Help Me Choose Mechanical Keyboard

[Dont Touch Me]

this is the first time i will fall into and become a user of mechanical keyboard , im just a normal rubber dome user for year  , i live in South East Asia , and my budget were tight (highschool student salary ) , there's only 4 keyboard that my wallet can reach it , or you guys can suggest other mechanical keyboard that goes around 30-50$ , im a gamer and hardcore typer(so im using keyboard often) ,this is the best 4 mechanical keyboard i can find in my local store :

- Aula Demon King available only blue switch                                                                                                            41.99
- Rapoo V500  , my local store says it was using yellow switch (i wonder if cherry made yellow switch ?)                41.99$
- Power Logic Armageddon MKI-3 , Red switch but my local store said it wasn't using cherry ! huh ?                     50.39 $
- cherry MX board mx k1 black stem and mx k1 red stem (there are 2 type of it) ? idk what "stem" mean either ?  38.18$

which one is the best ? 

[derb2k2]

are there any stores in Asia where you might be able to sample the different types of switches? I don't think Cherry has ever made a 'yellow' switch so be careful with that. Since you are a gamer, I would suggest a linear Red or Black switch but you need to do some research. What type of game do you play most? FPS, moba, etc.. 

[Dont Touch Me]

are there any stores in Asia where you might be able to sample the different types of switches? I don't think Cherry has ever made a 'yellow' switch so be careful with that. Since you are a gamer, I would suggest a linear Red or Black switch but you need to do some research. What type of game do you play most? FPS, moba, etc..

Both of it , i played DOTA 2 often , and also FPS like CS:GO , and arcade simulator game like world of tank , world of warship and etc
for rapoo , this is the pitcure from the store :

[Rad]

That's not a Cherry switch. Starts with a "P".

Can you not give each one a 5-10 minute test run and then return it, and then try the next one?

[Dont Touch Me]

Close up , it says "PG1511" on switch ??

[chyros]

That's a Kaihua switch. A Cherry clone.

If you want cheap, why not get a nice cheap vintage board instead?

[Dont Touch Me]

That's a Kaihua switch. A Cherry clone.

If you want cheap, why not get a nice cheap vintage board instead?

what do you think about the other , i mean Aula demon king , mki-3 , and cherry keyboard mx k1 black stem and red stem ?

[Rad]

Got any pictures of the Cherry board?

[Dont Touch Me]

Got any pictures of the Cherry board?

i will give you the link
https://www.bukalapak.com/p/komputer/aksesoris-226/keyboard/bcv07-jual-cherry-keyboard-mx-k1-black-stem?from=omnisearch&search_source=omnisearch_history
https://www.bukalapak.com/p/komputer/aksesoris-226/keyboard/bcvh7-jual-cherry-keyboard-mx-k1-red-stem?search%5Bkeywords%5D=cherry%20keyboard&from=list-product

[Red October]

That's a Kaihua switch. A Cherry clone.

If you want cheap, why not get a nice cheap vintage board instead?

This is the way to go.  Vintage boards are more unique, and can be more satisfying.  They seem more "real" since they were designed mostly with work in mind.  They provide a tangible connection with the past.  I would be suspect of a sub-$50 new production mechanical keyboard, but I honestly know very little about that area of the market  since my interests are largely in vintage boards anyway. 

[Dont Touch Me]

That's a Kaihua switch. A Cherry clone.

If you want cheap, why not get a nice cheap vintage board instead?

well ........... i just found dell at101w and ibm model m but with "collector price" its 60$+ , how about cherry keyboard that i post at top ?

[xtrafrood]

They all seem like clones of gaming boards to me. I noticed that Armageddon cloned the Sentey Revolution mouse (strange choice).

If you want Cherry maybe the Cherry MX G80-11900? It doesn't have NKRO but nor will any of the used buckling spring boards previously mentioned.

Those boards you have listed may have NKRO but.. 

[y11971alex]

The Rapoo V500s (the edition with backlighting) apparently is advertised as having full key rollover.  I currently have this model with blue switches but have no way to test key rollover.   

In any case, if you have access to online stores, I would whole-heartedly recommend the IBM buckling spring keyboards.  They could be had for as little as $30.  If you later decide to become more adventurous with your keyboard selection, the IBM can serve as a standard against which all others are compared and a refuge if your newer keyboard isn't what you like.

[klennkellon]

Model M is the second best keyboard ever (first is F) but only 2KRO and buckling springs are less than optimal for gaming cause of their weight and hysteresis

[chyros]

That's a Kaihua switch. A Cherry clone.

If you want cheap, why not get a nice cheap vintage board instead?

what do you think about the other , i mean Aula demon king , mki-3 , and cherry keyboard mx k1 black stem and red stem ?

I don't really rate any Cherry MX boards because their linear switches are scratchy and badly weighted, their tactile switches aren't very tactile, and their clicky switches sound horrible. So they're all sub-par at what they do.

There are some Cherry clones that fix some of these problems but I haven't tested these in a full board so I can't give more detailed info on that yet.

The AT101 you mentioned is a great board to start out with and you should be able to get one for $30 or less, just make sure it doesn't look filthy because that affects keyfeel. A Model M is generally a bit more expensive, but is a better keyboard, not quite as well suited to gaming though.

[klennkellon]

AT101 is a great starting board, built really well and the Black ALPS switches are tactile, but not too tactile, which makes them a good choice if you don't know if you prefer linear or tactile switches yet.