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Reddragon/velocifire/etc are cheap but functional, if you want to try mech switches but don't want throw down $100+ they're not a bad choice. You'll miss out on whatever higher end keyboards add to the typing experience but I say they're still better than rubber domes. Both tactile and clicky switches have the tactility, clicky switches have an extra part to make noise. How tactile depends on the switch, which is a whole 'nother rabbit hole. Of the kinds you'll find on cheap boards: Red - not tactile, Blue - tactile and clicky, Brown - tactile (though only lightly so). I can't promise anything about the absolute tactility of the switches on these boards or the relative tactility of blues vs browns.
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Oct 11, 2021 18:35
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Z the IVth posted:I made the mistake of playing with a Roccat Vulcan in a shop and now I can't stop thinking of maybe I'm missing out by not having a mechanical keyboard. Maybe look at a keychron for low profile board. My friend got a k2 and loves it.
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Oct 11, 2021 18:59
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If possible, get a hot swappable keyboard. You'll be able to change the switches if you don't like them. These aren't low profile but for clicky switches, I recommend Kailh Box Jades and Kailh Box Pinks. I'm not a big tactile switch person but everyone seems to love Boba U4T.
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Oct 11, 2021 19:03
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Does anyone have experience 3d printing their own caps? This article implies that printers in the < $500 range will do this. https://infocellar.com/best-3d-printer-for-keycaps/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ElegooMars/comments/gzgb1f/3d_printed_keycaps/ This seems rabbit hole as gently caress but I am down
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Oct 11, 2021 21:14
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Kestral posted:I'm also coming off of Topre, and while I'm very new to all of this, the inquiries I've been making have supported the idea of Boba U4s for coming off of Topres. I saw quite an interesting recommendation for the U4s: substitute their springs with SPRiT 45 Slow Extremes, since apparently the U4s can still spring back even at 45g, and the lower the spring weight the more intensely tactile they become. Scythe posted:I have a board with Topre Silents, and another with Matias Quiet Clicks, and a bag of U4s that I need to get around to putting in a board. Y'all got me considering that Matias Ergo Pro that I can't afford again...  I'm also obsessed with this form factor where they take a 60% board and put the function row back on top. Does anyone have one of those they like? I don't know what to call it and it seems exceedingly rare for some reason.
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Oct 11, 2021 21:18
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Unsinkabear posted:Y'all got me considering that Matias Ergo Pro that I can't afford again... I was looking for more or less the same thing a year or so ago and that "Nano 75" sold under a few different brands was the only mass produced example that we were able to find. For whatever reason it's just not a popular formfactor. wolrah posted:Is there anything in the 70-75% range that doesn't try to cram arrow keys in to the right modifiers? Basically what I want is something with just the "main" section and the F-row, nothing else.
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Oct 11, 2021 23:13
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wolrah posted:I was looking for more or less the same thing a year or so ago and that "Nano 75" sold under a few different brands was the only mass produced example that we were able to find. Hah, drat. I don't understand why people who care about compactness are so eager to also slice off those F keys and make their experience that much more difficult, when it offers no tangible improvement to your desktop in exchange (like the improved typing position you get from minimizing width). Guess we'll have to make do with the regular 75%ers  I'll see if I can pick up a used Ergo Pro with quiet clicks in the near future, and if the return window on my RK84 runs out before that happens then I'll look into putting Boba U4s in it instead.
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Oct 11, 2021 23:31
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nollij posted:My wife is gonna get me a new keyboard for Christmas. I would like a split keyboard and ended up landing on the Moonlander after going through this iteration repeatedly: I haven't used any Dygma boards so I can't speak to their quality, but I have the moonlander and it's great. The ortholinear arrangement took some getting used to, but now having used it I'd have a really unpleasant time trying to go back, it's really nice. It's also really easy to swap out switches on, though you'll never match the sound some of the nicer keyboards in the hobby can get - the moonlander is ergonomics first. That said the thumb cluster layout and positioning (and the fact that you can't control its tilt independently from the tilt of the entire half) is pretty weird, and if I could replace it with a thumb arrangement like the Dygma Raise I would in an instant. I never use the third-deep buttons on the thumb pad, and very rarely use the middle one, just because the positioning is really awkward, even as someone with large hands. I occasionally use the big triangle button for some shortcuts, but it is never used during any kind of typing. Sometimes I wish the board had more keys, if only for simpler layer switching.
