From Beginner to Aficionado: Three Mechanical Keyboards I’ve Used

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As technology continues its march forward, we find ourselves spending more time sitting down at our keyboards than ever before. Yet the thing is, not all keyboards are created equal－the past few years have seem mechanical keyboards gaining popularity among hard-core gamers and long-haul typers.

What separates the different styles is how those strikes actually communicates to your board: as compared to a regular rubber dome keyboard, mechanical keyboards use metal springs and key-switches to give the user an altogether different experience. 

At the Heart of Mechanical: The Key Switch

Linear switches are the simplest ones with consistent and smooth keystroke. There is no tactile feedback or noise when hitting the actuation point. So, most of the time, you will probably bottom out on each key press.

Tactile switches provide tactile feedback when hitting the actuation point. As you press the key down, you will notice a small bump, which makes you know that your key press has got successfully registered.

Clicky switches provide an additional click sound as you hit the actuation point. The main advantage this kind of switches is that you don't have to push the key all the way down. You can release the key immediately after you receive the feedback.

The Classics: Common Cherry MX Switches

A German company called Cherry, makes, almost every switch in modern mechanical keyboards, and each switch type in the lineup is marked with a distinct color to reflect its characteristics. First released in 1983, the Cherry MX switch family is arguably one of the most successful keyboard switches ever made.

The most common Cherry MX variants are Black and Red for linear switches; and Clear, Brown and Blue for tactile switches. Keyboards based on the clicky MX Green and tactile MX Grey variants also exist; but due to their heavier resistance, these variants are usually reserved for space bars. Here we only focus on the common ones.

Cherry MX Black

Black switches are purely linear (non-tactile). Someone holds that the linear characteristics of Blacks make them ideal for spamming in fast-paced titles and first-person shooter games. Yet there are some saying that a gamer may get tired after prolonged use during their gameplay.

Cherry MX Red

Similar to MX Black, Cherry MX Red switches lack both tactile and auditory feedback. But they have a lower actuation force, so they can be hit more quickly and more often. These same qualities keep them from being a good choice if typing is your primary activity, as they make it easier to register more keystrokes than you intend or to trigger typos on a slightly stray stroke.

Cherry MX Blue

Blue switches are both tactile and clicky and offers one of the highest actuation points. They are generally favored by those who do a lot of typing. When pressed down, the switches let out an audible click – although this sound can be off-putting to those who haven't been introduced to the world of mechanical keyboards. As a frequent gamer saying goes, "Once you go clack, you never go back.”

Cherry MX Brown 

Brown switches are great for folks who don't like the loud click-click-click of the Cherry MX Blue switch but do like the tactile bump feeling. Since there's no clicking sound, you won't hear much noise from this keyboard unless you bottom out (at which point the sound can be rather loud), but you will feel the key response, because the key won't budge until you've pushed it down with enough force to actuate the key. Due to the MX Brown switch design, the keys require slightly less force for actuation, making them a nice alternative for people who want feedback from the keyboard but without the loud clicking they'd get with MX Blue switches. 

From Beginner to Aficionado: Three Mechanical Keyboards I've Used

NO.1 Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Pro (with CHERRY MX BROWN Switches and LED Backlit Gaming Keys)

This is my first mechanical keyboard and it is a perfect one for someone who wants just a basic Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard, with a standard keycap layout. It has a minimalistic chassis in the truest sense, just enough to house the keys with nothing more. Compact design without numpad section provides extra space for your mouse and allows your shoulders to be comfortably positioned.

The keyboard itself is very well made－the MX Cherry Brown switches are exceptionally useful during my play with the responsive and smooth operation. It is the choice for serious gamers. By enabling faster key presses and response times It supplies what gamers need to gain the edge in today's gaming scene.

It is NOT a RGB light up keyboard, as a heads up. Yet ActivLight technology gives this keyboard swagger, keycaps react to your touch and turn off upon release. You can customize this effect further by choosing between the backlight going off instantly or slowly fading away; also, assigning your favorite backlit keys is a simple task. These backlighting customizations are stored within 4 separate lighting profiles so you can store and use them as you like.

The slick matte black rubber finish is a nice touch. But soft touch paint can be quite slippery and is easy to get dirty with fingerprints.

NO.2 Leopold FC660M Mechanical Keyboard ( with Cherry MX Red PBT, Black Case) 

The FC660 Mini keyboard has the ultra-compact layout, which allows much of the functionality of a full size keyboard through use of the Function (Fn) layer.

Below the plate and the PCB, this keyboard has a sound dampening pad, which has eliminated a large percentage of the sound of the PBT caps bottoming out. 

To me, PBT feels way much better than the slippery feeling of ABS keycaps; for those who prefer ABS won’t enjoy PBT, as you may not like the grip and texture on your keycaps.

NO.3 Filco Minila Air 67 Mechanical Keyboard

Pro: The Filco MiniLa Air Bluetooth is a full-size keyboard. Space has been saved by shrinking the shift keys, moving the arrow keys into the main cluster and combining the top two rows; shortened spacebar flanked with Fn keys, allowing easy access to the numberpad.

The switches and build quality are top-notch, the key action and sound are beautiful. (the sound is actually slightly quieter and denser than the full-size model)

Con: The Bluetooth connection is not always strong and intelligent and I did experience some missed keypresses and noticeable lag from time to time. 

Summary: It's All About Preferences

No one can tell you which kind of switch you'd prefer; you have to try them out yourself and then decide whether you like the sharp clack or the softer operation.

See more product reviews at Value Q.