I've gone through a couple mechanical keyboards and I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we all rate the keyboards we've used. Describe the Pro's and Con's, the feel of the keys, how comfortable the keyboard is, how it looks, and give it a score out of 10 points on how good you rate your keyboard when it comes to playing osu.

My Keyboards

Steel Series M500
7 out of 10
My first mechanical keyboard was the Steel Series M500 it has cherry red keys, with a blue backlight, and it's about $100.The keys are smooth and quiet, some people may prefer more resistance and a more tactile feel but I think this is a great keyboard for someone starting to get serious about their keyboard needs. The lighting looks nice and resting your hand with reach to the ZX keys is comofrotable

Here is a relatively cheep keyboard with Gateron Red switches which are pretty much identical to cherry red keys. It's only $54 https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1654

Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L RG
3 out of 10
Next I got the Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L RGB keyboard with RGB lightup keys that can be customized but it turned out to be a real POS. It's anti ghosting technology was so terrible. If you hit 2 -3 keys in a short time it wouldn't register all the inputs. I eventually found the keyboard worked fine but only if you turned off the lighting effects that I paid an extra $30 for. I'm sure cooler master mechanical keyboards without the RGB lighting would probably be fine but I'm steering clear of their products.


Razer Black Widow Chroma V2 with yellow keys
10 out of 10
The newest keyboard I got is, in my opinion, a god among keyboards the Razer Black Widow Chroma V2 with yellow keys. Razer is one of the first keyboard companies to make their own mechanical switches, and do it well. Razer and other companies have tried to make their own mechanical keys but, aside from Gateron and razer none of them have matched up to cherry keys. Gateron keys are almost identical the cherry keys. The razer black widow V2 now offers green, orange, and yellow keys, green being the hardest to press and yellow being silent with very little resistance. Although I wouldn't recommend the green and orange they say the orange keys have the same actuation force as cherry reds but it has a bump you have to push past that's way harder than 45g. The green keys are even worse. But, the yellows are silent and linear. They have 2 dedicated usb plugs one for the lighting effects and the other for keyboard input. This completely fixes the congestion problem the cooler master keyboard has. You can do individual lighting for each key choosing lighting effects or specific colors for each key. This is really nice and the possibilities are endless and beautiful. The yellow mechanical keys that razer makes have the same actuation force required to press the key as cherry red keys at 45g. What really sets it apart is it's shorter actuation point which is at only 1.2mm. This is a lot shorter than the 2mm actuation point of the cherry red keys. it sells for $125 on new egg right now which is a good $30 cheaper than when I bought mine. If you can find the keyboard in stores there's a test key you can press in a hole in the box that could help you decide what color key you want but I think the yellow keys are the best way to go. If you love cherry red or silver keys you'll love this keyboard. It also comes with a magnetic wrist support and this gives the keyboard a very comfortable feel, and the layout of the keys makes it equally comfortable.


Silver cherry keys are similar to razer's yellow keys in force and travel distance, although i think the razer keybord layout is more comfortable.

Some bargain choices to get you into the mechanical keybaord world should be available through these links below

If your looking for cheap mechanical keyboards check out this link https://www.howtogeek.com/313193/the-best-cheap-mechanical-keyboards-under-40/ In the article they list a $40 keybaord with cherry red you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal. https://www.amazon.com/LESHP-Mechanical-Keyboard-Anti-ghosting-Industrial/dp/B06ZYBP64Q?tag=823814-20

Also if you're looking to get cherry mechanical keys this link will give you some information on it. https://osu.ppy.sh/community/forums/topics/723170 I recommend the red keys but you may want something with more resistance

9 out of 10

Five bucks rubberdome keyboard.

Pros:
- It has keys
- It has three lights (numlock, screenlock and capslock)
- It has multimedia keys.
- It has keys.
- It has Arabic and English layout.
- more to come
- soon

Cons:
- Left arrow is broken.
- None of multimedia keys actually work.

Older: Rosewill RK-9000 (Cherry Blue)

I hate tactile switches for osu. In a way, I'm glad this keyboard stopped sending inputs correctly after two years.

