What's different from normal keyboard to gaming keyboard?

[DrPepper]

so is my crappy microsoft keyboard okay for gaming?? lol the buttons are really chunky to press and i can type without looking down on the keyboard,i can do this with pretty much any keyboard.

Yeah its fine tbh I still use my generic keyboard because its really light. I doubt any keyboard will make you better in games. If you can touch type with that keyboard then any should be fine.

 

[BumbleBee]

like I said to Dippy mechanical keyboards give you a leg up, if you want to be a better gamer take 40mg of Dextroamphetamine before a match then you can talk about neruotransmitters in a interview with Steve Kroft on 60 minutes like Johnathan Wendel...

 

[selway89]

Ok so after catching up with all this arguing id thought id provide some info.

I had a Logitech UltraX keyboard which I loved. But the keyboard raisers broke and it started to become abit clickity etc.

I had looked at the new Microsoft Sidewinder keyboard, but didnt see the need for allot of the buttons etc. So ended up going for a solid medium between your so called "gaming" keyboards and standard.

I now have the Logitech Illuminated keyboard which I think is fantastic.
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/4740&cl=US,EN
Has illuminated white keys with different brightness settings, media keys etc. Good solid build quality!

Build quality between this and the "gaming" Microsoft sidewinder I tested in a store does not vary much if at all in my opinion. So i guess gaming keyboards could be classed as slightly glorified high qaulity boards, with some tailored buttons. Again largely down to marketing too.

 

[tong]

So i guess gaming keyboards could be classed as slightly glorified high qaulity boards, with some tailored buttons. Again largely down to marketing too.

That's what we're trying to determine and seems to be going taht way. To the OP yes the build quality is excellent.

 

[Mussels]

a few comments were wrong on the saitek II.

1. it looks weird because the palm rest can slide out from the keyboard, and its at max distance in the pic that was provided.

2. That turn dial is for brightness of the LED's, NOT for volume.

3. You can slap someone in the face with it, and it'll still work. its very tough.

 

[iandh]

Honestly I was a gaming keyboard hater for some time, but that changed when I got my Sidewinder X6:

Here's a list of reasons why I find this superior to a normal keyboard (for me personally):

-The numpad switches to the left side; standard keyboards with right-handed keypads suck because I am left-handed.

-The numpad is removable making it a compact keyboard with a somewhat full size style key layout.

-The backlighting is great because I like to game in a darkened room and my monitor is on a mount too high to light my keyboard.

-It has a large and easy to reach volume knob that feels and works great. Volume +/- buttons SUCK imo. It also has a nice backlight dimmer knob which seems cheesy but is actually nice.

-It is built like a tank, very solid and even a bit heavy I'd say. It stays put on my desk.

-At the price I got it from newegg (~$60), it is only slightly more expensive than a decent low end standard keyboard, but is vastly superior in both quality and functionality.

 

[BumbleBee]

well to save everybody from embarassing themselves any further I wanted to post this link it's an article and discussion about mechanical keyboards it has listings, tips and tricks, personal reviews, myths, logitech arguments, etc. even logitech fans should read this it's important to all gamers. if this can't convince you to "accidently" spill your beverage on your keyboard I don't know what else will. thankfully a couple of you have seen the darkness only if I had more minions...

http://www.overclock.net/computer-peripherals/491752-good-keyboard-guide.html

 

[tong]

Very nice bumblebee, gonna have to bookmark that and hit it up once i get home.

@ mussels, thanks for clearing it up, my bud owns the eclipse II i was going from memory and got a few things wrong, but you are correct u can slap some one in the face with it and plug it back in.

 

[BumbleBee]

heh when the Gigabyte GK-K8000 was release last year TPU had a news post the original MSRP was 60 euros I think and everybody was like "zomg I hope it comes with a blonde with big t*ts and a hat full of viagra" the news poster neglected to mention the keyboard was mechanical!

 

[Mussels]

heh when the Gigabyte GK-K8000 was release last year TPU had a news post the original MSRP was 60 euros I think and everybody was like "zomg I hope it comes with a blonde with big t*ts and a hat full of viagra" the news poster neglected to mention the keyboard was mechanical!

newsposters post what they are sent. if the press release doesnt mention it, they dont post it.

 

[BumbleBee]

newsposters post what they are sent. if the press release doesnt mention it, they dont post it.

what are you talking about nothing is sent to them oh maybe the eVGA boards the reps mass emailed that to everybody last week but everything they write is just reworded from another site.

 

[EviLZeD]

Id agree with the G15 not being very high quality i got it on release the silver paint has worn off where you put your palm but the but the keys are still perfectly fine(no worn of paint or watever) id say its still worth it considering ive had it for 2+ years now.

 

[Mussels]

what are you talking about nothing is sent to them oh maybe the eVGA boards the reps mass emailed that to everybody last week but everything they write is just reworded from another site.

lol... quite a lot of the news here comes from emails sent to news@techpowerup.com

 

[BumbleBee]

you mean they don't chase it down anymore?

 

[Mussels]

you mean they don't chase it down anymore?

they do. is it hard to comprehend multiple sources for the news?

