Author Topic: Help with keyboard choice (Read 4925 times)

poopmat · « **on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 09:39:07 »

Hello
this is my first post so please be gentle
for the past few years i rediscovered the joy of the model m
i use my keyboard for gaming and i love the response of the model m
ive been thinking that id like to get another keyboard for gaming and id like to get something with cherry switches replacable keycaps etc...
ive decided to try brown switches
also id like a 10keyless model
my budget is 100$ shipped
so while lurking on this forum i found this

http://www.vendio.com/stores/E-sports-Gaming-equipments/item/shop-mechanical-keyboard-by-br/key-cool-87-mechanical-gaming-/lid=26543551

i dont need lights and it seems to fulfill what i need
is this keyboard for me???
thanks in advance

swagpiratex · « **Reply #1 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 09:50:46 »

CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is what you'll be recommended on this forum.

Sent from my HTC Sensation

Lethal Squirrel · « **Reply #2 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 09:51:00 »

Seems like a good choice. I'd go for it. But be warned, browns arent as tactile as you would think. They're almost unoticeably tactile, to me at least.

poopmat · « **Reply #3 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 10:14:15 »

i dont like the blues because of the release point issue dosent seem like id like it for gaming
id like the clears but they just dont seem available

FoxWolf1 · « **Reply #4 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 10:27:34 »

Another to consider at a very similar price would be the HPE. I have no idea which one is actually better, but rumors tend to suggest that the HPE is somewhat higher quality.

boredgunner · « **Reply #5 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 12:55:46 »

Another vote for the QuickFire Rapid. It's a steal at that price.

oluf · « **Reply #6 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 13:06:10 »

I too am an M convert, simply because I can't find an M TKL (aka space saver) =( BUT! Having a cherry board means you can spend exorbitant amounts of time and money buying keycaps!! =D

Welcome to the club!

Coming from the M, the cherry blues feel really soft to me and sound like a fairy's tippy-toes... I have no idea how ppl can call these loud.

I believe the browns are slightly softer than the blues.

I would also suggest the CMStorm; they're a great deal!

swagpiratex · « **Reply #7 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 13:30:28 »

Be sure that you want clears. If you got the cash to throw down, take a look at the deck keyboards here:

http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/search.php?switch_id=9&size=ALL&keyword=

poopmat · « **Reply #8 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 14:26:21 »

i think the cm storm seems like an economical way to get my beak wet
so thats where im going
is this a rebranded filco?

Deekin · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 14:43:37 »

Quote from: poopmat on Fri, 24 August 2012, 14:26:21

i think the cm storm seems like an economical way to get my beak wet
so thats where im going
is this a rebranded filco?

Yes it is.

tgujay · « **Reply #10 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 15:03:36 »

Blues are just fine for gaming, I'm not quite sure why they get a bad rap.

Deekin · « **Reply #11 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 15:18:36 »

Quote from: tgujay on Fri, 24 August 2012, 15:03:36

Blues are just fine for gaming, I'm not quite sure why they get a bad rap.

Some people doesnt like tactility for gaming, also some people have double tapping issues with blues it seems.

tgujay · « **Reply #12 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 15:21:08 »

People are weird.

jdcarpe · « **Reply #13 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 15:26:33 »

Quote from: olaph on Fri, 24 August 2012, 13:06:10

Coming from the M, the cherry blues feel really soft to me and sound like a fairy's tippy-toes... I have no idea how ppl can call these loud.

The buckling springs say, "CLACKETY-CLACKETY-CLACK!" With a satisfying timbre. The MX Blues say, "clickety-clickety-click." Annoying little click.

Quote

I would also suggest the CMStorm; they're a great deal!

Seconded. Don't own one, but most people love them.

-
Buckling springs - the only click that counts!

