What is the maximum o-ring thickness for a Corsair rapidfire K70?

[Franck Dernoncourt]

I wonder what the maximum o-ring thickness for a Corsair rapidfire K70 is. My goal is to minimize the key travel as much as possible. Ideally the post actuation key travel should be 0 mm (I still want the key to actuate without having to hammer it, so maybe 0.2 mm). The Corsair rapidfire K70 uses Cherry MX silver.

The actuation point is 1.2 mm (+/- 0.4 mm), so the maximum actuation point is 1.6 mm. The total travel is 3.4 mm. As mentioned in this thread, there is some space between the bottom of the crossbars and the top of the switch housing when the switch is in the "bottomed out" position: I don't know how much such space there is in a Corsair rapidfire K70 (1 mm?), let x be this space.

As a result, the maximum o-ring thickness for a Corsair rapidfire K70 should be 3.4 + x - 1.6 - 0.2 mm.
For example, if x = 1.0 mm, then the maximum o-ring thickness would be 3.4 + 1.0 - 1.6 - 0.2 mm = 2.6 mm.

My questions:

• Is 0.2 mm of post actuation key travel reasonable? Could it be 0.1 mm or lower?
• What's x on Corsair rapidfire K70? x = 1.0 mm?
• Is the overall reasoning correct?

This thread advises to use 2.5 mm o-ring to minimize the key travel for the Corsair K70, and indicates that using 3.0 mm would make some keys unactuable ("start to edge into the engineered tolerance of the actuation point of your key switches"). Assuming that x is the same in Corsair rapidfire K70 as in Corsair K70, I can infer some approximation on what the maximum o-ring thickness for a Corsair rapidfire K70, but knowing the exact value of x would be preferable.

Some numbers on the Cherry MX silver:

[tp4tissue]

Consider how Orings stretch and squeeze a little,  an accurate measurement is impossible without testing it out..

The hardness of the Oring ontop of the thickness itself would affect this supposed min/max setting.


Also, Don't go down this road.. seriously,  many geekhack members have gone and done this silly oring thing..

it's pointless..   



If you're really bored, and are simply looking for something to do.. Fine..  at best it will feel like a novelty for the first week you play with it.


But,  if you're looking for performance..  this will accomplish NOTHING..   Games do not demand much of key-precision,  key-speed, or the Keyboard much in general..


As for Speed-typing.. I am a fellow geekhack 135+ wpm member, I can type that on any keyboard, and mechanical makes no difference in speed or accuracy.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

Thanks for your reply. Good point regarding the hardness.

Regarding the motivation, the goal is to prevent repetitive strain injuries: an unnecessary long key travel distance is not recommended from a medical standpoint. I'm not looking for speed: when I do, it means I am writing some message or report, in which case I use speech recognition ;-)

[Lpwl]

Don't listen to tp4tissue - he just doesn't believe in the power of mushiness !

Haha 

EDIT :

Let's hype this thread up with a quote from Deskthority :

« [...] I absolutely love the sound and feel of a board equipped with o-rings.
It feels like a rubber dome when you bottom out, but the compression and release of the spring retains that mechanical feel.
To me, it incorporates the best of both worlds.

When I use a board without o-rings, it sometimes feels like I'm pushing buttons on an airplane console or something, not a keyboard.
It feels like something that's designed to be purely functional, with little to no regard for ergonomics.

With o-rings installed, the soft landing of the key strokes adds a nice ergonomic touch to the keyboard.
It feels like you're hitting rubber, not cold steel.
The key travel reduction also helps a lot, because as you might have already guessed, I bottom out every key press. [...] »

[KRKS]

I'd make a test with 2.0mm and 2.5mm to make sure.

Or just buy a chiclet board 

[tp4tissue]

Don't listen to tp4tissue - he just doesn't believe in the power of mushiness !

Haha 

EDIT :

Let's hype this thread up with a quote from Deskthority :

« [...] I absolutely love the sound and feel of a board equipped with o-rings.
It feels like a rubber dome when you bottom out, but the compression and release of the spring retains that mechanical feel.
To me, it incorporates the best of both worlds.

When I use a board without o-rings, it sometimes feels like I'm pushing buttons on an airplane console or something, not a keyboard.
It feels like something that's designed to be purely functional, with little to no regard for ergonomics.

With o-rings installed, the soft landing of the key strokes adds a nice ergonomic touch to the keyboard.
It feels like you're hitting rubber, not cold steel.
The key travel reduction also helps a lot, because as you might have already guessed, I bottom out every key press. [...] »

mrrrrrrm..............

OK fine..  that description has convinced me of at least SOME merits to the ordeal..


I recall, I liked the softer 30a orings more because the 40a and 50a didn't feel much different than the natural bottom out.

[Franck Dernoncourt]

Or just buy a chiclet board 

I have one but the activation force is around 60 cN (Apple keyboard). Is there any chiclet keyboard with a low actuation force? 

(More generally, I am looking for keyboards with short travel distance and low actuation force, and ideally low force to bottom out as well as decent shock absorption: any pointer is very welcome. I wish there were some comprehensive keyboard dataset with travel distance, operation point, actuation force, and force to bottom out.)

[TurricanM3]

Anyone tested this since?
I'm getting my K65 MX Speed these days. I ordered 2.5mm o-rings to reduce the travel as much as possible. Hope that works.

[suicidal_orange]

Anyone tested this since?
I'm getting my K65 MX Speed these days. I ordered 2.5mm o-rings to reduce the travel as much as possible. Hope that works.

The easiest way to answer this is to try it, I could stick a couple of both the bigger ones Lpwl sells in the post if you're in the UK?

[TurricanM3]

Sorry, germany.

No one here tried to lower the travel to the max on the MX speeds? =(

[tp4tissue]

Anyone tested this since?
I'm getting my K65 MX Speed these days. I ordered 2.5mm o-rings to reduce the travel as much as possible. Hope that works.

The easiest way to answer this is to try it, I could stick a couple of both the bigger ones Lpwl sells in the post if you're in the UK?

yea has to be tested, because no one knows how much those orings will compress or thin when stretched on the stem.

[TurricanM3]

Working fine here:

bottom out 2.5 vs. none:


It's awesome for gaming. So responsive. <3

[Zephyre14]

Working fine here:

bottom out 2.5 vs. none:

Show Image

It's awesome for gaming. So responsive. <3

My apologies for a bit of a necro, but I think it might be pertinent. I was wondering what o-rings TurricanM3 found to use. I can't find anything that is 2.5mm thick without being far too large of a diameter. I was also hoping what he found wouldnt affect the backlights like I hear a lot of orings might.

Thank you.