Author Topic: Help me decide on a keyboard please  (Read 2072 times)

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Offline RequieM

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Help me decide on a keyboard please
« on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 00:42:26 »
Hi everyone,

Wanting some advice on a new keyboard. I use a Steelseries 6gv2, have two actually, and both of them have a loose spacebar that just pops out. Actually hate them.

So I'm after the best quality board there is with the Cherry MX switches. I am leaning towards Ducky Shine 3, but don't really care for backlighting. Can be turned off so meh.

Is there a clear leading brand atm for the Cherry MX keyboards with good availability? Are there any specific features in mechanical boards that make them superior?

Thanks.

« Last Edit: Tue, 30 September 2014, 00:46:37 by RequieM »

Offline mogo

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 00:53:50 »
Oh, how much there is to learn, how much time that could be spent explaining... There are so many resources for learning about mechanical keyboards (not just Cherry MX switches!) and guides. Instead of slaving over painfully simplified, possibly misleading advice and information, I'll say that you should go looking on youtube for guides on different types of mechanical keyboard switches (so you can hear what they sound like, at least), but you may first (or not first) read the following:

Quote
I personally (CPTBadAss) would recommend you pick the size and switches you like first. Check out this link for more info on switches. For beginners, I recommend Cherry MX. Then do you want full size, TKL, or 60%? Those are the most common options. For fullsize, I recommend CoolerMaster QuickFire Storm or XT. For TKL, CoolerMaster QuickFire Rapid. And for 60%, I suggest Poker II or Poker X. You can also check out this buying guide from the reddit /r/mechanicalkeyboards Wiki.
 

Offline RequieM

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 01:01:12 »
Ah its not the switch im concerned about, I bought a tester to try and choose, leaning towards reds/blacks. More the brand itself ie Deck LED range vs Ducky LED range etc etc.

Iv heard the CM Qfire is decent, but people are voting up the Ducky over CM.
« Last Edit: Tue, 30 September 2014, 01:03:17 by RequieM »

Offline notsonerd

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 02:26:26 »
If quality is your only concern, then everyone here will most likely recommend Filco, despite the price.

If you're looking for backlighting + quality, though, most will recommend the Ducky Shine 3. The other one you'd probably hear a lot about is the KUL ES-87, but it doesn't come with reds or blacks.

I just came from a bunch of threads asking about these recommendations. Just gonna save you some time.

In terms of quality: Filco (no backlight) > Ducky Shine 3 (backlight) > KUL ES-87 (no backlight/no reds or blacksI'm dumb--it comes with these) > Poker II/Code WASD (no backlight in Poker II)

By the way, I'm new here. If you don't trust that's how the trend will go, just you wait and see. The only other responses you will get are that it's pretty subjective, so it's best to try them yourself.
« Last Edit: Tue, 30 September 2014, 04:56:44 by notsonerd »
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Offline katushkin

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 02:30:16 »
If you are decided on a switch, and you don't want backlighting, then your budget is the thing you need to settle on. Once you have your budget, then you/we will know what is best :)
Can we get them to build the Alps ten feet higher and get Cherry to pay for it?
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Offline RequieM

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 03:52:57 »
Budget isn't really a concern. Nothing too extreme. I live in Australia and prices less than $250 is fine.

Offline RequieM

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 03:54:00 »
So Filco Majestouch 2 is the best quality?

My concerns with filco is the ping noise from hitting the backplate & some say the cherry blacks on filco are 'extra' stiff.

Offline notsonerd

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 04:01:57 »
So Filco Majestouch 2 is the best quality?

My concerns with filco is the ping noise from hitting the backplate & some say the cherry blacks on filco are 'extra' stiff.

Then you may want to look into the KUL ES-87.
KBParadise V60 with Cherry MX Browns | Corsair K60 with Cherry MX Reds

Offline RequieM

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 04:07:37 »
Basically the brands im looking at are Filco Deck Das Ducky Corsair CM.

Offline notsonerd

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 04:21:51 »
Basically the brands im looking at are Filco Deck Das Ducky Corsair CM.

Should probably mark off Corsair if you're looking for quality. They don't seem to be as sturdy for the same price. You probably wouldn't be happy with the feel of the keycaps, either. They look great, though.
KBParadise V60 with Cherry MX Browns | Corsair K60 with Cherry MX Reds

Offline katushkin

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 04:23:44 »
And if your budget is $250, I would write off CM as well as you can get something a lot better in that price bracket.
Can we get them to build the Alps ten feet higher and get Cherry to pay for it?
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Offline Oobly

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 04:42:10 »
I would scratch Das and Corsair off that list. Das quality is not quite up to scratch considering the price. Corsair boards have non-standard bottom rows, so they're impossible to find replacement keycap sets for. CM are great quality for the price, but there are no really premium boards in their range. If you have a lower budget, they're worth a look. Deck tend to have ugly fonts, but otherwise their boards are quite good. Which leaves Ducky and Filco. Both really great. I'd add KUL and Vortex to the list.

I would place the KUL ahead of the Ducky and about on par with Filco. Really good build quality. Personally I also like that they come with my favourite switch type (MX Clears), but that's just a preference.

Also, the Vortex Poker II (60% size board) is similar to Ducky in terms of quality, but perhaps not quite as good. They come in backlit and non-backlit versions. The non-backlit version comes with nice thick PBT caps.

The WASD Code does indeed have backlighting. It's white.

The WASD and Filco come with Costar style stabilisers, the Ducky, KUL and Poker II use Cherry style stabilisers.

Also, IMHO, you're going about the selection process a little incorrectly. The switch type and how it's mounted make more of a difference to the typing experience than the brand. So I'd put the order of importance something like this:

1. Switch type. Browns, Reds, Blacks, Blues, Greens, Clears, Whites, Greys?
2. Plate or PCB mounted? Technically both types are mounted to a PCB, but plate mounted means there is an extra metal support plate that the switches are physically mount on.
3. Of next importance is the layout. Full-size, TKL, 75%, 60%? Do you need a numpad (full size), do you need dedicated arrow keys (TKL and 75%), how important is the placement of the arrow and edit keys (normal placement = TKL, odd placement = 75%), do you need dedicated F-keys (60%)?
4. Then you look at what brands offer the switch type you want, mounted how you want in the size board you want.
Buying more keycaps,
it really hacks my wallet,
but I must have them.

Offline rowdy

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 05:56:38 »
If the main reason why you are replacing the keyboards you have is because the space bars fall off, you might be able to fix that quite easily.  Assuming the stems under the space bars are not damaged, you can put a small piece of plastic (e.g. 1cm square piece from a plastic bag) over the keycap before you put the stabiliser inserts in (Costar stabilisers?  Should work for Cherry stabilisers too, just a bit more fiddly to get the plastic to stay there.  That will make the space bar fit a bit tighter on the switch and stabilisers, and might help stop it falling off.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

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Offline RequieM

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Re: Help me decide on a keyboard please
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 30 September 2014, 06:56:32 »
I play Csgo division 1 in Australia so I think Reds/blacks are the go to for fps. I use black atm but bought a tester kit to hopefully decide between the two. Na I'm over ss keyboards, feel cheap overall. The fact that I own two 6gv2 and both have a loose space bar makes me really question the quality.

As for plate vs PCB, whichever better for gaming. This is a gaming kb.