N8N · « **Reply #14 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 18:39:01 »

ABS keycaps will feel inferior if you have a Model M but the keycool seems to be a decent board, and you can always buy a set of PBTs later if you want. I think that if you want to try it you should go for it; really the price is such that it's worth it not to have to clean up an eBay POS board to try out different switches (although that is a viable option as well.) It is really great to see mechanical switch based keyboards coming down in price to the point where they might become more mainstream... if only they were more available on store shelves so we didn't have to buy before trying though. (because, really, there is a BIG difference in feel between a board with blues and the same board with blacks or reds, and how do you know what you like better until you try it?)

If you "love" the Model M though, you might find the tactility of browns a little disappointing. Might want to try blues, clears, or if the availability of awesome keycaps is not so much a factor for you and you don't fear the Alps then maybe either a Dell AT101, SGI Granite (the latter is quieter but almost as tactile) or supposedly Matias is coming out with a new version of the Tactile Pro (all of the last three using Alps-based switches. They're very tactile, but are strikingly different in feel from either IBM or Cherry. Which you prefer is up to you really, and as I said it's a shame that you can't try all of them before buying.)

jdcarpe · « **Reply #15 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 18:57:38 »

Well, I did try them all, by buying every switch type. I still love buckling springs, obviously, and fake green Alps weren't bad. I started my MX journey with Blacks, but I'm not fond of them anymore. I hated Blues and Ghetto Greens. Not a big fan of standard Clears, but I didn't give them much of a test. I really like Reds, Browns, and Ergo Clears. I can use any of those 3 interchangeably.

I recommend MX Browns to new users of mechanical keyboards, because they are light and tactile, and also they are readily available. Ergo Clears are not a standard switch type. And Reds can be annoying, depending upon your typing habits, due to extraneous keypresses. All that said, I prefer any switch type on a plate mounted keyboard to a PCB mounted version.

dorkvader · « **Reply #16 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 19:11:42 »

Quote from: swagpiratex on Fri, 24 August 2012, 09:50:46

CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is what you'll be recommended on this forum.

Sent from my HTC Sensation

Yep. I recommend it.

The keycool 87 (that you have linked from Qtan's store) is supposed to be pretty good, with above 6KRO over USB, so it's certainly not bad, but a lot of people have tried the CMstorm, and almost everyone has liked it. I've enjoyed mine from the start, and it's really solid as a keyboard.
---
If you like the IBM model M, you might want to try cherry blues, as they have a click sound. They are might lighter, and higher pitched, though. You might also like the Leopold with cherry clears. They are heavy and tactile with the IBM switches, though they don't really click.

N8N · « **Reply #17 on:** Fri, 24 August 2012, 19:42:48 »

Clears are actually heavier than the BS in a Model M... but I love the way you can float on them. Blacks are similar but without the tactility. I think those two are my favorite Cherry MX switches. I find the sound of blues to be annoying, as well as the hysteresis... and I don't even game. I bought a brand new WASD with blues when they first came out with the intention of modding it to clears, but decided not to after trying the blues. But as time has passed I regret that decision as I thought the blues were pretty cool when I first got them but now I just find the sound annoying (as do I the sound of the M, but the tactility is wonderful.) I could have saved the money I spent on a used Filco and just modded the WASD for as much as I use the thing.

I am not much of an Alps fan, but I'm eagerly awaiting a SGI Granite board as I do fondly recall using one of those back in the day. My memory says that the dampened cream Alps were also a really nice switch, albeit damn near impossible to avoid bottoming out on (but then again, they're dampened, so what's the big deal...)

I actually like my Noppoo Choc Pro with browns, but still find them a little too light. I try it every now and then, but just can't float on it. If it comes down to the choice between browns and clears I'll go for the clears every time. Ergo clears are nice, but still too light for my fists of ham.

poopmat · « **Reply #18 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 14:20:43 »

ok so im about to pull the trigger on the cm storm when i star thinking that the abs keys are gonna suck
i know i can modify them later
but what is the entry level for a keyboard with non abs keys??
id like to stay under 150$ and id like 10keyless

also now i think i need to get one of those sgi granites if i can find one
i remember a friend in 1995 with an sgi rig and the keyboard looked so cool
anyways thanks in advance for all your help

also id prefer a keyboard that was ps2 and not usb if poss

jdcarpe · « **Reply #19 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 14:52:30 »

Just get the CM Storm and a set of PBT keys from qtan or feng.

