Mechanical Keyboard Recommendation?

1Wolf

1Wolf

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 10, 2007
Messages
433
I'm looking for a Mechanical Keyboard that meets the following requirements, and was hoping maybe someone might have some recommendations.

  • Mechanical Keyboard
  • Cherry MX Brown or Cherry MX Blue Switches.
  • Backlit with Blue LED's (Or even adjustable LED colors would be nice like the Logitech 510)
  • Not Full Size, something a little smaller than a full size keyboard. The CM Storm Quickfire series of keyboards are about the perfect size I am looking for, but unfortunately they are backlit with either Red or not backlit at all.
  • Keyboard body is either black or gray.

One of the keyboards I current use is a MaxKeyboard Nighthawk with Cherry MX Brown keys and backlit in blue. Its absolutely perfect. If they made one identical but just smaller, with a form factor similar to a CM Storm Quickfire, it would be perfect.

Anyone happen to know or have used a keyboard like that?

Thanks!
 
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by smaller form size, do you mean a keyboard without the number pad on the right hand side?
 
Ducky DK9087 Shine 2, has a wide array of LED choice and Cherry MX switch choice, high build-quality for backlit mechanical (Mechanicalkeyboards.com is currently out of stock on your current desired config, but they do restock as often as possible).
 
FRZ said:
by smaller form size, do you mean a keyboard without the number pad on the right hand side?
Click to expand...

Yes. That would be preferable.

However, some keyboards that do have the number pad but are extra "small" might be ok too.

Skull_Angel said:
Ducky DK9087 Shine 2, has a wide array of LED choice and Cherry MX switch choice, high build-quality for backlit mechanical (Mechanicalkeyboards.com is currently out of stock on your current desired config, but they do restock as often as possible).
Click to expand...

Wow...Thank you Skull_Angel. I took a look at the DK9087 Shine 2 you mentioned and that looks about perfect :D


Incidentally, slightly off topic and to anyone following this thread....

Currently I have a Cherry MX Brown keyboard. I love it. I've never typed on a Cherry MX Blue keyboard before. I'm told that, if the clicking doesn't bother you, that the Cherry MX Blues are actually better for typing than the browns. In your opinion, is that true?

I'm trying to decide between snagging another MX Brown keyboard or an MX Blue. This keyboard will be used primarily for typing lots of text and maybe a little gaming.
 
1Wolf said:
Currently I have a Cherry MX Brown keyboard. I love it. I've never typed on a Cherry MX Blue keyboard before. I'm told that, if the clicking doesn't bother you, that the Cherry MX Blues are actually better for typing than the browns. In your opinion, is that true?

I'm trying to decide between snagging another MX Brown keyboard or an MX Blue. This keyboard will be used primarily for typing lots of text and maybe a little gaming.
Click to expand...

I've had both cherry brown and blue keyboards. Both feel the same, but the cherry blues have the click which could get annoying to some. I however, like the click so went with the cherry blue.
 
Marduk77 said:
I've had both cherry brown and blue keyboards. Both feel the same, but the cherry blues have the click which could get annoying to some. I however, like the click so went with the cherry blue.
Click to expand...

I have a filco with browns and a wasd with blues. I'm in the same boat as you, I can tell the difference pretty well but I really do like the click. My friends however hate me when i type while playing games on voice chat.:D
 
Marduk77 said:
I've had both cherry brown and blue keyboards. Both feel the same, but the cherry blues have the click which could get annoying to some. I however, like the click so went with the cherry blue.
Click to expand...

Lol. Same thing happen to me. The clicking just drives my roommate nuts. But who cares?!
 
Well...I certainly liked the look of that Ducky D9087 Shine II and it seemed to fit all my needs perfectly. I wanted a tenkeyless, Blue switches, Blue LED backlight....only problem is....

I can't seem to find one anywhere. You'd think thats the most popular keyboard on the planet.

Does anyone happen to know somewhere online I might find one? Or if they are just out of stock planet-wide forever....does anyone have another good recommendation that would fit my needs?

