Should I go for it?

[Sinzz]

Hi guys! New member here at geekhack. About a few months ago I purchased a Cherry MX Black Ducky Shine Keyboard with Orange LED's and now I can officially say I'm pretty hooked with the feel of my mechanical keyboard.  . I am looking to purchase another keyboard for my secondary computer at home since I've been transporting my keyboard from home to work a lot because I can't get enough of typing on these keyboards!

I've been looking at more compact keyboards as of late, and I've really taken a liking to the 84 key keyboards out there. I've researched a bit on the KBT Race, the Noppoo Choc Mini, and recently found out out about the Key Cool 84. I really like the looks of these keyboards especially the KBT Race with its "borderless" look but i've also noticed some things that I don't like about the KBT such as transportation problems since i'll basically be carrying it around on my backpack and since it has no borders, I could damage it somehow. And since i'm probably looking into the White with White LEDs, I've also heard some problems with the whole LED's dying after a while of use, something I would NOT be happy about and with no knowledge or tools on soldering I'd rather not have to have to fix it since I'll be dumping money on it already.

The Noppoo Choc Mini looks great and i've only heard good things. Though i honestly am considering a backlit keyboard (I know I know, Backlit keyboards take away from the overall quality and so forth). This is why I've also been looking into the Key Cool 84 with LED back lighting. Only problem is I have heard nothing really on the quality that Key Cool provides, and I don't know anything about their LED history as well. Therefore I am very hesitant to buy.

I also plan to customize my keyboard with keycaps and such since I've been seeing a lot of cool designs. Will probably pick up blank key caps from WASD since those seem to be the most readily available key caps I've seen in my short time researching this stuff. So there's my dillemma. Hopefully you guys can help me make a decision.

Oh, I'll also be getting blue switches since I am really starting to love the way it sounds.

tl;dr KBT RACE, Nopppoo Choc Mini, and Key Cool 84 are thrown into a pit. What are the pros and cons and what should I choose to be my next mechanical keyboard.

really would like white backlit
going to get Blue switches
will customize with keycaps

[WhiteFireDragon]

Looks like you've done your research. Keep in mind that those mini KBs are harder to customize caps because of the non-standard modifiers on some of them. It'll be harder to get SP doubleshot sets. Have you looked into the poker or PURE? if you MUST have LEDs, then you're pretty limited to those that you listed.

[sth]

they're all ok, they all have issues, none of those are stellar but lots of people really like their Choc Minis. I think they're ugly as hell and you will have a hard time finding replacement keys for some (i think the spacebar but someone that has one should chime in here). The race is even harder to get replacement keys for but IMO looks way better than either the kc or the choc mini.
have you thought about getting a PURE without LEDs? they have the closest-to-normal layout and they are very portable. If you participate in keycap groupbuys you can get everything you need by ordering base kits + tsangan kits (basically an additional set of keys that includes the correct shift key and fn key). if you're not sure about the GB thing I think you can still do that through wasd. lurk in the group buys section to get a feel for how they work, and make sure to stay patient as they can take a while sometimes

[WhiteFireDragon]

haha we typed at the same time sth, and it looks like brevity wins. Same content basically

[sth]

haha we typed at the same time sth, and it looks like brevity wins. Same content basically

i had an energy drink for the first time in like a week and i've been wired all damn day 

[Sinzz]

Hmm, I was under the assumption that most of the keys were the same size as other keyboards? I know the right modifiers (alt, ctrl, fn, shift and maybe the arrow keys?) would be more difficult to find. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[alaricljs]

It's less the size, but more the non-standard label in that row and size.

[Sinzz]

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying about the labels?

I've looked at PUREs and while they are also very nice, I kind of wanted dedicated pg up and dn keys only because I use them a lot (why I chose those 3 keyboards). I might look into PURE though. But don't they have the same LED problems as the RACE?

[blert]

lurk in the group buys section to get a feel for how they work, and make sure to stay patient as they can take a while sometimes

(From my limited experience) when the group buys work, they require lots of patience ; and then, there are the ones that fail... very, very slowly.

