Nereus
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I currently have a Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth 2014 Edition mechanical keyboard (orange switches), it's 4 years old and I'm suddenly starting to get key chatter on several keys. Cleaning, blowing air etc. has not resolved the issue, so it looks like it's time for a new keyboard. First up, I like the Razer orange switches (similar to Cherry MX browns apparently) - it's tactile but not as clicky as the green switches (which are similar to Cherry MX blues apparently) - I really don't like overly clicky keyboards. If anything, I'd go towards their yellow switches (similar to Cherry MX reds apparently) rather than green. Orange switch specs: Feel: Tactile and Silent Actuation Force: 45 G Travel Distance: 4.0 mm Actuation point: 1.9 mm Actuation vs Reset Point: 0.05 mm So the question is, should I go for another Razer - probably the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 with orange or yellow switches, or another make altogether? Requirements: mechanical individual backlit keys switches not clicky full size keyboard, plus a few programmable keys wouldn't hurt either Any suggestions?
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EVGATech_AdamB
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/13 09:56:47
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Like our service? Please provide feedback for us at the link HERE.
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jfw06013
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/13 21:40:09
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I bought a Dragon, Corsair and a Cooler Master.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/13 23:25:42
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EVGATech_AdamB For me, the perfect keyboard is the one you build. I personally like the modular keyboard design linked here: https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-customized. With the modular keyboards you can swap out switches to your heart's content and make it the perfect one for you.
I'm liking this.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/15 15:28:57
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So with no other suggestions, and the Razer and GMMK being similarly priced atm when you add in the wrist rest, I'm waiting to see if the Razer is discounted on Amazon Prime Day tomorrow. Other issue is that apparently the GMMK can take up to a month to arrive in the US when ordered custom from the site (which I would be), and I need something sooner, it's driving me nuts having to go back and correct everything I type because of key stutter.
post edited by Nereus - 2018/07/15 16:41:13
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mike406
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/15 23:21:17
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If you want to make something a bit more custom, it's hard to go wrong with WASD
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jfw06013
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/15 23:59:31
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way too much money for WASD
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 00:00:37
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mike406 If you want to make something a bit more custom, it's hard to go wrong with WASD
A couple of the ones I looked at there look like GMMK barebones with a lot more customization options than GMMK offer. Thanks!
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 00:02:25
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jfw06013 way too much money for WASD
Yup most expensive so far, but a lot of customization options, and Cherry switches.
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jfw06013
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 00:04:41
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still not worth it but if you have the money to burn then go for it, I'm too cheap for that.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 00:09:16
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jfw06013 still not worth it but if you have the money to burn then go for it, I'm too cheap for that.
Doesn't appear to have LED keys. Although I don't necessarily need a three ring circus on my keyboard, I do require at least monotone LED as at times I am using it in a darkened room, and I'm not 'skilled' enough to type blind.
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mike406
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 00:36:57
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Nereus
jfw06013 still not worth it but if you have the money to burn then go for it, I'm too cheap for that.
Doesn't appear to have LED keys. Although I don't necessarily need a three ring circus on my keyboard, I do require at least monotone LED as at times I am using it in a darkened room, and I'm not 'skilled' enough to type blind.
If backlight is necessary then the least "race-car-alien-ship" looking keyboards I would recommend are the previously mentioned GMMK, WASD Code, or CoolerMaster MasterKeys Single Color Backlight (scroll down a bit). CoolerMaster's keyboards are built pretty tough and have a pretty clean design with minimal branding (a plus for me), I'm still rocking one of their original series mech keyboards from 2012 and have never had an issue. jfw06013 way too much money for WASD
Some people take the look and material quality of their keyboards very seriously. They're not for the average person, but I definitely wouldn't say they are not worth it to those who value such things. Some people will easily spend upwards of $200 for their perfect keyboard. There's entire communities that revolve around having fun with custom keyboard builds. If you're willing to have an open mind and not brush something off solely off its price tag, check out /r/MechanicalKeyboards on Reddit.
post edited by mike406 - 2018/07/16 00:46:03
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jfw06013
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 01:17:32
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I like the cooler master keyboard because it has random colored back lighting and no software to run @ $85, It's cool.
