Thread: Keyboards..

just make sure its cherry blu or brown...red works ok.

coolermaster has some really nice cherry switch stuff. and steelseries has there base on cherry blues.

expect to spend 100-130$us

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

I like my logitech mk320 wireless keyboard and mouse package for 20 bucks. I just never saw the use in buying an expensive ass keyboard and mouse when im whipping you clowns asses with the cheapest one i could find.

Rubber dome keyboards feel terrible to type on. Its like mush. And they wear out quicker and how hard you need to press for the key to activate can vary widely between keystrokes (which causes annoying typos). Give me a Cherry MX brown or Topre switch keyboard anyday.

And you can always pick up an old school mechanical at a thrift store for 75 cents.

Also, comfortable mice are comfortable.

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[terrible car analogy]I view a nice keyboard like a luxury car. It doesn't get you where you need to go any faster, but it sure makes the ride more enjoyable.[/terrible car analogy]

There are some small benefits that do help you play better in certain games, though. Macro keys can be awesome time savers. Quicker and more accurate response of the keys prevent a few mis-steps (usually noticeable on rhythym and fighting games). Also, n-key rollover can be handy for those games where you will be pressing more than four buttons at once (me when I was heavily into Natural Selection).

All that said, those are just fringe benefits and generally not worth the extra money unless you play the games where those are common issues. I just find standard keyboards a terrible experience to type on and, since I type a lot, they are a no-go at home and work.

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Originally Posted by HeavyG

But when it comes to a gaming PC, I still say invest in the horsepower first. GPU should be priority. Don't spend $150 on a keyboard if your GPU cost the same amount. Niw, work PCs for people that type all day are different.

Good advice about putting your money where it will bring you the most benefit.

But the comparison might be a little more fine-grained. The mechanical keyboard that's getting mention here (Razer Blackwidow) is $70, not $150.

Don't forget to factor in the expected life time. If you're a gamer, how long will that video card last? Three years? The keyboard I use every day, and game on at night, was made in 1996. A quick wiki-glance shows me that the video hawtness in 96 was 3dfx's VooDoo. Between the two, which has returned more value for the money?

The answer to that question obviously depends on who you are. But if you've never tried a good mechanical switch keyboard you might want to check one out.

kibner: what type of switch is used in the Razer BlackWidow?

Cheers,


AetheLove

Originally Posted by Gumby

Cherry MX Blue

Thanks for saying this because I largely forget what the colors are sometimes. I just know them by if they are clicky and/or tactile. My personal fave is tactile (you can feel the switch actuate) but not clicky (reduce the noise at least a little).

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Always glad to hear a story of someone getting long-term value. It warms my heart.

Originally Posted by HeavyG

I agree... great value for money right there seeing how it is over 10 years old and only cost me about $3/year... but value and performance are two completely different things.

If you buy things for the best performance, then the long term value will of course be awful. Things depreciate, and then even get to a point where they are simply obsolete. But when you want performance, you should expect that going into your purchase.

To AetheLove's point, $70 isn't much at all. But if $70 was part of a $500 build budget and you were looking at a $100 graphics card, I would say use the old crappy keyboard and throw that money into a GPU.

I don't think value and performance are completely different. The real value to me isn't that it's lasted long, but that it's performed so well. Because of my particular preference, 4 years of use on a mechanical board is worth more than 4 years of use on a mushy board. That is: I would have been happy even if it hadn't lasted any longer. That it's also been so durable only adds to the value.

If I'd thought about my keyboard as another component of a computer build, I would have compromised and spent less.

I completely agree with your analysis. If you have X dollars and are starting from scratch, the choice between a $70 keyboard and being able to spend $60 more on a video card is a tough one. That's especially true for someone who has already been satisfied with cheap keyboards. If your goal is to play a particular game, then video performance is core.

But that's not what's on the table here. Stealthy is leaning towards a G19. That's $160. He needs a new one because his dad spilled a Coke into his old one. It can't be repaired.

I got lucky as a student and worked in an environment that had many types of keyboards, including a number of different kinds of mechanicals and a wide variety of cheap ones. I became an instant convert, and at a time in my life when $70 was a LOT of money I still opted to not get the cheap one.

It's odd the things that matter to some people. I'm comfortable thinking of my preference as a quirk. Shit, any more I think what matters to me most is that a keyboard not have the m0ŧh3rffűƆḳ!nɠ "Windows" keys.

Gumby: thanks for the info. I've never used the Cherry switches. Been thinking about getting one just cuz.

kibner: IBM (then Lexmark) made a soft-touch version of the Model M. Same buckling spring, but a quieter action. Dell made (or rebranded) one that looks like a Model M but used Alps switches and is called "Quiet Key." I have one of those, but two of the switches are starting to go wonky. ... but you're all about the Topre now, right?

Cheers,


AetheLove