Whats a good Mechanical Keyboard for gaming?

darkblitz05 · May 9, 2014

Guys need help, im somehow new to this kind of keyboards (the mechanical ones, coz im just really using the standard ones)

can you post your top 3 or 5 (cheap gaming Mechanical Keyboards)
Primarily for Games.

Witchdoctor · May 9, 2014

I have a Razor Black Widow, it is fantastic as long as you don't use synaps

Can't really speak intelligently about any other ones since I have not used any other mechanical keys

I like it enough if it were to break I would replace it with the same

darkblitz05 · May 9, 2014

Witchdoctor said:
I have a Razor Black Widow, it is fantastic as long as you don't use synaps

Can't really speak intelligently about and other ones since I have not used any other mechanical keys

I like it enough if it were to break I would replace it with the same

ohh well im not really into Razer after having the Razer Naga mouse before and updated the Synaps it totally destroyed my ALT Commands in my keyboards... Update conflict maybe..

well tnx for the reply also, really appreciate it..

hope others also may reply.

Witchdoctor · May 9, 2014

Yea Synaps bites

Good luck

ATMINSIDE · May 9, 2014

Logitech G710+

Mandrake4565 · May 9, 2014

Bought a CM Storm Quick Fire Pro, brown cherry about a month ago. I absolutely love it, I will never go back to membrane. Purchased this one to be exact, on Ebay, it was sent from super biiz.

sobe · May 9, 2014

It's good thought to stay away from Razer, shoddy company.

I, as usual, recommend a company that has been doing quality mechanical boards for a while. None of the "gaming brands" have that, which includes Corsair, Razer, Logitech, Gigabyte, etc.

My recommended 2 would be a Ducky Shine 3 or Max Nighthawk X9. Max has been doing these boards for 7+ years and Ducky has been doing mechanical for 15+ years. The quality on these tend to be superior to that of the gaming brands. But even if you picked up a Corsair or Logitech, the switch quality remains the same as they come from Cherry.

The biggest thing is finding a switch that is right for YOU. In which I would HIGHLY recommend buying this cheap CherryMX sample kit to see which switch feels best to YOU,
http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-keycap-cherry-mx-switch-o-ring-sampler-kit.html

My recommendation for someone who games about 80% of the time, give or take, are CherryMX Red switches. Of course they are very light to the touch, so would take some getting use to. The CherryMX Browns offer a tactile bump when you press the key down to signify when the key registers, similar to your regular membrane keyboards, but a stiffer and more "sturdy" bump, not a loose one. The other popular choice is CherryMX Blues which offer the tactile bump along with a clicky clacky noise found in older 80's IBM keyboards, or if you aren't familiar, think of a typewriter I suppose.

http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/official-mechanical-keyboard-guide

Check that guide out and read up on the switch types. I still recommend the sampler kit to get a slight feel for each switch. You need to find what feels best for you.

darkblitz05 · May 9, 2014

Mandrake4565 said:
Bought a CM Storm Quick Fire Pro, brown cherry about a month ago. I absolutely love it, I will never go back to membrane. Purchased this one to be exact, on Ebay, it was sent from super biiz.

Definitely Im gonna check this one out. :thup:

sobe said:
It's good thought to stay away from Razer, shoddy company.

I, as usual, recommend a company that has been doing quality mechanical boards for a while. None of the "gaming brands" have that, which includes Corsair, Razer, Logitech, Gigabyte, etc.

My recommended 2 would be a Ducky Shine 3 or Max Nighthawk X9. Max has been doing these boards for 7+ years and Ducky has been doing mechanical for 15+ years. The quality on these tend to be superior to that of the gaming brands. But even if you picked up a Corsair or Logitech, the switch quality remains the same as they come from Cherry.

