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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ander on Mon, 06 February 2023, 03:45:17
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Hey guys,
I've wanted to try low-profile Kailh Choc switches (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Kailh_PG1350_series) for some time, but never found ready-made boards with them. (Unfortunately, building with them was beyond my capabilities, because of their unique footprint.)
Tonight I came across some reasonably priced Choc boards on Amazon, and have posted about them here in Great Finds (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=119495.0), if anyone's interested.
Cheers, A.
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there are many choc open source board sbut most are ergo but way better than the amazon ones for sure
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I bought one of the 65% boards to swap choc jades into. Turned out the jades I ordered didn't even fit the caps anyway so it is in pieces in a bag.
I have looked at Perixx's various interesting products off and on for a few years now, like their mechanical keyboard with an integrated trackball, the PERIBOARD-522. I most recently modded one of their PERIPAD-501 trackpads into my HTPC TG3 cop keyboard to give it multitouch. Based on the things I have read, and the two products of theirs that I have, they seem to make things pretty comparable to the random Chinesium products on Amazon ... which is perfectly fine if you ask me.
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I ordered one of the Perixx Choc boards, and really like it.
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Made in China, of course, but "designed in Germany".
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Fit and finish seem perfect. It's also, without a doubt, the thinnest board I own. The case is only a hair over 1/4" high, not even as high as the low-profile switches and keys (AKA "caps") themselves. But the steel layer just below the top surface makes it quite sturdy, stable and flex-free, and adds surprising heft (1.25 lbs / 570 g) to what appears to be a very light board.
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Once you put it down, as my dad would've said, "It's not going anywhere."
The keys have a nice matte fingerprint-resistant finish. I've been typing on them for a few days now, and they look as good as when I took it out of the box.
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Considering the whole thing's, like, black, the RGB backlighting is surprisingly effective, shining through the legends and out around the opaque keys. Remember when RGB boards were, like, an extra $100? 😁
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Sorry about the lack of detail in these darker photos (my cheap phone camera). Despite how these shots may look, the legends are razer-sharp everywhere. ("Alt Gr" too, to the right—that's fun.)
Fn+PgUp/PgDn are embedded media keys, though it would've been nice if they'd included a Mute key.
Oddly, I found the Cherry-type stab on the Enter key wasn't connected.
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The broad Choc switch compensates somewhat, but if you try to wobble it, it wobbles... This seems like an oversight. That said, I haven't had any trouble with it when actually typing. And all the other 2X+ keys (and of course the spacebar—see edge photo above) are fully stabbed.
There are lots of LED options, and the board "remembers" your last setting when it's disconnected.
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Specs:
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Considering how inexpensive this board was, I consider it a real deal. Many people have reviewed Choc switches, so I needn't add much to that here, except to say they're fast (faster than Cherry-style "speed" switches, IMHO). And considering their miniscule 1.5mm travel length, it's impressive how Kailh managed to include genuine tactility in these Choc Browns. I'm diggin' it. ⌨️ 😁👌
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Great review. There really need to be more mainstream commercial boards with choc switches.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/50TY7NdB/chocolicious.jpg)
:p
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This is very interesting. I'm trying to find a way to get Kailh Sunrise switches into a conventional form-factor. I suppose they could be retrofitted into one of these Perixx boards.
Although, given the Co-Star stabilizers and lack of dampening, it wouldn't really be an upgrade from a Filco in terms of build quality.
Too bad about the laser-ablated keycaps, though.
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Those chocolate bar meme boards are awesome.
What the heck are Kailh Sunrise switches? I can't find anything about any low profile sunrise switches, just sunsets.
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What the heck are Kailh Sunrise switches? I can't find anything about any low profile sunrise switches, just sunsets.
Haha, you are right. I meant Kailh Sunset. I have 1 sample, and it is great. Kinda like a short-travel U4T. Doesn't feel too heavy, either.
I'd love to get those into a TKL/100%, or even a VA68 layout, since that would be cheaper. Those switches are expensive!
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What the heck are Kailh Sunrise switches? I can't find anything about any low profile sunrise switches, just sunsets.
Haha, you are right. I meant Kailh Sunset. I have 1 sample, and it is great. Kinda like a short-travel U4T. Doesn't feel too heavy, either.
I'd love to get those into a TKL/100%, or even a VA68 layout, since that would be cheaper. Those switches are expensive!
Yeah, I saw those too. Haven't gotten to try them, but what a beautiful colour for a switch! So they have to be good, right? ^-^
HungerMechanic, if you find a board they'll fit, please post about it here, as some of us would really like to set up a board like that. Thanks!
BTW, I've also ordered this cheap Redragon K607 (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0934JDV9D)—not because I like Redragon boards in particular (never tried one, but obviously it's what we'd consider an off-brand), but because it has "Redragon low-profile blues"—which, as far as I can tell, are also Kailh-made, and are in effect low-profile Kailh box blues. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I'll report on it here. Cheers!
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I have one Redragon board and have used and fixed one other when a switch died. I think they're perfectly serviceable from what I have seen. I'll be interested to hear your findings since the V2 switches might solve my problem of a bag full of Perixx parts with incompatible caps.