Help me find the best mechanical keyboard

avatarium · Oct 31, 2018

Hello everyone

I'm searching for the best mechanical keyboard for myself, please give me your advice.

I work mostly at night/dark so the keyboard lights and keys customization is number 1 priority.

My budget is 100-200 USD

What I like:

1) Fully programmable rgb keys, with any color combination I want, example:
http://blog.maxkeyboard.com/wp-content/gallery/custom-keyboards/Tom-1165-003.jpg

2) Cherry mx red switches, less noise is better, clicky (mx blue) is not good:
https://www.keychatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/keychatter_2015-09-04_19-00-21.jpg

3) Backlight should not be visible, or very little, and this is the most important part I search in keyboards, I hate those keyboards with too much light bleeding around the caps, just look at this nonsense:
https://i0.wp.com/www.mydatech.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/vm90.png

What I like is Logitech G213 Prodigy's lights:
https://www.logitechg.com/content/dam/gaming/en/products/g213/g213-feature-2.png.imgw.1888.1888.jpeg

4) almost frameless keyboard with no wrist rest at all, OR detachable wrist rest, example:
https://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImage/23-436-029-Z01.jpg
https://thunderx3.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ThunderX3-AK7-Gaming-Keyboard-Detachable-1024x514.jpg

5) dedicated media keys, lots of them, I like them and I use them often, example:
http://www.pcgameware.co.uk/images/G.Skill-KM780-RGB-media-controls.jpg
https://i.stack.imgur.com/e61gP.jpg

Less important stuff, but it's a bonus:

6) waterproof, no image needed for that

7) 3-4 macro keys, or even more, example:
http://rbmods.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Img_1034.jpg
https://www.vortez.net/index.php?ct=articles&action=file&id=12643

8) detachable usb cable, and I really like simple black cables:
https://news-cdn.softpedia.com/images/news2/Suppressor-Is-a-LED-Keyboard-From-Cooler-Master-With-Detachable-Cable-a-Silent-Keys-462421-4.jpg

Thank you very much, any help is appreciated.

Edit: Logitech G213 Prodigy is the keyboard I really really like, but it has huge non-detachable wrist rest, doesn't have cherry mx switches, and no macro keys
https://www.logitechg.com/en-nz/products/gaming-keyboards/g213-rgb-gaming-keyboard.html

Edit 2: COOLERMASTER MasterKeys MK750 RGB MX Red has everything I need, but it's too bright at night
http://www.coolermaster.com/peripheral/keyboards/masterkeys-mk750/

hang-the-9 · Nov 6, 2018

You should be able to adjust the brightness of the CoolerMaster keyboard. Or get a Corsair one and see how the light are on that for you. The Strafe models are very similar to the CM one you linked.

Peter Martin · Nov 6, 2018

with most backlit kb, you can turn it off completely or change brightness.

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

no, the backlight bleeding is still visible on those keyboards, that's why i like g213 prodigy, only letters are illuminated and no backlight bleeding

Peter Martin · Nov 6, 2018

i can turn it off on my Razor and Rosewill K85, completely off. I can't believe they won't let you

the K85 is all programmable, you can have as many macro keys as you want., my Razor only has 5

the K85 has everything you want except waterproof. and you can turn it off at night.

https://www.amazon.com/ROSEWILL-Mechanical-RGB-Backlight-Customization/dp/B075GFWL7Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541535324&sr=8-3&keywords=k85+keyboard

it's my favorite kb

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

Peter Martin :

backlight is still visible https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1gN7kCMKoK0/maxresdefault.jpg

i want that off and only letters illuminated

Peter Martin · Nov 6, 2018

lol, maybe try a CODE keyboard.

https://codekeyboards.com/

I really would love one of those too. never mind, the bleed through problem. this requirement will exclude most i would think

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

Peter Martin :

thanks, it looks much better, with just little backlit bleeding

Peter Martin · Nov 6, 2018

you should be able to have your macro keys with that dip switch on the back, for ultimate control.

hang-the-9 · Nov 6, 2018

I don't think any MX based keyboard will be able to have no lights in between the keys due to how the switches and lights are constructed and placed. The Code one is muted because of how deep the keycaps are. The Logitech keyboard uses their own switches so lighting is different. There is a pretty good comparison out there the explains the differences in the keyboard lighting but I don't remember exactly where.

