Cherry G80-1800, G80-3000 and G80-11900 rollover?

[despicable_italian]

Hi folks, I would very much appreciate your expertise here. The question is in the title but the whole story is this:

I would really like a classic keyboard with black switches. I know there are a lot better options when it comes to both the switch and keyboard manufacturer but living in the Balkans it's absurdly expensive to get most items from outside the country.
What I could get my hands on for a fair price are the keyboards mentioned in the title. All of them are brand new (new stock), have MX Black switches and have a USB/PS2 combo via adapter (maybe not the 11900).
The problem is, I've read on some places that all Cherry keyboards have 2 key rollover while others say that modern ones have 4, 6 or even NKRO with the PS2 adapter.
Now, I only play games casually so I have no need for NKRO. 6 would be just fine and I guess 4 would do the trick also. I've tried playing with 2 KRO on an old board and it just doesn't cut it (W+A and CTRL doesn't respond).

If anyone could give me more information I would be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!

* LINKS TO PRODUCTS *:
https://iponcomp.com/shop/product/cherry-g80-1800-mechanical-us-english-black/1010859
https://iponcomp.com/shop/product/cherry-g80-3000-german-black/1717265
https://iponcomp.com/shop/product/cherry-touchboard-g80-11900-black/637665

[Faceman76]

Is there any way to source a The Key Company 1800 board in your region?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[despicable_italian]

Nothing like that unfortunately... Even if it ships here the postage and taxes would cost me double the value of the board.
It's a third-world thing...

[Findecanor]

Those are all "2-KRO". However, "2-KRO" is for the worst case. Which keys that are possible to press together differs between keyboard models depending on the exact matrix in the keyboard. The matrices are also different between contemporary G80-series boards and older G80-boards with the same model number without Windows keys.

IMHO, new Cherry G80-series keyboards are overpriced, for the build quality.
You can still get good used ones on German eBay (ebay.de) for less.

Cherry did once make a gaming-version of the G80-1800 with NKRO: the Raptor Gaming K1.
There have also been replacement PCBs for G80-1800 with support for programmable firmware and NKRO.
Some, but not all of the Cherry G80-1000 which preceded the G80-3000 did also have NKRO.

[despicable_italian]

I'm sad to hear this...
I was really hoping to get the 1800 but 2KRO is simply not acceptable. Cherry should have fixed this. Even the cheapest membrane boards have at least 4KRO.
The Raptor one would be perfect but I can't find one for sale anywhere.
Guess I'll just wait for another affordable board with black switches to come to my market.

[Findecanor]

I'm sad to hear this...
I was really hoping to get the 1800 but 2KRO is simply not acceptable. Cherry should have fixed this.

Don't be so discouraged! What I meant is that there might exist key combinations of several keys that do work. Which key combinations do you need?

Myself, among Cherry keyboards with Windows keys, I have only got a G80-3000 right now that I can test combos on for you. Maybe someone else could test something else.

Even the cheapest membrane boards have at least 4KRO.

That's not true. They are also 2KRO.

In practice, there exists only 2KRO, 6KRO and NKRO. If you see something else, it is most likely marketing choosing to count in a non-standard way to make their product look better than it really is.

[despicable_italian]

I would greatly appreciate any input. However, I have contacted Cherry Americas support and they have confirmed that no changes were made regarding rollover from the old boards.
I currently use a Lenovo Enhanced Performance Keyboard 2 (the newer model). It's a generic membrane keyboard with stiffer buttons and I really enjoy mashing on them, that's why I think MX Blacks are for me. As far as I could test, it has 6KRO. Absolutely no problems like the ones mentioned below.
As i mentioned, I enjoy playing casual games that usually require to hold down movement keys (W/S + A/D) and press something else while holding (left CTRL, left Shift, left Alt, Space, Caps Lock sometimes, maybe arrow keys). Something like that.
I once played on a vintage mechanical keyboard ( don't know how old but it had a DIN connector) and CTRL wouldn't register because I was holding W+A. It registered once I released one of them. That was a deal breaker.
Thanks again for your help!
 

[HungerMechanic]

I would really like a classic keyboard with black switches.

How is shipping from China? If it's not too bad, you could get:

https://ymdkey.com/collections/75-84-96-keyboard-diy/products/gb-ncr-80-r2-vintage-mechanical-keyboard-kit

and put Blacks in it.

[Faceman76]

There's the classifieds here or r/MechMarket for a TKC1800 or similar quality 1800 board/complete keyboard.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[despicable_italian]

Unfortunatley, these options are too expensive.
With expensive shipping to here and the rotten government taxing the product and shipping (not kidding) it's too much. I've looked at a $55 keyboard recently that would cost me $130 in total...
However, I may have found an acceptable solution.
I can get a Keychron K8 with hot swap switches for a little less than $100 and order Gateron Blacks (or ink blacks) from AliExpress for about $20. The consensus is that Gateron Blacks are a lot better than modern Cherry Blacks anyway.
It doesn't have a classic design and it's tkl but I will get used to it or maybe wait for a full size version to be available.
Any thoughts or tips?

[HungerMechanic]

Keychrons are fairly functional keyboards - most of the models should work decently.

I have heard of issues, things that customizers would notice. In terms of which way the housing is facing, case and typing angle, keycap binding on some models. Some issues with hotswap sockets coming loose.

But some models are better than others. I would recommend looking up what people think of the K8, especially on sites like this one, Keebtalk, and on reddit. And Discord, if possible. This will give you a much clearer picture.

From a functional standpoint, it should be entirely possible to put Gateron Blacks into a K8. Ink Blacks are actually quite good, and apparently don't need to be modded. So with Ink Blacks, you should get switches smoother than MX Black. It's a workable solution, in theory.

[despicable_italian]

Just a quick update.
I realized that I didn't fully understand what rollover meant and that I've been using 2KRO boards my whole life and never saw the need for anything more, so I would have no problem with my next board being 2KRO also.
The board on which I experienced actual "max 2 keys" was a very old, no-brand board and the pcb was probably poorly designed.
The key combinations I use for games will work on pretty much any keyboard.
That said, I ordered the G80-1800 and it arrived today.
The design is a bit funky and the tiny keys in the bottom row will surely require some time to adjust to but the overall experience is very positive. The construction is solid and it has enough weight so it doesn't slide on the desk.
As for the switches, heavy linears are definitely for me. I really enjoy mashing on them and the *thock* they produce is very satisfying. They are a little scratchy but it's not as bad as some people describe. I think they will break in after a few months of typing. (Thou, I have a sample key of Gateron Black and it's a lot smoother)
All-in-all, I am happy with my new keyboard. Thanks to everyone for their inpu!