geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Infisol on Sun, 24 May 2020, 01:48:55
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Hello, I'm new to the forum so sorry if this is not allowed,
I have been looking for a new keyboard for a while now and there are so many options and I'm having a hard time processing everything. My current keyboard is a Logitech mechanical keyboard with cherry browns, I personally like the switches but I was thinking of going for something more tactile for my next one. Does anyone have any suggestions for TKL or 60% keyboards around the range of $150? I'm looking to get an idea of which brands and switches that I should narrow down to.
Thanks in advance!
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Some good brands include Leopold, Filco, and Ducky. They all make TKL or smaller variants.
Do you like clicky or quiet?
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Yes, do you want to stick with tactiles, or are clickies also on the table? MX clears are more tactile, and at least the one I have seems way smoother than any MX brown I have ever felt. They also have a stiffer spring though (this can be changed). Gateron browns and Kailh box browns are both more tactile than MX browns, and also much smoother, with roughly the same weighting. Box tactiles have higher and sharper tactility than you would expect from MX variants. If you want a ton of tactility without going clicky, then there's box royals, which literally have more tactility than some clicky switches.
Those are just the regular OEM switches, then there are the boutique/expensive switches like from Zeal.
For clickies, look at the Kailh box family specifically. Jades and navies are the most tactile, but there are at least 3 OEM clickbar thicknesses, so you can go all the way down to something like box whites which are less tactile than a decent number of tactiles.
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Thank you! I am considering trying something more clicky so something clicky would definitely be on the table. However, I don't think I would really like the super clicky switches.
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You should probably good a good switch tester. I like this one myself: 130 switch switches tester with acrylic base blank keycaps for mechanical keyboard (https://kprepublic.com/products/130-switch-switches-tester-with-acrylic-base-blank-keycaps-for-mechanical-keyboard-cherry-kailh-gateron-outemu-ice-ttc-ormon-ysa)
It isn't entirely comprehensive, missing most of the more expensive/boutique switches, but it covers almost everything else, and should at least help you narrow things down. There are of course also cheaper, more-focused testers, especially when it comes to specific manufacturers and switch types, but they usually leave huge swaths of options out.
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The Ducky One 2 series is killing it right now.
Double shot thick PBT caps, stabs that are actually good out of the box, RGB, decent selection of switches, well made and well under budget (depending on version).
I don't think there's anything comparable for the money.
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Yeah, I was looking at the ducky ones and they seem really good for what I'm looking for. Also, it helps me narrow down the type of switches to the cherries and Kailhs.