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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: assak123 on Tue, 21 December 2010, 19:03:38
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hello there, I'm looking for a gaming keyboard that will suit my needs....
i need a gaming keyboard that all keys are programmable and has an anti ghosting feature....
they say logitech keyboards has a good macro keys, but ive read forums that it can only record macros on the extra keys, anyone can clear this out?
ive also heard about the steelseries 7g, high in performance but does not support macros.... ive been using Autohotkey, but im afraid the programmable keys of logitech is better than autohotkey, is it? im not into the extra keys of logitech...because i use the Fkeys while gaming...
what i need is a good macro and good response, performance is a must....
here's my criteria:
40% performance
35% macro supported
15% mechanical keys
10% ps/2 based
does anyone have good recommendations? any would be greatly appreciated...
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ALL keys are programmable? That'll be a tall order; I don't know of too many keyboards with firmware-level programming. Besides, I'd probably pick up a CH Products Multi-Function Panel (basically an Ergodex DX1 with a different set of drivers, most notably allowing for a sophisticated scripting language) just for macros and let a keyboard be a keyboard.
The Logitech programming ONLY works on those G-keys, just so you know. Can't program anything else, and it's all software-based anyway.
N-key rollover further limits your options, though there are still a few boards with it if you're willing to pay up.
I'm not that much of a keyboard guru here; I'm content with gaming on an IBM Model M for now, though I'll soon find out if Cherry MX Blues are even more to my tastes. (But what everyone will likely recommend is the linear Cherry MX Black. Linear switches just wouldn't do it for me, but it could make it much easier to ride the activation point for rapid tapping.)
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Something with cherry mx blacks, handle all your macros with software.
Extra keys are pointless. They take your hand away from the home row. You can program every thing into layers.
steelseries
filco
ducky
cherry
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@assak123
Black Widow Razer is 2KRO. So you should consider that before you decide to get one :X
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Welcome to GeekHack!
1. What do you mean by performance? Razer claims 1 HellaHz polling rate. :P
2. I returned the Razer Blackwidow after trying the Switch Try Numpad (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=12519) since I've decided on the quieter Brown switches and would prefer NKRO, though the ability to program any key was pretty awesome. The ability to program every key is now lower priority on my list as well since the next SC2 patch will allow modification of any hotkeys in game.
3. I'm now back to the Logitech G15 (v2), and I can confirm that only the G/macro keys are programmable, even via their newest software.
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@NamelessPFG
now i know that logitech keyboards cant use macros on all keys... i would be hard up playing my game if i will use the gkeys,
there's a friend of mine who owns a g15 and he can spam his skills 3x faster in game with the gkeys than mine...(we have the same ping)
any exact explanation on this? sorry for being a noob xD
@ripster
Black Widow Razer? sure i will look into it
@WhiteRice
handle all your macros with software? wat software is it dude?
yes i agree the extra keys, others find it useless..
@Moogle Stiltzkin
yes i will. xD
@BlueRain
oh hello, i mean performance by hhmmm, low latency, responsivenes, can press up to 6 keys at the same time etc....
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What exactly does "responsiveness" refer to in terms of keyboards? I mean, there's tactile feedback, but I don't think you mean that. Is there some other quality of keypresses that I'm not aware of? Like some keyboards being able to convince the computer to do things that no other keyboard can make them?
I 'd hazard the guess that "responsiveness" in regard to keyboards is probably another overhyped-by-superstitious-gamers property that nobody can find any objective testing criteria for other than the usual anecdotal evidence like "I just bought me a $200 'board and I can tell you, man, that thing is clearly so much more responsive than my old $20 board" - which is a result of two other properties: a) the better mechanical quality of the keys (taking less force and time to press down that switch) and b) the placebo-effect that comes with any expensive purchase.
Latency also shouldn't be too much of a problem actually - after all, keyboard electrics are pretty straight-forward; you hit a switch and a rather simple microchip turns it into some codes that get sent on the PS/2 bus, or a bit more complicated chip generates an USB event. It's not like a TFT monitor's electronics where an entire picture gets manipulated or buffered before being displayed.
It's pretty safe to assume that the latency on keyboards is pretty damn small (like single digit milliseconds at most, I'd say) and mostly determined by what's going on with the keypress-signals inside your computer, not the keyboard itself.
I've yet to see any good tests for latency of keyboards, since it's pretty hard to precisely trigger an mechanical event without any point of reference to the exact time in the computer where the event is recorded. So all you will find about different latencies of keyboards is anecdotal evidence by gullible gamers.
Bottom-Line: Buy a high-quality board with switches that feel good for you and are easy to be tapped quickly (Cherry blacks or perhaps reds if you can find them). The physical mechanics of the switch are probably the biggest factor that determines the quickness of any given board.
Chris
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It could be some confusion caused by marketing BS like "1000hz ultra-polling" and GOLD CONNECTERS!!
I think there's a post on here where someone tried to measure the latency and consistently got 2ms regardless of connection and other such considerations. Which seems to make sense with the USB HID protocol at least, which could handle 500 key presses a second... I've been reading too much prepping to program my teensy.
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Yes, 2ms sounds about right, I'll try and find that post. But don't downplay the gold connectors - they are clearly worth it! I'm really looking forward to the day some company's marketing division starts to google metals and decides that "copper connectors" are the best since this has the least electrical resistance - only to find out later that copper corrodes quite quickly when being exposed to tiny sparks, as occurring in a connector application.
Chris