Thats a bit of a bummer as I really really liked that Ducky.
 
the Shine 3 is coming soon, they are clearing stock of the 2's. Hold out for it and you will not be disappointed.
 
VulcaN said:
the Shine 3 is coming soon, they are clearing stock of the 2's. Hold out for it and you will not be disappointed.
Click to expand...

Pretty much this. I didn't wait on the Shine 2 and now have a growing collection of mechanical boards... lol
 
Keep in mind though if you wait on tech you will be waiting pretty much forever. Get whichever you feel has the most to offer YOU.
 
In same boat as OP, and found that Shine 3 is coming out soon which forced all Shine 2 out of stock, so gotta wait a bit...
 
Well Fudge!

Thanks for the heads up, looks like I'll just have to wait a bit.

If its going to be a while before its released, does anyone have any recommendations for something that is similar? Maybe I'll pick up something similar now, and then pick up the Shine 3 when it is released and move that first one I picked up off to another machine.

It looks like CM makes a CM Quickfire TK with blue switches and a blue backlight. Its not tenkeyless but it look fairly compact.

Or maybe I could find a Ducky Shine 2 without the blue blacklight.

I could easily go without the Blue backlight until the Shine 3 comes out.
 
I'm not 100% sure but I think I read it was coming out in July sometime, so I don't know how long it takes to import them and make them widely available in the variant you want, so it could be August or September. I got my sights set on a Shine 2/3 TKL w/ Red switches + White backlighting.
 
My Logitech G510 is going out and as much as I like many of the features, I'm sick of buying their products and having them barely outlast their short warranty.

My problem with the mechanical keyboard market is that I simply can never find anything I want in stock.

I want a quality TKL with green backlighting and red switches - which I can find, but only with Chinese keycaps - WTF?

I found a KBT Pure with that combination, but I don't know how I would feel about not having direct F-key access (probably ok) and I hear people complain about vibration and how sturdy they are.

Are those people just super picky or is that an issue?

Well. there is an aluminum casing for that keyboard but again, good luck finding it unless you want white switches (80g force vs 45g for reds - no thanks) or pink keycaps or something else equally stupid.

I find green backlighting to be the easiest to see, but it's also a second tier color - everything is red, blue or maybe white while green seems to be on the level of pink, purple, orange, etc.

I would go for one of the new Ducky Shine 3 keyboards, but I have no idea where to look and I'm sure I'll only hear about them once they are sold out.
 
Some people are overly picky, but the Pure is not without it's problems (along with other KBT backlit boards). The main concerns with the Pure are the keycap coatings chipping off and LEDs going out prematurely; the LEDS aren't as huge of an issue if you know how to solder and can source compatible LEDs, the keycaps on the other hand don't have many options if you want to keep them backlit w/o going more of an underglow direction with light colored and thin caps.
 
Well, I ended up ordering the KBT Pure MX Red / Green LED keyboard.

It should give me a good sense of how I feel about mechanical keyboards and MX Reds - my environment is not going to tolerate anything loud or clicky and if I don't care for it, I'll just resell it.
 
I've tried Cherry MX Reds and just don't like them. Cherry MX Blues for me all the way. Unfortunately it always seems like my choices for back lit Cherry MX Blue keyboards is always lacking. I've seen some Ducky Shine boards but always heard mixed things about them. The Microcenter up near my house carries them but only in Cherry MX Red flavor.

Sadly no one seems to build the precise keyboard I'm looking for. I'd like to see something using Cherry MX blue switches with Deck's (or WASD's reported) build quality, in the form factor of the Filco keyboards (some of them have goofy case designs) with the back lighting of the Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2013. (Albeit not in green.) I want a standard 104 key layout without any fluff on it. No USB ports, no headphone jacks, and no media keys. I could take or leave macro keys. Some days I hate them and some days I'm all for them. Just depends on what I'm doing.
 
