Mechanical Keyboard worth it?

Jayman

Jayman

Jayman

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Is it worth getting a mechanical keyboard for general PC use e.g. a few games, typing letters and internet use as opposed to getting one for hard core gaming?

I'm trying to work out if its worth spending extra for one over a standard membrane one.
 
Jayman said:
Is it worth getting a mechanical keyboard for general PC use e.g. a few games, typing letters and internet use as opposed to getting one for hard core gaming?

I'm trying to work out if its worth spending extra for one over a standard membrane one.
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Only you can really decide its worth. For a lot of us there's no return to membrane since mechanical switches are on another level for typing, whether it's for work or play.

I originally bought my mechanical keyboard for gaming and although I don't game much anymore I still really enjoy it for work and writing reports.

Membrane keyboards work fine, just like Honda cars do, but after driving an Audi, would you want to go back?
 
Good points & I keep edging towards buying one only to bail out at the last minute due to cost & really id like to keep with a wireless setup. My current membrane keyboard & wireless mouse have about had it though.
 
Only you can answer that tbh. Try to find somewhere locally that has them on display and check them out, I have one but personally don't think they are as great as some make out, certainly not worth the £180 value mine was (it was a replacement for a faulty item)
 
SuperG said:
Membrane keyboards work fine, just like Honda cars do, but after driving an Audi, would you want to go back?
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Audi A3 vs Honda NSX? :)

I stayed membrane - Mechanical is very nice and lovely and all, but very LOUD and clicky, too. For daily use, I'd not personally bother unless you simply fancy the luxury.
 
Jayman said:
Is it worth getting a mechanical keyboard for general PC use e.g. a few games, typing letters and internet use as opposed to getting one for hard core gaming?

I'm trying to work out if its worth spending extra for one over a standard membrane one.
Click to expand...

All the mechanical keys do is change the noise and feel.

Go and try out the noise and feel of a mech keyboard somewhere and make up your mind.

It will be shiny and new ofc but after that its just noise and feel. Still made of plastic, still delivering the same keystrokes.

I have a thing for cheap dell keyboards with media keys personally, the keystroke on them is something I'm comfortable with and media keys ftw.

Personal preferences eh.
 
Jayman said:
What membrane do you have? Any recommendations anyone?
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I have an old pattern Logitech G19, but I like backlights, screens, F-keys and all the other gubbins. It's a 'feature keyboard' or Geekboard, rather than anything else, but it does me great.

Wireless mouse, I use a Logitech G700S... but usually use it in wired mode.

I've tried a number of different mechanicals, as my friends are all into them, but never liked them enough to get my own. I think that clacking would keep the Mrs awake!!
 
I think part of the mech keyboard thing is 'fashion'. I do agree that a lot of people will genuinely prefer a mechanical switch over a membrane, but it's only preference. There's no reason a decent membrane keyboard can't be as good for gaming.

The keyboard companies have jumped on it because they can stick a load of LED lights on a keyboard and charge over £100 for it. Then there's the alternative market with people spending over £100 for just a set of keycaps...


Don't get me wrong, I do like my Ducky w/ cherry reds - but a mechanical keyboard isn't the be-all and end-all.

Jayman said:
If I stick with membrane id like to go wireless again really but the lack of decent choice is shocking.
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Quite. One of the reasons I considered mechanical in the first place is there was a distinct lack of nice wireless boards.
 
I've read up on logitech wireless boards (mk520) having lag issues, the logitech marathon mouse that comes with others is a wrist buster and has the laser on the side which can cause issues in games apparently. The MS stuff dosent seem much better and im left thinking shall I just get another desktop 2000 plain jane special :(
 
Mechanical keyboards don't make you a better gamer. The stuff Razer, Logitech and Steelseries come up with is just marketing.

They just give a better keyboard experience, whether that be WASD, typing or just pressing space to pause a video.

You might think there is nothing wrong with a membrane, there is also nothing wrong with a cloudy day. I'd just much rather it was sunny.
 
Jayman said:
Is it worth getting a mechanical keyboard for general PC use e.g. a few games, typing letters and internet use as opposed to getting one for hard core gaming?

I'm trying to work out if its worth spending extra for one over a standard membrane one.
Click to expand...

Definitely. It puts less stress on your hands when typing, you'll notice it immediately and it's worth it for that alone. It feels so much better to type when you can feel the actuation and you're not using as much energy to type.

Disco_P said:
Mechanical keyboards don't make you a better gamer. The stuff Razer, Logitech and Steelseries come up with is just marketing.

They just give a better keyboard experience, whether that be WASD, typing or just pressing space to pause a video.

You might think there is nothing wrong with a membrane, there is also nothing wrong with a cloudy day. I'd just much rather it was sunny.
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Whilst I mostly agree with what you've said here, I would argue it does make you a better gamer, if only because you can make actions faster and with more accuracy. Maybe "reaching your level" would be more accurate I suppose.
 
Disco_P said:
You might think there is nothing wrong with a membrane, there is also nothing wrong with a cloudy day. I'd just much rather it was sunny.
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But after a sunny day, it'd be sad to go back to a cloudy one :(

I'm all for mechanical keyboards as long as you can get it around £50. Anymore and you will more likely be disappointed if a minor problem comes. For example, LED bulb(s) can fail on your RGB mech kb or you one specific key can start to get sticky/gritty.

Unless you have an unlimited budget to spend towards gaming peripherals, it's always good to spread you costs throughout your other pieces too like having a high dpi mouse and a decent headphone/headset.
 
I've had a few mechanicals and come back to a Logitech K830, the convenience and user experience of the wireless keyboard outweigh the pros of a mechanical keyboard to me.

Obviously that's just personal preference, but I haven't noticed any difference in gaming.

Best to try one and see how you go. I just got caught up in the hype of owning a mech keyboard, in reality it was just a fad.
 
I recently got a Corsair K70 for about £80. It's good, but I certainly wouldn't say it's a massive change or that I'd never go back. Membrane keyboards are absolutely fine for general use. If anything I find the travel and extra height (especially the space bar) a bit uncomfortable.

It is a very lovely looking piece of kit though.
 
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