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Author Topic: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?  (Read 1982 times)

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Offline The hobo gamer

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can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 09:35:38 »
can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard? and what size are the keys? and thanks alot and the 4 picture is the zitech next to my blackwidow
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Offline jeroplane

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 09:53:09 »
Short answer: no. What you would have to do is basically take all new parts off of a mechanical keyboard and put them into that case because not much else is compatible. And by that point, why wouldn't you just buy a new keyboard.
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Offline The hobo gamer

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 10:07:06 »
Ok but what kind of key caps can i put on it im new to Geekhack so i dont know if i can put new key caps on this zitech like this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Windows-Keycap-Cherry-Switches/dp/B005LVNCOE/ref=sr_1_89?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1347548704&sr=1-89
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Offline Wildcard

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 10:29:14 »
Depends on the key stem, take a few caps off and show us pictures of the bottom side of the key cap and of the key stem.

I've got my bet on rubber dome sliders.
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Offline The hobo gamer

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 10:33:23 »
cant take them out yet i dont have one of those pulling things :(
and here is a picture of the key from my old zitech
« Last Edit: Thu, 13 September 2012, 10:42:04 by The hobo gamer »
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Offline Wildcard

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 10:51:54 »
That works

Yep this looks like a rubber dome board with sliders (ie. the white stem).  You're going to be very limited by the type of key cap you can use. From the bottom of the key cap it looks like Alps caps may work, however you're better off just getting a different board to put key caps on.

If you really like how the board feels you can always make this work, or you can try something else.
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Offline The hobo gamer

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:01:16 »
what about my razer blackwidow can i change the caps on that one and maybe also make it to a black cherry because my friends always say that my typing is to loud :D
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Offline alaricljs

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:05:24 »
Yes you can put new keycaps on the BW, hard part being finding an ISO set for the BW.  Also it is possible to mod the BW to blacks.  You are either going to spend way more on time and materials or paying someone else to do it than it is worth.  If you don't have soldering experience you can kill the PCB or the LEDs or the switches (most likely some portion of all of this.)
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Offline The hobo gamer

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:10:39 »
okay but what do you mean by ISO for my BW?
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Offline jeroplane

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:20:10 »
There are two popular keyboard layouts: ANSI and ISO. Your keyboards (both the BW and Zitech) have the ISO layout.

ANSI is the most popular in the US, and the layout looks like this:



ISO is more common in Europe:



As you can see, certain keys are shaped differently (e.g. the Enter key, Shift key). Also, some keys are in different positions or have different legends. Unfortunately for you, keycap sets are generally made to cater for ANSI boards, so that is what alaricljs meant by it being hard to find a set that fits the ISO layout.
« Last Edit: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:22:43 by jeroplane »
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Offline The hobo gamer

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:24:28 »
okay thanks for the help man and is it easy or really hard to change the Cherrys?
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Offline jeroplane

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Re: can i change my old PS/2 keyboard to a mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 13 September 2012, 11:27:12 »
If you have never worked with electronics or soldering before, it is really hard. I would recommend not trying it.
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