9 replies to this topic

[Golrar]

Greetings. Haven't posted in a while, but I have a question that I thought to come here first.

I have an older, monochrome G15 keyboard. Not the oldest revision with the blue backlight but the amber backlight. It is getting a bit long in the tooth, and certain aspects are starting to wear, most recently the flip down feet have broken. I am in the market for a new keyboard, but I don't want to spend over $100 US. I'd like your suggestions on a comparable replacement, preferably with Cherry MX switches. I need a backlight of some kind as I play in the dark late at night. Extra bells and whistles like programmable keys and audio hook up are not a factor. I do like the LCD screen on my G15 to show info like GPU and CPU temps, and in some games the helper apps are nice (Skyrim, SWTOR), but not mandatory. I also would like something a little smaller.

And painted keys for the backlight are a no go. The old G15 had those and I wore the paint off the AWSD keys in about 3 months.

I was looking at the ASUS Strix (http://www.newegg.co...5&leaderboard=1) but don't like the macro buttons on the palm rest.

I also looked at the Corsair Vengeance (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16823816010) which is a little higher priced, but rated very good.

So, thoughts? And is it worth spending $150+ on a gaming keyboard? I mean seriously, how many keys are you going to press at once on some of these? Do you notice that much of a difference? It's not like I am going to rush out and join a competitive league.

[Lord Letto]

List of Mech Keyboards With Cherry MX Switches for $100 or Less: https://pcpartpicker...t=d6&page=1&k=1

[Catamount]

If you're willing to abandon the "Cherry MX or nothing" attitude, I'd tell you to consider the G910. I prefer the Romer Gs to Cherry browns (what they're closest to) or blues, red, etc, as well as Razer's knockoff switches, and most reviewers have agreed with me there. They're unambiguously better switches for backlighting, too.

I was going back and forth between the Razer Blackwidow Chroma and the G910 and there was no contest for feel between them. The Razer switches feel like blues, and just came off as harsh and cheap in their feedback by comparison. I do like the RGB setup that several keyboards are coming with because I play in the dark, too. Having setups that prioritize button by color isn't critical, but it is really, really nice (ie in Star Citizen, having the Alt+L eject combo on the seldom-used left side of the keyboard be red and stick out is really nice). I suppose is money is a big deal and plain Jane backlighting works though. My Sidewinder X4's red was certainly adequate.

You know you can walk into any Bestbuy and check out a number of these keyboards, right? At the very least most have enough on display to cover the main lighting and switch options.

Edited by Catamount, 19 July 2015 - 07:42 PM.

[Mystere]

Instead of a gaming keyboard, how about a Logitech G13 instead?

Then just get a regular keyboard for normal use.

[Golrar]

Yes, I know that Bestbuy has a lot of these. I try to avoid brick and mortar "electronics" stores. Except Microcenter.

I will check out the G910. Cherry switches are not a deal breaker. I just hear good things about them. I could go higher than $100. I just think some of these keyboard prices are ridiculous.

[Capt_Kobalt]

logitec G910 Orion!! Love it

also the G13....


I pair the G910 with the G13 and a G602 gaming mouse...... LOVE IT!!!

Macro city!!! can program everything.,

[Golrar]

Did some further research on these really expensive RGB keyboards and I am intrigued with the Corsair K70 and the Razer Chroma.

I am not too enthused with the G910. Looks like a bunch of extra crap on there just waiting to break. The ARX thing just looks like it will get in the way.

Guess I will swing by Microcenter or maybe Abt this week and check them out.

[Catamount]

The G910 isn't going to break. It's build like a tank and weighs as much as one (or maybe, like, half an original Xbox ). That Razer, on the other hand, might just. That's why I didn't get it. The build quality felt cheap, basically it felt like a Razer product, and the keys felt cheap and klackity, which just didn't compare alongside the G910's smooth, but solidly textured two-stage push on the Romer Gs.

The K70 is just a plain Jane mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting. It's fine, it's certainly built well, but it's basically meh beyond that.

The ARX dock is fine, but I don't use it. It's not a connector or anything, just a tray. The Android app works over wifi, and serves little purpose. Logitech's software, on the other hand, is far and away better than the competitors', which is partly why I use logitech for my mouse and keyboard (along with the G502 being the best mouse on the market ).

Edited by Catamount, 21 July 2015 - 02:11 PM.

[Lord Letto]

If your into Racing Sims/Sim Racing, iRacing Makes use of ARX.

[Golrar]

Thanks all for the info. I will go check these out in person before I make the decision. To be honest, they are above my stated price range, but if the quality is there I can justify the extra cash as long as it will last me a couple of yearS.

Edit: I just checked and the Red MX switch version of the Corsair K70 RGB is only $139.00 on newegg.com. As long as I like the way it feels, this will be what I am getting.

Edited by Golrar, 21 July 2015 - 01:28 AM.