And I think the CM Storm comes with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter.

poopmat · « **Reply #20 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 15:04:09 »

got the cm rapid
now its just the wait..........
as an aside what pbt keysets do u recommend/would fit
sorry for sounding dumb im just kinda new to this

jdcarpe · « **Reply #21 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 15:11:37 »

Try qtan's Vendio store here: http://www.vendio.com/stores/E-sports-Gaming-equipments/category/pbt-key-caps/

Or feng's eBay store here: http://www.ebay.com/sch/geek_feng/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

m00nshake · « **Reply #22 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 18:30:12 »

Quote from: jdcarpe on Sat, 25 August 2012, 14:52:30

Just get the CM Storm and a set of PBT keys from qtan or feng.

And I think the CM Storm comes with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter.

I've read that the CM Storm is made by Costar, but it looks like it's made from Ione. Can anyone give any confirmation that the CM Storm is not made by Ione. I know that the CM QF Rapid isn't, and I'm pretty postive the QF Pro is... but how about the Storm?

Deekin · « **Reply #23 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 18:44:59 »

the CM storm? You thinking of Trigger?

Cause the term "storm" is a part of all those keyboards:

CM storm Quick Fire Pro
CM storm Trigger
CM storm Quick Fire Rapid

jdcarpe · « **Reply #24 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 18:51:16 »

I'm pretty sure the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is the only one made by Costar.

m00nshake · « **Reply #25 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 19:03:57 »

Quote from: Deekin on Sat, 25 August 2012, 18:44:59

the CM storm? You thinking of Trigger?

Cause the term "storm" is a part of all those keyboards:

CM storm Quick Fire Pro
CM storm Trigger
CM storm Quick Fire Rapid

Yes sorry, the Trigger... I actually purchased the QF Pro b/c I wanted a full deck version of the QF Rapid. My QF Rapid was awesome but I just couldn't get used to tenkeyless. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the box and it was an Ione built kb. It's not that the Ione kb are all that bad, but they're not nearly as good as the Costar-built boards.

Deekin · « **Reply #26 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 19:19:14 »

Trigger should also be a a iONE keyboard for all I know...

m00nshake · « **Reply #27 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:00:12 »

Quote from: Deekin on Sat, 25 August 2012, 19:19:14

Trigger should also be a a iONE keyboard for all I know...

Its definitely an Ione board. I have a Monoprice keyboard I got during their 10 year anniversary sale, it was like $65 w/ shipping. I can't replace the keyboard's space bar b/c if I use a WASD spacebar, it won't fit with the alt keys. Something about the layout as the Windows key is the size or a 1x1 key. I tried the same thing w/ the QF Pro to see if it was really a Ione board, and it had the same problem. Can't fit it with the alt keys. I ended up returning the CM Pro...

Deekin · « **Reply #28 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:11:33 »

Alright shame you dont like TKL, Im quite a fan of that style myself.

If you want a pretty cheap Costar board get one of those Rosewills.

Could also take a Leopold or Ducky, their stuff is good aswell.

You also have WASD keyboards thats also costar and ofc Filco but they are as everyone knows quite expensive.

Cheapest would be Rosewill I guess.

Or you could just get a blackwidow $:-\$

)

poopmat · « **Reply #29 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:19:42 »

ended up with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129005
from my understanding this is the re branded filco

m00nshake · « **Reply #30 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:24:12 »

Quote from: poopmat on Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:19:42

ended up with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129005
from my understanding this is the re branded filco

Yes it's a great board and its Costar.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

m00nshake · « **Reply #31 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:29:17 »

Quote from: Deekin on Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:11:33

Alright shame you dont like TKL, Im quite a fan of that style myself.

