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Which Cherry MX switch?

K

kim31227

n00b
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
16
Hey guys,
I am looking to get a Filco keyboard. However, I am unsure of what switch to get...

What is the best switch for typing? I will be using for mainly typing and then some FPS gaming. I heard that the blue, browns, and red were good?

Thanks
 
Lol, Blues browns, reds are all your options other than Black. I have reds. I have never tried anything else though. I love the reds for FPS gaming as the response is awesome. However, I am still getting used to typing on it since the slightest touch of the key activates it. Again, personal preference. I would just get one, if you do not like it, send it back or sell it as the resale value is good on all the Filcos.
 
Blues for typing, browns if you don't want it so clicky. Maybe the new green switch also? I have reds and while I love it for gaming I can not stand it for typing. I've been considering getting a secondary KB for typing because the red are far too sensitive.
 
I've got browns and love them.

Reds and Blacks don't have the tactile "bump" that most people associate with typing. That bugged me. Blues were too loud/clicky for my taste. Browns are perfect. I have not tried Greens.

GeekHack is a fantastic keyboard site if you want to ask on another forum as well.
 
Best advice is to try them all out. The only type that's best is the one you enjoy typing on most.

The sampler kit is good for testing out the action of the different variants, but be aware that they will feel different when mounted; different boards with the same switches will also feel different due to many variables.


OrangeWolf said:
GeekHack is a fantastic keyboard site if you want to ask on another forum as well.
Click to expand...

It's a good site to use for general info, but asking advice there can get ugly because of some of the keyboard "evangelists", haha.
 
Hah, haven't run into that, but then I haven't spent much time there either. :)

As for trying them all out, yes, that's best -- but some folks don't live near a place where that's an option. I remember actually calling nearly every electronics store within a 2.5 hour drive of my house and not finding a single, solitary mechanical keyboard for sale anywhere. I didn't get to try any Cherry MX switches til I went on vacation in Colorado and stopped by the Microcenter before going back to the airport. I was so happy XD

But yeah -- try them if possible. If not order that $8 thing -- that was a fantastic link -- and do the best you can. :)
 
If they get too many more colours they might as well be sponsored by Crayola. I've lost track of which ones are what already. :( Just looked to see if there was a sticky on that exact subject before I saw this post.
 
Nostram said:
If they get too many more colours they might as well be sponsored by Crayola. I've lost track of which ones are what already. :( Just looked to see if there was a sticky on that exact subject before I saw this post.
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Here's a good list. No weighting specs, but lists out most known variants.
 
As you are now I was also very hesitant in regards to which switch type I should get prior to ordering my Filco Ninja TKL. The best advice, I believe, is to find a way to try out the different switches (try out an acquaintance's keyboard or at a store etc.) If you can't but have the cash, the recommended WASD sampler kit is a good idea.

I fell in love with the feel of the MX Reds. For me they are very nice for gaming just as much as typing. I was initially going to go for Browns, but I'm one of those who think they feel like dirty Reds (as in it seems as if they have sand stuck in them).
 
Browns. And PixelNinja is just plain wrong about the "Dirty reds" comment. Anyone who thinks they feel like they have sand in them received a defective product. Prefer them or not, just... they don't feel like they have sand in them.

I'd go for Unicomp (they bought IBM's keyboard division) buckling spring over MX Blues. But I prefer the Browns anyway.
 
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dandragonrage said:
Browns. And PixelNinja is just plain wrong about the "Dirty reds" comment. Anyone who thinks they feel like they have sand in them received a defective product. Prefer them or not, just... they don't feel like they have sand in them.

I'd go for Unicomp (they bought IBM's keyboard division) buckling spring over MX Blues. But I prefer the Browns anyway.
Click to expand...

They kind of do feel like "dirty Reds" w/o lube modding them; you feel the "grittiness" more with slower actuation, but you also feel the tactility less the faster you type as well (which is why I haven't gotten too into MX Brown myself). Imo, "Ergo Clears" are the way MX Browns should have been from the beginning.
 
if at all possible try them out for yourself because as always in these threads how subjective the of a choice this is becomes clear.


For me I got my first mechanical keyboard for xmas I went to frys and tested out what they had (they had reds, blacks, blues and browns on various demo keyboards). I chose browns as the best for me based on my testing.. and then ordered a WASD V1 w/ .2mm dampers w/ mx-brown switches... I am very pleased with this set up.