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jfw06013
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 01:19:24
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sorry, I meant the Dragon model k556 rgb.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 04:23:08
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jfw06013 sorry, I meant the Dragon model k556 rgb.
Redragon - thanks found it on Amazon. Certainly a better price. It looks like a rebranded GMMK, and it has Cherry Browns on it. Hmmm.
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Bobmitch
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 06:22:54
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Nereus So with no other suggestions, and the Razer and GMMK being similarly priced atm when you add in the wrist rest, I'm waiting to see if the Razer is discounted on Amazon Prime Day tomorrow. Other issue is that apparently the GMMK can take up to a month to arrive in the US when ordered custom from the site (which I would be), and I need something sooner, it's driving me nuts having to go back and correct everything I type because of key stutter.
Nereus, I highly recommend that you read up on Razer Synapse 3.x beta on their forums. Their hardware is excellent...but the software and CS is hard to like. I have the Lancehead TE mouse and synapse has caused issues that took months to resolve. Even after resolution, I received emails from support saying that there is nothing they could do to fix the issue (really??? already resolved). Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing...
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mike406
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 12:34:46
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Nereus
jfw06013 sorry, I meant the Dragon model k556 rgb.
Redragon - thanks found it on Amazon. Certainly a better price. It looks like a rebranded GMMK, and it has Cherry Browns on it. Hmmm.
They are not Cherry. They are Outemu switches, a popular cheaper Chinese clone to cherrys. Do your research on them, some people like 'em, others not so much. Cherry is not the only switch maker out there. There are also Kailh, Gateron, and Topre switches to name a few popular ones. Welcome to the world of mechanical keyboards you thought you knew.
post edited by mike406 - 2018/07/16 12:41:37
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/16 15:32:34
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Thanks everyone for the input. I just ordered the GMMK full size keyboard with Gateron Brown switches and standard black key caps. The only real hesitation I had on the GMMK was delivery time, but I found one on Amazon with the specs I wanted and I should have it by the end of the week. :) No wrist rest included, I'll see how I go without it. I haven't been using one with my Razer Blackwidow, so maybe I don't need one. I found this little chart which some may find useful:
post edited by Nereus - 2018/07/16 15:35:37
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6dracing
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/17 20:18:20
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I have the razer blackwidow chroma v2. I have the yellow switches on mine. I love the keyboard and synapse 3. The yellows are a bit hard to get used to but once you do you will love it.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2018/07/23 20:03:25
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I've had the GMMK for a few days now and I'm definitely liking it. The Gateron Browns are pretty close to the Razer Orange switches, which is what I wanted. I installed the GMMK software and it's extremely intuitive and you can do pretty much anything you like with the LEDs - swirling patterns, individually colored keys, a raindrop on a pond effect on each keystroke, whatever - I'm finding individually colored keys very useful. Of course you can have several profiles so it's easy to switch between them - my young daughter was fascinated with some of the more active and colorful modes. The only slight negative up front was the noise. I guess I'm somewhat of a 'violent' keyboard operator as I tend to mash every keystroke down to the base pretty hard, and presumably because the alloy face plate and the somewhat hollow insides on the GMMK base, it sounds quite a bit louder and 'clickier' than my old Razer BlackWidow. I'm definitely not a fan of loud clicky keyboards. Fortunately GMMK have a solution for that, and I've ordered some O-ring switch dampeners (soft and thin option) which I should have by the end of the week. I also ordered a wrist rest (full size and slim option) - whether I need it is yet to be seen. I may look at replacing some of the keycaps a little later - most are fine, but I'm not big on the stencil type font on some of the keys. I pulled off all the keycaps from my Razer so I may swap a few of them over, although their fonts aren't the best either (it's the older style pre-2014 font for those familiar with Razer). Having the option to swap keycaps and switches on the fly is awesome. I'll post an update when I have the O-rings in place, but for now I'd certainly recommend the GMMK keyboard, and thanks to EVGATech_AdamB for the heads-up on it.
