Razer is coming out with new keyboards with Cherry switches

[Shaussman]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/razer-blackwidow-x-cherry-option,31477.html

Honestly these seem decent. $60 for a 10keyless Cherry MX Blue board is a good deal, and Razer's KBs have historically been all right besides the switches. Positioning their switches as the premium option is pretty funny, though

[appleonama]

Hmm maybe they saw the posts on /r/mechanicalkeyboards making fun of their boards.

[Rad]

Hmm maybe they saw the posts on /r/mechanicalkeyboards making fun of their boards.

So they kept a very similar design? Huh...

[FoxWolf1]

Razer's KBs have historically been all right besides the switches.

They really haven't. In fact, they were known for having crap quality long before they switched to "their own" switches. If anything, their reputation was even worse a few years ago than it is now.

Anyway, it's not like today's MX Blue switches are anything great in terms of quality, either. Certainly not to the point where throwing them into a crummy Razer keyboard will magically transform it into a good product.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

still have not learned to use a standard bottom row i see...

[Shaussman]

still have not learned to use a standard bottom row i see...

The 10keyless versions do. No idea why they didn't bother to update the fullsize ones...

http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blackwidow-x-tournament-edition-chroma

[carmenohio]

Sounds like Razer is heading in the right direction with standard bottom rows on the TKL's... $60 TKL with Cherry switches is a very good deal.  I've always avoided Razer due to the non-standard bottom rows, but I might give them a shot at this price range regardless of all the past negativity about their quality.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

still have not learned to use a standard bottom row i see...

The 10keyless versions do. No idea why they didn't bother to update the fullsize ones...

http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blackwidow-x-tournament-edition-chroma

It's a step in the right direction but 130$ for the chroma i'd go for a quality board like a KUL or Leopold or Ducky long before that personally myself.  But then again the RGB thing is more meant to attract the COD 1337 folks to begin with.

[KRKS]

Razer's KBs have historically been all right besides the switches

So I'm gonna guess you've never owned one.

At one point in time half of the rhythm gamers in Poland had one of them. Then those who play more than just osu have dropped them like they were a plague(osu is so bad by design it doesn't really matter, at one point global #1 was a guy who was literally shorting wires for keypresses).

[klennkellon]

I have a soft spot for my G1 blackwidow (with real MX Blues). it was my first mechanical board and i got it for only $50.

[xtrafrood]

I love that Tomshardware.com links the pictures to smaller pictures. Nice touch

Razer boosted the keystroke life span to 80 million? Curious.

[klennkellon]

Razer's switches actually are a bit better for gaming if you like clicky switches, they have less hysteresis than MX Blues or MX Browns.

[_PixelNinja]

Razer's switches actually are a bit better for gaming if you like clicky switches, they have less hysteresis than MX Blues or MX Browns.

I've had the opportunity to play with a few units with Kailhua 'Razer' Greens. I found the switches to be rather inconsistent in terms of feel and clickyness (some not clicking at all). Not sure the trade-off is worth if one is sensible or picky about actuation force uniformity and clicks...

 

[Shaussman]

Razer's KBs have historically been all right besides the switches

So I'm gonna guess you've never owned one.

I had a Blackwidow 2013 for a while and used my friend's 2014. Sure they were pretty plasticy, but the overall construction was solid and the 2013 help up well to my brother's abuse. Aare they the highest quality keyboards out there? No, but they're all right, especially at the $60 pice point they're going to occupy.

Razer's switches actually are a bit better for gaming if you like clicky switches, they have less hysteresis than MX Blues or MX Browns.

It doesn't make a difference in performance either way, though. It's just preference

[chyros]

I thought Razer products were generally just sub-par quality disguised with an incredible amount of dazzle, LEDs and a really vulgar design, and a massively inflated price .

[klennkellon]

I thought Razer products were generally just sub-par quality disguised with an incredible amount of dazzle, LEDs and a really vulgar design, and a massively inflated price .

A lot are, but their mice are very good tbh, the deathadder is a great mouse.

I think the quality of their products has gone up since years back, does anyone remember the Lycosa? The keys would literally melt if you lived anywhere remotely humid.