Old: Corsair Vengeance K95 (Cherry Red)

The linear switch is better, but the aluminum body of this keyboard makes for quite possibly the loudest bottoming out sound imaginable. Even O-Rings did nothing to quiet it. It also came with slippery keycaps. That, combined with the red switch being a medium resistance, really didn't do a lot for my accuracy. I had to hit the key fast, hard, and loud to get the kind of accuracy I wanted.

Current: Ducky One (Cherry Silver, 40A-R O-Rings)

I love this keyboard. Nice quiet body, stock keycaps are ABS but still a little grippy, switches are fast as heck. Especially once I put the O-Rings on, I barely have to touch a key to get a response. I don't like having to bottom out in sync with the beat to get accuracy (although I do like being able to use the bottoming out noise as a hitsound), so I'm pretty happy overall.

Ducky One RGB (fullsize, not TKL)

Ducky build quality is nice overall. The fully chamfered edges of the case are very nice, the ability to rebind key scancodes and setup macros in hardware is nice, although the hardware macros here are limited in what they can do when compared with autohotkey. I don't notice any pinging when typing like you get on some lower quality boards with metal backplates. The RGB options are also kind of limited and annoying to setup, but it's nice that it's all done in hardware and there's no software to install. Basic stuff like NKRO, USB report rate, latency, you're really not going to do better here unless you build your own keyboard.

Unfortunately, the fullsize Ducky One RGB comes with doubleshot PBT keycaps, and there's something wrong here, either with their doubleshot PBT manufacturing process, or with the physical position of the spacebar on the board (which is offset by maybe ~1.2-1.5mm from the rest of the keys in its row). The risers on the spacebar keycap where it connects to the switch stems have cracked twice. I noticed it after purchasing the keyboard, had a replacement spacebar shipped from the vendor, then it cracked again. Using a broken keyboard until the new cherry low profile switches become widely available.

8/10 even with the broken spacebar cap, but if I got another Ducky I'd look very closely to check if the spacebar was physically offset and stick to ABS keycaps

Corsair K68

8/10
This keyboard is great! It is my first mechanical keyboard and I think it works really well. It has Cherry MX Red switches and is not RGB only has red LEDs. The look of this keyboard is really sleek. The font that was used for all the keys is really nice and is easy to see what keys you are pressing if you dont know how to touch-type. I have had this keyboard for about 4 months and would say that it has not really taken any beating, you cant really even tell that it was used at all. Well, maybe if you look and the 3 and 4 keys which I use the most.

Pros:
Cherry MX Switches
Multimedia buttons
Sturdy feel
Has full num-pad

Cons:
Has full num-pad
Not RGB

I use my laptop's keyboard, and it's a 11/10

(even though its bad lol)

Very very thin chiclet laptop keyboards

2/10
Bad. Too small, and really bad feeling feedback from the tap.

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Some scissor switch rubber dome keyboard at school

5.5/10
Above, but less bad because I can actually kinda feel something

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Kinda old Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edtition with razer greens

7.5/10
Is okay. It doesn't feel all that bad to type on but for rhythm games, I think the click feels kinda weird sometimes and the keys also don't push back on my fingers quite enough (despite being heavier than the bouncier brown switches that I talk about below), which makes streaming and faster singletapping kinda eh. Not saying they're bad for rhythm games, but could be better. Some keys don't click anymore (but that's not too noticeable) and the arrow keys are kinda broke from me playing stepmania. Not the best keycaps either, and not best for customization due to the bottom row. Not the most durable keyboard, and apparently the new ones aren't too much better, but i got it for like $75, so I guess it wasn't that bad.

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Vortex Pok3r with mx browns

9/10*
Just got it, but seems good so far. Not all they keys feel exactly the same (once again, not really noticeable). Unlike the razer, the keys feel bouncy and nice, with light tactile feedback, both of which I'm liking for rhythm games. Vortex is known for being good, so I expect this one to last a while. The small form factor, portability, aluminum case, and customizability is neat.

*Not sure if I can accurately rate it yet, because I just got it.

