Keyboard recommendation (with fussy requirements)
January 10, 2023 8:12 AM Subscribe
The PC keyboard enthusiast ecosystem has become sprawling and hard to keep up with. Can you sort through my requirements and find something that matches?
I apologize in advance for being picky. I know that what I want may not exist.
Absolute must-haves, no compromises:
- A rotating volume control, preferably the horizontal spinning knurled cylinder kind but a knob would also be OK. Up and down buttons (plus/minus) are not OK. Current keyboard has the rolling cylinder and it's so useful that I never want another keyboard without one.
- Dedicated media mute, play/pause, next, prev, stop buttons. Combinations (e.g. Fn + F10) are not OK.
- N key rollover
- US English qwerty layout, and none of that L-shaped Enter key garbage
- Not made by Corsair (for boring reasons, I will never again buy one of their products.)
Very much would like to have but not deal breakers:
- Ability to remap keys — or at least map Capslock to Right Ctrl — and be able to save to the keyboard's internal nonvolatile memory without the need for any program running on the PC. I can work around this by doing the remapping in the OS but I'd really rather not.
- I prefer linear switches with a light touch but I'm open to trying tactile if they are fairly light (currently using Cherry MX Speed RGB Silver.) Mechanical required.
- I have never used Tenkeyless but I'm open to trying it with the right feature set. Full size is totally fine and excellent. Absolutely nothing smaller than TKL. Standard key size/pitch only.
- I'm rather neutral on RGB. If the keyboard is black I like to have it set on a very low intensity, just enough to be able to get my hands to the home row in a dark room. Brightness control is necessary, as is a dedicated button to turn it off so that I can sleep in the same room. Don't want to have to run software to turn off lights.
- Generally prefer wired, but if there's an amazing case to be made for wireless I'd consider it.
- Either an internal USB hub or a passthru cable, something to plug in a mouse in the back (ideally more than one port but not required.)
- Windows key disable switch for gaming would be nice.
Really don't care:
- swappable switches
- RGB animation (but must be able to disable if it has it)
- RGB integration with other platforms (not running any of that awful software)
- extra macro keys (moving to a Stream Deck for that)
Budget: let's say up to USD $200 but could stretch higher if there's something amazing
Thank you.
I apologize in advance for being picky. I know that what I want may not exist.
Absolute must-haves, no compromises:
- A rotating volume control, preferably the horizontal spinning knurled cylinder kind but a knob would also be OK. Up and down buttons (plus/minus) are not OK. Current keyboard has the rolling cylinder and it's so useful that I never want another keyboard without one.
- Dedicated media mute, play/pause, next, prev, stop buttons. Combinations (e.g. Fn + F10) are not OK.
- N key rollover
- US English qwerty layout, and none of that L-shaped Enter key garbage
- Not made by Corsair (for boring reasons, I will never again buy one of their products.)
Very much would like to have but not deal breakers:
- Ability to remap keys — or at least map Capslock to Right Ctrl — and be able to save to the keyboard's internal nonvolatile memory without the need for any program running on the PC. I can work around this by doing the remapping in the OS but I'd really rather not.
- I prefer linear switches with a light touch but I'm open to trying tactile if they are fairly light (currently using Cherry MX Speed RGB Silver.) Mechanical required.
- I have never used Tenkeyless but I'm open to trying it with the right feature set. Full size is totally fine and excellent. Absolutely nothing smaller than TKL. Standard key size/pitch only.
- I'm rather neutral on RGB. If the keyboard is black I like to have it set on a very low intensity, just enough to be able to get my hands to the home row in a dark room. Brightness control is necessary, as is a dedicated button to turn it off so that I can sleep in the same room. Don't want to have to run software to turn off lights.
- Generally prefer wired, but if there's an amazing case to be made for wireless I'd consider it.
- Either an internal USB hub or a passthru cable, something to plug in a mouse in the back (ideally more than one port but not required.)
- Windows key disable switch for gaming would be nice.
Really don't care:
- swappable switches
- RGB animation (but must be able to disable if it has it)
- RGB integration with other platforms (not running any of that awful software)
- extra macro keys (moving to a Stream Deck for that)
Budget: let's say up to USD $200 but could stretch higher if there's something amazing
Thank you.
HyperX Alloy Elite 2 seems to tick all of your must haves (Advised with rotating volume wheel + dedicated media buttons, Full N-Key rollover, standard US QWERTY layout, and not made by Corsair), and checks off most, if not all, of your very much would like to haves and it's also on sale on Amazon/Best Buy for ~$100.00.
It's advertised as a "HyperX" Red Linear switch, but it should be the same 45g actuation force, just more pre-travel distance than your current keyboard (1.8mm compared to Cherry MX Speed Silver switch at 1.2 mm) and as someone who's owned and used a corsair keyboard (K70 RGB MK.2 SE) with Speed Silver switches, it is a noticeable different typing experiencing but I personally preferred using a keyboard that has a switch with a longer travel distance.
