).
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Er sorry. I must have had both tabs opened and commented here instead of in the AEK review. :(
That doesn't change the fact that I'm into your reviews :)
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Cool, much appreciated :) .