First Mechanical keyboard, only 2 options

[LM10]

Hello.

Im planning to buy a mechanical keyboard to replace my basic logitech media keybaord. This will be my first mechanical.

I was searching all over the forum and i stiil cant decide what will be better for me.
Im not from the US and there are 2 options in my area, since i dont wanna mess with shipments and other stuff that will make the buying too expansive.

1. Steelseries 6GV2
2. Razer BlackWidow

I know there are much better and popular keybaord, but im limited to those two.

I need the keybaord for doing papers and StarCraft 2. Im playing some other games too, but its like 90% SC2, 10% all other kinds of games.

The price of both keybaords here is EXACTLY the same, so dont take that into consideration.

I have read alot in the last few days about the blues and blacks but i still cant decide.

Thanks alot for any help, and sorry about any english mistakes.

[Azuremen]

Having used both boards, I'd go with the Black Widow. Blues are just better to type on in my opinion, and the tactile response they give is quite nice for SC2.

[manfaux]

blackwidow.

Play starcraft 2 with cherry blacks is unacceptable, whereas blues are decent for both typing and sc2.

[BababooeyHTJ]

Try and find a model m. So far the only cherry boards that I have tried are these two and they both have their disadvantages. The tactile point on the blues is really too much imo. They feel so smooth and the all of a sudden the key stops half way through and you need to use more force all of a sudden then the next thing that you know you are bottoming out. I don't see one way that blues are better than buckling springs except for noise and that is just barley. A lot of people seem to like blues, I just don't see how.

With the blacks I do like the smoother feel but I am making a ton of typos on this board. The keys are very stiff and it makes typing a bit uncomfortable. I seem to be double tapping keys by mistake every once in a while and hitting others by mistake. Sometimes a key won't actuate from me not pressing hard enough.

I have found my unicomp customizer to be far more comfortable than both boards overall but between the two I guess that I would have to go with the blackwidow bit just barley.

Edit: In fact responding to this thread made me plug my unicomp back in and it's just do comfortable to type on.

[Pylon]

Well, for typing BS is a bit heavy (though I haven't tried blues). It's noticeably heavier than other boards, but that has its pluses as it makes you more accurate for typing. I noticed when I used an M vs using a Dell Quietkey is that I'd be trading speed for accuracy and vice versea.

[Reaif]

I don't have a lot of experience with mechanical boards, but I have tried browns (very similar to blues in force so I hear) and special kind of black that is a low profile, mostly used in older, slim cherry keyboards. Of the two, I much prefer the browns. The blacks were just a bit too stiff for comfort. If the clickity clackity sounds aren't going to be bad for people around you, go for the black widow.

[LM10]

Thanks to all for answering.

I would like to know, when people say blacks are "hard" to press, how is it compare to a basic membrane keyboard like the logitech media i got?

[95bat]

Thanks to all for answering.

I would like to know, when people say blacks are "hard" to press, how is it compare to a basic membrane keyboard like the logitech media i got?

This is what I've been trying to find out.

[RiGS]

"Hard to press" is exaggeration. Tad harder to press than a rubber dome, but you do not need to buttom out with them, and they actually feel much more light because of the shorter key travel and they are much more responsive.
If you are going to buttom out heavily all the time then probably a mechanical keyboard is not for you.

[Lethal Squirrel]

I say neither, get the Rosewill RK-9000.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201040

It's a far better keyboard that the black widow. not sure about the 6gv2 though.

I personally like blues more than blacks though. You actually WANT to type on them. Blacks just don't seem fun or satisfying to type on.

[Azuremen]

The Blacks do feel stiffer than a membrane keyboard by a decent amount. The Blues are just very pleasing to type on once you learn to not bottom out.

And Lethal Squirrel, have you used a BlackWidow before? I had an RK-9000 for a while before getting my Filco, and I got my brother a BlackWidow, and I have to say the Razer is a pretty value. The only issue is the high gloss case in my opinion, but the Rosewill has that hideous logo.

[godly_music]

Blacks BARELY feel stiffer than a membrane board. And they lack the tactile hump, which means they are awesome.

[bxt]

Blacks are just little heavier than membranes.

blackwidow.

Play starcraft 2 with cherry blacks is unacceptable

You are kidding right? Lots of progamers use 6gv2, for example EGIdrA.

[Azuremen]

You are kidding right? Lots of progamers use 6gv2, for example EGIdrA.

Because EG is sponsored by SteelSeries. I've used a 6Gv2 for Starcraft 2, and honestly I didn't like the lack of tactile feedback. Made me have to basically bottom out to assure I was actually hitting the key, where as I clearly know when I've pressed a Blue.

[itlnstln]

Cherry blacks suck.

[bxt]

Because EG is sponsored by SteelSeries. I've used a 6Gv2 for Starcraft 2, and honestly I didn't like the lack of tactile feedback. Made me have to basically bottom out to assure I was actually hitting the key, where as I clearly know when I've pressed a Blue.

That might be true, but saying that it is "unacceptable" is a little overkill in my opinion.

I dont mind blacks for SC2, but then i am just casual player.

How is spamming/double-tapping with blues?

[keyboardlover]

Blues are clicky, otherwise known as "ribbed, for your pleasure".