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chill1208 wrote:

The newest keyboard I got is a god among keyboards the Razer Black Widow Chroma V2

lol

chill1208 wrote:

Other companies have tried to make their own mechanical keys but none of them have matched up to cherry keys.

Gateron

Razer blackwidow chroma tournament edition (old version) - 5/10

Pros: tactility, lightness of key presses compared to a rubber dome, cool lights
Cons: key travel, sometimes problematic reset time

Love it for typing but the amount of time it takes to actuate then reset before it can actuate again is actually an issue when it comes to osu. Sometimes they key isn't ready to be pressed again when I need it. Might just be me being bad, but there's no denying that bottoming out and coming back up on this is significantly slower than something like a membrane.


Dell oem rubber domes - 8/10

Pros: short key travel and fast reset
Cons: heavy actuation force compared to mechs, not tenkeyless for my small desk, no backlight for nighttime play (I know only two keys but I don't touch type so I don't know where the keys are)

I prefer this over my razer for osu but still not the best. It takes up too much space on my desk so I can't just have this out and I need to unplug it every time I want to play a different game


I'm trying new play styles so I might not update this for a while. So far I seem to do best with only mouse clicking on one hand.

Radiant Rayv wrote:

Very very thin chiclet laptop keyboards

2/10
Bad. Too small, and really bad feeling feedback from the tap.

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Some scissor switch rubber dome keyboard at school

5.5/10
Above, but less bad because I can actually kinda feel something

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Kinda old Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edtition with razer greens

7.5/10
Is okay. It doesn't feel all that bad to type on but for rhythm games, I think the click feels kinda weird sometimes and the keys also don't push back on my fingers quite enough (despite being heavier than the bouncier brown switches that I talk about below), which makes streaming and faster singletapping kinda eh. Not saying they're bad for rhythm games, but could be better. Some keys don't click anymore (but that's not too noticeable) and the arrow keys are kinda broke from me playing stepmania. Not the best keycaps either, and not best for customization due to the bottom row. Not the most durable keyboard, and apparently the new ones aren't too much better, but i got it for like $75, so I guess it wasn't that bad.

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Vortex Pok3r with mx browns

9/10*
Just got it, but seems good so far. Not all they keys feel exactly the same (once again, not really noticeable). Unlike the razer, the keys feel bouncy and nice, with light tactile feedback, both of which I'm liking for rhythm games. Vortex is known for being good, so I expect this one to last a while. The small form factor, portability, aluminum case, and customizability is neat.

*Not sure if I can accurately rate it yet, because I just got it.

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chill1208 wrote:

The newest keyboard I got is a god among keyboards the Razer Black Widow Chroma V2

lol

chill1208 wrote:

Other companies have tried to make their own mechanical keys but none of them have matched up to cherry keys.

Gateron

Wdym lol? Laptop keyboards are great!

30 zlotys Tesco keyboard
(1/10)
Pros: it has the F2 button
Cons: it has other buttons.
I have to put it on my gramophone while I'm playing because it takes up space off the desk that I usually use to lay my left hand on to hold my mousepad (makes me feel safer about mouse drift).
The zero button in the numpad likes to keep itself pressed for some reason.

.

Mars Gaming MK4 red switch (oetemu chinese clons).
7/10.
Literally i can stream about 20-30% faster than before and stamina isn't a problem anymore :3.
Bought it expecting to improve accuracy but no change, but the stream and stamina is a good plus.

Old Laptop Keyboard.
10/10

Pros:
- It's a keyboard

Cons:

- It's a keyboard

Skeansopolis wrote:

Kinda old Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edtition with razer greens

7.5/10
Is okay. It doesn't feel all that bad to type on but for rhythm games, I think the click feels kinda weird sometimes and the keys also don't push back on my fingers quite enough (despite being heavier than the bouncier brown switches that I talk about below), which makes streaming and faster singletapping kinda eh. Not saying they're bad for rhythm games, but could be better. Some keys don't click anymore (but that's not too noticeable) and the arrow keys are kinda broke from me playing stepmania. Not the best keycaps either, and not best for customization due to the bottom row. Not the most durable keyboard, and apparently the new ones aren't too much better, but i got it for like $75, so I guess it wasn't that bad.

