I currently own a SteelSeries apex, and am considering switching to a mechanical keyboard.
From past experiences I know that the quality of membrane keyboards varies greatly. I was wondering if the same applies to mechanical keyboards, or if it's a little more standardized due to the limited number of keyswitch variants?
I have come across may inexpensive keyswithes such as Gateron, khali, Greetech, do they feel much worse than Cherry MX switches? There seems to be a mixed opinion from what I've read thus far.
Is there a certain price range you are looking for? I normally recommend Cooler Master keyboards for being both reliable and reasonably priced.
Not too big a difference from the copy keys, but in any case I really don't find mechanical keyboards to be worth it
If you're willing to drop $130 on one, Razer Blackwidow Ultimates kick ass. I own one and it's great.
Yes, it's a huge price difference, but once you go mechanical, you can never go back.
Its a tough question that we all wish we could help more on. Tell us some of the ones your looking at would help. Possibly someone has tested them all before. I got a Corsair K70 RGB with the old logo, cause well it was hard to get and kind of limited. It was rather expensive though. But I enjoy it alot with brown switches. My last membrane was one from razer. From the get go the media keys wouldnt work, would open what ever program they were assigned to during gaming, and later on keys would just stop working unless i unplugged the KB from the tower and plugged it back in. But I used the hell out of it till not only had the WASD worn off, but the Q,E,1,2,3,Shift, Tab, and spots on the space bar. I still have it just incase for what eer reason I need another KB.
What I wanted was tactile buttons, dedicated media keys, and not be dependent on software if i didnt want to. I almost didn't get the k70 cause of the software issues at the time. But being able to load the profile to the onboard memory made me change my mind.
What I wish I had was USB ports on the keyboard for when you just need to plug in that one thing like a phone, camera, thumbdrive. It was nice having that on my old Razer.
Things I lost that after time I dont miss are headphone and mic jacks. (I went and got a DAC/AMP.)
I think, IMHO, that keys are really just keys. They all have something like 30 million plus stokes before they will break. No one I know has got to that limit yet and if you do go over I dont know how the manufacture could prove it.
Cherry MX keys are easy to get replacement caps for, but then others clone Cherry stems, so that dosent matter.
So really I think it comes down to your preference and if you want a tactile click or bump or smooth stroke. Or if you like the soft mushy, yet accustomed, feel of a membrane. Everyone loves typing on my KB, but they all hate the sound. THey all love the crazy packmans, or lighting bolts that shoot out of your fingers while typing but look shocked when I saw I payed 200 bucks for it and the old logo. But its what I wanted and it is what I will have till the next big thing comes out that I get onto.
I suggest cheaping out for a mechanical knock off keyboard. Khali keys are as satisfying and the point of buying a mechanical keyboard is for and less straining typing experience for your joints and the keyboard will last alot longer. You can pick up a $50 keyboard or you could save up an extra $30 and buy a quickfire. It's considered a beginners mechanical keyboard but that doesn't mean it's bad at all
I was actually considering building my own. However, I have found some very cheap Chinese made keyboards for around £50 - ish. They seem to use either Gateron, khali, Greetech. Khalis being used in Razer keybaords, and Greetech used in Das keyboards.
Not too many reviews out there unfortunately, but I do like the look of one 'One-up' LED mechanical keyboard using Greetech blues.
Am I going to notice any improvement over my Apex?