The biggest thing is finding a switch that is right for YOU. In which I would HIGHLY recommend buying this cheap CherryMX sample kit to see which switch feels best to YOU,
http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-keycap-cherry-mx-switch-o-ring-sampler-kit.html

My recommendation for someone who games about 80% of the time, give or take, are CherryMX Red switches. Of course they are very light to the touch, so would take some getting use to. The CherryMX Browns offer a tactile bump when you press the key down to signify when the key registers, similar to your regular membrane keyboards, but a stiffer and more "sturdy" bump, not a loose one. The other popular choice is CherryMX Blues which offer the tactile bump along with a clicky clacky noise found in older 80's IBM keyboards, or if you aren't familiar, think of a typewriter I suppose.

http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/official-mechanical-keyboard-guide

Check that guide out and read up on the switch types. I still recommend the sampler kit to get a slight feel for each switch. You need to find what feels best for you.

ohh nice, tnx for this info... :thup:

True, SOME of the Razor products really have a bad side, like it conflicts most of the other hardware parts.. primarily because of the Synaps thing..

sobe · May 9, 2014

No, what I meant by Razer being shoddy is they have a HORRIBLE quality control department, this goes for all of their product line in regard to mice and keyboard. It's nothing new though, their quality control hasn't changed over the years. The thing is, if you enjoy their product then you enjoy their product, it's simply something you prefer. The good thing is they are pretty good with their RMA department.

My advice, while I may recommend companies that have been doing quality boards for a long time, make sure to keep ALL your options open. I would look at Ducky, Max, DasKeyboard, Filco, SteelSeries, Logitech, Corsair, etc. and just see which may have a style more to your liking along with which switch you want (Red, Brown, Blue, Black).

bamato · May 9, 2014

ATMINSIDE said:
Logitech G710+

x2. I purchased this board because he^^ recommended it. Love it.

ATMINSIDE · May 9, 2014

bamato said:
x2. I purchased this board because he^^ recommended it. Love it.

What can I say, its a great keyboard for mixed usage with a decent price tag!
It kills me to type on this membrane at work after using my Browns so much :/

Don't forget that I got my case because of your build log Bamato

Mandrake4565 · May 9, 2014

darkblitz05, as sobe said you should either get the cherry switch sampler or go test some different types of cherry keys before you buy, the different color keys are dramatically different.

darkblitz05 · May 9, 2014

Mandrake4565 said:
darkblitz05, as sobe said you should either get the cherry switch sampler or go test some different types of cherry keys before you buy, the different color keys are dramatically different.

yes yes, i will definitely take note on that. thnx guys :thup:

SolidxSnake · May 9, 2014

Another +1 for the Logitech G710+. I held off mechanical keyboards for so long because I could never find ones with dedicated multimedia keys. Having gotten used to the Logitech G110, I also really wanted a board with a volume slider (as opposed to buttons). In addition, I didn't like Blues, and from all the reading I did, Browns seemed to be what I wanted. The full USB2.0 port on the board (not a hub/etc, the board actually has two USB cables plugging into the computer) is an excellent bonus.

sobe · May 9, 2014

I will say if you were to go with a "gaming" brand, Logitech has always had a solid reputation when it comes to keyboards and mice, so you can't go wrong there. But sadly I don't think they offer a board with CherryMX Reds.

bob4933 · May 9, 2014

http://www.aziocorp.com/en/keyboards/10-azio-levetron-mech5-gaming-keyboard.html

Feature rich mx cherry black keyboard. Has detachable number pad which is kinda awesome too. For the money, can't be beat imo. I found mine for 74$ during black friday, so I know that some deals will be out there. They are currently out of stock at new egg

http://www.amazon.com/Azio-Levetron...qid=1399661985&sr=1-1&keywords=levetron+mech5

While the 710+ IS a good keyboard, it features less macro buttons, does not have a detachable gamepad, and doesn't have adjustable macro buttons. It IS backlight vs the levetron, however, so if thats important to you, then there you go.

I dunno what this is, but I just had it pop up in my email box today... may be worth checking out!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823162029

Honestly, *MOST* of these keyboards use the exact same switch technology and platform. I can't imagine a K95 "outperforming" a g710+ in anything other than simply having more buttons. Deciding what keyboard type you want is also very important. I, personally, HATE mx cherry brown switches. They are so soft and easy to press and I dont like "hovering" over the keyboard while Im gaming lol. The same can be said against the mx blacks that Im using (its "too hard", less of a clicky sensation vs blues and browns).

Rough synopsis of my thoughts to this :
Browns, blues, and green are very similar. Brown is softer than blue is soft than green.

red, black are very similar with red being softer than brown.

