Christmas Gifts: Ducky DK1087XM Green Alps(Clicky Tactile)

[spacecase]

I work at a video game company I've built hundreds of computers and I've had a few Mechanical keyboards. I like to be able to recommend equipment to my co-workers but one of the biggest challenges in recommending a mechanical keyboard to even my fellow game developers is the sheer cost. You might be shocked at how few video game nerds know anything about computers or what parts of it impact them in what way.

Here are the boards that I've owned* or used† at any length so that you might understand my experience and put it into perspective.
*Pre 2012 Black Widow Ultimate. (Blue Cherry)
†Pre 2012 Black Widow (Blue Cherry)
†Rosewill Rk-9000 (Blue Cherry)
*Unicomp Ultra Classic (Buckling Spring)
†Leopold FC-500(Blue Cherry)
*Filco Majestouch II (Brown Cherry)
†Realforce 103UW(Topre Variable)
*Realforce 87U Silent (Topre Variable)
*Realforce 87U EK Edition (Topre Uniform 45g)
*Ducky DK1087XM (Green Alps)

Of these the Realforce boards have been by far the best built, the Rosewill's have been the least reliable (out of 10 there were 2 USB port failures), and the Unicomp was the most poorly finished by a mile. Prior to the Ducky board on this list the cheapest boards were the Unicomp, The Rosewill and the standard Black Widow. I can't honestly recommend the Unicomp it was just so badly made which that left me with the oddly unreliable costar made Rosewill and the Black Widow Standard as first timer recommendation boards both of which can be had for somewhere around $70-80 with shipping. This is strangely still high for most people. I found a post somewhere, probably here mentioning PcHome way over in Taiwan and on there I found the $45 with shipping and all DK1087XM. I finally got it in and its really not a bad board at all.

The good:
Its quite tactile
Its costs half of what most other boards cost
Its light.
The gold lettering is easy enough to read and not in any way distracting.
I can get it with or without the tenkey. I prefer it without but most people I know wont take the leap.

The bad:
I prefer the feel of cherry blues.
It is louder than cherry blues which are already bordering on too loud for an open office environment.
If you place your finger on a keycap and wiggle your finger around the keycap will move. this is true of any board but especially this one. This can be felt while typing.

Conclusion:
I'm pretty impressed and going forward this is the keyboard that I'll be giving to people as gifts and recommending to those who are hesitant. Having said that if you have the pennies I still would rather have a cherry or even better a Realforce without silencing.
 

[spacecase]

Having said all that I just switched back to my Realforce and I'm never giving it up.

[laffindude]

Never gonna give you up?

It is worth about 30-35 and I won't pay a dime more. Build quality is subpar. Unless you have to have a mechanical board in the lowest price range... Quickfire Rapid is much better quality and not much more when it is on sale.

[spacecase]

The build quality isn't bad actually. It isn't as nice as the others on my list barring the Unicomp but again its $45 to the door all day every day not just that one random day that it came one sale and this is for people who balk at paying even $70 so those pennies matter. I take it that you've actually owned a 1087?

[reaper]

I had one before and it was ok for that price.  If you ask me would I buy it again, the answer is no. 

[spacecase]

Yeah I agree with you reaper I wouldn't buy one for myself but as a gift to people who think pack in keyboards are good enough I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[Hak Foo]

I've been using a 1008XM (same board, but full 108 key layout) for a few months now; it's nice especially for the clean look it provides, and the overall feel, but the lettering is garbage.  The lettering on a 10-year-old Chicony laser-etched board has held up better.   "A" and "S" are particularly weak, as is left shift and tab, but they were never strong to begin with.

Gradually, at my office, people "acquire" my boards as I replace them... one guy has a 1391401, and someone else had taken a lease on my 122 M until I finally took it back for parts.

[curb]

I'm currently using one right now and I'm really enjoying it. Do you know if the actual force is lighter than the cherry blues?

[Hak Foo]

I noticed when I got a 1008 with cherry switches, they must have upgraded the caps; they were a different plastic, shinier, and the laser etching looked white-- almost doubleshot white-- instead of the weak gold of the XM

[spacecase]

I'm currently using one right now and I'm really enjoying it. Do you know if the actual force is lighter than the cherry blues?

I  believe the force is actually heavier than the blues. I'll double check tomorrow but the actuation feels quite different. The click on the blues is noticeably more subtle and happens earlier than it does on the alps greens.

[Malerik]

Sorry to hear your Unicomp is a disappointment. I have to admit I am a bit surprised at that. My Unicomp Spacesaver is impeccable as it was 2+ years ago when I bought. In fact it will most likely outlive me and be just as wonderful for anyone who finds a use for it. In terms of keycaps, key action and pleasure to use, nothing I have tried comes close. Lined up against my Ducky DK9008 it simply stands out to me as a better board. In the end thats just my subjective point of view, but the build quality on mine is fantastic.

[Hak Foo]

On the Unicomp, the moulding is pretty terrible, and I think the connection of the controller is a weak point; I nearly wrecked mine.  The fit and finish hasn't kept pace with enthusiast products.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I  believe the force is actually heavier than the blues. I'll double check tomorrow but the actuation feels quite different. The click on the blues is noticeably more subtle and happens earlier than it does on the alps greens.

Cherry MX Blue is 50 cN. Ducky 1000-series boards use a customised 55 gf KSB-C switches, so that will be 55±15 gf with standard XM tolerane. 1 gf is around the same as 1 cN.

Typically, Alps-style switches have the tactile point much higher up in the stroke than Cherry switches, which makes them feel stiffer.