How much difference does a case make?

[Descartes]

Hi all,

I'm new to Geekhack and mechanical keyboards in general. I just got a POK3R with MX Clears and (for better or worse) am already thinking about another board when I saw that Royal Navy was being re-released. I am between a few options: one would be to get another POK3R with either blues or browns and RGB lighting. I figure it could be fun to have a soft, single color that complements a nice set of keycaps, be they the Royal Navy set or something else. Another option, though, would be a SABER68 or 68, probably the latter. The loss of RGB lighting is no big deal at all, and it is a fair bit cheaper. The main downside would be the case that the board is in, the POK3R coming with a nice, hefty aluminum case and the SABER in plastic. But it would have the upside of getting some MOD-L or MOD-M switches, which seem really cool (the Clears are a wee bit too heavy for long typing sessions still, although I may come to get more used to them). I know I can always replace the saber case with something custom, and maybe with a color that pairs nicely with some keycaps, but at that point it's more than a POK3R. How much of a difference do you all feel a case makes? I imagine opinions are split, and I'm interested to hear! (And as a side note, if anyone has strong feelings about the MOD switches, give a  shout!)

Peace!

[Leslieann]

Many things effect how a case will feel, however, how much, depends on the person, for me, a stainless steel plate feels different from an aluminum plate.

Personally,
I prefer aluminum, it feels good and it lasts, however, I also really like my Magicforce which is a plastic case and aluminum plate, it works really well. Better yet, it's so small and lightwieght that I can literally toss it onto a shelf, the floor, a shelf etc.. and not worry about it hurting anything. Compare that to my Filco, which I'm sure has put a few dents in the floor under the carpet. I don't dare let it fall onto my desk or toes (it weighs 5 pounds!). So which is better? Well I recently bought a new 75% and it's aluminum, but it was almost a plex case, why? Because so long as it's stiff enough, it won't matter. The main reason I didn't get the plex was because I didn't like how the case was held together. It was better constructed, and the company had a good reputation, but I didn't like how it was assembled.

What should you get?
Key switches are FAR more important than the case construction, find the switch you like, then later, find a case you want to put those switches into. You type on the keys, not the case, so long as the case is decent, it will be good enough.

[HotRoderX]

I own a Tada 68 which is basically a Chinese Saber 68 and I got mine for 150 with aluminum case from https://kbdfans.cn/collections/keyboard/products/tada68-mechanical-keyboard-gateron-swtich-65-layout-dye-sub-keycaps-cherry-profils?variant=34710238797 they also offer the plastic case version for 99.99.

I paid a bit extra for shipping ((I want to say 15 bucks)) and had it with in a week. The entire transaction was extremely smooth and extremely quick. I had it sooner but it got held up for a extra day in China! It hit the end of day block where it wasn't passed on to the next hub in time. Overall was a very nice pleasant experience.

I have a poker 3 also with mx clears and the case is nice but truthfully its nothing special. The Aluminum is a nice basic entry level case but its nothing to write home about. After feeling the chunk of Aluminum on the Tada 68. That thing is a beast it easily weights several lbs and wouldn't want to drop it on my foot could easily see it breaking a toe!. When compared to the poker 3 case the Poker 3 seems almost like it should be a plastic case.

As far as MOD-M switches go I have a Saber on its way to me now.. thats not going to be here until the Tuesday. It has the tactile Mod-M switches. The things I have read about these switches lead me to think Mod-M switches will be on Par with Cherry Clears as far as force.

I know you mentioned you wanted a lighter switch. I was in the same boat I wanted something a hair lighter then the Clears so I got my Tada with Gateron blacks.. and it might be my end game switch. its like a mix between cherry MX blues and Clears to my fingers. Its exceptionally smooth way smoother then Cherry Blacks. It has what feels like a 50-55gr activation force. The blacks are not tactile or clicky which is something I honestly enjoy.

The Mod-L sounded a lot like cherry reds which I tried typing on it was like trying to type on air. The key's where just far far to light for my taste and made it extremely hard to type.

 Though keep in mind this is all subjective! What one person finds is the perfect typing switch another will hate with a passion. I still don't think you can go wrong with the Tada/Sabers over the Poker3 special if you think there is a chance you might miss your arrow keys.

[tp4tissue]

It doesn't do anything at all..

It's a --status-- item type thing among --Geeks--

There's no keyboard related functional improvement whatsoever..

[merlin64]

Don't listen to tp4tissue, his opinion only matters when girls are involved. 

In my experience, putting my 65g ergo clear board from a Pok3r case to the Tao Bao case, somehow made the switches more crisp and tactile. Could be all in my head, but that's what I feel happened.

[Findecanor]

- Height and inclination of case matters of course.
- I find that sound has also an effect on how the feel is perceived. A loud keyboard can be a quite a different experience while wearing closed headphones that play music.

[davkol]

Why a case at all? Because it protects the circuit/controller/… from the outside (dirt, impacts, shocks,…) and serves as an interface between those and the surface (a bare PCB might wobble on the desk). It also gives the keyboard an incline and shape in general (especially contoured ergonomic keyboards: Maltron, Kinesis, Dactyl…).

A simple plastic enclosure can do all that just fine, unless the keyboard is supposed to withstand extreme torque and other unusual treatments: it's a keyboard, it sits on the desk and the user just hits relatively low-force buttons. Perhaps in a factory… but that's not an use case usually discussed around here.

There _are_ bad cases, that don't support the keyboard when typing and let it flex even on keystrokes (usually because there's no plate or PCB damping). Some may amplify certain aspects of key sounds as well, or create new sounds, such as creaking. That's just bad design. The case should _absorb_ sound if anything—we're talking about tools for typing, not musical instruments.

You can make a ton of money by selling snake-oil fancy cases though.