I had the same issue with the orange keys it feels like they put a bump in that you have to force your way past, they advertise the orange as having the same actuation force as cherry red keys but it's way harder. So I mailed that back and got the yellow keys, they don't have the bump it's liniear with good springs I'm really happy with it but i know a lot of people prefer a little more force so razer yellow and cherry reds may not be their style. Also mine is the V2 edition so maybe they fixed the problems the original black widow had

Ebay toshiba laptop keyboard.
New one. Laptop keyboard. Slow key up. Keys get smashed in less than 30h game making it bad even to singletap. Imposible to hold long streams without lose coordination due to random key forces. It's worst than tap into the table. 1/10. Good keyboard to let you search for a new one.


Old laptop keyboard, 8/10. Can't handle speed without keydrops. Had to change it due to don't have 2 keys left what work together. The performance was good. Bad to singletap due to really short key press. +15kk key presses until ríp. Need to find same model again or something similar.

External keyboard. 3/10. Good performance streaming and singletapping but destroy stamina singletapping. Long key activation. 7 ms delay. I recommend it to learn MinG3012 playstyle :') *No hidden included.

I have a QPAD something 65... I've no idea. It's a budget mechanical keyboard I bought around 5/6 years back. Red switches. No issues with it at all.

(I don't know much about keyboards so take this with a pinch of salt)

I'm currently using a Razer BlackWidow Chroma - I believe Razer used their own switches for this keyboard. As far as rating goes, it does the job - the feedback is nice when tapping, and, for me, it hits a good middle ground between being too easy to tap and being too hard (something important in osu, if you have a vertical finger stance like me). It's also steady and can take a beating (No moving around while you accidentally over stream 200bpm) I'd recommend getting the compact version, but that's just personal preference. The colours are nice too, but I usually keep it one colour otherwise I find it distracting. For a negative I guess the whole thing is made out of plastic? Some keyboards use metal. This doesn't really bother me either.

I am eyeing up the Ducky Shine 5 Keyboard at the moment(just because it's white, rather then anything being wrong with the black widow), so if anyone has one of those, please tag me!

kartonrealista wrote:

30 zlotys Tesco keyboard
(1/10)
Pros: it has the F2 button
Cons: it has other buttons.
I have to put it on my gramophone while I'm playing because it takes up space off the desk that I usually use to lay my left hand on to hold my mousepad (makes me feel safer about mouse drift).
The zero button in the numpad likes to keep itself pressed for some reason.

i'm surprised you could maintain your accuracy with a crap keyboard, getting a decent mechanical keyboard I think would make a huge difference not just performance wise most of them feel more comfortable while tapping IMO

G105. membrane. so cool blue lights

I've had it since 2011. It's missing some keys because I've bashed on it, threw it through my room, smashed it on the side of my desk more than a few times.

Aside from some broken keys it still works perfectly fine though!

Frikandel wrote:

G105. membrane. so cool blue lights

I've had it since 2011. It's missing some keys because I've bashed on it, threw it through my room, smashed it on the side of my desk more than a few times.

Aside from some broken keys it still works perfectly fine though!

reminds me of my older brother he was always getting pissed throwing his PS2 contollers breaking them all the time, they came out with a nerf playstation controller pretty much indesructable got it for his b-day. When the time came he threw it and the nerf made it bounce, it ricochet off the floor into the wall and it took out a window so he went back to breaking regular controllers

10/10

Homemade Varmilo VA87 / Magicforce 68 keyboard. With clicky Matias switches.

The clicks are ungodly. Think mouse click but deeper...

Modified Logitech K100 (USB instead of PS/2)

7.5/10


The keyboard is light, but well built, and feels very solid. The key actuations are a bit mushy, and feel very 90's. Which is not surprising, since this keyboard feels like it rolled right off a 1990's assembly line. But is way faster than most rubberdome keyboard

Not to mention that this is 7$