So, with the Choc Mini and others, I'm assuming that the layout will mean it's hard to get keys with the correct profile and the correct label (what's normally printed on standard R2 or R3 keys might be somewhere else on a mini).  Of course, you could memorize the layout, and go with blank keys.   Unless there's something like a spacebar incompatibility (cf. Leopold, where it isn't even a severe problem), as Sth suggested might be the case.

[SidEvolution]

Hello!
I a new member here but I have some experience with both the noppoo choc mini and i just bought the kbt pure; they are mx blues.  I bought my mini about 10 months ago and I've used it almost everyday since.  I just acquire the pure about a week ago and i'm liking it so far. I am still getting use to is because the layout of the keys on the mini are slightly off compared to almost every other time of keyboard. That is, the distances for your finger to travel is different. I got use to that pretty quickly switching to a mini and i seem okay going back to other keyboards ( on the pure and my laptop). I have the mini are my main keyboard and I plan on using the pure as my travel keyboard. I currently only have a laptop which i hook this up to but i really like my mechanical keyboards, heh. The spacebar stabilizers on the mini are cherry and on the pure they are costar. I can definitely tell the difference between the two and I have to stay, it is really hard to decide which feeling i like the most. Because I've gotten use to the cherry stabilizer, i noticed the significant difference in how much effort i had to put into pressing the spacebar. Though it isn't that much more, I now realize that i am hitting the spacebar vs it feeling similar to the rest of the keys on my keyboard. My costar stabilizer right now is being weird and getting stuck. One of the things on the pure / poke is that the builds on them aren't that great but i think this is an easy build. I haven't had any problems with my mini since i bought it.
I could write more but i'll leave it to you if you want specifics.

[dorkvader]

Thanks for the comparison, and welcome to Geekhack.

[kinruan]

i do have all of these three, and i just sold the race. Race, will , is a kind of toy. good for play with but not good for much typing work. Both choc mini and KC84 are good. KC84 is even a little smaller than Choc mini. For convenience, i highly recommend the KC84, not only because of the removable cables but also for the high quality. i have to say that the case of KC84 is much better than Choc mini. besides, there are different color backlight versions for KC84. more choice is always good. hope these words may help u

[kinruan]

btw poker or pure is perfect for carrying around

[Skull_Angel]

i do have all of these three, and i just sold the race. Race, will , is a kind of toy. good for play with but not good for much typing work. Both choc mini and KC84 are good. KC84 is even a little smaller than Choc mini. For convenience, i highly recommend the KC84, not only because of the removable cables but also for the high quality. i have to say that the case of KC84 is much better than Choc mini. besides, there are different color backlight versions for KC84. more choice is always good. hope these words may help u

I've also been considering a SFF (small form-factor) keyboard myself, if you could elaborate on the build quality any more it would be appreciated.

[kinruan]

i do have all of these three, and i just sold the race. Race, will , is a kind of toy. good for play with but not good for much typing work. Both choc mini and KC84 are good. KC84 is even a little smaller than Choc mini. For convenience, i highly recommend the KC84, not only because of the removable cables but also for the high quality. i have to say that the case of KC84 is much better than Choc mini. besides, there are different color backlight versions for KC84. more choice is always good. hope these words may help u

I've also been considering a SFF (small form-factor) keyboard myself, if you could elaborate on the build quality any more it would be appreciated.

race is just fine, has no up cover, i heard several said that paint scratching are occurred on the bottom  of white version.  keycaps are fine but hard to change to others. removable cable soit is good to carry with
Choc Mini, a pretty old model, keycaps is worse than others but at least pbt.  seems it is not popular. red switches version may be better than others. the case is not delicate but qualified.
KC84, little smaller than the mini84, easy to MOD and high quality PCB. may have problem on connecting PC due to the NKRO under USB. keycaps are abs and getting shiny quickly. (feels good till get shiny )  also removable cable
KC84 backlight , same as not led version. LEDs are occurring problems in China these days, and keycaps are still in a "testing"  condition, which has variable problems on the surface, it depends on your  fortune/luck 

[dorkvader]

Choc Mini, a pretty old model, keycaps is worse than others but at least pbt.  seems it is not popular. red switches version may be better than others. the case is not delicate but qualified.