[xtrafrood]

I thought Razer products were generally just sub-par quality disguised with an incredible amount of dazzle, LEDs and a really vulgar design, and a massively inflated price .

A lot are, but their mice are very good tbh, the deathadder is a great mouse.

I think the quality of their products has gone up since years back, does anyone remember the Lycosa? The keys would literally melt if you lived anywhere remotely humid.

The snakes keep me away. I know a thing or three about melted keycaps 

[LiquidEvilGaming]

I thought Razer products were generally just sub-par quality disguised with an incredible amount of dazzle, LEDs and a really vulgar design, and a massively inflated price .

A lot are, but their mice are very good tbh, the deathadder is a great mouse.

I think the quality of their products has gone up since years back, does anyone remember the Lycosa? The keys would literally melt if you lived anywhere remotely humid.

Meh i have a Deathadder chroma i'm not overly impressed with it honestly, it's ergonomic in the hand i'll give it that but aside from that nothing that justifies it's price point.  I was a happy camper to get my G602 back.   Only reason i even got the deathadder was i had tons of gamestop trade in credit still and it's the only mouse they stock. 

I did have a lachesis way way back in the day very very early optical sensor and it was a fairly sturdy mouse lasted a LONG time...the Deathadder Chroma though is already developing uneven clicks on left vs right and it didn't see much use honestly, the cable is also overly stiff and thensome and the software requires online registration to use and is more stable than it used to be but still not stellar.

Really the only Razer product i actually really like is the armadillo bungee as it feels way more natural than the traditional bouncy spring design most use.  Other than that i have borrowed several,used some, reviewed others and nothing has wow'd me honestly. 

[Leslieann]

Razer's KBs have historically been all right besides the switches.

They really haven't. In fact, they were known for having crap quality long before they switched to "their own" switches. If anything, their reputation was even worse a few years ago than it is now.

Anyway, it's not like today's MX Blue switches are anything great in terms of quality, either. Certainly not to the point where throwing them into a crummy Razer keyboard will magically transform it into a good product.

This, all of it.

It had some good ideas, easy to use software, programmable, easy to find... It was just engineered poorly, somewhere along the way, things went south and ruined what could have been a good board. Bad construction, poor layout, cost cutting... The plate in them was massive, but I've seen people pull them out covered in rust (mine was well painted and no rust). Basically they had some good ideas, they just didn't get the formula right or consistent. I got the feeling, and history bears this out, given a bit more development time it could have been great, instead it was rushed to market before it was ready.

On the other hand, they had really good MX blue switches, I know people ragged on them for their "hand picked" switches, we laughed at the time, but think about what has been going on with blues lately. They had the most consistent Blues I've seen, so while some laughed, they were actually on to something there.

[klennkellon]

Razer's KBs have historically been all right besides the switches.

They really haven't. In fact, they were known for having crap quality long before they switched to "their own" switches. If anything, their reputation was even worse a few years ago than it is now.

Anyway, it's not like today's MX Blue switches are anything great in terms of quality, either. Certainly not to the point where throwing them into a crummy Razer keyboard will magically transform it into a good product.

This, all of it.

It had some good ideas, easy to use software, programmable, easy to find... It was just engineered poorly, somewhere along the way, things went south and ruined what could have been a good board. Bad construction, poor layout, cost cutting... The plate in them was massive, but I've seen people pull them out covered in rust (mine was well painted and no rust). Basically they had some good ideas, they just didn't get the formula right or consistent. I got the feeling, and history bears this out, given a bit more development time it could have been great, instead it was rushed to market before it was ready.

On the other hand, they had really good MX blue switches, I know people ragged on them for their "hand picked" switches, we laughed at the time, but think about what has been going on with blues lately. They had the most consistent Blues I've seen, so while some laughed, they were actually on to something there.

Oh yes. my Blackwidow was completely consisent from day 1, and after being worn in for 4 years, they are THE SMOOTHEST switches I've ever tried.

[Lepidus]

Still not that worth if its OEM is still iOne.

Well, razer changed their razer switch manufacturer from kailh to greetech recently, so hopefully maybe they changed their keyboards OEM too.