Right after I picked up a Rosewill w/ MX-Reds because it was only $24.99 .. I don't mind it either... I subsequently have installed .4mm 50A-R dampers on the rosewill.. the noise is more tolerable but the .4mm dampers changed the key feel more than the .2mm dampers on my WASD .. I actually kinda like the new key feel on the rosewill with the dampers (kinda makes it feel more like my WASD i think... meh )


Regardless no matter what you pick it will pretty much be better than a membrane keyboard and no matter what switch you pick some will say ..oh those are the best and some will say oh those SUCK..

many people seem to transition from membrane to mechanical w/ MX-Browns and they are good (for me.. for both games and typing).


If I was you and I absolutely couldn't find any to demo... I might just roll teh dice w/ browns as many suggest they are the best compromise for gamers who also type a lot.

if you got something and it didn't work out the resale value on these things is also pretty good so if you tried browns or whatever and then hated it you could likely get most of your money back selling it later.
 
I prefer Blues myself. Browns felt like mushy Blues and I hated the feel of Reds without the tactile bump. Haven't had a chance to try Blacks, but given they're linear like Reds but require more force I just don't see them winning me over. But, most definitely, try out if possible. If you have a Best Buy near you they may carry some mechanical boards.
 
If you don't mind doing the leg work for it, I love my ergo clears the most. They have better response then browns but not as loud as blues.
 
I have had Blue, now have Brown.

Def liked the blue better for typing but for Gaming/typing I prefer the brown.

Never tried black/red but have read multiple reviews that say they are not the best for typing.
 
r3awak3n said:
I have had Blue, now have Brown.

Def liked the blue better for typing but for Gaming/typing I prefer the brown.

Never tried black/red but have read multiple reviews that say they are not the best for typing.
Click to expand...

I type just fine on Blacks. I actually type a little faster than on a cheap keyboard.

That said, I'm gonna try a Brown KB next.
 
ReconSniper said:
Lol, Blues browns, reds are all your options other than Black. I have reds. I have never tried anything else though. I love the reds for FPS gaming as the response is awesome. However, I am still getting used to typing on it since the slightest touch of the key activates it. Again, personal preference.
Click to expand...


exactly this. i tried reds, but kept mistyping and doing funny things in-game because they're so light, no matter how much i tried. so i went back to my blacks ;)

you have to try them, one hundred posters can say a switch is great and then it just doesn't work for you.
 
After using blacks and blues, I have discovered reds with o-rings and feel they are the best I have had for gaming by far. I'm fine with them for typing as well but am slightly more mistake prone. Getting used to them though and they feel great!
 
dandragonrage said:
Browns. And PixelNinja is just plain wrong about the "Dirty reds" comment. Anyone who thinks they feel like they have sand in them received a defective product. Prefer them or not, just... they don't feel like they have sand in them.

I'd go for Unicomp (they bought IBM's keyboard division) buckling spring over MX Blues. But I prefer the Browns anyway.
Click to expand...
How can I be "plain wrong" about the way I feel about MX Browns? All the boards using Browns I have tried felt the same; I doubt very much they were all defective. I am not the only one to describe them as such (cf. the post following yours). It's fine if you like the feel of them but is does not mean those who do not are wrong.
 
Because they clearly, clearly don't feel like they have sand in them. I am typing this reply with MX Browns that do not feel sandy. Find a better way to describe it if you actually want to sound helpful.

P.S. I do believe those who say Ergo Clears are good. I was actually thinking about doing that mod myself before I got my keyboard, but decided it was too much money and time to spend for the amount of difference it would give. Would like to try them out sometime though.
 
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r3awak3n said:
lol sandy like they crackle when you type?
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No, it's mostly new switches in general, they have a slight "grittiness" to them from the parts rubbing together; it eventually goes away in my experience, but it's very pronounced in MX Browns compared to other variants. It's hard to notice in MX Blues because of the switch action and it's not as pronounced in MX Reds as Browns because the tactile bump.

It normally seems to disappear with use, but lube modding is supposed to make the switches feel "buttery" smooth.
 
weird, I never felt that with my WASD mx browns, its been smooth since day one (expected for a almost $200 KB)
 
Hmm, pick out a key you almost never use and press it down slowly and unevenly, it'll feel quite a bit different than keys you use frequently.

I game more than anything and the left side key clusters of my boards feel slick compared to my F6-F12 keys when actuated in this manner.
 
I tired that and honestly i can't tell much if any difference between gaming keys and other keys...

however I type more than i game so most of the letter keys have been getting used pretty frequently i suppose... but even F9-F12 didn't feel much if any different. I do have the .2mm dampers on mine which may be making all the keys feel more uniform? or not.. this has had dampers since i got it.
 