Choc mini has POM, not PBT. It used to be really popular, but that might be because it was the only keyboard of that size that was easily gettable. I almost got it as my first Mech.

[kinruan]

Choc Mini, a pretty old model, keycaps is worse than others but at least pbt.  seems it is not popular. red switches version may be better than others. the case is not delicate but qualified.

Choc mini has POM, not PBT. It used to be really popular, but that might be because it was the only keyboard of that size that was easily gettable. I almost got it as my first Mech.

i think it is pbt for white and pom for black. mine is a white one.

[Skull_Angel]

race is just fine, has no up cover, i heard several said that paint scratching are occurred on the bottom  of white version.  keycaps are fine but hard to change to others. removable cable soit is good to carry with
Choc Mini, a pretty old model, keycaps is worse than others but at least pbt.  seems it is not popular. red switches version may be better than others. the case is not delicate but qualified.
KC84, little smaller than the mini84, easy to MOD and high quality PCB. may have problem on connecting PC due to the NKRO under USB. keycaps are abs and getting shiny quickly. (feels good till get shiny )  also removable cable
KC84 backlight , same as not led version. LEDs are occurring problems in China these days, and keycaps are still in a "testing"  condition, which has variable problems on the surface, it depends on your  fortune/luck 

Thank you for your input. I've seen quite a few reviews for the KBT and Choc Mini, but nothing much for the KC84. I kind of figured that the LED problem would effect these boards as well. It's a bit sad that they are NKRO on USB, are they compatible with PS/2 converter?

[kinruan]

race is just fine, has no up cover, i heard several said that paint scratching are occurred on the bottom  of white version.  keycaps are fine but hard to change to others. removable cable soit is good to carry with
Choc Mini, a pretty old model, keycaps is worse than others but at least pbt.  seems it is not popular. red switches version may be better than others. the case is not delicate but qualified.
KC84, little smaller than the mini84, easy to MOD and high quality PCB. may have problem on connecting PC due to the NKRO under USB. keycaps are abs and getting shiny quickly. (feels good till get shiny )  also removable cable
KC84 backlight , same as not led version. LEDs are occurring problems in China these days, and keycaps are still in a "testing"  condition, which has variable problems on the surface, it depends on your  fortune/luck 

Thank you for your input. I've seen quite a few reviews for the KBT and Choc Mini, but nothing much for the KC84. I kind of figured that the LED problem would effect these boards as well. It's a bit sad that they are NKRO on USB, are they compatible with PS/2 converter?

it goes with the USB to PS/2 adapter. none LED version is fine.

[Skull_Angel]

it goes with the USB to PS/2 adapter. none LED version is fine.

Thanks again. Was about to edit my post after seeing that posted in the other thread.

[dorkvader]

Choc Mini, a pretty old model, keycaps is worse than others but at least pbt.  seems it is not popular. red switches version may be better than others. the case is not delicate but qualified.

Choc mini has POM, not PBT. It used to be really popular, but that might be because it was the only keyboard of that size that was easily gettable. I almost got it as my first Mech.

i think it is pbt for white and pom for black. mine is a white one.

You are correct sir. I forgot about white.

[MonoSky]

From my experience, NEVER EVER GET THE WHITE CHOC MINI!

I don't know if it is actually just mine but the white ones tend to be the ones that have defects. If you go search around on the internet some of the Choc Mini you will see like wires replaced by solder on the PCB....

Now the blacks ones are fine.  Currently using one =D

[longweight]

The white is much nicer though! I love my one, never had a problem with it. Yet.....

[kinruan]

The white is much nicer though! I love my one, never had a problem with it. Yet.....

depends on production batch, i think. mine is fine, i had to many KBs so i just don't use it anymore.