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Oct 11, 2021 23:59
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Unsinkabear posted:Hah, drat. I don't understand why people who care about compactness are so eager to also slice off those F keys and make their experience that much more difficult, when it offers no tangible improvement to your desktop in exchange (like the improved typing position you get from minimizing width). Guess we'll have to make do with the regular 75%ers That's why I like the exploded 75%. Gives me the arrow keys (which I do need) but without it being a full TKL. And it's why after a lot of back and forth I'll probably just go with GMMK PRO once I've figured out which keys I'm putting in it (Kiwi's and Boba U4T's on the way to try out, I'm guessing it will be the Boba's because of less force needed).
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Oct 12, 2021 00:58
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Z the IVth posted:I made the mistake of playing with a Roccat Vulcan in a shop and now I can't stop thinking of maybe I'm missing out by not having a mechanical keyboard. I currently have the Roccat Vulcan as my first mechanical keyboard. The switches are close to MX Browns supposedly. Here is my analysis: Cons: I have already had a couple switches go out and had to resolder switches around to ones I don't use often. Roccat does not provide replacement switches and they do not use standard switches although I have seen online that you may be able to fit standard switches with some slight modifications. If you play videogames and use 'qwe' as your movement keys and 'q' and 'w' go out after a year and a half, it is a bit of a problem if the manufacture doesn't provide replacement proprietary switches. Pros: I like the lighting effects It feels like a pretty solid board and has lasted me longer than all the other cheapos I have had over my life I use the sound adjustment knob a lot and will miss it
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Oct 12, 2021 03:04
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Holy poo poo the 68g Boba U4T's are the nicest sounding keycaps I've ever used, I loooove these. I got a CU65 to use the bobagum linears in for gaming but I couldn't resist putting the U4T's in. I now understand why people have multiple keyboards, because I really want to try these in something a bit higher end and more tuned. Goddamn this is great wow.
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Oct 12, 2021 15:01
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ijyt posted:Holy poo poo the 68g Boba U4T's are the nicest sounding keycaps I've ever used, I loooove these. I got a CU65 to use the bobagum linears in for gaming but I couldn't resist putting the U4T's in. I now understand why people have multiple keyboards, because I really want to try these in something a bit higher end and more tuned. I really enjoy them in my GMMK Pro. I paid way too much money for lubed glorious pandas only to turn around and put in $35 worth of U4Ts. The silent version feels just as good, too - if I ever end up returning to an office, I'll definitely use it as an excuse to put together a U4T silent build.
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Oct 12, 2021 15:25
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Gay Retard posted:I really enjoy them in my GMMK Pro. I paid way too much money for lubed glorious pandas only to turn around and put in $35 worth of U4Ts. The silent version feels just as good, too - if I ever end up returning to an office, I'll definitely use it as an excuse to put together a U4T silent build. Yup, I am having a tough time choosing between my silent U4's and the U4T's. Also strangely the U4T's feel much nicer in 68g vs the Boba U4's which I had to get in the lighter spring. Either way goddamn wow Gazzew did good with these. Tempted to try lubing the U4T's with some 3204 just to see if it makes much of a difference.
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Oct 12, 2021 15:38
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Gay Retard posted:I really enjoy them in my GMMK Pro. I paid way too much money for lubed glorious pandas only to turn around and put in $35 worth of U4Ts. The silent version feels just as good, too - if I ever end up returning to an office, I'll definitely use it as an excuse to put together a U4T silent build. Where the hell did you find them that cheap? I'm barely seeing the silent u4s in stock anywhere, and the places that do have them seem to be marked up. Also, are they something I can just drop into a standard hotswap board? I saw one review stating they couldn't, but it also contained a lot of poorly-translated keyword-stuffed nonsense, so idk whether to trust that or not. Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Oct 12, 2021 |
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Oct 12, 2021 15:56
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They'll fit in any hotswap board that takes 5-pin switches, but if your board only takes 3-pin you'll need to clip the switches to remove the two alignment pins
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Oct 12, 2021 16:09
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Did anyone ever find a set that works on a Race3 and doesn't cost $300+? (I saw one on Drop ages ago like that)
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Oct 12, 2021 16:44
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repiv posted:They'll fit in any hotswap board that takes 5-pin switches, but if your board only takes 3-pin you'll need to clip the switches to remove the two alignment pins Thanks! I'm finding conflicting info on whether the current RK84 is 3 or 5 pin, so I'll pull one later today and find out.
