20 replies to this topic

[teh_HyDr0iD]

I just got my first mechanical keyboard today in the mail. I went with a Ducky DK9008 with cherry mx blues and black on black abs keycaps. Been typing on it for a couple of hours now and I'm completely in love with it. I'd highly recommend to anyone that has the chance to use a mechanical keyboard for a while to take that chance. It really is a new experience if you are a decent touch typist and spend a good amount of each day typing on a keyboard. Anyone who has the money and wants to get a good new keyboard should undoubtedly go for a mechanical keyboard.

Also, I'd like to know how many of you already have mechanical keyboards here? I'd hope that on this forum there is atleast someone else who already appreciates the experience that it is to type on a mechanical keyboard.

[ThrashTitan]

I want one just to have the glorious sound of the TAKTAKTAK.

[Dirge]

If I still had the money to drop on random shit like that, I would totally get one. Goddamn I'm jealous of you.

[teh_HyDr0iD]

I want one just to have the glorious sound of the TAKTAKTAK.

Yeah! The sound it makes is amazing, kinda makes me think of a lighter sounding typewriter.

If I still had the money to drop on random shit like that, I would totally get one. Goddamn I'm jealous of you.

I know what you mean. I deliberated about the price for almost a year before I bit the bullet and just got one. They are very pricey, and I didn't even go with the most expensive kind. Those Topre Realforce ones are sometimes $300 upwards. Having spent the money now though I'm not regretting it one bit. I've already started subconsciously typing lighter and making use of the raised actuation point to not bottom out the keys as often. I'm hoping to see improvements in my speed over the next few weeks as I get more and more used to it. I currently only type at around 60wpm and I'd like to improve that number a little bit, I'd be happy if I can reach atleast 80wpm but my goal is to make 100wpm.

[Knight Fall]

If my razer lycosa dies, I'll def pick up a mechanical one!

[Andrack]

My old roommate had a mechanical one once.

My other roommate and I made him get a different one.

*TAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKA*

[teh_HyDr0iD]

If my razer lycosa dies, I'll def pick up a mechanical one!

My opinion of the Lycosa is seriously low at the moment. I had one and I was really excited about it at first, but there was too much impedance on the headphone and mic ports and keys started sticking after a couple of months. It was really comfortable for long fps gaming sessions, but its terrible to type on. In Febuary I replaced it and ordered a Qsenn DT-35 in from Korea just for kicks and I then realized just how bad the ergonomics of the Lycosa are that a $10 keyboard from 1994 can out do it. I let my younger brother use it when I got the Qsenn because he wanted to and it just died the other day. The surprising thing is that the rubber coating doesn't look in the least bit worn so I don't know how hard some people are on keyboards if they manage to get through that rubber coating and start complaining that it came off too soon. But yeah the keyboard died and I payed the same for that pile of junk that I payed for this mechanical keyboard.

My old roommate had a mechanical one once.

My other roommate and I made him get a different one.

*TAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKATAKA*

Haha I guess he's a hard typer who bottoms out all the time? I am starting to get used to not bottoming out the keys when typing and its a lot quieter than when I just started. Also you can get cherry blacks, browns, reds or clears that should be quieter and in theory almost completely silent if you can type without bottoming out. My bedroom isn't too close to any of the other bedrooms or the main relaxation areas in the house so it wouldn't really bother anyone anyway if I had a really loud keyboard.

[ThrashTitan]

Yeah Im a hard typer. I like to feel the keys bottom out.

[teh_HyDr0iD]

Yeah Im a hard typer. I like to feel the keys bottom out.

Sounds like you'd like using Cherry Clears then. They have the most noticeable tactile bump so you would get a really nice tactile feedback before you bottom out.

[ThrashTitan]

I really wish they werent such a premium product. Not for the price; thats fine, but so I could test every combination of springs, switches etc and see what I DO like best. I have absolutely zero knowledge of what makes them all different.

[x_byakugan_x]

Same. I'd really like to feel what they're all like. Here is a guide though if you wanna read about it.

http://www.overclock...oard-guide.html
Some gifs from it :


There are more mechanisms than these 4. These actually sorta remind me of micro-switches found in arcade sticks.

My questions are whats good for RTS? Good for FPS? DO they share the same switch?

Edited by x_byakugan_x, 11 June 2011 - 05:25 PM.

[ThrashTitan]

Cheers for the link; will scour it a little later.

[Knight Fall]

Hey thats pretty cool man! Never knew that there were different kinds before!

