Need Recommendation Keyboard - (with macro & media keys)

[idi99]

My membrane saitek keyboard is finnally going to be replaced, but i'm unsure what mechanical keyboard to go for, as I want a board with macro keys on the left of the board and ideally media keys.

I do a combo of genral typing and gaming, with a preference for quieter smoother key press, so im guessing MX browns are the compromise, but im a noob when it comes to mechanical switches so i'm open to suggestions!

I would have prefered a razer to match my naga mouse but they dont have a board that ticks all the boxes.

Ive come up with a short list of options, but would appreciate any advise/experience and recommendations.

Short list:

• K95 RGB PLATINUM - MX Brown
• Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum RGB - Romer-G (no other key otpion)
• Cooler Master MK850 - MX red (no other key otpion)
• ROG Horus GK2000 - MX red (no other key otpion) - (BUT; it looks like a reject cut from a transformer movie)

Kinda ruled out as doesnt have media keys, but might get over that?:

• Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 - Razer Yellow (silent Linear)

Kinda ruled out as it doesnt have a wrist rest and not hearing great things about it so far

• OMEN Sequencer RGB - Optical-mechanical Blue

Want, but have to rule out as they dont have macro keys:

• Steelseries Apex Pro
• Razer BlackWidow Elite
• Vulcan 120 AIMO RGB

Cheers in advance

 

[EsaT]

I do a combo of genral typing and gaming, with a preference for quieter smoother key press, so im guessing MX browns are the compromise, but im a noob when it comes to mechanical switches so i'm open to suggestions!

Besides noise there's another very important factor after membrane/rubber dome keyboards:
Feel and behaviour of the switch.

Membrane has notable initial resistance to overcome before keycap starts going down and press is registered only during bottoming.
Mechanical switches again have the lowest force/resistance in start of the travel (with force growing when pressing key deeper) and press is registered usually in halfway of travel.
That can make light linear switches, like MX Red, prone to accidental keypresses just from resting fingers on keys.
And obviously if you have to start consciously stressing yourself to keep fingers not pressing keys, that's distraction besides slowing down intended key presses.

Harder linear switch like MX Black can provide better initial feel to avoid accidental presses, but they also have equally higher bottoming force.
And that crouching/running etc key in games is usually held down with the weakest finger, pinky.

So non-linear switch combining some resistance before actuation point and comfortable bottoming force is the safest choise without own personal testing.
That leaves MX Brown and Logitech's Romer-G.
Romer-G is actually even closer to membrane with wider force bump starting pretty much instantly when you start pressing the key.
(have used both)


As for that noise, that's aspect most mechanical switches don't give a damn about.
While MX Brown doesn't have added noise effect, like MX Retro alias Blue (or Cherry MX copy Razers) its still mechanical switch.
Meaning hard plastic pieces smashing into each others both in down and up stroke.
Unless you press key down softly and also soften its rise.
Spring of mechanical switches simply kicks keys up lot harder than rubber membrane, easily causing rattling of key cap when switch stem hits the roof of switch frame.

Romer-G is one of the rare mechanical switches, which pays any attention to trying to soften noise of both down and up stroke.
I have Logitech G810 and except for big keys with extra stabilizers its noise is nicely softer than in previous G710+ using MX Brown and factory installed o-rings

Cherry has (not so silent) MX Silent which similarly adds noise damping to ends of travel.
But that's only available with Red and Black force curves.
So not the safest starting switch.

 

[idi99]

So non-linear switch combining some resistance before actuation point and comfortable bottoming force is the safest choise without own personal testing.
That leaves MX Brown and Logitech's Romer-G.
Romer-G is actually even closer to membrane with wider force bump starting pretty much instantly when you start pressing the key.
(have used both)

Thanks for the insight, based on this I guess it's a choice between the K95 RGB PLATINUM (MX Brown) or the Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum RGB (Romer-G ).

Both boards have some mixed reviews, largely postive though, but I think I'm leaning towards the K95 at this point as it has 6 macro keys on left and looks to be a bit more subtle with aluminium deck, and has more on board memory. Although there are a few negative review about the icue software.

 

[EsaT]

My experience from MX Brown is with o-rings for damping downstroke noise.
So suspect there could be quite clearly more "clickety-clacketyness" in Corsair than Logitech.
Quietness simply isn't strength of mechanical keyboards and even switches purposely aiming for quieter noise aren't up to membrane keyboards.

G910 has three "modes" for macro keys.
So total available amount of different macros for those left side keys is 15, if big amount of those is important.