Keyboard suggestion desired

[Endymio]

Hi all, trying to replace my old Carbon mechanical. The Logitech G915X is my best so far: *nearly* perfect, based on this criteria:

• Aluminum case (or top plate)
• Shine-thru keycaps.
• Tactile switches (not linear, not ultra-clicky)
• Volume knob
• Dual- or tri-connectivity

The only real problem with the G915X is that it's low profile. The Cooler Master MK770 is a full profile alternative ... but the case is plastic.

Are there any other options anyone can suggest?

 

[AsRock]

How about a wooting keyboard ?.

Wooting keyboards

We make the fastest analog keyboards on the market. Join our journey.

wooting.io

 

[Endymio]

How about a wooting keyboard ?.

From what I see on that link: the switches are all HE, and no volume knob.

Steel Series Apex Pro is another option I've found, but I have no experience with the brand, and their key switches are sometimes described as "spongy". Plus, their marketing materials make the RGB look intense enough to give you a suntan after 15 minutes of usage:

Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 | SteelSeries

 

[AsRock]

I can only speak really of the Wooting TWO HE and it's been a excellent keyboard for over 16 months now including update and the software they release, i did watch some video's comparing Apex and another that razer does and they were out matched by the Two HE.

Takes a little to get used to one that's for sure but once you do their awesome to use had zero issue's with it or the software or firmware updates and the response of the keys is next to no other.

The software ?, well yet another awesome piece of software you don't need to keep running in the back ground and run it when you need and changing some thing if it to do with moving keys about or changing the colors or what ever it's nothing short of exceptional.

 

[Fokker]

Since you didn't list 10 key as a requirement, I've been using the Keychron Q3 Max for a while and it seems to tick all of your boxes, especially if you want to get a barebones and choose your own switches and keycaps. It can connect with up to 3 devices via BT 5.1 and it's QMK/VIA so you don't have to install any additional applets/services to use it. It also offers wired and 2.4 GHz connectivity.

They have a ready to go option with Gateron Jupiter Brown switches and side-printed keycaps (best shine through with south facing LEDs): https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q3-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard?variant=41089555660889

 

[KrazyT]

Steel Series Apex Pro is another option I've found, but I have no experience with the brand, and their key switches are sometimes described as "spongy". Plus, their marketing materials make the RBG look intense enough to give you a suntan after 15 minutes of usage:

I think you can change the intensity of the lighting, from dark to solar burn !

 

[phanbuey]

keycaps are something you can and should replace, same thing with switches...

I ended up modding a magnetic HE keyboard with custom keycaps and such and it's been my favorite keyboard so far (being able to adjust actuation is awesome, as is rapid trigger)...

this should help tho:
Keyboard Reviews - RTINGS.com

 

[Endymio]

Since you didn't list 10 key as a requirement, I've been using the Keychron Q3 Max for a while and it seems to tick all of your boxes, especially if you want to get a barebones and choose your own switches and keycaps.

They have a ready to go option with Gateron Jupiter Brown switches and side-printed keycaps (best shine through with south facing LEDs):

Thanks. Something I should know but don't is this: is the shine-through just a feature of the keycaps, i.e. any backlit KB with the right caps will now have shine through?

I looked at your Keychron link; it looks good. I can't tell from their keycap sets though which might or might not support shine through ... I feel like I'm missing something basic here.

Edit: looking at the Das Keyboard 6 now -- it hits 100% on all points except it lacks multi-connect options. Trying to dump this kludgy KVM I use now.

 

[Bones]

Hmm... The one I got the wife sometime back has been good.
It's a Royal Kludge and it's one with the soft "Red" switches so it isn't very clackey when in use.



This is exactly what it looks like but the one in the listing below has blue switches in it instead.
Finding a red switched one like we have is doable or if you don't mind the clacking a blue switched board will do.

There are also different boards with different styled keys too.

Amazon.com: RK ROYAL KLUDGE S108 Typewriter Keyboard, Retro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Wired 108 Keys with RGB Backlit Sidelight, Detachable Wrist Rest, Round Keycaps Blue Switches - Black : Video Games

 

[Fokker]

Thanks. Something I should know but don't is this: is the shine-through just a feature of the keycaps, i.e. any backlit KB with the right caps will now have shine through?

I looked at your Keychron link; it looks good. I can't tell from their keycap sets though which might or might not support shine through ... I feel like I'm missing something basic here.

