MX Cherry Reds in CM QF tk don't bottom out

[Spokoman]

OK, so another noob post by me. As I'm reading up on mechanical keyboards I stumble across stuff that I either don't get or is inaccurate or the manufacturer did something different.

I got CM QF TK with Reds and I read this:
Bottoming Out
Bottoming out is pushing a switch all the way down. Linear switches like Cherry MX Blacks and Cherry MX Reds require you to push the key all the way down (bottom out) to register the key press.
From: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/terms.php#bottoming_out

Reds in this keyboard do not "bottom out". It registers the key press at about 50% of the way down on a Windows 7 laptop. If I push it all the way down it still registers 1 key press. No problem.

However, I have pre-boot authentications setup and when I tried to type in the password today by pushing the a key all the way down it registered 3-5 key presses. I wonder if it's the same in the BIOS.

So, is this an inaccurate description of the Reds or is this keyboard malfunctioning?

[tricheboars]

malfunctioning

[IvanIvanovich]

All MX actuate at about mid stroke, not require bottoming out like a rubberdomes so that is totally incorrect. In regard to the board registering multiple that is malfunction.

[Spokoman]

OK, so two different opinions. I only have one mechanical keyboards, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I don't want to return it only to find out that all Cherry MX Red switched behave this way.

[Melvang]

It is both malfunctioning and miss-information.  The malfunction is the repeating keystrokes.  But IvanIvanovich is correct that all MX switches register the keystroke about half way down.  I can confirm this with the Reds as I just put Reds in the WASD on my Razer Orbweaver last night and was kind of playing around with moving my character in WoW it absolutely minimal key travel by being about halfway down and only moving the key slightly either direction to see when my character would move and when it would stop.

Melvang

[khaangaaroo]

The mechanicalkeyboards description is inaccurate. Reds should actuate about half way down.

Regardless of where it actuates, the registering of multiple key presses is a malfunction.

[Spokoman]

Great, thanks for the info everyone!

I'm not sure I'm going to return it then. I mean, the multiple key presses is only with preboot authentication. Maybe it's just because some drivers are not loaded.

[Melvang]

Sounds plausible but my mechanical Das Keyboard has never done that.  Almost sounds more like an issue in the keyboards firmware to me but I'm not a software guy.  So take that with a small grain of salt.

Melvang

[IvanIvanovich]

It's a malfunction switch, once OS loads it is using software trick to work around the malfunctioning. I have a board that does this that I have been too lazy to fix yet, sending NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN forever until the OS loads then it works ok.

[Abacus1234]

Also the TK has a 6KRO and an NKRO mode. I find I sometimes have problems doing stuff like that if I'm using the NKRO mode. It is some kind of a hack that allows the keyboard to do that. I have never had problems with 6KRO. Worth a try? Maybe you already have.

[IvanIvanovich]

Thats another good point, there have been mentions of usb NKRO being funky pre OS too so it could be that simple.

[Spokoman]

Ah, thanks for the tip. I'll try 6KRO and post.

[babyhands]

http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide#post_6009482 if you go to the part about the switches you will see all cherry switches require 2mm to actuate, 4mm to bottom out. Well, i guess i can't say ALL cherry switches because not all are on here, but most are !