Mechanical Keyboards

[On2wheels]

Damn, so many to choose from. Better question might be which NOT to get. I'm getting one tomorrow or friday, any suggestions? I want backlit mechanical but not a real noisy clicky type.
Canada Computers | Gaming Keyboards
Forgot to say this place did not have the K90 in stock when I was there tonight.
A simple search helps too
Mechanical Keyboards Worth the Extra Cost?

[NSdeadly1]

I've had my Corsair k90 for about a week now and i i have to say i love it. It's the first mechanical keyboard i've had, but definitely won't be the last. Build quality is excellent and the Cherry MX Reds have a great feel, they take way less pressure than my old G15. Overall it is a lot more responsive than the rubber domed switches too, i noticed a difference in my game (BF3) right away. As for noise it is certainly louder that any dome switch, but honestly it's not that bad. I kinda like the clickity clack lol

[Shadowmeph]

I just had to Necro this becasue I am wondering what the deal is with Mechanical Keyboards, are they better in some way?

[dandelioneater]

I think it is personal preference and maybe some of that "I want the best that I can get" thing. They all do the same thing in the end, but I do beleive that the mechanical boards do provide better performance as far as keypresses are concerned. I think they provide a more tactile feedback and a better response in games when pressed quickly.

[Shadowmeph]

that is what I thought.
Thank you

[birthdaymonkey]

Be careful... mechanical keyboards like a drug. I bought a $130 Das about a year ago, added a $180 WASD custom colour board with Cherry blues a few months later, and just ordered a $300 Topre. One is never enough.

[dandelioneater]

Yeah, I just got a DAS last week and am liking it alot. When I go to work now I find it rather annoying to use the lousy membrane keyboards here.

[Philth]

I've had Blue, Brown, Black, and Red switches.

Blue switches (Audible, tactile, light) are my least favourite, mostly because I'm not a fan of the noise they make and I find them too light (some people love this noise; you'll have to try them out. To each his own, but I can't stand it and I don't recommend it if you have to share a house/close quarters with anyone). If you can find a razer blackwidow in a box store they have a cut-out on the box that lets you try out the keys (last time I checked), so feel free to give it a shot before you buy.

Blacks (linear, heavy) are my second least favourite. They are a linear switch (no tactile "bump") and require the most force per keystroke. You will feel your hands tire after extensive typing with them. Sure, you can get used to it, but unless you are normally very heavy-handed and have a tendency unintentionally mash every key around the intended key you wish to hit, I would just avoid these. People say they're good for gaming; to be honest, even just pressing the wasd cluster for extended periods of time will tire your fingers out much quicker and noticeably compared to other keyboards.

Browns (tactile, light) are my second favourite. Nice sound, nice and light, with a tactile "bump" in the keystroke. I like these, although I find they almost feel "crunchy", especially if you have a tendency to bottom-out on your keystrokes, as opposed to touch-typing.

Reds (linear light). These are by far my favourite. They share the nice light touch of the browns, but without the tactile "bump" that lends browns to feeling crunchy. Unlike blacks, these linear switches don't require nearly as much force to actuate. I find the sound of them bottoming out against pcb to be quite soothing, unlike the metallic sound of blues. Can't speak for the sound against a backplate though as I've only used them on my KBC Poker.

The above is mostly my own opinion. If you're seriously interested, you would do well to wander over to Geekhack and this guide for extensive (understatement) information about mechanical keyboards.

[BlueByte]

Originally Posted by NSdeadly1

I've had my Corsair k90 for about a week now and i i have to say i love it. It's the first mechanical keyboard i've had, but definitely won't be the last. Build quality is excellent and the Cherry MX Reds have a great feel, they take way less pressure than my old G15. Overall it is a lot more responsive than the rubber domed switches too, i noticed a difference in my game (BF3) right away. As for noise it is certainly louder that any dome switch, but honestly it's not that bad. I kinda like the clickity clack lol

The only thing I would caution about the corsair K90 is the F keys, home key cluster, and the macros are not mechanical. I didn't think this would bother me to much, because I use those keys for work vs gaming. Its probably the single most annoying thing about the keyboard, the difference is huge. The main keyboard works as expected, low resistance clicking like a 80's IBM keyboard. Then the non mechanicals have a slight resistance to them through the whole key press, it screws up any typing fluidity.

That being said, I like the overall keyboard, I just have not been using the macros as much as I would like because of that.

[Valneroth]

NCIX has the Mionix Zibal 60 on sale right now.

I'm narrowing my choices between the Zibal 60:

Mionix Zibal 60 Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Black USB W/ 2 Port USB Hub - Mionix - ZIBAL-60-US

or one of the Das Keyboards, probably Brown.

I'm looking for feedback on the Mionix before I buy. I've heard so many good things about Das already. Just want to know if the Mionix is a bad idea, basically.

EDIT

Decided on the Das Silent Model. Seems like a good compromise for typing, coding, and gaming. Hooray. :D