 

[BumbleBee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWnm7UpsXk

 

[kurosagi01]

well to save everybody from embarassing themselves any further I wanted to post this link it's an article and discussion about mechanical keyboards it has listings, tips and tricks, personal reviews, myths, logitech arguments, etc. even logitech fans should read this it's important to all gamers. if this can't convince you to "accidently" spill your beverage on your keyboard I don't know what else will. thankfully a couple of you have seen the darkness only if I had more minions...

http://www.overclock.net/computer-peripherals/491752-good-keyboard-guide.html

i guess that sums it up i surpose lol so there is no need for people to buy a "gaming" keyboard but use a normal keyboard which can perform the same? i'm pretty sure most keyboard can do "ghosting" now but i think most people would want good response time with there keyboards?

 

[BumbleBee]

the only thing that matters is the switches and build quality, switches are all different for example Alps are tactile and clicky, Cherry MX Blue are tactile and clicky, Cherry MX Black are non tactile and non clicky, Cherry MX Brown are non tactile but clicky. some favor applications more than others but just about any application will receive a basic benefit.

Polling Rates and Response Times
While it is very useful for mice, it's jest about meaningless for keyboards. Let's assume for a minute that all switches have the 5ms debouncing time of Cherry MX switches (which is being very generous). Even if you had super human speed and reflexes, every single key would be delayed by at least that much. So really, any polling rate over 200Hz (at best) is absolutely useless, and nothing but market hype. It may even be a bit detrimental, because you'd be wasting CPU time polling the keyboard unneededly. And unlike USB keyboards, PS/2 boards aren't polled at all. They simply send the signal to the PC whenever they are ready to, which causes a hardware interrupt, forcing the CPU to register that keystroke.

PS/2 or USB?
PS/2 wins on three fronts: First, it supports full n-key rollover. Second, PS/2 keyboards aren't polled, but are completely interrupt based. And third, it is impossible for it to be delayed by the USB bus being used by other devices. There are two types of USB transfer modes - the interrupt transfer mode (USB polls keyboard, when key is sensed the USB controller sends the interrupt to the CPU), and the isochronous transfer mode, which reserves a certain amount of bandwidth for the keyboard with a guaranteed latency on the bus. Unfortunately, there are absolutely no keyboards made that use the latter, because special controllers would have to be used, thus making it cost prohibitive.

So if your keyboard supports both PS/2 and USB, and your PC has a PS/2 port, there's no reason not to use it.

Key Bouncing
All types of key switches - including rubber domes - do this. When you press a key, the switch "bounces" on and off very quickly as it sets into place. This causes keys to register multiple times for each press. Because of this, keyboards need to implement some sort of debouncing delay - so that once you press a key, the controller waits a certain amount of time before registering a keypress. As an example, Cherry MX switches need 5ms of debouncing time, while rubber domes need longer (exactly how long depends on their quality).

both the Logitech G15 and Razer Lycosa are native USB and have 1000Hz Polling Rates and since both use Rubber Domes both Keyboards have just about zero tactile response time, speed and lack of multiple keys as marketed. they cost $80 respectively i'm not pissed off but i'm worried why Logitech G15 owners are not...

 

[Deleted member 24505]

Anyone know were to get this Gigabyte GK-K8000 in the uk,and is it ps/2?

Bumblebee,is there any decent looking ps/2 mechanical keyboards available in the uk? I will buy a mechanical keyboard to try.I really fancy the Gigabyte GK-K8000 if i can find a etailer in the uk.

 

[BumbleBee]

you can buy a USB to PS/2 adapter I got like 4 of them laying around your only choices that I know of for a mechanical keyboard in the uk is the SteelSeries 7G and the iOne Scorpius M10 both have a USB to PS/2 adapters.

heres a preview of the iOne Scorpius M10. just watching him type you can already notice a improvement over a standard keyboard.

 

[human_error]

both the Logitech G15 and Razer Lycosa are native USB and have 1000Hz Polling Rates and since both use Rubber Domes both Keyboards have just about zero tactile response time, speed and lack of multiple keys as marketed. they cost $80 respectively i'm not pissed off but i'm worried why Logitech G15 owners are not...

I've had my G15 (original blue version) for 2 and a half years, i've also got 2 G11s for friends and i love my G15. I've not had any paint wearing off, the keyboard is pretty damn tough as it's undamaged after a lot of abuse (its been used constantly while i've had it). None of the keys stick or are faulty, i've made a good use of the LCD screen and the macro keys are pre-programmed for 2 games and for coding where i can have it type out common sections of code for me instantly (in different projects). I like the feel of the keys while i type, it feels exactly as it did when new. The extra keys for media control, backlighting, good layout and usb ports are all useful features for me. I don't have anything but praise for all my logitech peripherals, i understand some people had issues with a couple of batches of early G15s having paint wear off but since i havn't seen or experienced any problems i couldn't be happier.

 

[kurosagi01]

damn those are expensive the total amount of money i would spend on a keyboard be no more than £45(including VAT)

 

[BumbleBee]

yeah and the iOne is actually the cheapest Cherry Switches you can buy. the ABS M1 and Solidtek 6600 are $39-49 they are Alps switches but no where to be found in the UK they are almost half the price of Logitech and Razers gaming keyboards and probably leaves them in the dust too lol. you should go to that overclock link I posted and ask what your options are living in the UK they might know some mom and pop stores or might sell you one.

 

[intel igent]

@ bumblebee: where do we find these nice kb's in Canada?

 

[BumbleBee]

you can get the ABS M1, Filco Majestouch, Gigabyte GK-K8000, Filco Majestouch N-Key Rollover, Das Professional and SteelSeries 7G in Canada.