Gaming Mechanical Keyboard Recommendations (~ $150)

Lmariahwerk on 12/07/2021 - 18:49
Last edited 13/07/2021 - 14:44 by 1 other user

I am a complete newbie in mechanical keyboards - currently using a cheap logitech membrane one.
I only play League of Legends and want to upgrade to a mechanical keyboard around $150 mark - eyeing the
- Alienware 310K vs. 510K (both are Red switches, $131 and $175); and
- Razor Blackwidow $139 (?Razor Green switches).

I personally tried all of the types at Centre Com and I liked the "green" one more because of its clicky sound, but I am not sure from gaming perspective whether I should go for the red one as it's "industry-led" red switches.

Can anyone please give me some advice :)?

• 

  YeemaiI on 12/07/2021 - 19:02

  +1

  Would recommend either some GMMK boards or maybe check out the GK64 or GK68.

  Or you can customize and choose your own layout, size, switches, stabilisers and keycaps etc. if you go the custom route

  • 

    CrispyChrispy on 13/07/2021 - 14:55

    +1, going down the custom route is a very fun and interesting path to take when you dive into the custom mech realm. Just be aware that you might end up spending more than you first thought, lol.

• 

  hbaruas on 12/07/2021 - 21:41

  +2

  Been on the Mechanical Keyboard purchase journey recently (not for gaming though). I just wanted to experience one myself and understand why people like Mech Keyboards so much.

  They say Blue ones are the 'clickiest' of the lot.
  For gaming you need red switches (also called Linear) as these have least bump/ resistance on a key press.

  You should also look at the Keychron brand's K4 model which came up in my research (~$150 Amazon).
  They use Gateron switches and are hot swappable. Keychron models can be used in wireless mode too (if you don't notice much lag in gaming)
  Another good brand is Ducky which uses Cherry MX switches. These are not hot swappable though but are still pretty expensive. There was one on sale (..Ducky SF IIRC) recently on ozbargain (~$100).
  If RGB backlighting is not of interest, some Ducky models are available without the lighting too and are considerably cheaper.

  My search ended with a reasonably priced Tecware Phantom from Amazon ($65 Amazon) which I found to be of amazing build quality. They use Brown Switches from Outemu switches but are hot swappable (some effort required though)

  Hope this helps.

  • 

    mariahwerk on 12/07/2021 - 22:19

    Cheers that's nice to see from your perspective. What's your main purpose of the board - typing/gaming/just general use?
    I tested it at a physical store where the demo board lined up all different switches and I personally like blue 'click' the best followed by red. Brown was a bit too hard to press. the 'Razor Green' was surprisingly clicky and on the box it says "Designed for gaming" so I got really confused!

    • 

      YeemaiI on 12/07/2021 - 23:12

      +1

      If you want real clicky, check out the Kailh Box Jade switches

    • 

      hbaruas on 13/07/2021 - 16:30

      i am using it for normal office work while working from home.

      Also need to correct my original comment

      "You DONT NEED red switches" … but they are usually recommended.

      You can game with keyboard with any of the switches .. ultimately boils down to personal preference and how much others staying with you are going to be impacted by the clicking sound of those keys (if you care about that). SIlent Reds are a good suggestion in that case.

• 

  nsta8487 on 13/07/2021 - 09:31

  +2

  You definitely don't "need" a certain switch type for gaming. There are literally thousands of different switch types out there besides red/brown/blue (a.k.a. linear, tactile, clicky) and people game on a huge variety of them. The Keychron suggested above will let you swap different switches in and out easily if this is something you are interested in. Keychron are usually one of my go-to recommendations as a first mech keyboard for this reason. The bluetooth is also a big plus, but the main downside is that the stock keycaps feel pretty cheap.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 13/07/2021 - 09:33

  +1

  If you're after tkl, I think Durgod k320 corona is a really well built keeb under $150. Don't forget to use the discount code from this post

  For the switch preference, you can go with anything you like unless if you have someone in the house who you don't want to disturb then go with mx silent reds or other equivalents.

  and use rtings to compare your final lists.

  Good luck on your clickity clack thockity thack journey ;)