Supertoasters Mechanical Keyboard Guide

[Supertoaster]

I've 'borrowed' a lot of content from another forum guide from www.overclock.net



What is the difference between a mechanical keyboard and a regular keyboard?

A regular keyboard uses a rubber dome that is underneath the key, pushing these requires 'bottoming out' (pushing key all the way down) and can wear out your fingers. These are the same things found on cheap TV remotes. A mechanical keyboard however uses an individual mechanical switch in which the key activates before you push it all the way down. This is much easier on your fingers. Not to mention that it doesn't feel 'mushy' like a regular keyboard. Once you try a mechanical keyboard it will be very hard to go back.

Switch Types

There are different switch types for mechanical keyboards. Most are referred to Cherry MX (color here). All have a slightly different feel or sound to them. Here is a list of them



Cherry MX Black
These are considered the best for gaming because when you press it down it is a very smooth feeling.


Cherry MX Brown
These are a balance between Gaming and Typing. These are good if its your first time using a mechanical keyboard.


Cherry MX Blue
These are supposed to be the best for typing because of you hear a "click" and feel a small "bump" as soon as the key is activated. Some people prefer them in gaming however they are bad for 'double tapping' because of that "bump"


Cherry MX Clear
These are supposed to feel like browns but a little bit stiffer. The force required to push it is comparable to most 'regular' keyboards, Not sure about these, certainly an improvement over regular keyboards though because of the improved tactility


Cherry MX Red
These are very light switches, These are more of a matter of personal preference because they are so light. They are supposed to lean a bit more towards gaming but can work for typing too. (again this is more of a personal preference)


Buckling Springs
Not a Cherry switch, still mechanical though. This is a very durable type of switch. These were used on the old IBM keyboards from the 80's and 90's. They are VERY noisy though however are supposed to be really awesome for typing. They work by having a spring break under pressure and hit a hammer (can't really explain it, here's a gif)



What switch type should I get?
All switches are an improvement over a regular keyboard. However which one you should get is completely personal preference. Since you haven't used one yet a Brown switch is probably best because it's good for both typing and gaming. If you type a lot then a Blue switch is best. For gaming a Black. I'm not sure about Clears, they're questionable. Red is personal preference. I  believe they are similar to brown but very light.

What are some good mechanical keyboards?
The downside to mechanical keyboards is that they are more expensive. Here are some good brands.

Ducky (www.tankguys.net) has a bunch,
Leopold (http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=leopold,fullsize)
Filco (Find them at Amazon)
DAS (http://www.daskeyboard.com/) They're a bit overpriced
WASD Keyboards (http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/) these are cool, you can customize the keyboard layout/key text/add your own images to key caps
Unicomp (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/keyboards.html) They make Buckling Springs
Razer has one called the Razer Black Widow. It uses Cherry MX Blue (however the stealth edition uses Browns becuase they are much quieter) They have an Ultimate and Expert edition. The Ultimate isn't worth it, it's the same keyboard for $50 more + backlighting and a USB port.
Newegg has a bunch of Rosewill ones on their website (these are a really good alternative to Ducky because Ducky is a chinese company and most have to be imported)
SteelSeries has two of them. Both use Black switches.

I also forgot to mention. Most mechanical keyboards are really noisy compared to a regular keyboard. Blue is probably the loudest while brown and red are quieter. Black is probably in between.

Cherry switch sound comparison

I got my info from the Mechanical Keyboard Guide at www.overclock.net, credits to them

Thanks for reading, and happy clicking.

[Apie2]

I think that it took you a long time to make this guide.