[Targa-TV]

Davkol is right in saying that the case is merely a protection against dust and accidental shocks and impacts or accidental spilling of liquids.  I'm a bit of a black sheep here because I use an old G80-3000 retired from an office environment. As Chyros would say it's a flimsy thin piece of plastic with no weight to speak of. This said, it's not different from my Filco's case in so far as it protects the PCB and switches from dust, impacts and liquids. It does not influence my typing experience, I am a very light typist so there is no risk for me to flex anything while typing and I don't twist the keyboard like some reviewers do to show the flimsiness of some cases. So my opinion is that it doesn't make any difference for its basic purpose: protecting the PCB and switches.

If your keyboard remains in the same position on your spacious desk every day, and you shift documents around though, a heavier case doesn't slide around easily so you don't have to re-position it. On the contrary, if you have little to no real estate at your place, like me, and your desk is very cramped, a lighter case be easily picked up or pushed around when you need to switch between different activities. For instance, if I want to edit a document, do some calligraphy, write in my journal etc, I just push the keyboard a bit. With the Filco, I need to pick it up and relocate it. Again when I'm ready to go back to browsing or typing I pull my G80 with my thumb and index finger and bring it in front of me, which I cannot do with the Filco.

[davkol]

If your keyboard remains in the same position on your spacious desk every day, and you shift documents around though, a heavier case doesn't slide around easily so you don't have to re-position it.

That's the job for rubber feet or antislip stripes. Making the keyboard a metal brick instead is idiocy. That DIY project with a concrete case was at least fun in its absurdity.

[Findecanor]

There are those that have modded their cases with weights of different kinds and claim that noise is reduced because supposedly, the mass absorbs vibrations.

[Badwrench]

Many things effect how a case will feel, however, how much, depends on the person, for me, a stainless steel plate feels different from an aluminum plate.

Personally,
I prefer aluminum, it feels good and it lasts, however, I also really like my Magicforce which is a plastic case and aluminum plate, it works really well. Better yet, it's so small and lightwieght that I can literally toss it onto a shelf, the floor, a shelf etc.. and not worry about it hurting anything. Compare that to my Filco, which I'm sure has put a few dents in the floor under the carpet. I don't dare let it fall onto my desk or toes (it weighs 5 pounds!). So which is better? Well I recently bought a new 75% and it's aluminum, but it was almost a plex case, why? Because so long as it's stiff enough, it won't matter. The main reason I didn't get the plex was because I didn't like how the case was held together. It was better constructed, and the company had a good reputation, but I didn't like how it was assembled.

What should you get?
Key switches are FAR more important than the case construction, find the switch you like, then later, find a case you want to put those switches into. You type on the keys, not the case, so long as the case is decent, it will be good enough.

I totally agree.  The switches and caps are far more important.  Perfect example is my old Coolermaster Quickfire Rapid with mx blues.  With the stock caps is feels cheap.  Same board with quality caps  (thick abs or pbt) and it feels like a totally different board.  Same board with the good caps and lining the inside of the case with sound deadening and it changes yet again.  The sound of the board is not as hollow, so the whole thing just feels higher quality. 

Also, the Magicforce 68 is a hidden gem of a little board.  I am currently typing on one that I bought on a whim (silver case with Outemu browns and replaced the caps with thick pbt) and it is the first board of dozens that my Wife has commented on liking without me asking if she noticed something different.  I went with the non backlit version for $40 shipped, but for $20 more you can have it backlit with Gaterons of your choice. 

[Targa-TV]

If your keyboard remains in the same position on your spacious desk every day, and you shift documents around though, a heavier case doesn't slide around easily so you don't have to re-position it.

That's the job for rubber feet or antislip stripes. Making the keyboard a metal brick instead is idiocy. That DIY project with a concrete case was at least fun in its absurdity.

I have noticed that when rubber feet are coated with a thin layer of dust (read: 4-5 days), they slide around very easily. I keep the rubber feet of the G80 up most of the time because the angle is useful to read documents better on it, but they are not much in terms of keeping the keyboard in place when I push it away from me if the surface of the desk is a bit dusty. Since my G80 is very old, maybe the rubber... how to say... maybe the old rubber lost its anti-slip grip?

[ander]

I can't believe my good fortune, knowing about this site. Whenever my wife thinks I'm obsessed with keebs, all I have to do is point her to a topic like this and she stops bothering me about it. In fact, it's such a cool thing, I've just honoured it in my sig.

Okay then, carry on about the slightly dusty feet and case-feel and so forth—and thanks!

[Targa-TV]

Okay then, carry on about the slightly dusty feet and case-feel and so forth—and thanks!

I love threads like this too. I have few hobbies but I get absurdly passionate and obsessive about them.
I don't talk about them to my relative or friends in RL because they would be the same as your wife, they wouldn't understand how such topics would require so much attention to details, so I keep to myself in RL but I go all-out here. I'm not even sorry!

[tp4tissue]

Okay then, carry on about the slightly dusty feet and case-feel and so forth—and thanks!

I love threads like this too. I have few hobbies but I get absurdly passionate and obsessive about them.
I don't talk about them to my relative or friends in RL because they would be the same as your wife, they wouldn't understand how such topics would require so much attention to details, so I keep to myself in RL but I go all-out here. I'm not even sorry!

Tp4 understands.. 

Tp4 understands that it's frivolous that is..

hahahahahaha


Ur wives are right ..


Geeks buy keyboards like women buy shoes..



Tp4 buys 100% veggie 10% fat products..

[Targa-TV]

Ur wives are right ..

Geeks buy keyboards like women buy shoes

Not married nor will I ever be from the looks of my obsession with my hobbies! Bachelor life for mee

Oh, now that you mention it I need a pair of light shoes... Hopefully GMK Laser won't drop before then!