Looking to invest in a mech keyboard (an admitted newbie here)

[JakeStarr]

I have always been wanting to buy my own mechanical keyboard, and I am to the point where I want to invest.  After looking over all of the switches, their options, sounds, tactile feelings, etc., I know that I am wanting a keyboard with the MX Blue switches (I admittedly love the noisy clicky), but finding a good idea of what keyboards are out there that I can get with the options I am looking for, is where I'm coming up short.  I have seen the Razer BlackWidow, but I didn't know what my other options might be.

I'm hoping for a little guidance from other users who are far more knowledgable of the options than myself.

[IvanIvanovich]

So besides blues, what are these options you are having a hard time with?

[Sifo]

If you're from the US, take a look at: http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/ or some people go to shopping sites like Amazon, Newegg, etc. Or even check out Geekhack's classified forums.

If you're looking for blues I'm sure a lot of people would agree with me recommending the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=37) since it's a considerably cheap, good quality board. If you've got a bit more to spend, get a Filco. If you're different get a Rosewill (I think they're on sale at Newegg with the 15% off coupon). If you can wait, I believe elitekeyboards.com will be stocking new Leopolds. Or check out wasdkeyboards.com for some keycap customization. Idk there's lots, any more specific options you're looking for?

[JakeStarr]

I totally forgot to put in what some of my other "must haves" were, and I apologize to you guys for that.

I am looking for the blue switches, as I said, but I'm also looking for a full, 104-key, standard setup.  I had looked at the CM Quickfire, but since it didn't have the 10-key on it, I was kind of bummed about that.  Depending on the "fun add-ons" like backlighting, it'd be fun to have, but isn't a must-have.  It's not really for use in gaming (I'm still a console junkie), but more for the enjoyment of the typing.

[IvanIvanovich]

Perhaps the Ducky Shine?

[hamza_tm]

he doesn't need backlight enough to justify the premium

Rosewill is my suggestion

[IvanIvanovich]

True, depends on budget. Rosewill RK-9000, Cherry G80-3000LSCEU, Leopold FC500, Filco MJ2 104... there are quite a few others as well.

[JakeStarr]

I've kind of accepted that the odds of paying over 100 bucks are better than not.  I also don't want to pay less, and be stuck with something that's, truthfully, lower in quality.

[IvanIvanovich]

The ones that have been specifically recommended are all good quality boards, but some of them can often be had in the $70-90 range. You don't have to go over the $100 mark to get something nice.

[metafour]

From our Great Buys subforum:

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?32471-Rosewill-RK-9000-blues-or-reds-68

Rosewill with Blues for $68

[JakeStarr]

Definitely appreciated, there.  I am definitely going to give all of these a look.

One last question... Just so I can look at everything, if you step up to the "premium" side of things, what are my options, and if I went there, what "features" would I have that might be worth considering?  Like I said, nothing is a "must have," outside of wanting a full keyboard, and the good, audible, switches, but I'd like to expose myself more to what all is out there.

[Chris_F]

Have you considered something like a Unicomp model M? You say you "love the noisy clicky", so it might be worth looking into. MX Blues aren't bad, but I would say buckling springs are still better.

[JakeStarr]

I'll be honest, all my research had lead me in the direction of the Cherries, and never really showed me anything about the buckling springs.  I guess there is more to take into consideration.

[cleeoo]

Definitely appreciated, there.  I am definitely going to give all of these a look.

One last question... Just so I can look at everything, if you step up to the "premium" side of things, what are my options, and if I went there, what "features" would I have that might be worth considering?  Like I said, nothing is a "must have," outside of wanting a full keyboard, and the good, audible, switches, but I'd like to expose myself more to what all is out there.

I'm not too sure what you mean by premium, but most mechanical keyboards don't come with extra features like "gaming" keyboards do. Ducky Shines have backlighting, and the Corsair keyboards have macro keys and some other gimmicks. Razer keyboards also have some macro keys, but my friend has had some quality issues with his (not sure if this is a widespread thing). Personally, I wouldn't get a mech keyboard from a company that specialises in gaming products, such as Razer, but that's just me.

[retsteel]

Premium? Hundreds of dollars worth of novelty caps... Also I would second the idea of looking at a buckling spring, I have tried a few switches at this point and I still count it as my favorite.

[JakeStarr]

Yeah, by premium I meant features and higher price range.  The only need I would ever have for macro keys would be more like hotkeys, and not full blown macros.  Like I said, I'm not a PC gamer, but that doesn't take away my liking for "shiny" objects sometimes.