If you want a pretty cheap Costar board get one of those Rosewills.

Could also take a Leopold or Ducky, their stuff is good aswell.

You also have WASD keyboards thats also costar and ofc Filco but they are as everyone knows quite expensive.

Cheapest would be Rosewill I guess.

Or you could just get a blackwidow $:-\$ )

I was looking at Rosewill but Newegg won't ship to my state. I got a Das Professional during the 15% off sale the other day for around $92 with two day shipping. I like the Das. Not as much as my Filco but it's still very nice.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

Deekin · « **Reply #32 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 21:01:41 »

Ah Ye Das aswell, dont know kind of the only Costar board I didnt write in there

How do you like/deal with that glossy finish?

jdcarpe · « **Reply #33 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 21:07:17 »

The CM Storm QuickFire Rapid is indeed made by Costar, but it's not exactly a rebranded Filco. They are made in the same factory with the same equipment, but the design is a bit different (e.g. removable USB connector, etc.), and the quality control for the CM Storm is not done by Diatec. The PCB is also said to be thinner on the QFR.

I'm not saying the QFR is not a great keyboard. I'm just saying it's not a Filco.

boredgunner · « **Reply #34 on:** Sat, 25 August 2012, 23:43:23 »

Good choice. After reading some of the other comments, I want to add that the QF Pro isn't any worse than the Rapid really. It doesn't come with a PS/2 adapter though, but having used both I was equally impressed with the quality of both for the price. The Pro doesn't have a rubber coating all over, and the textured keycaps feel much better (save me the cost of buying new ones).

hazeluff · « **Reply #35 on:** Sun, 26 August 2012, 00:45:20 »

Quote from: poopmat on Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:19:42

ended up with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129005
from my understanding this is the re branded filco

Pretty much, with tons of branding of CM all over it.

dorkvader · « **Reply #36 on:** Sun, 26 August 2012, 09:04:53 »

Quote from: poopmat on Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:19:42

ended up with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129005
from my understanding this is the re branded filco

No, the CMstorm QF rapid is not a rebranded filco. It is somewhat different. The CMstorm has a detachable USB cable, one of the standoffs is moved. The capslock, scrolllock and winkey-lock LED's are integradet into the keyswitch (with windowed keycap), etc.

They are, however, both made by costar. It's a good choice!

poopmat · « **Reply #37 on:** Thu, 30 August 2012, 11:13:05 »

so i love the rapid
the browns are gonna take a bit of getting used to in comparison to the model m but all in all i really like it
already ordered a set of keys from feng
cant wait till they come in
its gonna take a bit to get used to the new sensitivity since i almost killed myself when driving an atv in dayz
but then again i always die playing dayz

dorkvader · « **Reply #38 on:** Thu, 30 August 2012, 23:59:45 »

Quote from: poopmat on Thu, 30 August 2012, 11:13:05

so i love the rapid
the browns are gonna take a bit of getting used to in comparison to the model m but all in all i really like it

I did the same. Try to focus on not bottoming out. You'll get better, and it's really nice to have keyboards with different feels, so you can switch back and forth depending on your mood.

tgujay · « **Reply #39 on:** Fri, 31 August 2012, 09:43:29 »

Quote from: poopmat on Sat, 25 August 2012, 20:19:42

ended up with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129005
from my understanding this is the re branded filco

Yes and no, same manufacturer, different materials and quality standards. Still a great board though like my Rosewill is.

rowdy · « **Reply #40 on:** Sat, 01 September 2012, 21:13:57 »

Just chiming in a bit late on the subject of using Cherry MX blues for gaming - Razer make a range of "gaming" keyboards, all of which have Cherry MX blue key switches. So blues can't be that bad for gaming if an entire line of so-called gaming keyboards uses them.

Personally I have two keyboards with Cherry MX blue switches and use both for intermittent gaming, and have not had any problems at all with the actuation point.

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Author Topic: Help with keyboard choice (Read 4925 times)