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Oct 12, 2021 16:46
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Unsinkabear posted:Thanks! I'm finding conflicting info on whether the current RK84 is 3 or 5 pin, so I'll pull one later today and find out. RK84 is 5 pin.
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Oct 12, 2021 17:11
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Heck yeah. $76.50 for this thing was a steal
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Oct 12, 2021 17:26
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https://i.imgur.com/RQEGpsF.mp4 I think frosted blanks look very nice if obviously gaudy on an RGB board. I have a blank set of YMDK carbon for the other one coming in a week or two, then I just need to find a sexy set of blanks for a corsair MK2 k.70r
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Oct 12, 2021 22:22
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teethgrinder posted:Did anyone ever find a set that works on a Race3 and doesn't cost $300+? (I saw one on Drop ages ago like that) some cheap XDA sets that have all the keys you need. We're talking like $30 bucks on amazon prices. But for some reason people in MK's don't seem to like XDA very much, which is a shame considering it's one of the best profiles out there (if you have large fingers).
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Oct 12, 2021 23:22
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LionArcher posted:some cheap XDA sets that have all the keys you need. We're talking like $30 bucks on amazon prices. Love XDA, and it's what the Race3 has by default anyway, no? Anyway, weirdly never occurred to me to check Amazon. Thanks! edit: getting my profiles confused I think. Oh well, I'm not picky. teethgrinder fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Oct 12, 2021 |
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Oct 12, 2021 23:28
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Oh No I've found the perfect keyboard for me that will be a group buy. That price though... ugh. https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=113285.0 At least I have time before it goes live, and at least I have time to find out if I like Kiwi switches or Boba's more than my cherry browns.
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Oct 13, 2021 00:51
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I've been reading this thread for about a month now and I've come to the conclusion that I know absolutely nothing about keyboards, which is as surprising as it is exciting I guess. I started reading because I got a sweet WFH job doing support and I'm at my desk a lot now, 60+ hours a week, and I've noticed that my old Logitech G110 and my (work) Macbook Air keyboard are both, how do I put this? lovely? lovely, that's it. The G110 has gotten soft (it has a right, it's 7 years old) and typing on the Air feels like I'm drumming my fingers on aluminum after a pretty short while, probably because that's basically what I'm doing. Also, switching between them is sub-great due to the difference in scale. I'd like to resolve all of this, if possible. I asked The Keyboard Guy I work with about keyboards and he told me to spend about $400 on a single keyboard and then mentioned the Drop Ctrl, concidentally the same day I saw this interrodactyl posted:It's 2021, there is no reason to buy a Drop keyboard. So I have no idea what to do. Here's what I've figured out: For the Desktop I'd like:
Ideally not super-loud because I use this system when I'm on calls (both work and non-work) Hideous colorways is a big plus RGB bullshit a big plus Media controls a big plus USB is fine, I've never had a cordless keyboard and I guess I don't mind For the Macbook I'd like:
Control/Option/Command key functionality and keycaps (I'm still not great with the Mac shortcut keys) Quiet switches (I go into the office sometimes and I don't want to be The rear end in a top hat) Bluetooth (I only have 2 USB-C/Lightning ports I cannot afford to waste them on a keyboard) A travel case (should I just buy this separately?) No software (I can't install anything on the mac) As previously, garishness a plus, but maybe sensibly garish, as this one will come to the office with me. Maybe a tasteful Classic Mac Beige body to balance out some really tasteless neon keys or something? My budget is circa $400 for the two, but I can go higher if it's going to be worth it. Here's what I haven't figured out: I've been reading about all the different switches and I've realized you can't figure out what switches you want by reading about them. The G110 dome switches were fine until they started to feel soft, mostly on the WASD side (I don't wonder why). I used to have a Model M and typing on it was satisfying but playing games it felt more like a mechanical typewriter than I particularly enjoyed. Ideally I'd get switch testers, but I don't have a keyboard to slot them in so it's kind of a chicken-egg problem. I've also been reading about the different key profiles, but it feels much the same as the above problem, where I don't really have a baseline to compare it to. I looked at the picture at the end of the first post and yesiree those sure are key profiles I guess. I went to Best Buy to see what switches and profiles felt good because we don't have better electronics stores here anymore and they were under massive renovations and asking people to order online, so that was no help. I'm not averse to buying different sets of switches and keycaps later if I change my mind, nor am I particularly averse to developing a(nother) serious mental sickness and spending 10% of every paycheck on keyboard parts and accessories, but I'd like to hold off on that last bit for as long as I can manage. Tell me, keyboard gurus, how do I figure out what to buy? Shit Fuckasaurus fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Oct 13, 2021 |
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Oct 13, 2021 04:16
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Got my first group buy item I ordered today, a deskmat from ePBT Aesthetic. I've never had an actual deskmat before. It feels nice.