post edited by Nereus - 2018/07/23 20:07:12
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/25 19:49:24
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Way late on the update, but the subject came up on another thread so... the O-rings made the difference I was looking for, and didn't change the feel one little bit - just cut down on the clackity clack a bit, which is great. :) I also ordered the full size slim wrist rest, which seems to be perfect for the GMMK full size keyboard. I'd recommend getting the wrist rest for sure. It's been about 10 months now and the keyboard is running flawlessly. Damn good score, thanks AdamB for the heads-up on it, and the additional info from Mike406 and others. Cheers.
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Mmadrid434
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/27 15:38:00
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/28 19:00:42
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Mmadrid434 k70 rapidfire
Considering your gaming prowess, you should try out some different switches and see if it improves your game any. You probably already have. :)
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aka_STEVE_b
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/29 10:33:04
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Yeah, the loud clicky-clack keys is pretty off-putting after a short time , so the oring dampeners would be quite nice. I have just stuck to mostly Cherry reds , as a good compromise of me not having to fuss anymore.
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Hoggle
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/29 13:25:15
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I have thought about trying o-rings but have feared them breaking down over time and getting stuck in the switches. Probably take a long time for it to happen but probably would happen before I wear out the switch. I might try them though since I don’t think I will want the same keyboard for the 50 million keystrokes it’s rated for.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/29 19:25:26
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Hoggle I have thought about trying o-rings but have feared them breaking down over time and getting stuck in the switches. Probably take a long time for it to happen but probably would happen before I wear out the switch. I might try them though since I don’t think I will want the same keyboard for the 50 million keystrokes it’s rated for.
Here's a photo of the o-ring placed in the key cap. They are sturdy and I'd imagine will last a few years at least, if not longer than the switch, but even if they did start to degrade, a can of compressed air should quickly solve any issue. Side note - they are clear, so they don't interfere with the LED lights. Key cap looks like crap and dirty, but that's just my phone camera on a kind of macro zoom doing that.
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MSim
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/04/30 04:41:25
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I purchased some o rings for my K70 RGB keyboard on ebay, they didn't help much at all for noise. I could notice the change in how far down i can press the keys. I ended up removing them.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/05/01 19:33:16
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MSim I purchased some o rings for my K70 RGB keyboard on ebay, they didn't help much at all for noise. I could notice the change in how far down i can press the keys. I ended up removing them.
Guess it depends on the keyboard base and how low the switches sit etc. etc., worth a try though. Worked for me. :)
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Vlada011
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/05/02 01:05:14
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Filco Majestouch 2 keyboards price is lower on Amazon for 40-50$ then before 2-3 years. That's great investment. For gaming I could play and on membrane keyboard, but for typing I need mechanical. Because of that typing is performance are priority when I look for keyboard. My look same after few years, Deck 87 Francium Pro, I would not change for any keyboard. Maybe for Filco Convertible 2 + Keys set I choose, but after Bluetooth test.
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Nereus
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Re: Looking for mech keyboard & switch suggestions
2019/11/26 08:00:50
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I've noticed a few posts recently asking or commenting about the latest/best keyboards, so I'm going to necro this thread to reiterate that the GMMK keyboard I purchased back in July 2018 is still going strong and is the best keyboard I've used. The Gateron Browns are doing a great job with no issues yet with nearly a year & a half of daily use. The O-rings I added are also holding up well, haven't had to replace any of them yet. Still on the original keycaps with no sign of wear, amazingly enough - tough little buggers! If you're looking for a highly customizable, high quality keyboard, GMMK is the one. p.s. it appears they are planning a Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale, so might want to check it out.
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