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Unsinkabear posted:I missed these responses to my previous numpad question until now, but I really appreciate the answers. That bare GK21s kit looks perfect. Would I need my own stabilizers as well as switches and keycaps? Anything else? It comes with stabilizers, but yes you would need 21 switches and keycaps
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Dec 10, 2021 20:44
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My kid wants a small (60% maybe 65%) gaming keyboard for xmas/his birthday, and really likes the Razer Huntsman Mini. While I would never spend that much on a keyboard for myself, he's a good kid and doesn't ask for much so I'm good with buying it for him, but..... I figured I'd check with the trusted goon hivemind before I shell out 80 or 90 bucks on a keyboard for him. He has no brand allegiance or anything, I could show him a Corsair that was similar and he'd shrug and be like cool. I just don't want to waste money on a crap keyboard. I have no problem spending on quality, but really like to get a good value (price to quality ratio I guess) when I buy stuff. If the Razer is crap, an alternative suggestion? Needs to be black and have ~*gaming leds*~
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Dec 10, 2021 21:43
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skipdogg posted:My kid wants a small (60% maybe 65%) gaming keyboard for xmas/his birthday, and really likes the Razer Huntsman Mini. While I would never spend that much on a keyboard for myself, he's a good kid and doesn't ask for much so I'm good with buying it for him, but..... I figured I'd check with the trusted goon hivemind before I shell out 80 or 90 bucks on a keyboard for him. He has no brand allegiance or anything, I could show him a Corsair that was similar and he'd shrug and be like cool. How critical is it that it be here on Christmas? And are you okay with having to deal with some assembly? If so, the KBD67lite could make for a nice small father/son project. It's got RGB, QMK/VIA programable if he ever wanted to play with that down the road, hotswap so he could also play with the switches as well. https://kbdfans.com/products/kbd67lite?variant=39262587617419 But you would also have to purchase some switches and keycaps to go with it. edit: Forgot to add some $100 alternatives. Ducky One 2 Mini Blackout, for a company with a reputation for solid keyboards - https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=8111 Keychron K6 RGB Hotswap, a bit flakier quality. But you get hotswap so you can play with switches - https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k6-wireless-mechanical-keyboard?variant=31441088839769 Pok3r, more expensive but metal chassis.: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3624 .Z. fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Dec 10, 2021 |
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Dec 10, 2021 22:26
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That is very cool, might be something that interests him when he's a little older. I'm looking for something I can just buy off Amazon or some other site and have here before Christmas, or Dec 28th at the latest which is his birthday
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Dec 10, 2021 22:40
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skipdogg posted:That is very cool, might be something that interests him when he's a little older. I'm looking for something I can just buy off Amazon or some other site and have here before Christmas, or Dec 28th at the latest which is his birthday Made an edit right as you posted. But thinking about it more, I might just stick with the Razer. It's good enough and he may still appreciate having something that Pros/Streamers are using or promoting.
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Dec 10, 2021 22:50
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This is not really keyboard-specific advice, but if someone tells you exactly what they want for a gift, I say just go ahead and buy exactly that. Later on, if/when he starts learning more about keyboards, we can revisit the question of what could be an upgrade. I think Razers are generally considered okay, and $80-90 is not too terrible a price compared to most anything else in this space. On the plus side, the optical switches this keyboard uses seems to be compatible with any Cherry-MX-compatible keycap, so it can be customized pretty easily.
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Dec 10, 2021 22:54
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Generally I do just get him whatever he asks for, but this was just more of a sanity check for me. He doesn't care about the brand, and doesn't know anything about the different switch types. He just wants something smaller and when I looked on Amazon with him the Razer was the first one that came up. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a piece of junk before I dropped 90 bucks on it. He's turning 10 and just getting into this stuff, and odds are he'll switch focus in about 2 months to something else. (Ask me about all the high end speedcubes I've bought him that he isn't interested in anymore) If someone said the Razer was garbage and to get him a Corsair K65 or a HyperX or something else I'd run it by him first and make sure he was cool with it. Razer seems decent and that's the one he wants, so I'll go with that one. Thanks all.
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Dec 10, 2021 23:58
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Does razer have a standard bottom row for keycaps?
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Dec 11, 2021 00:04
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It looks like they do normally. The Huntsman Mini appears to
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Dec 11, 2021 00:31
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Exit Strategy posted:Sweet Business update: Sweet! Thanks for the updates!
