Mechanical Keyboards vs Gaming Keyboards.

Discussion in 'General Hardware' started by Deleted member 216176, Jul 27, 2013.

  1. Well it's time I considered upgrading from my old trustee G15 as much as I have loved it, I think I need to move on.

    Theres a couple of reasons why I want to change keyboards :

    1) the software the G15 uses can sometimes screw up certain games so I've ended up uninstalling the LCD software for the G15 just so I don't have to worry about it, but therefore am not using it to its potential.

    2) Call me shallow, but my rig is nicely themed with blue/white/black the g15 looks kinda stupid with the orange illumination and tbh has become rather dull.

    3) I just want a change, I upgraded my rig, upgraded my monitor but still using my old 3-4 year old keyboard, might as well, right?


    So yeah, I've had a look around and I've got to say I love the feeling of mechanical keyboards albeit can be a little noisey. I only used a blackwidow though which is cherry mx blues if im not mistaken? so maybe cherry browns or blacks might suit me best if a mechanical is what my final decision is.

    the keyboard must be illuminated, ideally blue but otherwise white would be fine. I like a keyboard which looks cool, and this is one of my gripes with mechanical keyboards, majority of them look like the crappy old keyboards I used to own with the original commodore 64 - again, pretty shallow but flashiness is what I like in PC gear. another thing that is quite important, the keyboard must have a decent length cable, id guess that the cable on my g15 is maybe 2m long? id love to have a little more play than this as my keyboard and mouse sit a little far away from the desktop.

    I absolutely love the look of the Roccat Isku, looks great and isn't too expensive too. it would be the perfect keyboard if it was mechanical. I want to give her my man juice.

    So far, none of the razor lineup tickles me, again they just look boring.

    Logitech - im quite liking their G710+ despite the orange area on the left but has white backlighting and looks really nice for a mechanical keyboard.

    Gigabyte - the Aivia Osmium looks ok, neither here nor there. Im on the fence with this one.

    Corsair - the k60 looks great, I love the wrist rest for whilst gaming but lacks the backlighting unfortunately. I also like the K90 too with the blue backlight, both these keyboards us MX reds which isn't ideal but it wouldn't bother me too much - a minor gripe is that the k90 is only partly mechanical, with the other keys being traditional membrane keys.

    These are the models I've checked out so far, right now, as far as mechanical keyboards go, I like the G710+ and the corsair K90 the most.

    cant keep my eyes off that Isku from roccat though, looks so nice.

    does anyone have any other suggestions?

    Cheers.
     
  2. d_mouse

    d_mouse Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,098
    Likes Received:
    9
    GPU:
    Nitro+ 7900XTX
    Do you use the macro (G1-6) keys on the G15?

    If so have a look at the Corsair Vengeance K95 it's the one I'm eyeing off at the moment
     
  3. I actually don't use the macro keys on my G15, I moreso use the multimedia keys. I checked out the K95 too but its just too pricey for my liking.
     
  4. Zareph

    Zareph Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,626
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Sapphire NITRO+ RX480 4GB
    Here's a mechanical gaming keyboard I've been eyeing for a while...

    http://mionix.net/products/zibal-60/

    It's got Black Cherry MX switches and illumination.

    I haven't tried it, but I'm so happy with my recent purchase of a Mionix NAOS 8200 mouse that I'm considering buying the keyboard aswell.

    If the keyboard is comparable in quality to the NAOS mice, you can't go wrong. :)


    EDIT:
    I also quite like the sound of this:

     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2013

  5. eclap

    eclap Banned

    Messages:
    31,468
    Likes Received:
    4
    GPU:
    Palit GR 1080 2000/11000
    I have the g710+, great keyboard. Full of features. Brown switches. You really need to decide on what switches you want. Then look at features.

    Oh btw, New version of k90 is fully mechanical. Not actually sure if it's been launched yet though.

    Here is why I chose the g710+, these are the features I wanted:
    Illuminated
    Brown switches
    Macro keys
    Media keys
    Wrist rest
    Numerical keys
    USB throughput

    The fact it was a Logitech product was a bonus, my mouse is Logitech G9 and I only have to run one piece of software.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2013
  6. I like brown and black switches the most, the only thing I dislike about the blues and reds is the sound. So far im leaning towards the G710+ :) my wants and needs seem to be very much the same as yours eclap.

    Anyone know if roccat is going to release a version of the isku but mechanical? I remember hearing something about roccat releasing a mechanical keyboard, but not sure which model.
     
  7. eclap

    eclap Banned

    Messages:
    31,468
    Likes Received:
    4
    GPU:
    Palit GR 1080 2000/11000
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2013
  8. yasamoka

    yasamoka Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    4,875
    Likes Received:
    259
    GPU:
    Zotac RTX 3090
    eclap, you might want to link OP with the topic you opened a while ago concerning mechanical keyboards. It might be very helpful for OP.
     