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Oct 13, 2021 05:25
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For your Mac keyboard, go look at what Keychron has and picked what layout seems to fit what you want. Get something hot swappable with either linear or tactile switches. Most likely, you want linear switches. This should be about $100. I say stick with hot swap because it'll let you change the switches easily if you don't like what you get initially. For the full-size keyboard, there's less options. Keychron makes a 100% board. GMMK full size regular might do the trick or something like a RK96. It's got all the keys, just slightly smaller. Again, you want linear or tactile. This is probably also about $100. Almost every keyboard should have some sort of media keys. If you can move down to a TKL, Womier makes one with an acrylic case with obnoxious RGB. Pair it with some pudding keycaps and it'd probably scratch your itch of hideous colorways and ridiculous RGB. This leaves you with ~$200 for more switches or new keycaps if you want. AKKO makes some affordable keycaps, ~$60. DROP has some budget keycaps for around $45 too. I would buy one board first, doesn't matter which, and start figuring out what you like. Amazon has a generous return policy.
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Oct 13, 2021 07:42
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So I went a bit further down the rabbit hole and I managed to score a lightly used GMMK TKL including some red and black switches for less than retail. Having re-tried some switches what I liked most about the Vulcan was the tactile feel of it. All the linears on display (Corsair, Razer, Steelseries et al) didn't do anything for me. I'm thinking of changing the switches on the keyboard. I can get some Gateron browns for £25, or I can go whole hog on Glorious Pandas for about double that. I know someone recommended Boba U4Ts but those are double again the price of the Pandas from some noname China seller on eBay. Are there any other cheap tactile switches I can consider? I was looking at Jade/Navy/Royal boxes but are they considered clicky rather than tactile? Also what's the thought on lube? I can hear some difference on the YouTube reviews but I'm not sure how that necessarily maps to real life use. Has anyone tried bag lubing the stems and springs? The thought of manually lubing 90 switches is incredibly daunting and I paint minis for fun.
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Oct 13, 2021 08:56
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Try https://splitkb.com or https://eloquentclicks.com - it's where I got my Boba's from.
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Oct 13, 2021 10:19
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ijyt posted:Try https://splitkb.com or https://eloquentclicks.com - it's where I got my Boba's from. Yeah they're legit but they're the same price as eBay - about GBP0.90 each because I live in Brexitlandia.
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Oct 13, 2021 10:43
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Z the IVth posted:Yeah they're legit but they're the same price as eBay - about GBP0.90 each because I live in Brexitlandia. Hey, €46 for 90 U4T's is way better bang for your pound than 3 primaris lieutenants. I'm UK too and the splitkb guy is cheaper than eloquent, and I had my order in on tuesday after ordering just before the weekend. I definitely highly recommend the U4T's if you want a thocky tactile. Enough Glorious Pandas from OcUK to fill out a TKL costs £68.67 with shipping, while enough Bobas from Splitkb for a TKL costs £46.18 with shipping. Bonus of not supporting a lame company and splitkb orders usually come with a minin stroopwaffel 
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Oct 13, 2021 11:13
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ijyt posted:Hey, €46 for 90 U4T's is way better bang for your pound than 3 primaris lieutenants. I'm UK too and the splitkb guy is cheaper than eloquent, and I had my order in on tuesday after ordering just before the weekend. Ha, that definitely sounds better. Did you get hit by customs? I've always been wary about western European companies since they're less likely to doctor the customs declarations than literally everyone east of the Rhine. Edit - Also smh if you're paying for Primaris Lieutenants at retail and not grabbing them from partworks.
