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What Mouse and Keyboard Are You Using Right Now?

Strange bird said:
I'm still on this one, I tried replacing it but in the end I gave up on the new one because all the new ones have a USB connector and their own programs and drivers that drastically slow down my CPU and booting, especially the Roccat.
Click to expand...

Really? I've never had a USB keyboard that required any kind of software or drivers to be installed, and I have had many.

I mean, sure,there is often optional software that can be installed to configure such things as RGB LED output, and the function of specialty keys (if you have those) but I have never encountered a USB keyboard that wouldn't just work if plugged in. And most have hotkeys on them you can use to do some basic lighting adjustments without any drivers.

Usually they just work with the standard USB Human Interface Device driver in their respective operating system. And that should slow down any PC made in the last, well, ever? As soon as PC's started shipping with USB ports, USB keyboards and Mice became standard and didn't really use any more resources than the PS2 devices that came before them.

I used PS/2 IBM Model M keyboards for longer than most, but have been on USB keyboards that work wirthout special drivers since ~2012 now.

This was the case for:

  • Two Unicomp Model M keyboards I bought new in 2012. (these probably just used a USB to PS2 signaling adapter inside the keyboard case, but still.)
  • Compact wireless Logtech K400 Trackpad & Keyboard I use for my HTPC.
  • OG Ducky One backlit black keyboard with green switches I bought in 2018. (It had some optional software. I installed it once to test, but it was totally unnecessary.)
  • Second OG Ducky One backlit black keyboard with clear switches I bought for work later in 2018. (Same as the above OG Ducky One)
  • Ducky Shine 6 I bought for the kiddo in 2018. (It had optional software, but all it was really used for was custom per key RGB color settings. You could do most things, including change color presets and effects using hotkeys)
  • Ducky One 2 I bought for my better half in 2019. (Same as OG Ducky, It had some optional software. I installed it once to test, but it was totally unnecessary)
  • WASD Keyboards Code V3 I currently use. I don't even know if they offer an optional software suite for this one. I've never even checked.
  • Various OEM wired USB keyboards from Dell, HP and others I have used in a pinch

I'm sure "super duper gaming boards" from the likes of Corsair, Razer, Steelseries, etc. etc. etc. all want you to install their software to get extra "features", probably in large part because they want to collect data and spy on you like everything else these days, but I'd also be shocked if they didn't just work out of the box with Microsofts (or Linux) USB HID Device driver.

I am curious. what motherboard do you even use that still has PS2 connectors? I haven't seen those in ages. I think the last motherboard I had with those was my Asus P9x79 WS Workstation board from 2011.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with your keyboard. It's probably great. And I'm also one of those people who - when I find something I like - I just kind of stick with it. But being averse to USB keyboards seems - well - a little bit odd in 2025. Heck, it would probably also have seen a little bit odd in 2015. And in 2010. USB has just kind of been the standard for so long now that your post is almost confusing to me

By all means, if you like your current keyboard you should continue to use it. Just don't be afraid of USB keyboards. They are literally not a problem.


Strange bird said:
Does anyone know why in some pictures and reviews the SteelSeries 7G has a small shift and in some it has a large shift? It's like there are several versions of this keyboard?
Click to expand...

I am by no means an expert on Steelseries keyboards (I have never had one) but an educated guess would be that their ISO keyboard layouts (most common in European countries/languages) have the larger enter key and smaller left shift key like yours, and their ANSI layouts (most commonly used layout in the U.S.) have the larger left shift key, and a one row smaller enter key.

1749093490771.png


I don't know where you are located, but your keyboard appears to be a UK version, based on the fact that it is ISO layout and that it has a little pound symbol above the 3. Most English language keyboards made for the U.S. market will have the ANSI layout with the small enter key, and larger left shift, whereas most English language keyboards made for the UK market will have the ISO layout with the larger enter key, and smaller left shift.

I'd imagine that if you order in your market you will get the one that corresponds to the layout intended for your country. As to why you are seeing different layouts in different reviews, were some of those reviewers in the U.S. and some in Europe maybe?

That said, the U.S. market is by far the largest market for English layout keyboards, so while larger manufacturers may make separate versions for different markets, some manufacturers may just make one ANSI layout version and try to sell it everywhere. Who knows?
 
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Zarathustra[H] said:
Really? I've never had a USB keyboard that required any kind of software or drivers to be installed, and I have had many.