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Dec 11, 2021 00:52
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.Z. posted:But if you just want something to get the job done and not spend too much money on it. Keychron C2 hotswap with brown switches. That way if you've got the option to swap everything out for boba u2 silents down the road. Just to confirm, it looks like there are two types of hot-swappable available: Gateron Hot-Swappable and Keychron Hot-Swappable. Which one do I want? (Or are they actually the same?) And, I guess, the only hot-swappable board I have right now is Cherry-compatible. Would these boards be using the same switch ecosystem (I know that there are usually a handful of brands that are interchangeable with each other) or would I be on two separate ones here? Not a big deal, of course, just wondering if I'm going to be adding to the same pool or having a different set of options open to me with this board.
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Dec 11, 2021 01:17
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Zarin posted:Just to confirm, it looks like there are two types of hot-swappable available: Gateron Hot-Swappable and Keychron Hot-Swappable. Which one do I want? (Or are they actually the same?) In the case of the C2 the difference is actually the backlighting; both hotswap C2's use the same socket in terms of compatibility with other switches you might want to upgrade to. The choice is between a backlit keyboard (which uses Gateron's, and is availiable in RGB or white backlight), or a non-backlit board (which uses Keychron's clones, which I have no experience with, but the published specs set them as 'identical to gateron's, with a bit less variance') (This advice doesn't hold true for all of Keychron's boards; some of them the choice is between a hot swappable mechanical gateron, and a hot swappable optical keychron switch. Those are not interchangeable/compatible)
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Dec 11, 2021 01:40
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Unsinkabear posted:I missed these responses to my previous numpad question until now, but I really appreciate the answers. That bare GK21s kit looks perfect. Would I need my own stabilizers as well as switches and keycaps? Anything else? It comes with stabilizers. If you're in the us (ground shipping thanks to the battery) and want a deal on one hit me up, I have one that I've never used and I'll cheerfully pass it on.
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Dec 11, 2021 01:49
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Chevy Slyme posted:In the case of the C2 the difference is actually the backlighting; both hotswap C2's use the same socket in terms of compatibility with other switches you might want to upgrade to. The choice is between a backlit keyboard (which uses Gateron's, and is availiable in RGB or white backlight), or a non-backlit board (which uses Keychron's clones, which I have no experience with, but the published specs set them as 'identical to gateron's, with a bit less variance') Ah, thanks, much appreciated! I went ahead and signed up for Keychron to notify me when a C2, hotswap, backlit, Brown board is back in stock 
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Dec 11, 2021 03:16
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  Now to find some time to actually put the thing together
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Dec 11, 2021 03:17
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HappyCapybaraFamily posted:
65? I liked building my 80 last month.
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Dec 12, 2021 15:32
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Midjack posted:It comes with stabilizers. If you're in the us (ground shipping thanks to the battery) and want a deal on one hit me up, I have one that I've never used and I'll cheerfully pass it on. I'm very intrigued, but do you know anything about the built-in microphone? Apparently it has one that's not advertised on almost any of its product pages (US or international). That strikes me as pretty drat sus, and gives me pause since it will (of course) be connected to an online machine. I have zero use for an in-keyboard mic and would only want to gently caress with that if it's something I can either disable at the hardware level or get third party verification from someone credible that they've torn it down and/or looked over the firmware and verified that it's only for audio visualization and 100% not connected to anything else. 
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Dec 12, 2021 22:32
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I have that numpad and never heard about a built in mic lol. Nothing shows up in device manager or the config software, and I can't find an audio reaction setting for the rgb stuff. Weird.
Gwaihir fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 01:36
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Interesting! Maybe it depends on what vendor you get it from? I found one website advertising it (I'll see if I can dig it up again later if needed), an amazon review that mentioned it, and a couple posts on Reddit from people whose numpad RGBs reacted to sound and didn't know why.
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Dec 13, 2021 01:52
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An enthusiast numpad seems like a really niche thing to supply chain like that but I'll look at the board of mine and see what's up.
