Trying to Decide on a Keyboard - Compete Newbie

[eloepp]

Hi there,

I'm completely new to mechanical keyboards and didn't even know they existed until last night, but am now hooked on the idea of getting one (and perhaps becoming a more serious keyboard enthusiast in the future, I'm pretty addicted)! I spent about 4 hours last night researching. I am mostly a gamer, but not a professional gamer or anything of that nature (mostly play Blizzard games), so I'm thinking a cherry MX brown type keyboard would be best for typing and gaming? I can't use blue because it's too loud and I'm around people, even sleeping people sometimes. I've heard black can be a strain, so I'm leaning towards red as a possibility as well, since I heard brown can be quite loud as well. Any input on switches would be great, but what I came here to ask is...

If I'm looking for something around $100 would I be better off with

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129002&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4169874&SID=16q553lrkf7to

or

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=leopold,tenkeyless&pid=fc200rtab

I see the Leopold, I think it's called, is a little more, but I heard the QuickFire is quite nice for the price. Or am I better off with something else? I do want something that is tenkeyless.

Thanks

[Sifo]

I'd say get the QuickFire but the one you're looking at is with Blue switches. They have them in Red but idk where to get them. There's also a brown version somewhere but it costs more.

If you can't find the QF in the switch you want then go for the Leopold. They're both really good boards but QF has Costar stabilizers which I, as well as a lot of others think feel a bit better than the Leopold's cherry stabilizers. Since it's your first board you probably won't be super picky so either of the two would be a good choice.

EDIT: Oh also, Leopold in my opinion looks (if you care about that) nicer because it doesn't have all the branding that QF has. But the QF is a little cheaper. Not sure about the price for the reds/browns/blacks version

[Crake]

I've heard black can be a strain, so I'm leaning towards red as a possibility as well, since I heard brown can be quite loud as well.

If a Fry's or Micro Center near you, you should try blacks if they will let you type on one. I think they are fine (not anywhere near too heavy.)

[rknize]

I got my CM Storm with reds from here, but they seem to be down now:

https://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/

[fossala]

My girlfriend uses blacks and she has delicate fingers. She thinks reds (well ghetto reds) are too light.

[captain]

Well, once they go black, they never come back.  ;-P

[captain]

I can't use blue because it's too loud and I'm around people, even sleeping people sometimes. I've heard black can be a strain, so I'm leaning towards red as a possibility as well, since I heard brown can be quite loud as well. Any input on switches would be great, but what I came here to ask is...

If I'm looking for something around $100 would I be better off with

If noise is your litmus test, then mech ain't for you. Get a Filco TKL Blue, and give the pussies earplugs. You can thank me later.

[fossala]

She likes realforce keyboards but calls my HHKB clunky

[stingrae]

My girlfriend uses blacks and she has delicate fingers. She thinks reds (well ghetto reds) are too light.

Not as delicate as mine it seems :\...I do get tired sometimes on blues, infact think i'm taking my reds with me tommorrow.

[fossala]

She only types with 4 fingers (2 on each hand). When I have to type on her PC my pinkies get tiered fairly quickly.

[captain]

I keep my women on scissors, and tell them, "this," |======|, "is 9 inches!  Keeps 'em happy. ;-P

[dogbirds]

You can see all kinds of QFR on http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/index.php.

[retsteel]

Here is where the coolermaster store is now, this is the link for the keyboards. they have all of them now, black, red, blue and brown, though the reds are more for some reason.

http://www.cmstore-usa.com/keyboards/

[Sifo]

Here is where the coolermaster store is now, this is the link for the keyboards. they have all of them now, black, red, blue and brown, though the reds are more for some reason.

http://www.cmstore-usa.com/keyboards/

If you select brown as an option, the price is also higher.

$79.99 for Black and Blue
$84.99 for Brown
$89.99 for Red

Back on topic though, OP get a CM QuickFire!

[alaricljs]

Cheaper at mechanical keyboards (and the shipping is cheaper too)

[CheddarTrek]

Oh, love the Mechanical Keyboards link.

I've been thinking about getting a brown (having typed on Blues, Reds, and Blacks only I think I've decided I'd prefer a Brown or a Clear).

Would you guys suggest the Ducky or the QuickFire?  I don't really care about the logos, and the prices are similar, so...?

Also is there anywhere to get a Clear Cherry keyboard for under $100?  I'm used to typing on a Scissor Switch, and someone told me that the Clears might feel more similar whereas the Browns might have too light a touch.

[captain]

The CMs are cheap redhead bastard step siblings of Filcos, and will never live up to the bar set by Filco. Don't waste your money. Get a Filco. be happy. Laugh at cheapskates who bought a CM... and then had to replace it three times.
Or get a CM and prove that you don't understand the concept of amortization. ;-P

[Crake]

If you want full size, Newegg has a 20% off on Rosewill keyboards now, so you could get one for $80:

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?30398-Newegg-20-Rosewill-keyboards-again

Actuall Newegg ad:  http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Apr-0-2012/48hoursale17/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL041712&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL041712-_-EMC-041712-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord

[fohat.digs]

Even when keyboard manufacturers build a handsome box, why are the logos nowadays always so hideous and garish and just plain BUTT-UGLY ?

I bought a Leopold in preference to a Rosewill, just because the Rosewill logo is so horrendous.

Not that an aluminum square with 3 letters IBM in the top half of it, glued into a square depression in the plastic, is the last word in elegance, but give me a break!

Even a clean logo that is not obnoxious does not have to be big or bright. You should not have to see it from across the room, or at night in the dark.

Just my opinion.

[Sifo]

Even a clean logo that is not obnoxious does not have to be big or bright. You should not have to see it from across the room, or at night in the dark.

For this reason I love the WASD keyboards logo. Perfect contrast. It goes great with the board. You know it's there, but it's not jumping out screaming at your face trying to make you aware of its existence.

[nanobadger]

Hi there,

I'm completely new to mechanical keyboards and didn't even know they existed until last night, but am now hooked on the idea of getting one (and perhaps becoming a more serious keyboard enthusiast in the future, I'm pretty addicted)! I spent about 4 hours last night researching. I am mostly a gamer, but not a professional gamer or anything of that nature (mostly play Blizzard games), so I'm thinking a cherry MX brown type keyboard would be best for typing and gaming? I can't use blue because it's too loud and I'm around people, even sleeping people sometimes. I've heard black can be a strain, so I'm leaning towards red as a possibility as well, since I heard brown can be quite loud as well. Any input on switches would be great, but what I came here to ask is...

If I'm looking for something around $100 would I be better off with

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129002&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4169874&SID=16q553lrkf7to

or

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=leopold,tenkeyless&pid=fc200rtab

I see the Leopold, I think it's called, is a little more, but I heard the QuickFire is quite nice for the price. Or am I better off with something else? I do want something that is tenkeyless.

Thanks

I checked out the quickfire locally, seemed to be a solid keyboard and not as ugly as pics look, but they only had blues.
Order a brown off the cooler master site if you do some typing.

[daerid]

The CMs are cheap redhead bastard step siblings of Filcos, and will never live up to the bar set by Filco. Don't waste your money. Get a Filco. be happy. Laugh at cheapskates who bought a CM... and then had to replace it three times.
Or get a CM and prove that you don't understand the concept of amortization. ;-P

I'd like to just say that this is absolutely not true.

[eloepp]

Thanks you for the replies and the links as well. I think I will go with the CM. I've found a few places where I can get it with the cherry MX brown switch. If I can find a place to get a Filco I may get one of those instead. Are they really that much better though? I actually found some on Amazon but the only one with a Brown switch is camo colored / themed. It's OK, I guess..