[retsteel]

Shiny? hundreds of dollars of metal keycaps!

EDIT: even better, a firefly reference keycap!

[rknize]

Of the Cherry MX boards mentioned already, the Filco is one of the more expensive.  They are all built using the same switches and use the same, basic design.  The differences are somewhat subtle and there are other considerations if you are planning to buy keycaps and so forth.

For a standard 104, you will be happy with a Filco, Rosewill, or a CM Storm IMO.  The Leopold has a slightly different space bar that can lead to keycap upgrade woes, if you end up going that route.  As others have mentioned, some of the gamer keyboards seem to have quality issues.

[metafour]

I would say don't get a Corsair because not all the keys are mechanical.

I would also say don't get a Razer because there seems to be quality issues.

[JakeStarr]

Good to know!  I definitely am liking the audible sound of the Unicomp boards, although their aesthetic aspect leaves something to be desired, but I also appreciate the original look as well.

[rknize]

They are stuck in the 80s...but on purpose.    Their Ultra Classic is a little more modern-looking.

[Chris_F]

Good to know!  I definitely am liking the audible sound of the Unicomp boards, although their aesthetic aspect leaves something to be desired, but I also appreciate the original look as well.

I think the SpaceSaver in black looks pretty smart if you weren't looking for LED backlit keys or anything. They are also relatively inexpensive as far as mechanical keyboard go. The thing I like about buckling springs over MX blues is that the click coincides exactly with the activation of the key. They are a also bit louder and stiffer, which is something that suits me.

[rknize]

They keep fiddling with their names, but the SpaceSaver M is a Mac-oriented version now.  The old SpaceSaver is now the UltraClassic.  The EnduraPro is the same thing again, but with a somewhat-useless trackpoint.

I feel the same about the MX Blues too.  The click is somewhat disjoint from the typing experience.  The initial spring pressure of the buckling spring is more than the blue, but the relief after the tactile point and click is far more satisfying, IMO.

[JakeStarr]

Yeah... I definitely want that typing feel, but as I keep looking through a lot of these, I find some of the aesthetic things are fun things, I'd ideally like.  At the same time, I don't want to sacrifice functionality/feel for aesthetic.  So it's kind of forcing me to really think some more on this.  But honestly, that's the kind of conundrum I was hoping this would give me, since I want to make sure I make as close to the "right decision" as I can, without actually trying them out first.

[baller1308]

Newegg has a 15% off coupon on their keyboards: EMCNDJE235.  The Rosewill cherry browns are on sale right now with a $30 discount.

There are a lot of boards to choose from but very few are cheap in price.  I just bought the Rosewill browns for work and have the Noppoo Choc Mini browns for home.

[Sifo]

Full sized gogo WASD.

[dbdynsty25]

If you need the ten key...just get the Rosewill with the switches you want from newegg. It's a very good board that shares a majority of its comments with companies like filco which makes it easy to get new key caps if you want to start doing some modifications. Best 70-80 you will ever spend. I found out that spending the extra fifty bucks is not even close to worth it.

I've got a filco tkl w blacks and I like my cm storm rapid just as much...in fact I already bought a second cm storm rapid for work purposes and I'll sell the filco. And I'll still have money left over! I cannot tell the difference at all between the two boards except for the excessive branding on the Rapid. Most of that can be remedied with new key caps. Got some pbt engraved black on blacks so I can essentially black out my board. It's gonna be sweet!

[MarkPharaoh]

Get a Rosewill or a CM Storm (they have full size ones, just not as common). Best time to buy a Rosewill from a trusted source (Newegg). The only issue I think is that you can't easily try out different switches (15% restocking fee if you decide that you don't like the blues).

[Sifo]

Get a Rosewill or a CM Storm (they have full size ones, just not as common). Best time to buy a Rosewill from a trusted source (Newegg). The only issue I think is that you can't easily try out different switches (15% restocking fee if you decide that you don't like the blues).

The fullsized CM storms are made from a different manufacturer and they're not as good, apparently.

[dbdynsty25]

The fullsized CM storms are made from a different manufacturer and they're not as good, apparently.

The Pro is made my different company...the Trigger is a "costar" board just like the Rapid/Filco/Rosewill/etc.

[JakeStarr]

Wow, talk about decisions decisions!  I really thought it would be a, "well these are your best options, and go!" type, but the response from everyone has been absolutely wonderful.