I mean, sure,there is often optional software that can be installed to configure such things as RGB LED output, and the function of specialty keys (if you have those) but I have never encountered a USB keyboard that wouldn't just work if plugged in. And most have hotkeys on them you can use to do some basic lighting adjustments without any drivers.

Usually they just work with the standard USB Human Interface Device driver in their respective operating system. And that should slow down any PC made in the last, well, ever? As soon as PC's started shipping with USB ports, USB keyboards and Mice became standard and didn't really use any more resources than the PS2 devices that came before them.

I used PS/2 IBM Model M keyboards for longer than most, but have been on USB keyboards that work wirthout special drivers since ~2012 now.

This was the case for:

  • Two Unicomp Model M keyboards I bought new in 2012. (these probably just used a USB to PS2 signaling adapter inside the keyboard case, but still.)
  • Compact wireless Logtech K400 Trackpad & Keyboard I use for my HTPC.
  • OG Ducky One backlit black keyboard with green switches I bought in 2018. (It had some optional software. I installed it once to test, but it was totally unnecessary.)
  • Second OG Ducky One backlit black keyboard with clear switches I bought for work later in 2018. (Same as the above OG Ducky One)
  • Ducky Shine 6 I bought for the kiddo in 2018. (It had optional software, but all it was really used for was custom per key RGB color settings. You could do most things, including change color presets and effects using hotkeys)
  • Ducky One 2 I bought for my better half in 2019. (Same as OG Ducky, It had some optional software. I installed it once to test, but it was totally unnecessary)
  • WASD Keyboards Code V3 I currently use. I don't even know if they offer an optional software suite for this one. I've never even checked.
  • Various OEM wired USB keyboards from Dell, HP and others I have used in a pinch

I'm sure "super duper gaming boards" from the likes of Corsair, Razer, Steelseries, etc. etc. etc. all want you to install their software to get extra "features", probably in large part because they want to collect data and spy on you like everything else these days, but I'd also be shocked if they didn't just work out of the box with Microsofts (or Linux) USB HID Device driver.

I am curious. what motherboard do you even use that still has PS2 connectors? I haven't seen those in ages. I think the last motherboard I had with those was my Asus P9x79 WS Workstation board from 2011.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with your keyboard. It's probably great. And I'm also one of those people who - when I find something I like - I just kind of stick with it. But being averse to USB keyboards seems - well - a little bit odd in 2025. Heck, it would probably also have seen a little bit odd in 2015. And in 2010. USB has just kind of been the standard for so long now that your post is almost confusing to me

By all means, if you like your current keyboard you should continue to use it. Just don't be afraid of USB keyboards. They are literally not a problem.




I am by no means an expert on Steelseries keyboards (I have never had one) but an educated guess would be that their ISO keyboard layouts (most common in European countries/languages) have the larger enter key and smaller left shift key like yours, and their ANSI layouts (most commonly used layout in the U.S.) have the larger left shift key, and a one row smaller enter key.

View attachment 733794

I don't know where you are located, but your keyboard appears to be a UK version, based on the fact that it is ISO layout and that it has a little pound symbol above the 3. Most English language keyboards made for the U.S. market will have the ANSI layout with the small enter key, and larger left shift, whereas most English language keyboards made for the UK market will have the ISO layout with the larger enter key, and smaller left shift.

I'd imagine that if you order in your market you will get the one that corresponds to the layout intended for your country. As to why you are seeing different layouts in different reviews, where some of those reviewers in the U.S. and some in Europe maybe?

That said, the U.S. market is by far the largest market for English layout keyboards, so while larger manufacturers may make separate versions for different markets, some manufacturers may just make one ANSI layout version and try to sell it everywhere. Who knows?
Click to expand...
I found this for ISO, they have versions for EU and US(small and large shift and small and large enter,backspace), except that mine has more letters in my alphabet. You're right, each one works without programs and drivers. I recently bought a Roccat Vulcan Pro Linear Optical USB, it's not bad, it's great RGB, but this Roccat software slows down the computer. The difference can be up to 0.5s. I haven't tried it in games, only a very short time. This 7G is still great for typing and gaming.It's mechanical and not too loud, some mechanical ones are really loud.
The PS/2 slot doesn't use the CPU at all (I have a Ryzen 5600x) and allows all keys to be pressed and registered at once.PS/2 is still the best for gaming.
All MBOs up to 150usd have PS/2 slots. Most of them have PS/2, only the most expensive ones happen to not have them, I'm talking about the AM4 chipset. I don't know what the situation is with AM5. If I were buying an MBO, I certainly wouldn't buy one that doesn't have PS/2.
 
