Recommend me a keyboard (£250 budget)

orange_smurf · Saturday at 19:01

Hi everyone,

My current keyboard is a Logitech G512 Carbon (Tactile). With the LEDs failing and some keys not responding, it's time to change.

I have been trialling a Ducky One 2 SF with Cherry MX Silent Red to help narrow down my options.

Requirements are:
- £250 budget
- The Ducky's keys are too "soft", and the Logitech is "clunky" for my liking. I'm looking for something in between.
- I have epilepsy, so the LED backlight needs to display the keys clearly with little "bleed". The Logitech is great at this, whereas the Ducky looks like a Christmas tree.
- Primarily used for office and occasional gaming.
- Reasonably quiet.
- 100% keyboard
- Wired
- Black keycaps, easy to read typeface
- USB Passthrough (desirable)

I've read that Keychron is a good starting point, so I watched this, only to make me more confused: How to Choose the Best Keyboard from Keychron - YouTube

I have also watched several reviews on Hipyo Tech - YouTube. All of which are seizure-inducing!

Thanks in advance.

orange_smurf · Saturday at 23:42

WARburton said:
when my Logitech G512 died, i got a Logitech G513...
love Logitech if you found you keyboard nice just get a new one.

i spent the best part of £300 on a custom keyboard that i then sold. if you get on with your keyboard and you like it just get a new one.

It's an option, but I decided to shop around. If everything fails, I'll buy a Logitech G512 Carbon for a wholesome £85.

Gray2233 said:
At that budget it could be worth going custom, have you looked into doing so?

Yes, pre-built ones, but I haven't found anything with a backlight that only lights up the keycaps and not the whole keyboard. I'm not explaining it properly, but this is what I mean.

GOOD - There is no visible "glow" other than the letters on this keyboard, which is easier on the eye for me.

BAD- However, I struggle with the whole keyboard ablaze with light.

orange_smurf · Sunday at 15:58

Thank you everyone. I'm surprised how hard it is to find an alternative. I'm going for the Logitech G512 Carbon, a like for like replacement. Maybe something will catch my eye in the future!

orange_smurf · 2025-03-10T13:53:08+0000

freddie64 said:
Just found the receipt for the keyboard.

Was a G513 Carbon with a free G502 Proteus Spectrum Optical Gaming Mouse, £100 back in 2018.

Back when PC gaming was affordable. Ah yes, those were the days!