From what I have looked at thus far, the Unicomp boards definitely give me that "sound" that I was looking for, but like I said, have the dated look.  One question I have, is there any way to mod/customize those boards?

On the Cherry MX side, I like the look of the Rosewill (that red backplate is pretty slick) and the BlackWidow (only for the backlighting/glow effects), but the negatives about the Ultimate have me definitely cautious about even thinking of dropping an extra 40 bucks for some pretty lights.

[Lighthouse1]

I am pretty new to having mechanical keyboards so my opinion is a little less valuable than other peoples in this regard but I have recently moved from a Razer Blackwidow (blues) to a Filco (browns) and the difference is palpable. The Filco feels more solid and easier to use (I have to say I used to hit the LHS keys for setting the macros a lot while touch typing) and just a much better experience.

I bidded for two keyboards at once and won both (wasn't expecting it as I got the Filco for £50 which is a lot lower than the RRP new and it is as good as new) and also have a CM storm quick fire to try which I am putting some new caps on. Haven't tried it out yet plugged in but out of the box it feels as solid and pleasant as the Filco.

As a result I'd say that unless you want all the back lighting and the macros etc I wouldn't get the Razer. It doesn't feel as good to use (and in terms of looks although it has the backlighting the key font and the size are actually a bit jarring once you put a classic board like the Filco on your desk.

As I said I am new to this indeed the Filco has only been here for a couple of days! But it's so good to use and I have cracked through a lot of work on it this weekend.

[JakeStarr]

Where are you doing your bidding at?  If I could maybe score my first mech for a bit cheaper to really feel one out, it might be a better idea for me.

[Lighthouse1]

Just Ebay UK, got the storm and the Filco that way.

[IvanIvanovich]

If you're interested in buckling, you can get them for really cheap IBM model M on ebay. Also a few G80-3000LSCEU-2 on ebay for $60 which should be blues, I would still try to get seller to verify it though as I have seen same model number be blacks too.

[JakeStarr]

Not to repeat myself, I just don't know if it was missed, but can you get custom keycaps and do self-customizing to the buckling boards?

[IvanIvanovich]

Yes there are some aftermarket colored keycaps and things available for BS, just not quite so much as MX which is generally more popular.

[JakeStarr]

I guess another question I have... If I wanted to customize whatever keyboard I got, where would I go to look at keycaps?

[rknize]

Depends on the type.  Most of the cool custom caps you see being sold here are for Cherry MX key stems.  There are some offerings around for Topre switches, but I don't see them for Alps very often.

The Model M's are pretty much restricted to what Unicomp offers.  It's possible to dye those keys yourself, since they are PBT.

[JakeStarr]

K... So say I went with a Cherry switched board, be it Rosewill, Filco, Das, or similar, from what I'm reading they all use the same style of key, where would I go to find some good keys to really customize it up?

[rknize]

Right here!  Take a look around the group buy section.  You can also have a set made by WASD, custom laser etched however you want!

[cleeoo]

You can also check out Signature Plastics' website. They have some novelty keys for sale now (Panic, Any, X@$#!) if you want to get a headstart

Basically, for the greatest customisation, Cherry is the way to go. There are always plenty of group buys here for keycaps.

[dbdynsty25]

If you need the ten key...just get the Rosewill with the switches you want from newegg. It's a very good board that shares a majority of its comments with companies like filco which makes it easy to get new key caps if you want to start doing some modifications. Best 70-80 you will ever spend. I found out that spending the extra fifty bucks is not even close to worth it.

I've got a filco tkl w blacks and I like my cm storm rapid just as much...in fact I already bought a second cm storm rapid for work purposes and I'll sell the filco. And I'll still have money left over! I cannot tell the difference at all between the two boards except for the excessive branding on the Rapid. Most of that can be remedied with new key caps. Got some pbt engraved black on blacks so I can essentially black out my board. It's gonna be sweet!

To quote myself now that I got my PBT engraved keys:

PBT Engraved on the bottom one (for work) and then awaiting my custom set from WASD for my gaming board on top.  

[JakeStarr]

That red board behind the black keys looks amazing!  On those Rosewill boards, with the red decks, does it give a similar perception?

[dbdynsty25]

That red board behind the black keys looks amazing!  On those Rosewill boards, with the red decks, does it give a similar perception?

It seems like it would but I've heard it isn't quite as pronounced. I haven't seen one in person yet but I would assume if looks similar at least. I love the look of it.