Cheapest/ best microcontroller?

[Rayndalf]

So I have 10+ keyboards I need to convert. I have moderate soldering skill, should I place a bulk order for one of the DIY C pro micro clones or just buy the cheapest pro micros I can find?

If I go pro micro where should I order them from for cheap if I don't mind waiting?

[fpazos]

That depends if for you is important the usb c connection. I have bought several microcontrollers from Aliexpress with no problem at all. Some used on keyboards I have been using for months. My recommendation is to search for the controller you want and filter by orders, that usually brings the best quallity / price products.

Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 7 mediante Tapatalk

[gorbachev]

There is no "best".

It all depends on what you need. Pro Micros are reliable and relatively cheap, especially if you buy clones from AliExpress, but only come with micro USB. Teensy2.0++ (clones) are my go to if I need something bigger. I'm also experimenting with Alvaro boards, an open source Elite-C compatible board (see: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=109111.0)

The QMK discord and the hardware channel on their server is pretty good place to ask as well.

[fpazos]

I forget to mention. Most of promicro on Aliexpress aren't the official size, you can find them but be aware of this if it is importan for you

Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 7 mediante Tapatalk

[crashnburn]

So I have 10+ keyboards I need to convert. I have moderate soldering skill, should I place a bulk order for one of the DIY C pro micro clones or just buy the cheapest pro micros I can find?

If I go pro micro where should I order them from for cheap if I don't mind waiting?

What did you end up doing? I might try to do something similar.

There is no "best".

It all depends on what you need. Pro Micros are reliable and relatively cheap, especially if you buy clones from AliExpress, but only come with micro USB. Teensy2.0++ (clones) are my go to if I need something bigger. I'm also experimenting with Alvaro boards, an open source Elite-C compatible board (see: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=109111.0)

The QMK discord and the hardware channel on their server is pretty good place to ask as well.

Arent there cheap USB-C variants of the Pro Micro board now? Was hoping by this time things have evolved there.