Is a Mechanical Keyboard Necessary for Gaming?

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xtobymc

xtobymc

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Jan 5, 2013
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I've been looking at keyboards, and from what everyone online seems to suggest, getting a mechanical keyboard is the 'way to go' for PC gamers. I currently own a Microsoft Sidewinder X4 keyboard which is a membrane design and only cost £35 when I got it a year ago. So far it has served me very well and I've never had any 'input lag' problems or issues with typing/gaming at all. So, is buying a mechanical keyboard really worth the £100+ price tag? I have seen some cheaper ones, but most of them use Cherry MX Blue switches which are very loud, and preferably I'm after brown ones. Are they really that much better? Do they feel different?
 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Mar 3, 2012
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I went from a membrane style to mechanical and once I switch between the two I quickly know why mechanical is better. It is extremely precise and great for gaming. I had a Logitech G105 and moved to a Ducky 2108 (brown switches). And I'll never use anything other than mechanical from now on. If you are happy with the X4 then keep it, but you will eventually get a mechanical one.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

Glorious
May 11, 2012
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Necessary, not at all.
Different feeling to membrane, yes. Does it feel better to use, I think it does. As with all peripheral items an element of personal preference is going to be a part of it.

Its largely just a different feeling to the keyboard which advocates prefer over membranes. There is resistance to your keystroke and on some of the switches there is tactile feedback to when the keystroke registers. Mechanicals arent inherently better than Membranes (in terms of gaming) in any way, they just feel differently which I at least find better.
 
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ssddx

ssddx

Titan
May 27, 2009
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the current trend in gaming seems to be going with mechanical keyboards however it is not necessary at all to be competitive.

between the two performance in game will be similar but mechanicals have a better feel to them at the cost of being more noisy than a rubber dome typically is. of course this is subjective.

cherry mx blues arent that loud but you are correct browns are a good substitute. i wouldnt use reds, blacks or clears if you intend to do any typing since they arent ideal for that however some people like them for gaming.

one nice feature on mechanicals is that you can remove the keycaps to remove the dust and grit underneath however i'm not a huge fan of how cherry keyboards are designed. all liquid and grit goes right down into the switches!

for pure unadulterated durability nothing beats a good buckling spring keyboard ala the original ibm model m or the new unicomp customizer. the full drip tray and fully removable keycaps and stems means that cleaning is a breeze and that not much will be able to destroy them. i've already killed a cherry keyboard with a relatively minor spill. only to find out when i removed all the keys how bad of a design it was.

if you are careful and dont eat or drink around the keyboard you shouldnt have to worry about that though.
 
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