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Dec 13, 2021 01:55
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KB enthusiast community is lowkey sleeping on how good huntsman v2's silenced linear switches are. Best, and ?only?, silenced linear speed switch on the market. Too bad it's a proprietary optical format. 1.2mm actuation, doesn't even feel silenced compared to other silenced switches until you bottom out (&even then it's not gummy/sticky like gateron/cherry silenced), 4mm travel which might let you naturally avoid bottoming out if you're used to 3.x especially when combined with the low actuation distance, ~45g actuation so fairly stiff feeling, lower noise than gateron & cherry silents to the point you don't need orings, and super super smooth out of the box -- not sure if this is due to the switch design or them dry lubing it at the factory. I mean okay, that description is not for everyone, but if it's for you... it's the one switch I haven't seen anyone talking about. I bought a huntsman v2 tkl during black friday as a temp keyboard that I was going to return and ended up keeping it as a daily driver. I do have some longterm concerns about not being able to replace switches if one goes bad. Also, stabilizer for space was crazy loud of the box. Easy to lube. Combination of low actuation distance and firm-feeling silent is what I genuinely like the most about it. I've wanted to try speed switches for ages but there being no silent offering really killed it for me. Also, ordering it from best buy and getting it the next day and not having to fiddle with soldering in new switches, lubing stuff (except stabs, I guess some things never change), whether the keyboard has good debounce latency/keyup/keydown timing, etcetc was a nice experience compared to how I've purchased my other keyboards. Their tactile switch isn't great in comparison. To the point I wouldn't even really consider it over a normal mx compatible keyboard. please enthusiast market, 35g-45g silent linear switch 1.1mm-1.2mm actuation & 4mm bottom out distance. It feels weird using a mainstream keyboard for the first time in nearly 15 years. skipdogg posted:Generally I do just get him whatever he asks for, but this was just more of a sanity check for me. He doesn't care about the brand, and doesn't know anything about the different switch types. He just wants something smaller and when I looked on Amazon with him the Razer was the first one that came up. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a piece of junk before I dropped 90 bucks on it. He's turning 10 and just getting into this stuff, and odds are he'll switch focus in about 2 months to something else. (Ask me about all the high end speedcubes I've bought him that he isn't interested in anymore) If someone said the Razer was garbage and to get him a Corsair K65 or a HyperX or something else I'd run it by him first and make sure he was cool with it. Razer's recent generation of keyboards are pretty good. A few years ago gaming keyboards were trash but quite a few vendors have legitimate entries now. Khorne fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 03:00
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Khorne posted:Best, and ?only?, silenced linear speed switch on the market. Gateron has silent blacks, reds, and (on novelkeys) yellows, all linears
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Dec 13, 2021 03:48
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mewse posted:Gateron has silent blacks, reds, and (on novelkeys) yellows, all linears Admittedly I've only tried silent browns from gateron. It's possible this issue doesn't exist on their silent linears or tactiles with heavier springs. I used them for a while and they worked great for typing, but for gaming and prolonged presses I ran into the key getting stuck issue. I even resoldered new switches in where it happened & disassembled the old ones & tried non-lubed vs lubed and still had the issue with keys like wasd in fps. It didn't always happen, or even usually happen, but during a night of fps gaming it'd happen at least once which is one too many times for me. I've never had one get stuck while typing & still use gateron silent browns on my work keyboard. Khorne fucked around with this message at 04:17 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 03:52
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Boba(gum)s are the pretty popular silent switches right now, but they're on the opposite end of the scale with silencing pads even softer than Gateron's. It also occured to me that frankensteining a silent speed switch could be an option for the desperate, eg a silent ink stem in a gateron silver housing (this probably works right? e: I guess only if the "speed" part is all in the leaf and not the stem) Llamadeus fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 03:59
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Llamadeus posted:Boba(gum)s are the pretty popular silent switches right now, but they're on the opposite end of the scale with silencing pads even softer than Gateron's. 52g bobas seem pretty nice as far as silenced linear go. Looks like a whole bunch of new switches have come out over the past few years that I haven't paid attention to. quote:It also occured to me that frankensteining a silent speed switch could be an option for the desperate, eg a silent ink stem in a gateron silver housing (this probably works right?). Now to find a 75% kb to put them in... really like the ortho function keys for a number of games vs the normal one. This might be harder than frankensteining my own switches given lots of the 70% keyboards have bad underlying hardware or make questionable choices about which keys to include on the right side. Khorne fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 04:04
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Khorne posted:now I am addicted to both short actuation distance & silent switches & light springs I need this silenced linear speed option in a split keyboard that doesn't carry some insane $350+ premium just for the privilege of combining ergo with hotswap or decent switch choices (cough Ergodox Pro). Why won't this industry cater to my niche within a niche within a niche? 