[teh_HyDr0iD]

Same. I'd really like to feel what they're all like. Here is a guide though if you wanna read about it.

http://www.overclock...oard-guide.html
Some gifs from it :


There are more mechanisms than these 4. These actually sorta remind me of micro-switches found in arcade sticks.

My questions are whats good for RTS? Good for FPS? DO they share the same switch?

Yeah those gifs are an invaluable resource when trying to understand what makes the cherry switches different from eachother. I still need to figure out how Alps and Topres work though. Buckling springs are fairly simple and easy to understand.

As far as what is good for what, I'd say it mainly comes down to preference. I've heard some people say they don't like blues for gaming because the release point is higher than the actuation point so there is a small area of movement where after you have pressed the key you can move it up to stop the action of the key, but if you press it back down from that point the key won't activate so you have to fully release the key after every point, but that area is so minor that you can't really notice it. I've tried typing, and gaming in FPS, RTS and even tetris and I haven't run into any double tapping issues whatsoever. There are some people who swear by blacks for gaming, others claim the stiffer springs put needless strain on the fingers and prefer browns, others prefer blues because they like the accurate tactile feedback and audible clicks. I've been wanting to collect keyboards for some time now so I plan to get all the different switch types available eventually, but I'm very very happy with my purchase of the blues at the moment, they do great for everything. Just spend some time taking note of how you type and press keys and decide whether you think you'd be annoyed by stiffer keys or if you really want features from one of the other switch types. For me I really wanted to try blues because they seemed to be the most different from regular rubber dome switches and I really wanted to experience what they are like. I do also spend a fair amount of time each day typing so the typing comfort is a big factor for me.

[retrovirus]

i had a filco otaku tactile click tenkeyless board...it was such an amazing board.
I fell in love with it after weeks of using it. (blue switches btw)

I got my hands on a steelseries 6gv2 used for 60$ so i brought it home and compared.

I went through my daily routines with it...
typing, labs, starcraft 2, bunch of fps games, and both performed admirably.

If I could justify keeping both, I would have, but in the end I sold my filco and kept the steelseries.
The keys just felt really good for the games.
If I had to state an objective reason for why, it was in fact the stiffness of the keys. I like to hover my fingers over keys and relax my fingers on them before I press them.

ex. if i wanted to do the following sequence.
select command centre
build scv
select barracks
build 2 marines
build 2 marauders
select factory
build 1 siege tank
select starport
build medivac
centre map on army group 1.

I would flutter through the following keys.

4s5aadd6s7d11

When training my barracks units, naturally my index finger is resting on the 6 key.
Usually on my filco, the lightness of the key would result in my selecting the barracks before my scv is built because of that accidental press.

This is in absolutely no way a significant problem. But combined with my style of typing and play, the steelseries just seemed to suit me better and feel better as a whole.

It was also less than half the price of what I paid, and so I decided to sell the filco. I had originally planned to keep the filco for typing on top of my desk, and the steelseries for my pullout keyboard shelf....but it was kind of hard to justify having 2 keyboards when i could get back at least 120$.

Edited by retrovirus, 12 June 2011 - 09:43 AM.

[teh_HyDr0iD]

Yeah, that's exactly the thing. Everyone is different so there is no best switch. You need to look at all the details on each switch and read other people's experiences and go with what you think is best for your style and needs. I don't rest my fingers heavily on my keys so I am completely in love with my blues right now. Its a joy to do anything on them for me and really makes my computer usage more of a joy. And when I spend 14~ a day on my computer that's a pretty big thing.

[otaku_4_life]

Yeah, I bought a 6gv2 like a month ago because my old keyboard was fucked up, and I don't regret it at all. There's just something about the keys, and the clacking of them is so much more satisfying than a non-mechanical keyboard...

Edited by otaku_4_life, 13 June 2011 - 04:46 PM.

[teh_HyDr0iD]

Yeah, the rubber domes server to dampen the bottoming out, but there is a level of sturdiness and precision in the keystrokes that is unmatched. And when you go back to a mechanical keyboard it ends up just feeling really squishy and unpleasant.

[x_byakugan_x]

So like If I'm playing SC2 with one of these clackity keyboards, will I in a sense FEEL like my APM is higher, thus giving me more confidence which then in turn makes me a better player and bumps me up from the bottom of bronze to gold?

I'm using a Saitek Eclipse II and it's almost inaudible.

[otaku_4_life]

So like If I'm playing SC2 with one of these clackity keyboards, will I in a sense FEEL like my APM is higher, thus giving me more confidence which then in turn makes me a better player and bumps me up from the bottom of bronze to gold?

I'm using a Saitek Eclipse II and it's almost inaudible.

I went from an Eclipse as well, yeah it's a neat placebo. lol