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Oct 13, 2021 11:19
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Z the IVth posted:Ha, that definitely sounds better. Did you get hit by customs? I've always been wary about western European companies since they're less likely to doctor the customs declarations than literally everyone east of the Rhine. Smh if you're buying primaris at all, shorties 4 lyfe. No customs hit and I had a €160 order with them, got delivered through RM, all in plain view - they ship from the Netherlands iirc. e: also if you do end up deciding to lube the U4T's definitely use TriboSys 3204 rather than GPL205, it's thinner and it'll work better with the U4T's tolerances. I'm not convinced yet that they need any lubing though.
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Oct 13, 2021 11:25
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ijyt posted:Smh if you're buying primaris at all, shorties 4 lyfe. Should I try the 68 or 62s? I read that the 68s could be difficult to use?
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Oct 13, 2021 11:27
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I've only compared the silent tactiles against the weights and honestly I don't think there's much difference - I have the 68's and they feel totally fine to use but there is a noticeable difference if you're used to lighter switches like cherry browns or reds, and there's and adjustment period. If you plan to do any gaming at all on them you'll notice the weight of the spring for sure, especially holding control for crouch etc. Otherwise for typing I think the 68's are pretty great so far! When in doubt, go for the lighter spring IMO.
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Oct 13, 2021 11:34
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ijyt posted:I've only compared the silent tactiles against the weights and honestly I don't think there's much difference - I have the 68's and they feel totally fine to use but there is a noticeable difference if you're used to lighter switches like cherry browns or reds, and there's and adjustment period. I'm coming a scissor switch keyboard and those are supposed to be 60g so I'm guessing I won't notice it much?
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Oct 13, 2021 11:48
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Z the IVth posted:I'm coming a scissor switch keyboard and those are supposed to be 60g so I'm guessing I won't notice it much? For sure would go with the 62's then! I think the difference between the two is so slight it'd be hard to notice. When I was testing the 62 and 68 I could only tell which was which when I pressed the stems against each other.
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Oct 13, 2021 12:51
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ijyt posted:If you plan to do any gaming at all on them you'll notice the weight of the spring for sure, especially holding control for crouch etc. This is a bummer and I'm so grateful you said something about it before I placed the order. I should have realized, though It's a shame tactility has to increase hand in hand with spring weight. Is that less true with Topre and Friends, or any other types? I vaguely recall Plum's 35g feeling fairly bumpy despite the low weight, but it's been a while and I could be misremembering
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Oct 13, 2021 14:48
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Unsinkabear posted:This is a bummer and I'm so grateful you said something about it before I placed the order. I should have realized, though Actually something I learned just today is that tactility is more noticeable on a lighter spring than a heavier one! But yeah as much as I loved them, I didn't much enjoy playing games with the U4's even on 62g. e: come to think of it once my switch opener arrives I might try one of the 54g bobagum springs in a U4T and see how it feels.
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Oct 13, 2021 15:13
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I switched from MX Browns to Boba U4 62gs recently and they haven't given me any trouble when gaming, for what it's worth If you do find them too heavy on your pinky you could try putting lighter switches just on left shift and left control
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Oct 13, 2021 15:26
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Unsinkabear posted:This is a bummer and I'm so grateful you said something about it before I placed the order. I should have realized, though My Topres (Silent 45g) feel lighter than any other switch I've used, including my girlfriend's board with MX Reds (even though they're the same weight). It might be worth noting that they actuate before the bump--I had to break my habit of resting my hands on top of my board because I would occasionally accidentally issue some keystrokes. I think they'd be good for gaming (and I do use them for that, but I don't play much twitchy stuff and am nowhere near competitive).
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Oct 13, 2021 15:35
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