Mx blacks are the "hardest" to press down. That intrigued me for gaming, as an accidental press of a key can cause you to frag yourself. The blues were just far too "soft" for me, as my finger weight alone causes them to press down. As much as I love the "clicky" sound for a moment, after a while it's really annoying compared to just "typing". Mx black and red give you a good typing feel without being obnoxious after 10 minutes.

First thing I noticed when I got the black keyboard was "wow my fingers are tired!", and it took a good week to "get used to it". However, now that my fingers are trained, if I hop on a lighter keyboard I can literally fly haha.

For gaming, I would recommend you get either the brown if you want the "clicky", or red or black if you play fps types.

ATMINSIDE · May 9, 2014

To expand on what bob just said, if you have a healthy mix of typing and gaming on the keyboard then take a good look at the Browns.
The little bump is amazing for typing and it actually helped me with fast repeated presses in games because I know where the activation point is.

A bit of keyboard specific input, the G710+ has O-rings under the keys to keep the sound of bottoming out to a minimum (it has a soft thud instead of a sharp clack).

bob4933 · May 9, 2014

ATMINSIDE said:
To expand on what bob just said, if you have a healthy mix of typing and gaming on the keyboard then take a good look at the Browns.
The little bump is amazing for typing and it actually helped me with fast repeated presses in games because I know where the activation point is.

A bit of keyboard specific input, the G710+ has O-rings under the keys to keep the sound of bottoming out to a minimum (it has a soft thud instead of a sharp clack).

this just proves more of a point on how subjective it is!

I LOVE mx blacks, but I HATE blues haha. Browns were ok for me tho. I just cant stand that "clickety clickety" for any length of time. Those first two minutes are mighty fun though

ATMINSIDE · May 9, 2014

bob4933 said:
this just proves more of a point on how subjective it is! I LOVE mx blacks, but I HATE blues haha. Browns were ok for me tho. I just cant stand that "clickety clickety" for any length of time. Those first two minutes are mighty fun though

See, mine don't have a click to them...

Janus67 · May 9, 2014

bob4933 said:
http://www.aziocorp.com/en/keyboards/10-azio-levetron-mech5-gaming-keyboard.html

Feature rich mx cherry black keyboard. Has detachable number pad which is kinda awesome too. For the money, can't be beat imo. I found mine for 74$ during black friday, so I know that some deals will be out there. They are currently out of stock at new egg
http://www.amazon.com/Azio-Levetron...qid=1399661985&sr=1-1&keywords=levetron+mech5

While the 710+ IS a good keyboard, it features less macro buttons, does not have a detachable gamepad, and doesn't have adjustable macro buttons. It IS backlight vs the levetron, however, so if thats important to you, then there you go.

I dunno what this is, but I just had it pop up in my email box today... may be worth checking out!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823162029

Honestly, *MOST* of these keyboards use the exact same switch technology and platform. I can't imagine a K95 "outperforming" a g710+ in anything other than simply having more buttons. Deciding what keyboard type you want is also very important. I, personally, HATE mx cherry brown switches. They are so soft and easy to press and I dont like "hovering" over the keyboard while Im gaming lol. The same can be said against the mx blacks that Im using (its "too hard", less of a clicky sensation vs blues and browns).

Rough synopsis of my thoughts to this :
Browns, blues, and green are very similar. Brown is softer than blue is soft than green.

red, black are very similar with red being softer than brown.

Mx blacks are the "hardest" to press down. That intrigued me for gaming, as an accidental press of a key can cause you to frag yourself. The blues were just far too "soft" for me, as my finger weight alone causes them to press down. As much as I love the "clicky" sound for a moment, after a while it's really annoying compared to just "typing". Mx black and red give you a good typing feel without being obnoxious after 10 minutes.

First thing I noticed when I got the black keyboard was "wow my fingers are tired!", and it took a good week to "get used to it". However, now that my fingers are trained, if I hop on a lighter keyboard I can literally fly haha.

For gaming, I would recommend you get either the brown if you want the "clicky", or red or black if you play fps types.

I personally am not a fan of the azio keyboard that I've been working on a review for (for way too long.. I need to finish it to get it posted). I found the keypad to be annoying.

Whats a good Mechanical Keyboard for gaming?

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