In search of a mechanical keyboard..

[Pyroroth]

Hello, I am new to geekhack, but have been looking through the forums for quite some time now. I have been in the market for a new keyboard for probably 3 months now and I cannot decide what kind of switches I should get. Can someone who has either blue and or brown switches tell me what it feels like when you bottom out on both switches compared to a rubber dome keyboard? This is my main concern because as a wow player I tend to slam my fingers into the keys sometimes depending on what I'm doing. Is it "bad" for the keyboard if you are to hold down the keys like you would in wow when running etc.? I don't want to feel like I'm breaking the keys every time I push down on them harshly. I am also considering black switches, although the fact they aren't quite as nice to type on turns me off a bit. Are blacks really that bad for typing or is just because blues/browns are so much better?

Another problem I have been running into has been the fact that the only 2 companies I can see myself ordering them from would be either das or filco, and filco stocks up reaaaaaaally slowly. Any word as to when filco "should" restock?

Any help or insight you could provide will be greatly helpful =D

p.s I also play other games such as dota/lol/sc2/fps'.. just not quite as much as wow so keep that in mind.

[hfcobra]

Hello, I am new to geekhack, but have been looking through the forums for quite some time now. I have been in the market for a new keyboard for probably 3 months now and I cannot decide what kind of switches I should get. Can someone who has either blue and or brown switches tell me what it feels like when you bottom out on both switches compared to a rubber dome keyboard? This is my main concern because as a wow player I tend to slam my fingers into the keys sometimes depending on what I'm doing. Is it "bad" for the keyboard if you are to hold down the keys like you would in wow when running etc.? I don't want to feel like I'm breaking the keys every time I push down on them harshly. I am also considering black switches, although the fact they aren't quite as nice to type on turns me off a bit. Are blacks really that bad for typing or is just because blues/browns are so much better?

Another problem I have been running into has been the fact that the only 2 companies I can see myself ordering them from would be either das or filco, and filco stocks up reaaaaaaally slowly. Any word as to when filco "should" restock?

Any help or insight you could provide will be greatly helpful =D

p.s I also play other games such as dota/lol/sc2/fps'.. just not quite as much as wow so keep that in mind.

well the filcos you will have to order from out of the country, EK no longer carries them.   I am typing on blues right now and let me tell you they feel awesome.   Browns are generally better for gaming over blues and still pretty good at typing.   If you want the perfect switch i would try out a cherry red, but you will have to order out of the US for those for sure.   Also, when you bottom out on a mech keyboard you are hitting the bottom of the board which is a metal plate, the stop is pretty sudden, but it is not bad for your keyboard.  With rubber domes is seems that no matter how far down they go, they can always go a little farther.....unitl they break.  You wont break a mech keyboard unless you are throwing it out a window or something crazy like that  (it might still survive)

Have you seen the mechanical keyboard guide on here?

i missed some questions, black are just harder to press down so some people (myself included) do not enjoy typing on them very much.  They are linear though, which makes them easy to game on and you dont accidentally hit keys since they are a little tougher to press down.  If you dont like the blacks then reds are the lighter version of them, but like i said you will not find those in the US anywhere.  Clears are a heavier brown and blues are like browns just a tiny bit heavier and they click when you press them.

[hfcobra]

could not find the one here on GeekHack, so here is the same guide but from OCN

http://www.overclock.net/keyboards/491752-mechanical-keyboard-guide.html

[Pyroroth]

Yes, I have actually seen that guide. It certainly helps with the basic info about like the specs of each switch, but it's not really helping my case too much. I've seen quite a few threads about blues vs browns for gaming and there is no clear winner so I was just hoping to find some people who have used both for gaming and could give me some advice.

I kind of like the idea of my keyboard being annoying to others when I use it (kind of my personality). I just wanted to make sure that because of the fact the actuation point is only 1/2  that going all the way down wasn't necessarily bad for the keyboard.

[hfcobra]

Yes, I have actually seen that guide. It certainly helps with the basic info about like the specs of each switch, but it's not really helping my case too much. I've seen quite a few threads about blues vs browns for gaming and there is no clear winner so I was just hoping to find some people who have used both for gaming and could give me some advice.

I kind of like the idea of my keyboard being annoying to others when I use it (kind of my personality). I just wanted to make sure that because of the fact the actuation point is only 1/2  that going all the way down wasn't necessarily bad for the keyboard.

not at all, you dont need to worry about breaking your keyboard so long as you keep it clean.   If you like bothering people so much then get a blue, but any mechanical will be quite a bit louder than a rubber dome anyways.  IMO blues are great for typing and i really like them, i have tried a few browns but never owned one (i will soon hopefully) and they are just lighter, less clicky blues, but still make a loud noise when you bottom out.  If you play WOW a lot i would recommend the browns since you will be doing typing and gaming at the same time with that game.  Blues will work fine too, but that is just what i think.

[bakageta]

If you tend to spam keys in WoW/etc, which it seems most WoW players do, I'd avoid the blues... The release point on them is higher than the activation point, so you have to basically completely let off the key to keep spamming it. It's less of an issue for games you don't mash on a single key, and some people fully release anyway, so some people can game just fine on blues, but I know I personally had issues with them.

I think the poll here had roughly 1 in 6 people with issues gaming on blues, but I'm not sure offhand. It's really best if you can try them both yourself, but that's not an option for most people. Blues and browns will both bottom out harder than a rubber dome board, there's nothing to cushion them, but it's not bad for the keys, slam away.

[Pyroroth]

When I spam keys I usually let the key depress all the way before hitting it again so I don't think that should be an issue. I think I will have to resolve this issue like I do with most decisions, flip a coin. lol

It's not that I COULDN'T spend the 300$ for both I would just rather not get 2 and have to send one back because I'm horridly lazy.

[keyboardlover]

could not find the one here on GeekHack, so here is the same guide but from OCN

http://www.overclock.net/keyboards/491752-mechanical-keyboard-guide.html

Don't use that wiki. Use the GeekHack one instead. Please. For the love of God.

[hfcobra]

Don't use that wiki. Use the GeekHack one instead. Please. For the love of God.

what is the difference between the two anyways?  i thought that they were both just copies of one another.

[keyboardlover]

Ours has pretty pictures.

=)

[hfcobra]

lol, i did some checking and they still have the Scorpius listed as a keyboard and have not taken that one down since the U9BL basically replaced it.   They really do need to do some updating.  Our pics are very pretty too of course