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@Dan_D

I really would suggest the Shine 2 line; I wasn't expecting much out of mine seeing how many backlit mech aren't of great quality, but have been very please with mine for the past year (still seems brand new, but I wash my caps every several months). No issues with LED going out prematurely and absolutely no degradation of the backlit caps' coating so far, very surprised seeing as I don't really baby it (clean hands before use + wipe down after use, that's just too much, lol).
 
Take a look at the CM Storm QuickFire TK
It's small (tenkeyless), has the features of a full size keyboard and the Blue switch model also has blue-LED.
/I still prefer mechkey w/o LED backlit because these LEDs tend to die/dim after 1-2 years of usage.
 
David-Duc said:
Take a look at the CM Storm QuickFire TK
It's small (tenkeyless), has the features of a full size keyboard and the Blue switch model also has blue-LED.
/I still prefer mechkey w/o LED backlit because these LEDs tend to die/dim after 1-2 years of usage.
Click to expand...

I think you mean QuickFire Rapid. The QuickFire TK has a TenKey - that's what "TK" stands for. TenKeyLess is TKL, just FYI.

Another options is the Keycool 87, but they don't have it with blue backlight in stock at MK.com.
 
I don't want a 10-keyless keyboard on my main rig. Ever. I've got the QuickFire Rapid's on my test bench where space is more limited and I like them. But I want the back lighting and 10-key without extra bullshit and good back lighting.
 
jameslr said:
I think you mean QuickFire Rapid. The QuickFire TK has a TenKey - that's what "TK" stands for. TenKeyLess is TKL, just FYI.

Another options is the Keycool 87, but they don't have it with blue backlight in stock at MK.com.
Click to expand...

A note about the Keycool. I ordered one (Kc84) from MK and promptly returned it. The quality of the keys was very poor and it had a loose switch. I tend to avoid them now.

Edit: I should have said that the keys were backlit. I've read good things about their PBT keys.
 
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Dan_D said:
I don't want a 10-keyless keyboard on my main rig. Ever. I've got the QuickFire Rapid's on my test bench where space is more limited and I like them. But I want the back lighting and 10-key without extra bullshit and good back lighting.
Click to expand...

Same, I'm using a QFR as my main keyboard currently, but I'm waiting for the Corsair Vengeance K70 with Blues to come out. There are so many other keyboards that are super nice though. The Ducky Year of the Snake and the Shine 3 look pretty sweet.
 
That's pretty confusing how they're doing the YOTS keyboard ordering. Apparently they're not fulfilling pre-orders for it. It's first come first serve. I suppose that's only fair. I'm looking forward to the Ducky Shine 3 - I think I have narrowed it down to this keyboard for my next board. Although I really like the Ducky with PBT keys they have on MK. Specifically the blue and dark grey one.
 
I'd go with the new Corsair K70 with Cherry Blue switches when it's available.

EDIT: Oops... I missed the part about you wanting 10-keyless.
 
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Skull_Angel said:
Ducky DK9087 Shine 2, has a wide array of LED choice and Cherry MX switch choice, high build-quality for backlit mechanical (Mechanicalkeyboards.com is currently out of stock on your current desired config, but they do restock as often as possible).
Click to expand...
I was looking at some reviews of Ducky keyboards. I was all set to snag one when I saw something that worried me... PWM flicker on the LEDs...

I'm hoping it was just an issue with the guy's camera, but if they use PWM for dimming then I can't get one. The flicker will kill my eyes.
 
Get this: http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/ with MX Blues.

The WASD with blues was my first mechanical keyboard and I love it. I had started a thread a while back about mechanical keyboards. A few [H]'ers said that it was something you can talk about all day, but until you actually pull the trigger and use one you won't really know. They were right. It's easy to read review after review and talk about it, but really it will come down to what YOU want and what YOU like. Blues are my personal favorite, maybe yours would be brown or red.

This explains things quite well. I'd suggest reading this.
 
Been using SS 6GV2 for over 3 years. Works well for gaming. I like the black cherry switches.
Not illuminated. More of a gamers keyboard.
 
I just got a refund from ebay. Seller never responded after I paid for the kbt pure kb.

Back to square one.
 
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