It also has the ability to remap keys/settings with 3 on-board memory profiles if you use their HyperX NGENUITY software to set it up first.
posted by QueenHawkeye at 10:52 AM on January 10, 2023
It's advertised as a "HyperX" Red Linear switch, but it should be the same 45g actuation force, just more pre-travel distance than your current keyboard (1.8mm compared to Cherry MX Speed Silver switch at 1.2 mm) and as someone who's owned and used a corsair keyboard (K70 RGB MK.2 SE) with Speed Silver switches, it is a noticeable different typing experiencing but I personally preferred using a keyboard that has a switch with a longer travel distance.
It also has the ability to remap keys/settings with 3 on-board memory profiles if you use their HyperX NGENUITY software to set it up first.
posted by QueenHawkeye at 10:52 AM on January 10, 2023
My next keyboard will be one from Keychron, likely this Q1, which looks amazing. Has a knob but no dedicated media buttons.
This full size Q6 checks all your boxes, features good support for switching OS. They have 18 normal profile models that can be built with a knob.
With Keychron you can pick your switch’s, you can control the light show, all that. It’s likely over kill but then I think about how my work machine has a dell and how garbage it is to use.
posted by zenon at 2:40 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
This full size Q6 checks all your boxes, features good support for switching OS. They have 18 normal profile models that can be built with a knob.
With Keychron you can pick your switch’s, you can control the light show, all that. It’s likely over kill but then I think about how my work machine has a dell and how garbage it is to use.
posted by zenon at 2:40 PM on January 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
The DAS Keyboard 4 Professional. Has everything you ask for except it's a twist knob, not a bar scroller. But it's oversized so it can be finger scrolled, has all the multimedia buttons, NKRO, standard QWERTY layout, and wired. And NO RGB lights (that's be the Das Keyboard 5Q). Cherry mechanical switches, USB3 hub built-in, AND gaming mode toggle. HOWEVER, they don't have it available with linear switches, just brown switch or blue switch.
posted by kschang at 10:00 AM on January 11, 2023
posted by kschang at 10:00 AM on January 11, 2023
The main problem is going to be the media keys. Generally, those are only found on "gaming keyboards", and gaming keyboards generally have RGB lights, such as this MSI VIGOR SONIC. I can't find info whether they allow internal ctrl/capslock swapping, but RGB lights can be disabled as an internal profile. You MAY want to swap the keycaps, and it's ONLY available in "light red" (linear 35g, as opposed to normal 50g force in a linear switch. Speed means shorter activation stroke)
The knob is easier to find nowadays, but media keys, not so much.
HOWEVER, there is another possibility: a secondary keyboard just for your media buttons and knob. For example, you can buy this knob separately for under $30. VERY oversized, Press to pause, press and scroll to next/previous, scroll to adjust volume.
if you like your current keyboard and don't want to switch, adding this would be a possible option instead of replacing your keyboard.
If you insist on separate keys, there's this Vaydeer knob and buttons.
posted by kschang at 10:15 AM on January 11, 2023
The knob is easier to find nowadays, but media keys, not so much.
HOWEVER, there is another possibility: a secondary keyboard just for your media buttons and knob. For example, you can buy this knob separately for under $30. VERY oversized, Press to pause, press and scroll to next/previous, scroll to adjust volume.
if you like your current keyboard and don't want to switch, adding this would be a possible option instead of replacing your keyboard.
If you insist on separate keys, there's this Vaydeer knob and buttons.
posted by kschang at 10:15 AM on January 11, 2023
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers so far.
Let me propose another question: What if I threw out all the previous requirements and asked what my options are if I wanted a Tenkeyless keyboard and MX blue style switches (genuine Cherry or quality knockoffs), and a modest price? Could that exist for say $80?
The thought process is that I would like a backup keyboard and I'd like to try TKL and clicky but without fully committing. (No, I can't/won't try one in a store.)
posted by Rhomboid at 10:20 PM on January 11, 2023
Let me propose another question: What if I threw out all the previous requirements and asked what my options are if I wanted a Tenkeyless keyboard and MX blue style switches (genuine Cherry or quality knockoffs), and a modest price? Could that exist for say $80?
The thought process is that I would like a backup keyboard and I'd like to try TKL and clicky but without fully committing. (No, I can't/won't try one in a store.)
posted by Rhomboid at 10:20 PM on January 11, 2023
TKL blue is easy, and if you don't care about the name, they can go as low as $20. Though a name-brand one such as Logitech, Kingston HyperX, CoolerMaster, and KeyChron creeps closer and closer to $100.
posted by kschang at 7:28 PM on January 12, 2023
posted by kschang at 7:28 PM on January 12, 2023
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posted by adamrice at 9:03 AM on January 10, 2023