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Strange bird said:
I found this for ISO, they have versions for EU and US(small and large shift and small and large enter,backspace), except that mine has more letters in my alphabet. You're right, each one works without programs and drivers. I recently bought a Roccat Vulcan Pro Linear Optical USB, it's not bad, it's great RGB, but this Roccat software slows down the computer. The difference can be up to 0.5s. I haven't tried it in games, only a very short time. This 7G is still great for typing and gaming.It's mechanical and not too loud, some mechanical ones are really loud.
The PS/2 slot doesn't use the CPU at all (I have a Ryzen 5600x) and allows all keys to be pressed and registered at once.PS/2 is still the best for gaming.
Click to expand...

I haven't really thought about the CPU impact of peripherals like keyboards and mice in a long long time.

Back in the day (early 2000's) I remember overriding windows settings to increase polling rates on USB mice to gain more mouse accuracy. I do recall this increasing CPU load a little bit, but even on the single core chips of the single gigahertz era, I don't really recall it being significant enough to the point where it had a deleterious effect on anything else.

And a keyboard should result in even less load on the CPU than a mouse should.

On that 5600 you have 6 cores, 12 threads and clocks that range from 3.5 to 4.4ghz.

Any HID peripheral load ought to be completely and totally negligible.


Strange bird said:
All MBOs up to 150usd have PS/2 slots. Most of them have PS/2, only the most expensive ones happen to not have them, I'm talking about the AM4 chipset. I don't know what the situation is with AM5. If I were buying an MBO, I certainly wouldn't buy one that doesn't have PS/2.
Click to expand...

Hmm.

My experience has generally been the opposite.

I've seen high end workstation boards costing thousands that have kept the PS2 ports longer than others, but cheaper boards seem to have eliminated them for costs savings starting 15-20 years ago.

With my old Model M's I often had ro use a PS2 USB adapter.



I'm honestly still kind of puzzled by this whole conversation about reluctance to move away from PS/2.

It feels like a conversation transported in time from 20-25 years ago. 😅
 
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Regardless of the current times, you have as much evidence on the internet as you want that the PS/2 keyboard slot is better than the USB slot. That is still true today.
And all MBOs mostly still retain the PS/2 slot.
https://superuser.com/questions/341...ge-that-a-ps2-port-has-over-a-serial-usb-port
https://superuser.com/questions/16893/do-usb-or-ps-2-keyboards-respond-faster/16902#16902

https://www.asus.com/motherboards-c.../tuf-gaming/tuf-gaming-b650m-e-wifi/techspec/
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z890-GAMING-PLUS-WIFI/Specification

I see that they have started to remove the PS/2 slot more and more (especially Intel), but there are still manufacturers who keep it.
 
Redragon K618 Horus Pro, brown switches.
2.4ghz dongle, 3x BTs, wired modes.
My 1st mechanical KB.
1749608299107128339419547105072.jpg
17496083818464398188712718511597.jpg

The legs are too short so I had to order some legs to prop it up more of a angle.
 
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The Mad Atheist said:
What's that screen on the KB?
Click to expand...
Corsair iCue Nexus touch screen.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BNDHDCT
It was $100 when it came out a few years ago, kinda pricey and the screen is a TN so it looks washed out when viewing from off angles.
Should have been an IPS screen for that amount money, imho.
I like it since it reminds me of my older G15's with the screen, and I still have my G15 V2, I sold my pair of original G15's when this new one came out,
IMG_2848.JPGIMG_2852.JPG
In the above right pic, you can see my G13 keypad in the back, it has the same screen as this G15 V2.

g15-price.jpgbf2-games1.jpg
Got a heck of a deal on the G15's from CompUSA using my business account.
This was Black Friday and the stuff we were buying wasn't on sale, we just wanted it. The checkout line was going all the way around the inside of the store, we were like, dang, it's going to take a couple of hours to check out.
I asked someone if I could check out at the business desk with my business account and they said yes, so I put the stuff on the counter, they gave me discounts which I wasn't expecting since these keyboards just came out.
G15's were $99.99 and we got them for $61.
In and out of CompUSA on Black Friday in less than 20 minutes. :D
 
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I've been waiting a long time for this one: Keychron K6 HE. It's got magnetic switches, PBT keycaps in a 65% form factor, aluminum frame, wood accents. I'll probably replace the caps with a set of Corsair PBT shine through caps.

PXL_20250705_224555728.jpg
 
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