This is one thing about it, but not the one I was thinking about, the other article went into more detail http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/peripherals/77528-there-any-backlit-keyboards-without-light-bleed.html

So your #2 mostly takes #3 out.

If you really want to get adventurous, find some black plastic thin film and cut it to fit around the key switches, see how that works. You will need to try a bunch of shapes and sizes to ensure that they don't look horrible and also don't interfere with the keys. Then you will need to find a good way to glue them without messing up the keyboard.

Peter Martin · Nov 6, 2018

So it looks like the Romer Gs are what you want

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

Thanks, it looks like there is really no cherry mx swithes without backlight bleeding.

I will try Romer g switches with this keyboard:
https://www.logitechg.com/en-roeu/products/gaming-keyboards/g810-orion-spectrum-rgb-gaming-keyboard.html

hang-the-9 · Nov 6, 2018

I found something from another post that may be nice for lower backlight bleed but with MX keys https://fnatic.com/gear/en/streak

From the images and animation, it looks better than than most others for lights coming from between the keys.

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

Thanks i'll check it out. I spent almost 15 days searching for the best keyboard for me, watched youtube reviews of about 300 different models (including unknown chinese keyboards, and $500+ keyboards), but so far I have found 0 keyboards with mx switches and without backlight bleeding.

hang-the-9 · Nov 6, 2018

avatarium :

Correct, and you won't unless someone takes the time and cost needed to cover much of the LED light with something to dim it. That will also dim the keys themselves. Messing around with the keys to do this would mean you need a high lip around the keyboard, and the keys recessed with narrow spaces between the keys. It would make for a pretty odd looking and fat keyboard. Most people like open looking keys not a big hunk of plastic.

You can't remove or reduce the light bleed unless the light comes up from the center of the keycap, with MX switches you can't do that.

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

I understand now, thank you for an explanation how mx swithes work. I'll try Romer G switches then, I hope they are also good for gaming.

hang-the-9 · Nov 6, 2018

avatarium :

"good for gaming" is a very broad thing, a cheap but good feeling keyboard is fine for gaming, it really depends on how you like the keys to feel. If you ask 20 gamers what keys they like to use, you will get 3-4-5 different replies. I like browns, many like red, my main keyboard has the MX Silent which is a fast and light reaction to a press, but I also have a red I like, my son got a generic red copy that is also nice, etc... Head to a store and try some, I know BestBuy has several mech keyboards on display, I have even seen WalMart with some out to try.

The biggest issue with Logitech keys that kept me from trying them is a pinging noise people have reported with some keyboards in some keys.

avatarium · Nov 6, 2018

I like anything except mx blue, I don't like that clicky sound. I'll try that logitech keyboard with Romer G switches, if I don't like them I can always return the keyboard. We don't have much keyboards in my city so I can't really test different switches.

volkgren · Nov 8, 2018

I have the Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum and it has amazing RGB with no backlight bleeding (except one key that has some paint missing somehow :/ ) and it has the Romer-G switches. One thing I noticed when I got the keyboard (first mechanical keyboard I've owned) was how loud the keys were when I pressed them. Like a loud CLICK-CLAT-CLICK-CLAT-CLICK. Something I got used to though. I just figured that was the compromise of going with a durable mechanical keyboard over a membrane or other keyboard.

avatarium · Nov 8, 2018

thanks, g910 is in my top 10 shopping list

volkgren · Nov 8, 2018

avatarium :

Only thing I don't like is sometimes I accidentally hit the G5 key instead of the control key (both are bottom-left); so I sometimes wonder if the G810 would be better for me without the extra keys. But that's probably just me

Peter Martin · Nov 9, 2018

volkgren :

paint missing?!?!?!?! razor and even Rosewill don't use painted keys, and the letters never fade. I don't think I could live with painted keys. I need my keys indestructible. as for clacking, I love loud clacky blue or greens. I don't care at work, they can live with it.

volkgren · Nov 9, 2018

It's actually just on the 'J' and 'F' keys, the "Home keys" for your fingers. That little raised piece, the black wore off of them and I can see the RGB through them. It was just one that did it at first and it was half-way and looked kinda weird, now it's both and looks more uniform lol.

Help me find the best mechanical keyboard

Titan

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