[LM10]

Thx again for all the answers.

It looks to me that going for the Blackwidow will be a safer choice, since i know nothing about mechanical keybaords and never tried it.
The black switches seems to be a risk from what i have been reading on this forum, while the majority of the users say blues are good all around.

[RiGS]

Because EG is sponsored by SteelSeries. I've used a 6Gv2 for Starcraft 2, and honestly I didn't like the lack of tactile feedback. Made me have to basically bottom out to assure I was actually hitting the key, where as I clearly know when I've pressed a Blue.

That's not the fault of mx blacks...

[Azuremen]

That's not the fault of mx blacks...

Because there is a clear tactile point? I can't stare at the command card to make sure its changed to my High Templar and then hit T. I had that problem on the 6Gv2 - would press a key but not to actuation and then manage the wrong group. Never have had this issue with Blues.

Additionally, everyone I've had test both boards for StarCraft has preferred the Blues over the Blacks.

[FireSlash]

There's a Thread on TL about what keyboard/mouse/pad combos pros use, but a basic breakdown is:

MX Blue: BoxeR, Jinro, JulyZerg
MX Brown: FruitDealer, Liquid`Tyler, Tester
MX Black: IdrA, Lyn, MadFrog, Sarens
SEM-DT35: DeMusLiM, Moon, Ret, TLO, NesTea, NaDa
Other: Dimaga (Logitech), qxc (Dell), iNcontrol (Zboard), Morrow (Microsoft)

At the end of the day the fact that big names like Moon, NaDa, and NesTea are STILL using the DT-35 implies to me that the keyboard choice itself is fairly irrelevant beyond personal taste. However pro use of blacks does indicate that blacks aren't "Bad" for rts games. There doesn't seem to be any kind of consensus among the pros over a specifically superior switch or type.

[poco]

Thx again for all the answers.

It looks to me that going for the Blackwidow will be a safer choice, since i know nothing about mechanical keybaords and never tried it.
The black switches seems to be a risk from what i have been reading on this forum, while the majority of the users say blues are good all around.

I'd suggest looking for a SteelSeries 7G in a store, that you can try typing on. Until I compared the experience of typing on Cherry Blacks to that of typing on Blues, I was convinced that Blues were the way to go. However, being used to a membrane keyboard, the blues were just too light for me. I ended up purchasing a Ducky 1087 with Cherry Blacks, and it's great (for me, anyways) for typing on for normal purposes. The only disadvantage is that there is no tactile feedback, so it creates the necessity of bottoming out to make sure you're typing accurately. However, if you can type without bottoming out, it's like typing on a cloud. The linear switches are very smooth, and the force required to actuate the keys isn't nearly as difficult as reported by other forum members.

This is just my opinion, after a few weeks of using the Ducky at work.

[dep]

Yea, Boxer definitely uses blues.

[manfaux]

There's a Thread on TL about what keyboard/mouse/pad combos pros use, but a basic breakdown is:

MX Blue: BoxeR, Jinro, JulyZerg
MX Brown: FruitDealer, Liquid`Tyler, Tester
MX Black: IdrA, Lyn, MadFrog, Sarens
SEM-DT35: DeMusLiM, Moon, Ret, TLO, NesTea, NaDa
Other: Dimaga (Logitech), qxc (Dell), iNcontrol (Zboard), Morrow (Microsoft)

At the end of the day the fact that big names like Moon, NaDa, and NesTea are STILL using the DT-35 implies to me that the keyboard choice itself is fairly irrelevant beyond personal taste. However pro use of blacks does indicate that blacks aren't "Bad" for rts games. There doesn't seem to be any kind of consensus among the pros over a specifically superior switch or type.

Pros can use whatever they want, but cherry blacks are still unsuitable for SC2. Tiger Woods' clubs are all xx stiff, it doesn't mean you should go with that.

[AcidSouL]

Hey everyone...i have same problem with the choice black widow or g6v2...i really want cherry brown but its to expencive and not evablable in my country or near i play SC2 too...but the problem is i play a lots of diferent gender of games i play FPS like crysis2 now...i wait battlefield 3 soon... i play some racing games...play RPG, and MMORPG a lot...too how i said its not posible to get brown... and now what u recomend me for all gendre playing? blue or black...
Regards Alex.

[BlacK.OuT]

Because EG is sponsored by SteelSeries. I've used a 6Gv2 for Starcraft 2, and honestly I didn't like the lack of tactile feedback. Made me have to basically bottom out to assure I was actually hitting the key, where as I clearly know when I've pressed a Blue.

True. You'll notice that pro players often switch equipment after they get sponsored by a company, IdrA is one of those. I'm sure it's not terrible to play on, because most pros wouldn't do it if it were completely unnacceptible, so that comment was likely an overstatement, but that doesn't make them ideal.

[Tempy]

I like my linear switches, i dont like the idea of a bump or increase in pressure required for actuation, with that said, i personally bottom out blacks >.> so i fear what i would do to a boards with reds xD (even though i really want one)

[pitashen]

Thats some awfully limited choice. Get a brown switch board. See if you can get Zowie keyboard.

[Mazora]

Filco at Sixjax gaming team @ 4:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhwtUYArWkQ

this is off topic right? BOOYA ^^