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Dec 13, 2021 04:20
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The Electronaut posted:65? I liked building my 80 last month. Yup  It's still sitting in its three boxes, unopened, lol. I have some time off I need to use, so maybe I'll try to do that soon
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Dec 13, 2021 04:27
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Unsinkabear posted:a split keyboard that doesn't carry some insane $350+ premium just for the privilege of combining ergo with hotswap or decent switch choices (cough Ergodox Pro). Why won't this industry cater to my niche within a niche within a niche? https://keeb.io/collections/iris-split-ergonomic-keyboard/products/iris-keyboard-pre-built https://mechboards.co.uk/products/helidox-corne-kit?variant=40391708213453
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Dec 13, 2021 05:06
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Welp, turns out the GK21 I've had sitting around doesn't work; it doesn't appear to take a charge and isn't recognized by the computer when I plug it in. Here's some photos of it: Keypad as delivered. Note that little hole over where the decimal point key normally goes:  Front of board. Note that little can marked JP2 that sits directly under the hole in the plate:  Back of board:  The little JP2 can isn't a jumper (which is normally what JP means) and somewhat resembles a surface mount MEMS microphone. The hole directly over it is suggestive of providing an unobstructed air path to the component. Since mine seems to be dead I can't do any tests to see what it does; over the holiday I may try to tear it down and see what the problem is. So yeah, surprisingly there may be a mic built into these things!
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Dec 13, 2021 06:00
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Unsinkabear posted:I need this silenced linear speed option in a split keyboard that doesn't carry some insane $350+ premium just for the privilege of combining ergo with hotswap or decent switch choices (cough Ergodox Pro). Why won't this industry cater to my niche within a niche within a niche? Might try to get some of the boba silent switches and see how I like them in my other kb.
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Dec 13, 2021 06:07
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Khorne posted:One annoying thing about "speed" switches is they're a bit slower for double taps if you bottom out. Especially if key up is the part of the keystroke that registers in whatever you're double tapping in. They're nice to type on though. Very true, thank you for the sanity check. Regular 2/4mm linears do seem to be a sweet spot, and if I stay content with those then I can keep my cheapish split board with a function row, which seems rare on the more enthusiast options. But thank you for the links, Llamadeus, those are both quite cool and it shows a midrange for ergo that I didn't know existed. Midjack posted:Welp, turns out the GK21 I've had sitting around doesn't work; it doesn't appear to take a charge and isn't recognized by the computer when I plug it in. Here's some photos of it: This is wild. Thanks for checking! I know the holidays are crazy so no pressure, but I'm super curious to hear what you find out if you do get a chance to do some testing.
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Dec 13, 2021 07:07
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This seems like a decent deal, right?  $25 after applying the coupon. I don't know what Red switches feel like, besides being quieter. e:Brown switch version is also available (and I also haven't used those) https://www.amazon.com/EPOMAKER-SKYLOONG-Swappable-Programmable-Mechanical/dp/B08TGZN6JY/ Rinkles fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 20:07
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Rinkles posted:This seems like a decent deal, right? Can't hurt to try it out for that price. I'm sure being that cheap the board has a lot of corners cut but I buy keyboards to try switches every year or so. I feel like at $50 or so they're basically free, in the sense that they're not free but I won't feel bad if I don't like them.
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Dec 13, 2021 20:59
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It's Amazon so if I hate it I can return it. I went with brown switches, because from the descriptions it sounded more like what I was looking for --- tactile response but overall fairly quiet.
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Dec 13, 2021 21:02
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The keycaps on sub-$50 keyboards are invariably poo poo, and I've had a couple with dodgy space bars. Other than that though I have cheap boards from Tecware and Redragon that are of surprisingly solid build quality. YMMV.
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Dec 13, 2021 21:05
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Eric the Mauve posted:The keycaps on sub-$50 keyboards are invariably poo poo, and I've had a couple with dodgy space bars. Other than that though I have cheap boards from Tecware and Redragon that are of surprisingly solid build quality. YMMV. technically, it's a $60 keyboard
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Dec 13, 2021 21:06
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Aren't those optical switches? So you wouldn't be able to use regular mech switches in it?
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Dec 13, 2021 21:27
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Stroop There It Is posted:Aren't those optical switches? So you wouldn't be able to use regular mech switches in it? correct, but I'm not (yet) at the point of even considering swapping switches
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Dec 13, 2021 21:37
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A brief update: - Plates are done! I'll take pictures when I get to the space this evening. - All switches and sockets are in. - Toggles and standoffs are on the way. - I'll chip up the boards when I go in and take pictures.
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Dec 13, 2021 21:43
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Rinkles posted:I don't know what Red switches feel like I'm sure it varies by brand, but for me the tactility of browns was so subtle that it ended up feeling like an almost unintentional rattle, and reds in comparison just felt like the same thing but with that looseness smoooothed out. Someone itt told me this exact thing would happen and I should just start at reds, and I did not listen.
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Dec 13, 2021 21:45
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