Me neither, no difference at all. I dont think I had even pressed the Home and End keys and did for the first time and they are pretty similar tbh.

I also got dampers though
 
Unfortunately, like most of us you will need to try switches to know what you're really going to prefer. I've tried blue, brown black and red and came back to blues in the end because I felt that I typed more efficiently with them and didn't notice any degradation in my gaming.

Some Best Buys and most microcenters will have at least a blue board (Razer) that hopefully you can give a try. The WASD tryout kit may also be a good way to try the weight of the switches and see if you prefer linear or switches with a tactile bump.
 
That's odd, because I can feel the difference on several different brand boards; 3 MX Red, 2 MX Brown. Aside from my MX Red boards (2 of them), the others are less than half a year old and most of the keys still feel quite gritty in comparison.
 
I'm not sure about the "gritty" feel you're experiencing but it's not always switch type, there's things like stablizers that come into play when comparing manufacturers.

And I don't seem to see any of this effect in my lesser used keys i.e. F keys.
 
NukeDukem said:
After using blacks and blues, I have discovered reds with o-rings and feel they are the best I have had for gaming by far. I'm fine with them for typing as well but am slightly more mistake prone. Getting used to them though and they feel great!
Click to expand...

Did you ever try blacks with o-rings?


O-rings on cherry RED switch seems like it would make it more of a black switch.

To me the o-rings seem like a good idea to preserve the spring and switch from wearing out and to shorten the tactile feel of the key.

On my SS 6GV2 black switch my they keys are broken in quite a bit. I think my blacks probably feel like reds since the springs are worn out. I might get some O rings for my SS 6GV2 along with some new caps.

Going on 2 years with my SS 6GV2 with lots of gaming and it feels like it has more life in it. Very durable keyboard.
 
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Skull_Angel said:
That's odd, because I can feel the difference on several different brand boards; 3 MX Red, 2 MX Brown. Aside from my MX Red boards (2 of them), the others are less than half a year old and most of the keys still feel quite gritty in comparison.
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i was assure that part of the premium price i was paying for my WASD keyboard was due to the hand assembly / testing and all ..blah blah blah ..when I made pre sale inquires. I believe the lubricate all the stabilizers and whatnot also. Don't know if that level of assembly care has anything to do with it?? if it is a switch break-in issue one wouldn't think so i guess?


If i had to guess since r3awak3n and myself both have MX-Brown's w/ dampers what is happening is since the dampers reduce key travel to some extend and smooth out the bottoming very much the dampers may well be why we are not seeing the effect you describe but ya...I don't feel it here on my WASD mx-brown board at all.
 
SonDa5 said:
Did you ever try blacks with o-rings?
Click to expand...

Yes I have Deck Legend with blacks for 3 years and I'm sending it in for a needed repair, I do plan on modding the Deck with the same 50A-R (0.4mm Reduction) dampeners when it's fixed. I like the feel of the Ducky w/ Reds more with the rings than without and I am inclined to believe the same would be true with the blacks.
 
Saint001 said:
I'm not sure about the "gritty" feel you're experiencing but it's not always switch type, there's things like stablizers that come into play when comparing manufacturers.

And I don't seem to see any of this effect in my lesser used keys i.e. F keys.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have anything to do with the stabilized keys, though there is a similar but different phenomena with Cherry type stabilizers.

It's caused by friction within the switch; the slider and/or keycap stem rubbing the housing.

atarione said:
i was assure that part of the premium price i was paying for my WASD keyboard was due to the hand assembly / testing and all ..blah blah blah ..when I made pre sale inquires. I believe the lubricate all the stabilizers and whatnot also. Don't know if that level of assembly care has anything to do with it?? if it is a switch break-in issue one wouldn't think so i guess?


If i had to guess since r3awak3n and myself both have MX-Brown's w/ dampers what is happening is since the dampers reduce key travel to some extend and smooth out the bottoming very much the dampers may well be why we are not seeing the effect you describe but ya...I don't feel it here on my WASD mx-brown board at all.
Click to expand...

I use O-rings myself; the only thing I can see really effecting the level of "grittiness" perceived from a (new) stock MX Red/Brown/Black board would be Cherry profile keycaps. Cherry profile keycaps are somewhere around 2/3rds the height of "OEM" profile keycaps, which come stock on nearly every popular brand including WASD.

In most cases you'll never notice it unless you look for it, but it is there. I'm sure you'll be able to find more info on it in a google search, I might even be able to find some posts on it if you want me to, but I never noticed it myself 'till others pointed out it happens with all Cherry MX switch variants.
 
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