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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: conor1123 on Fri, 03 May 2013, 19:37:39
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My buddy just picked up a KeyCool Tenkeyless with blues and they seem to feel a little different. Is there really a difference in how the blues feel between every manufacturer? Im using a filco majestouch. Does KeyCool use a Costar board too?
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Yes, switches will feel different between different boards.
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So it's not the switch? Just because of a different board manufacturer?
How does a different board affect the switches?
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Switches feel slightly different between their BATCHES, so obviously a different keyboard that used a different batch of switches will feel slightly different.
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I've casually measured 50 switches, mx blues.. I got +/- 4g of force
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So it's not the switch? Just because of a different board manufacturer?
How does a different board affect the switches?
Production batch of the switches, materials used in the board, plate vs pcb mounted, Cherry vs Costar stabilizers, are all things that might affect the feel of a board.
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So it's not the switch? Just because of a different board manufacturer?
How does a different board affect the switches?
Production batch, materials used in the board, plate vs pcb mounted, Cherry vs Costar, are all things that might affect the feel of a board.
This. Plus lube, keycaps, ones typing technique and mood. Really. Even switches on the same keyboard feel different to me at different occassions.
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Plus spring/stem tolerance margin (mostly spring I guess). It's very easy to notice different tactilities in the same keyboard!
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IME the most significant contributor to differences in switch feeling is actually the keycaps. Remember that the keycaps are in fact, sprung weight and not free floating. The weight of the keycap can reduce the force required to actuate the switch by virtue of their weight.
Which is why if you go too heavy, the switch doesn't come back up. Perfect example of this is the Chicony super-thick double-shots, which are so heavy that they can self-actuate some MX Reds and usually do not return with MX Blues.
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Different desks.
Different accoustics in the room (especially for MX blues).
I have two Ducky Shines with MX blues, and they feel quite different. But one at home and one at work.
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I have here two Filco cherry red keyboards, exactly the same. Even the serial numbers are the same except one is four digits higher.
The ONLY difference is I replaced one with filco brand blank keycaps. I gotta say I like the feel of the stock stealth keycaps much better.
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When we discovered mechanical keyswitches, my friend and I both bought daskeyboards (with blues). The switches on the two feel incredibly different. The ones on mine are really light (especially after a year of use), while his feel much stiffer. They feel like two different switches. Anyway, the batch of the keyswitch really matters.
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I felt that keycap material makes a really big difference in feel too. In your case it should be minimal, I'm thinking both boards come stock with thin ABS but so many factors go into a board that can affect its feel and sound. Fingers are surprisingly good at feeling out little differences.