Different switches on the RF 87u...

[xSpartanCx]

I've noticed on elitekeyboards that there are four types of 87u keyboards. There's the 45g, 55g, but there's also a "silent" and another that's "ergonomically weighted". What makes the ergonomic and silent keyswitches different than the 45 and 55 gram ones?

[daerid]

The 45g/55g are uniformly weighted, which means that every switch is rated at 45g/55g (depending on the model).

The silent and ergonomic (variable) boards both use the same weighting, which has different key weights based on where the key is located on the board. Heavier switches for the index and middle fingers, slightly lighter for the ring finger, and even lighter for the pinky. The escape key is 55g, the others range from 35g - 45g

[xSpartanCx]

Wow, that's pretty cool. Is the silent just a different backplate material or something to make the switches quieter?

[oTurtlez]

Wow, that's pretty cool. Is the silent just a different backplate material or something to make the switches quieter?

They use a foam silencing on the slider to silence the upstroke but for some reason I also feel it's quieter going down as well.

[xSpartanCx]

Okay, thanks guys for clearing this up for me. Looks like I'll get the ergonomic one when I find the money, that way I can experience all the weights without breaking the bank

[oTurtlez]

Okay, thanks guys for clearing this up for me. Looks like I'll get the ergonomic one when I find the money, that way I can experience all the weights without breaking the bank

I highly recommend the silent if you're going to be using it in a class or office environment.

[Danule]

check this out has all the info

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=45141.msg941117#msg941117