Rapid button mashing

[Thomat]

Hi I have a quick question regarding mechanical keyboards, which type of switch is better suited for rapid button mashing?
I'm going to buy a new keyboard, but I can't decide whether I want brown switches or black switches.
I've been researching a little on some forums and I hear people saying Cherry MX Black switches are better for gaming since there is no tactile feedback and you're going to be pushing the keys all the way down to the bottom anyways.
I've also seen some people saying that since there is less resistance on the Cherry MX Brown switches, they would be better suited for rapid button mashing.

[Jalal]

Why are Blacks better for games where you move a character (reds are equivalent to blacks in this case):

Originally Posted by mcbrite  View Post
Really, the only instance where reds are better than blues is when you have to press keys very quickly... Imagine balancing on a wire in an FPS-game and you'll get what I'm trying to say...

The blacks are linear so you can stop right before the actuation point and release the actuation point directly. So you are able to make very precise movements which makes it good for balancing on a rope for example. And you can stop your movement directly to aim properly. Also a porblem i always have is when i want to go at the edge of a cliff or border with rubber domes, i easily move to much and fall. But with blacks i should be able to do it without moving to much.

But you want to mash keys rapidly. btw for playing Starcraft 2? Anyway, then either browns which are light or whites, are tactile like the browns but require a bit more force which should make them better for mashing i guess. DEck has keyboards with white switches. But browns will do also or sure, but note that they are lighter than normal rubber domes.

[Thomat]

Thanks for the reply,
As for the blacks, are they be more resistive than a rubber dome switch? And wouldn't it be easier to stop at the actuation point on a tactile switch?

My style of button mashing results in bottoming out anyway, I was just wondering if its better to button mash(bottoming out) with browns or blacks.
I don't think I will be going for whites though since they would probably be harder to bottom out

Also I don't play Starcraft 2, I'm playing some other game that's kind of a mix between a fps and tekken

[Arc'xer]

Huge difference between blacks and browns. The blacks after typing on the browns best analogy is like typing on soap dispensers that resist all the way down. It's why the reds are becoming more desirable than blacks, some like them and they are indeed better than any membrane dome.

But thinking back I think it might have been a waste of money. Well not a complete waste but a slight regret. Still I gotta agree with Jalal browns for gaming are fine and must less tiring. He's right in that the linear are rapid but thinking back while nice browns seem much better.

The resistance of membrane domes are hard to measure due to them wearing out, hell I even read on threads of membrane domes beginning to wear down after just a week of use, usually around the 40-50 area if I'm not mistaken for membrane. Browns are lighter than membrane domes but they have consistency plus the tactile bump gives an impression of a higher resistance even if it is temporary. Blacks are 40-60-80cN(grams), starts at 40, actuates at 60, bottoms out at 80 but can keep going. Blacks are sometimes called progressive-linear, since they are a nearly if not a straight line and subtly increase.

Honestly I hate recommending switches, I always feel like I'm giving the wrong advice or people will regret it. But I'd say go for the browns, you won't regret them and they are light but not in a negative way. As long as you learn to type on them properly not only will you fly on them but they don't seem horrible for FPS games. I'll admit they are a bit slower than the blacks with the blacks you can rest on them and actuate them quickly but the browns aren't a slouch in speed either, just feels a bit like friction and going over a bump. If your lucky to find a cherry mx red than that would be nice.

Like I said take it with a grain of salt you might like the mx black but I gotta agree with some who've said it's difficult to suggest blacks for a first timer.

[Jalal]

Blacks are a bit harder to bottom out than whites. About if blacks are more resistive than rubber domes, yes they are. Can't give you numbers, but others can.

And wouldn't it be easier to stop at the actuation point on a tactile switch?

No, because the blacks are linear you can stop directly above the actuation point, and then just press a little, not bottoming out, to fast double tap or make fine movements. With browns you always bottom out and release the key to its initial position.

All i can really say for sure is that i remember the feel of blacks mashing them and it was nothing special for me. But better than rubber domes. I was suggesting tactile becasue of what i've read from others, i havn't tried them myself, so i shouldn't speak further haha.

[Thomat]

Ok, thanks!
I'll probably go with black as they sound better suited for me and is more available.

[Thomat]

Ah, well anything is probably an upgrade from my current Saitek keyboard with 3KRO, I just wanted to know what the best suited upgrade was, and I see blacks as the better option.

[aj-kun]

Cherry's were highly recommended when i used to play worms armageddon online alot.
I destroyed many spacebars playing that game.

[Azuremen]

Ah, well anything is probably an upgrade from my current Saitek keyboard with 3KRO, I just wanted to know what the best suited upgrade was, and I see blacks as the better option.

Blacks are good because you can learn the actuation point fairly quickly and just rapidly move above and below it, without releasing the key fully or bottoming out.

Reds work the same way, just less force.

Blues have the release a bit above the actuation, so you can't get this effect, but if you are fully pressing and releasing the key, it won't matter anyhow.