The shine through is going to be a combination of the keyboard's LED placement and the keycaps. South-facing LEDs move the light to the bottom and the side-printed caps will illuminate through the letters better versus north-facing LEDs (which is pretty common on bigger brands) which shine through top-printed caps best. The keycaps will have a more pronounced effect on how much shine-through you see.

I'm currently using some double-shot PBT Corsair keycaps that are top-printed which I had from my previous keyboard and those still illuminate well (even with the lights on). The lighting is definitely more pronounced on the Corsair keyboard, but I think part of that is just the LEDs being ridiculously bright.

This is a picture it with the lights off. The WASD had better shine-through on the Corsair keyboard, but even top-print keys have acceptable shine-through in my opinon.

 

[Endymio]

The shine through is going to be a combination of the keyboard's LED placement and the keycaps. ...

Thanks. One last question since you're obviously knowledgeable on the subject. The effect I prefer is, as on my current KB and the one in the image below, the backlight is almost entirely only lighting the keycap icon, rather then the entire KB (as in your photo, and especially the one from @Bones above you). Is that going to be a function of the KB leds themselves, or the keycaps?

 

[Fokker]

Thanks. One last question since you're obviously knowledgeable on the subject. The effect I prefer is, as on my current KB and the one in the image below, the backlight is almost entirely only lighting the keycap icon, rather then the entire KB (as in your photo, and especially the one from @Bones above you). Is that going to be a function of the KB leds themselves, or the keycaps?

View attachment 365063

You can see from the edge shot there, those are north facing LEDs with keycaps centering the labeling print over the LEDs (much like my Corsair ones). You'd need keycaps that are centering the print over the LEDs on your specific keyboard and reduce the lighting so you get less spillage from under the keycaps. Since most lighting compatible switches are clear to translucent housings, you'd have to coat the non LED sides of the housing to cut down on light spill if you want to get super specific about where the light shines.

The board that is the guts of any mechanical keyboard is going to be the determiner of where your LEDs are located which you can see in this barebones picture of the Keychron Q3 Max here:

A few different boards here:

"A" is the front, and "B" is the back of the DZ60, which, as stated, only features underglow and has south facing LEDs. "C" is the front of the GK61, which only features backlighting, and has north facing LEDs.

You can get much deeper into customizing your keyboard if you want to custom tailor the experience to a high degree (mine is good enough for my tastes), but here's an older post that goes over a lot of the minutiae of it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/ba8zgb

 

[Eskimonster]

Gonna reckomend what i use

What's your latest tech purchase?

Got a stream Deck today, thx to @SN2716057 I have got it set up like this. That looks good. Now you can make different profiles for the various games and/or programs.

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Fokker]

Gonna reckomend what i use

What's your latest tech purchase?

Got a stream Deck today, thx to @SN2716057 I have got it set up like this. That looks good. Now you can make different profiles for the various games and/or programs.

www.techpowerup.com

I like Corsair's keyboards overall, but after having to RMA a K60 PRO TKL twice for the same issue in the span of a few months (would start randomly disconnecting and eventually wouldn't register as a keyboard anymore), I relegated it to a back up in my drawer. Corsair was nice enough to RMA it both times which didn't cost me anything in the end, but I'm not dealing with that anymore and I've had no issues with my Keychron.

 

[Eskimonster]

I like Corsair's keyboards overall, but after having to RMA a K60 PRO TKL twice for the same issue in the span of a few months (would start randomly disconnecting and eventually wouldn't register as a keyboard anymore), I relegated it to a back up in my drawer. Corsair was nice enough to RMA it both times which didn't cost me anything in the end, but I'm not dealing with that anymore and I've had no issues with my Keychron.

I poored beer over it more then one time, and wine also. everytime i washed under the tap. still works

 

[Endymio]

Wanted to update everyone on my progress ( and solicit more free info )

I was still researching when an Amazon ad popped up, showing the G915 TKL on sale for 45% off. Getting it for $100 was too enticing, so I ordered it Saturday, and (thx Bezos) it arrived today. I'm almost certainly returning it though. It's very sleek, the tri-connectivity is smooth, and the north-facing LEDs emit very little underglow, lighting only the key legends, just as I like. The low-profile typing experience is a bit subpar IMO, or maybe I just need to adapt.

One large issue though. The keys themselves are slightly "loose" ... at the slightest whisper touch, they move left, right, north, south. Pick up the board and shake it, and it sounds like a bag of peanuts. My old Logitech Carbon didn't do this.

Questions.

1. If anyone else has this board, is this normal, or is mine defective?
2. Is this issue common to other brands?
3. I would assume that, as this board doesn't have swappable switches, that there's no resolving this short of buying a different board?