[exit]

Still not that worth if its OEM is still iOne.

Well, razer changed their razer switch manufacturer from kailh to greetech recently, so hopefully maybe they changed their keyboards OEM too.

They've changed to Solid Year which is the same OEM as Corsair and Logitech since the 2013 version. None of their keyboards since then have had any quality control issues (apart from the switches) I hope not this many people are still living in the past.

[saxophone]

lmao suspend key design mmmm.... can you smell that cheap chinese OEM.

Razers keyboards have always been terrible I still remember their old riced out "gaming" rubber domes retailing for $60 that couldn't even pass the basic brown fox lazy dog test while the microsoft sidewinder for $30 passes it with flying colors. 

[Leslieann]

Still not that worth if its OEM is still iOne.

Well, razer changed their razer switch manufacturer from kailh to greetech recently, so hopefully maybe they changed their keyboards OEM too.

They've changed to Solid Year which is the same OEM as Corsair and Logitech since the 2013 version. None of their keyboards since then have had any quality control issues (apart from the switches) I hope not this many people are still living in the past.

Reminds me of...
“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”

It's not a matter of living in the past, the new boards may be fine, but when it takes several years and revisions to get it right, you burn a lot of bridges on people who bought the previous.

[exit]

Still not that worth if its OEM is still iOne.

Well, razer changed their razer switch manufacturer from kailh to greetech recently, so hopefully maybe they changed their keyboards OEM too.

They've changed to Solid Year which is the same OEM as Corsair and Logitech since the 2013 version. None of their keyboards since then have had any quality control issues (apart from the switches) I hope not this many people are still living in the past.

Reminds me of...
“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”

It's not a matter of living in the past, the new boards may be fine, but when it takes several years and revisions to get it right, you burn a lot of bridges on people who bought the previous.

Only those who have bought the BlackWidow keyboards before 2012 have an iOne keyboard. Chances are that if someone is having issues with one of those, they would have bought another keyboard which would likely have been made by Solid Year given that three of the largest mechanical keyboard brands are using it. Every time someone is buying a Logitech g710 or Corsair, they're effectively buying a Razer keyboard which is why I don't think Razer has any issues with the quality control of their keyboards and their only focus should be the switches.

[FLFisherman]

Still not that worth if its OEM is still iOne.

Well, razer changed their razer switch manufacturer from kailh to greetech recently, so hopefully maybe they changed their keyboards OEM too.

They've changed to Solid Year which is the same OEM as Corsair and Logitech since the 2013 version. None of their keyboards since then have had any quality control issues (apart from the switches) I hope not this many people are still living in the past.

Reminds me of...
“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”

It's not a matter of living in the past, the new boards may be fine, but when it takes several years and revisions to get it right, you burn a lot of bridges on people who bought the previous.

The people that actually know about keyboards are not their intended market. I doubt Razer cares.

The "gamers" that Razer targets will be more than happy to pay $10 less for these keyboards. They care about price and "gaming" features, and not so much about quality or previous issues with their brand.

[Leslieann]

Only those who have bought the BlackWidow keyboards before 2012 have an iOne keyboard. Chances are that if someone is having issues with one of those, they would have bought another keyboard which would likely have been made by Solid Year given that three of the largest mechanical keyboard brands are using it. Every time someone is buying a Logitech g710 or Corsair, they're effectively buying a Razer keyboard which is why I don't think Razer has any issues with the quality control of their keyboards and their only focus should be the switches.

Mine was a 2010 I believe.
Corsair and Logitech were 2 and 3 years after the original BW, and even then it took quite a while for them to really penetrate brick and mortar stores, where Razer had been for years.

And I did replace it within that time, but not with one of those.

The people that actually know about keyboards are not their intended market. I doubt Razer cares.

The "gamers" that Razer targets will be more than happy to pay $10 less for these keyboards. They care about price and "gaming" features, and not so much about quality or previous issues with their brand.

I was trying to explain their reputation here, not explain their customer base.

[klennkellon]

My G1 Model M (iOne) worked until just this last year, the cable began to fail so I dismantled it and threw the board away except for the switches.

109+ extremely worn in and very consistent MX Blues