  9. eclap

    eclap Banned

    Messages:
    31,468
    Likes Received:
    4
    GPU:
    Palit GR 1080 2000/11000
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2013
  10. MwR

    MwR Guest

    Messages:
    218
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    GTX 980/4GB SLi
    I also took a while to choose before I settle for G710+, primary because:
    1. the clicking feels after I've tried out all keystrok types;
    2. Macro keys;
    3. volume adjustment roll;
    4. illumination for keys, including a separate one for WASD keys;
    5. gaming mode selection, so no more accidentally trigger Chinese language input for me;
    6. USB 2.0 port on keyboard, for now I leave it for iPhone dock but in the future I think I'd let it for a new mouse...
     

  11. CPC_RedDawn

    CPC_RedDawn Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    10,413
    Likes Received:
    3,079
    GPU:
    PNY RTX4090
    Oh my.... that keyboard is very tasty indeed :p

    Im using a basic Steelseries 6GV2 keyboard at the moment with black switches. Its proven excellent so far and for £40 bran new it was a steel... no pun intended :p But that keyboard you listed... Oh yes... yes please :)
     
  12. DSparil

    DSparil Guest

    Messages:
    3,295
    Likes Received:
    33
    GPU:
    GeForce RTX 3080
    A good mechanical gaming keyboard cannot be beat in terms of quality of construction and longevity. I have a Razer Blackwidow and its been great, although the clicky sound of the cherry blues can get a bit trying at times lol. If I were to buy another, I would go with cherry browns I think.

    Trust me, when you go mechanical, you won't want to go back to rubber dome. They just feel cheap and mushy while typing
     
  13. eclap

    eclap Banned

    Messages:
    31,468
    Likes Received:
    4
    GPU:
    Palit GR 1080 2000/11000
    I love the noise the brown switches make. the g710+ comes with dampening rings which make this keyboard a little bit quieter than regular brown switches would. That Mionix looks great, but it doesn't have the features I wanted from a keyboard. The thing is, these keyboards do cost a lot of money and I think it's worth going all the way and pay a little bit more for the exact feature set every individual wants. I almost bought a couple of other keyboards before the g710+ but I know I would miss some of the features the g710+ has and would end up buying it anyway.

    Oh btw, I didn't really like the look of the g710+ from what I've seen in youtube videos and pics online, but it really looks nice. I even like the orange accent around the macro keys. All in all really happy with it.
     
  14. Veteran

    Veteran Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    12,094
    Likes Received:
    21
    GPU:
    2xTitan XM@1590Mhz-CH20
    I still pawn on my G11, fancy keyboards all a load of bollocks:)
     
  15. yasamoka

    yasamoka Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    4,875
    Likes Received:
    259
    GPU:
    Zotac RTX 3090
    For gaming only, maybe. Typing is much much better. I can now spend long programming sessions and it's such a pleasure to type on a good mechanical keyboard.
     

  16. DSparil

    DSparil Guest

    Messages:
    3,295
    Likes Received:
    33
    GPU:
    GeForce RTX 3080
    Do mechanical switches of any kind get more stiff over time? I have a Razer Blackwidow with Blues, and sometimes I think they're getting a bit more stiff. It could just be me though, like my hands getting ****tier. lol
     
  17. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

    Messages:
    25,211
    Likes Received:
    9
    GPU:
    7950 Vapor-X 1100/1500
    I love my mechanical typewriter. :p
     
  18. Lycronis

    Lycronis Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,046
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Gigabyte GTX 970 G1
    I have the Corsair K95 and I absolutely love it! I think it looks great with the black colored brushed aluminum along with the white backlighting. I was using the K90 before and while it was also a great keyboard, I really wanted to have all the keys be mechanical so that's why I upgraded to the K95. Plus, I actually prefer the white backlighting, not to mention that you can set up what keys you want to be back-lit which can be a nice feature. Overall though, the K95 is the best keyboard I've ever used.
     
  19. IcE

    IcE Don Snow

    Messages:
    10,693
    Likes Received:
    79
    GPU:
    3070Ti FE
    Cherry browns aren't really quieter than blues, they just have a click that's lower pitched. Less annoying, but not really quieter. Unless of course your keyboard has additional dampening.

    I have a Das Keyboard Professional S with blues, and it's great. Simple and solid. As far as gaming usage goes though, it doesn't matter what keyboard you have. The benefits of mechanical are all related to typing.
     
  20. DSparil

    DSparil Guest

    Messages:
    3,295
    Likes Received:
    33
    GPU:
    GeForce RTX 3080
    Hmm, that explains a bit about browns vs blues then. I am in no rush to get something else as this has been treating me fine. At least for now :)

    I can't agree on the "benefits are all related to typing" part. For blues I have found this to be the case, but reds for example offer a notable benefit for things like double tapping because they have lightning quick and easy actuation. Rubber dome cannot match it. I have read some similar things about blacks, but those require a higher force to actuate in the first place, so I wouldn't think that would be good for anything lol.

    Even though reds are supposed to be a great gaming mechanical switch, I found them to be less than ideal for typing. I guess it all comes down to personal taste :infinity:
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2013

Share This Page