What is so good about gaming keyboards?

I can't borrow one for a week, since I don't know anybody with one.
I may take a trip down to PC World and see if they have any I can try.
 
Probably not, I went to PC world in my local town and no keyboard :/. Best to do is probably get one of those tester kits to see which key you like on a mech keyboard. The keyboard it self, tough luck.
 
Last edited:
They sell them online. How big is your store?

The one near me is mahoosive and i've seen many keyboards there to test in the past, but never went over to check if any were mechanical ones.
 
rjkoneill said:
a mechanical keyboard will revolutionize the way you interact with your system.


if you do a lot of typing, a mechanical board will really assist you.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't that be "if you do a lot of typing, a mechanical board will NOT assist you"

I have 2 mech kb's an a Logitech dinovo edge witch beat's the mech hands down for typing.

My mech kb's Zalman ZM-K500 an a Ducky DK-9008 which are both great for gaming but really poor for typing.
 
The problem is that I do a lot of typing/writing, so many mechanical is not the way to go? I don't want have to use two keyboards :p
 
It's the depth of the key's that kills it for me when typing, most of the time with both kb's i keep catching an un-required key.

An both of them sound like angry keyboards lol

But for gaming i can't fault them.
 
lee1101 said:
I recently purchased the Microsoft Sidewinder X4.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-140-MS&groupid=702&catid=23&subcat=1258

Nice little keyboard. It looks the part and is quite nice to type on, albeit a little cramped.
Click to expand...

I have this keyboard and I love the feel of it.
However
I use it for gaming and the caps for "A", "Shift", "CTRL" & Alt are literally wearing through. The letter "A" for example is no longer visible and just a light from the keyboard lighting.
I have one at work and one at home and they are both doing it.
 
stoofa said:
I have this keyboard and I love the feel of it.
However
I use it for gaming and the caps for "A", "Shift", "CTRL" & Alt are literally wearing through. The letter "A" for example is no longer visible and just a light from the keyboard lighting.
I have one at work and one at home and they are both doing it.
Click to expand...

And how long have you had it for?
 
Not sure on the home one. The one I'm typing on right now has a "manufactured" sticker on the bottom indicating 12/2012.
So around 9 months on this one. I expect there is possibly scope for returning it - would it be a warranty issue or would MS just tell me that I've used the thing too much?
It's not the end of the world, but is a little unsightly.
 
I managed to try a few mech keyboards, much to noisy for the amount of writing I do.

There are probably quieter ones out there, but maybe not in my price range.
 
dan958 said:
Why wouldn't you go back? What is so special about it that you want to pay £100+

I'm just trying to find out what benefits they have.
Click to expand...

Nothing really. Marketing hype accounts for a lot of it. I've had various gaming keyboards and mice and I've now settled on a cheapie mouse from Tesco and a bog standard nameless keyboard. I like smaller mice that fits into my hand and keyboards matters nothing to me. I map all my buttons just as well as I did on my CM and Corsair gaming keyboards.

I wouldn't bother again. Hype. People convince themselves.

Gaming surfaces are the next hype spot. You 'need' a £30 mouse mat so you can move you mouse .0000345 nano seconds faster than the 'competition'.
 
Last edited:
dan958 said:
I managed to try a few mech keyboards, much to noisy for the amount of writing I do.

There are probably quieter ones out there, but maybe not in my price range.
Click to expand...

What was the colour of the switch you used? Blues are quite noisy, but reds and browns are only marginally noiser than rubber dome keyboards.

As for "gaming" keyboards, they are all rubbish. There's no difference between a £5 cheapo keyboard and a £40 one. They all use rubber domes under they keys that feel mushy and wear out/start sticking after a while. The only difference you'll see is the shape of the keycap (laptop style vs bigger ones).

As far as I'm concerned when it comes to keyboards: buy the cheapest possible one for a tenner, or spend £60 on a good mechanical. Spending anything in between is just a waste of money.

dan958 said:
The problem is that I do a lot of typing/writing, so many mechanical is not the way to go? I don't want have to use two keyboards :p
Click to expand...

Mechanical keyboards are designed for typing. They're better for typing because they require less force for a button press and the keys keep a consistent feel, unlike rubber keys which wear out and feel mushy.

regulus said:
Nothing really. Marketing hype accounts for a lot of it. I've had various gaming keyboards and mice and I've now settled on a cheapie mouse from Tesco and a bog standard nameless keyboard. I like smaller mice that fits into my hand and keyboards matters nothing to me. I map all my buttons just as well as I did on my CM and Corsair gaming keyboards.

I wouldn't bother again. Hype. People convince themselves.

Gaming surfaces are the next hype spot. You 'need' a £30 mouse mat so you can move you mouse .0000345 nano seconds faster than the 'competition'.
Click to expand...

Don't speak for everyone. You may not mind the mushy horrible feeling of a rubber dome keyboard but that doesn't mean everyone else does. It's not marketing hype or trying to justify costs. My mechanical keyboard cost £60 brand new which isn't much at all. And your last sentence just shows your ignorance on the subject. Mouse mats are not for moving your mouse faster. How the sensor interacts with the surface actually changes drastically depending on what surface it is. Again, just because you don't care you shouldn't write it off as meaningless.
 
Last edited:
I would definitely never go back to a rubber dome keyboard.

If you're serious about looking in to one, make sure you read up on the different switch types. Many of the complaints against mechanical keyboards made in this thread only relate to specific types of switches.

I use a Corsair K90 with Cherry reds at home since I'm mostly gaming, and since I play a lot of music games it's really become indispensable. At work I'm typing a lot so I use a KBT Pure with Cherry black switches (desk space is at a premium too!).

The number one advantage for mechanical over rubber for me is the key action - it's perfectly smooth and even every time. With a rubber dome keyboard it changes depending on how the rubber buckles, so sometimes it feels like the keys are unresponsive.

Don't get me wrong, switching from rubber to mechanical there will be a 'breaking-in' period where you will double-tap keys by accident or press two at the same time (especially if you're using softer switches) but they feel far superior to use once you're used to them. For me personally it was around 5 days to adjust. Similarly, when I moved to harder switches at work there was a period where I felt my fingers getting fatigued from the keys being harder to press.

To the people getting down on expensive peripherals I say this: 100% of the time you're actively using your computer you'll be using them, so they may as well be decent. They'll also last you a hell of a lot longer than any internal components you'll buy.

Going back to the original question - there's nothing good about 'gaming' keyboards, unless you're after something very specific like macro keys (of which you could use a software solution anyway); they're mostly a gimmick. The real question is mechanical vs. rubber dome. Likewise, a 'gaming' mechanical keyboard will come at a premium; whether it's worth it or not depends on what features you use.
 
I think a lot of it is a prestige thing

they do feel nice to type on and sure look good but for difference when typing it isnt much and you could live without a mech keyboard .

myself i have a ducky shine 3 and it brings a little joy each time i see my pc (it even feels good to say I have a ducky shine 3)

I feel warm with a fuzzy glow with my keyboard and thats why I wouldnt change it or go back to a a old £10 one

but I would find it hard to stump up another £140 for another but i guess if it works for 10years and i need a new one then i would buy another time will tell
 
I switched to a standard mechanical 2 years ago after going through several gaming keyboards and they all failed within a few months by either certain keys stop working or just dead all together.

The next kb I'm looking at getting is the Qpad due to it being mech and very quiet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom