Mechanical vs Rubber Dome

coolitic · Oct 9, 2015

I know that there are many threads on google for this topic, but I have failed to reach a definite conclusion. I have been using my M17x R3's keyboard for 4 years (which is scissor switch btw) and am planning on building a desktop soon. Many people say mechanical keyboards are superior for the following reasons:
Durability (but my laptop keyboard is still good after 4 years)
Fatigue (but I experienced little fatigue while typing)
Click (but I would get an mx red/black anyways for silence)

I really need some help choosing between mechanical or not.

jimmysmitty · Oct 9, 2015

The main benefit to Mechanical is, to me, the responsiveness. It take less pressure to actuate and you can hit way more keys at a time before you run into ghosting.

As well you can much more easily hit keys in rapid succession on a mechanical. Honestly you need to try one out. I used to be fine with Dome based keyboards but the second I bought my Corsair K90 I have had a hard time using Dome based keyboards. In fact I bought a K95 RGB for home and took my K90 into work for use as the wireless Dome keyboard I had was annoying me.

InvalidError · Oct 9, 2015

My current keyboard is ~15 years old and is a $10 membrane thing which I have pressure-washed twice. Still works nearly good as new.

Personally, the few mechanical keyboards I have used were far too loud for my taste.

jimmysmitty · Oct 9, 2015

^I will agree that Mechanicals are louder than Dome but I tend to use headsets so it gets blocked out.

Gam3r01 · Oct 9, 2015

I am a deathstalker user, as mechanical switches were too loud for my home/dorm environment. I have used it for years now, and enjoy it along with how flat the keys are. If I didnt have to worry about noise, and money, I probably would have a K95 by now, however it all comes down to personal taste. Go to bestbuy or some local PC store, and clack around and see what feels good.

coolitic · Oct 10, 2015

Good rubber dome keyboards allow 3 key combos right?

Also IF I choose mechanical I am planning on going for the Corsair STRAFE RGB Silent for the new mx red silent keys.
Now what situations would the mechanical keyboards superior responsiveness be useful for? I mean I play all kinds of games (fps, rts, moba, etc.) but will it cause any significant difference?

InvalidError · Oct 10, 2015

AFAIK, three keys is typical even for the crappiest conventional keyboards. All three of my 10+ years old generic $10 keyboards do three keys.

Gam3r01 · Oct 10, 2015

My deathstalker goes up to 10 key I believe... 3 key is almost everywhere.

As for the mechanical, the responsiveness comes in the form of their tactical clicks, you can feel, and hear, when the switch is activated. Where with dome and other forms, you dont know for sure until the key bottoms out.

jimmysmitty · Oct 10, 2015

coolitic :

I can say that in games like TF2 I noticed better responsiveness with a mechanical than a dome. I am just able to repeat inputs much faster.

Games like MOBAs and RTS don't require much in terms of the keyboard, they are very mouse based, but again you can have multiple inputs faster than with a dome keyboard and not worry if it hit or not.

InvalidError · Oct 10, 2015

Gam3r01 :

With membrane keyboards, the contact is a carbon film under each key. There is usually no contact until the key bottoms out and a little bit of extra pressure beyond that might be required for the carbon film to make good enough contact for the key to register.

coolitic · Oct 11, 2015

Exactly how likely will a liquid cause damage to a mechanical keyboard?

InvalidError · Oct 11, 2015

Depending on the nature of the liquid and if it manages to go up the well under the key cap and down into the switch itself, it could get inside the mechanism and cause it to stick. If it gets inside the part with the electrical contacts, it may gunk or possibly corrode them.

If you think you are going to spill stuff on your keyboard on a regular basis, you might want to get a membrane type. While they may not be quite spill-proof, they are much easier to flush and dry if you want to try restoring them and much cheaper to replace if you cannot be bothered to or fail.

jimmysmitty · Oct 11, 2015

InvalidError :

Unless you get a gaming Dome type keyboard. Those are still expensive too, although not as expensive as mechanical.

coolitic · Oct 12, 2015

Spills are rare, I was just wondering if a single spill would have a good chance of completely ruining the keyboard.

How do mx red switches "feel" compared to scissor switches?

jimmysmitty · Oct 12, 2015

coolitic :

I have never used scissor switches but Cherry MX Reds are pretty smooth and have the lowest actuation of any of the switches. They don't have a "click" feel to them like the Browns. Each person prefers a different switch though.

As for the spills, it depends on the keyboard. My wife is pretty good at spilling stuff on her keyboard. She has a Dome based Logitech G510. It survived one spill but the keyboard before did not. A small spill on some keyboards will be fine so long as it is cleaned up quickly.

coolitic · Oct 12, 2015

Ok, so how does it feel compared to a quality rubber dome keyboard?

Also, apparently you don't have to "bottom out" mechanical keyboards, but I'm not sure how that would feel.

jimmysmitty · Oct 13, 2015

My Corsair K90 and K95 RGB feel better than my last rubber dome type keyboard, a Logitech G15 (I know old but hey). It even feels better than my wifes G510 which is newer. Of course the switches alone are different but present a quality feel and the keyboard I have has a metal backplate instead of fully plastic.

As for the feel, my K90 has some rubber dome keys, the macro keys. A mechanical key feels smooth and fluid in a press, I have the Cherry MX reds which have no click and low actuation. The rubber domes on the other hand feel squishy and not as fluid as the mechanical keys.

Personally I have an issue going back to rubber dome type keyboards. My work provided me with a desktop with a wireless dome type keyboard and not a cheap one, a Logitech K710. It was nice but I couldn't type as fast or as well with it so I brought in my old K90 keyboard and G600 mouse That is just me though.

coolitic · Oct 13, 2015

So rubber dome would feel like pressing buttons, and mx switches feel like they "slide" through after pressing?

jimmysmitty · Oct 13, 2015

I guess. Domes feel tougher, mechanicals feel smoother. Also it depends on the mechanical switch. Cherry MX reds are smooth with no "clicky" to them while browns have a "clicky" feeling to them.

Thats most of the Cherry MX switches (the most popular brand). As I said I use Reds and like them a lot more than the others. You really need to try them out at a local store if you can to see which ones you like better as everyone has a different feel to what they like in terms of response and feedback.

coolitic · Oct 13, 2015

So does the STRAFE RGB Silent seem like a good mechanical keyboard to you?

Personally my alienware keyboard has spoiled me and I must have rgb lighting =P

jimmysmitty · Oct 13, 2015

Yes it looks like a great keyboard if the features fit you. I have the K95 RGB (I like the brushed aluminum metal design) and love the RGB. I currently have a Flash logo with the Flash running back and forth. It looks great.

Mechanical vs Rubber Dome

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