a good time to get into a mechanical board?

[silk186]

Currently I have a ms erg 4k but I have become increasingly interested in tryout out a mech board.  I don't want to sink $300 or more into a board i have never tried before so I will go the other way.  I'm looking for a tenkeyless board with LED.

One of the recent  boards that caught my attention was the corsair vengeance with a good brand reputation and reasonable price. Then i discovered it was a hybrid board and the the k60 didn't have backlighting.  

In the forum I saw aboard, KBC Poker backlit? (won't let me link to it for some reason). It's so clean looking and a nice design, I like the detachable cord and size.

Next I came across the CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with a choice of switches.

Both boards (KGB & CM) offer red switches which seem to be the most desired. It seems very convenient that I live in China where shipping costs me less then $2.

CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with red switches is 110 CAD shipped in china
How is the backlighting in the CM storm? I have a storm enforcer case so it would be great if they matched.
Are reds worth the price premium? I thought that people wanted browns and blacks, how are reds better?

[Clickey]

Good question I also want to know how people compare those boards. Blacks are terrible for everything (especially gaming) IMO, don't consider blacks at all. Reds are the lightest cherry switch which is why they are so desirable. Browns are tactile with only a little more than reds in terms of force, and blacks are almost twice as stiff as reds.

[duncan]

how are reds better?

If you don't yet understand that there is really no such thing as "better" in the context of the range of Cherry switches then now's the time.

No switch is better than the others. What is different is how much the human hitting the key enjoys one switch over another. What is heaven for one person is hell for another person.

You will need to try the switches and make your own decision as to which is the best switch for you for a given purpose. As you will see from the sigs of most people here people often have more than one switch type in current use which is another hint that there is never one switch that is "better" than the others.

[silk186]

I understand that they can not be ranked, but it seems that blues are the least desirable, due to inherent attributes
black and brown are often described as being ideal for gaming
reds seems too be highly sought after
then whites, clears, greys, greens and possible others i have no idea about.

I understand that it is a preference,  so i ask, why do so many people prefer reds? Many people on the forums were complaining that CM boards with red were Asia only.

It also seems that Noppoo should have a tenkeyless LED option? can seem to find a site that has a comprehensive collection of mechanical keyboards, I will Newegg had more and labeled them better.

[duncan]

I understand that they can not be ranked, but it seems that blues are the least desirable, due to inherent attributes

On the contrary. Blues are far and away my favourite Cherry switch.
 

black and brown are often described as being ideal for gaming

Blacks are described that way by *some* people.
Browns are not 'ideal for gaming'. They are just considered by many to be a middle of the road compromise. They are 'ideal' at nothing in my opinion, but are not awful at anything either.

reds seems too be highly sought after

Yep a light linear switch that is some people's favourite.

then whites, clears, greys, greens and possible others i have no idea about.

I understand that it is a preference,  so i ask, why do so many people prefer reds? Many people on the forums were complaining that CM boards with red were Asia only.

The people complaining were complaining because they like the red switch.
Maybe you will like it when you try it. Maybe you will hate it.


Focus less on the colour for the moment.

Do you want a switch that is tactile or linear?

If you aren't sure what the difference is then do some research into those words here in GH.

Once you have made that decision we can focus down on what the options are in the relevant switch type.

[SBI]

What? Why would blues be undesirable? Or is that just your taste?

€: Yeah I figure I should've refreshed before posting...

[fusedpro]

Blues are desirable because they are tactile and clicky. Browns are desirable because they are tactile. Blacks/reds are desirable because they are linear and heavy/light respectively. From there, it is all personal preference. I got a Blue Switch because I really liked the clicky aspect. Brown switches are somewhat safer if you do not know what you want, but the tactile bump isn't very pronounced so you'll probably be blowing through it with normal typing, leaving a linear-like feel (with some grit) or a tactile feel if you look for it. I'll be going for a linear board next just to try the complete opposite of what I have now.

[False_Dmitry_II]

I give a big meh to linear in general.

I generally prefer clicky and tactile. So buckling springs, white alps (with weaker springs) and so forth.

[keyboardlover]

You can also find a good list by clicking the link in my sig.

[ruiner17]

It will be hard to tell which switch you will like until you personally try them all. I also came from the MS Natural 4k and picked up a Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless w/ Browns just last week as my first mechanical keyboard.
After much research, the browns appeared to be the middle ground out of all the Cherry switches and provided a good feel for many new mechanical keyboard owners - so this is what I went with. I have been very happy with the keyboard but again, I haven't tried any other. The biggest difference for me was reverting back to a standard key layout from the Ergo. But after a few days use, it feels good!

I also read that it doesn't really matter which switch you buy now...you'll end up buying them all eventually. :wof:

[Lanx]

cherry keyswitches are super subjective to the user. There is no one better than another, just depends on your tastes and prefs.

[Glockateer]

It is a great time to buy them... when I got my Filco there weren't all these keyboards everywhere. In fact, I went from the ms ergo 4000 after years to a filco with browns. Any of my friends who were interested in mechs, I tended to suggest browns first since it is a good middle-ground key and widely available. I think SC2 had a bit of influence on some of the gaming mechs that came out after the game hit big.

[pitashen]

OP, if you have any doubt, cherry brown switch is a good and safe newb pick. You can't really go wrong with it. Only when you start using one, you would have a better idea what other switches you might like better.

[pitashen]

OP, if you have any doubt, cherry brown switch is a good and safe newb pick. You can't really go wrong with it. Only when you start using one, you would have a better idea what other switches you might like better.

BTW. I wouldn't get back-lid boards. Its quite nasty once you wear off the coating on the translucent keycap.

[qtan5370]

Well, Get a Noppoo with LED, or wait for Ducky shine arrive next month.

[silk186]

The ducky shine is already available for 140+ shipping

Until reading keyboardlover's guide I hadn't realized how many Chinese mechanical keyboard options there were.  Since I'm currently living in China the cost of shipping is negligible for buying online.

It seems that I will have to go to the local computer city and try to find a shop that specializes in mechanical keyboards.  I have hope, last couple of years I had to order everything from Shanghai, this week when I went in one shop had a 6 and 9 screen eyeinfinity setup, and another guy brought in his dual CPU gaming rig for upgrades.

Are there any Chinese options that would rival the CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid for value?

[keyboardlover]

The ducky shine is already available for 140+ shipping

Until reading keyboardlover's guide I hadn't realized how many Chinese mechanical keyboard options there were.  Since I'm currently living in China the cost of shipping is negligible for buying online.

It seems that I will have to go to the local computer city and try to find a shop that specializes in mechanical keyboards.  I have hope, last couple of years I had to order everything from Shanghai, this week when I went in one shop had a 6 and 9 screen eyeinfinity setup, and another guy brought in his dual CPU gaming rig for upgrades.

Glad you found it helpful. Unfortunately my site doesn't yet provide much help for buying keyboards in Asia - yet.

[silk186]

It seems that most of the boards I have been looking at are really new, and unfortunately in neither guide.

[keyboardlover]

Good point. I'll add the CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid to my guide.

[silk186]

the worst thing about a guide ( i have made a few myself ) is keeping it up to date, it never ends.