Best thocky mechanical keyboard under 5000

Apart from "thocky", I want to know your preferred keyboard layout (full size, tkl, 75%, 65%, 60%, or non standard like 40%, split, ortholinears, etc).
Getting everything at 5k would not be possible if you go the non standard route.
For 75%, 65%, 60% layouts secure a hot swappable keyboard from the likes of Royal Kludge, Redragon, skyloong, etc around 3.5-5k (used or new). Some more options:

stackskb.com

Mechanical Keyboards India - StacksKB

Ready to use pre-built mechanical keyboards in India. Upgrade your typing experience, hassle-free with our high quality mechanical keyboards.
stackskb.com stackskb.com

Keyboard - GenesisPC

www.genesispc.in www.genesispc.in

stickeys.in

Keyboards

Looking for budget friendly premium mechanical keyboards? Stickeys has you covered. Best RK keyboards in India. Royal Kludge Keyboards in India featuring Bluetooth Mechanical Keyboards. Amazing Desk Setups featuring the best TKL Keyboards.
stickeys.in stickeys.in

As mentioned above Akko cream pro are great with less stem wobble and price. 45 switch set for 900 is good enough for main keys and modifiers. Later on you can lube them.

I will say this just in case, if you watch videos for thocky, YouTube will bombard you with tons of these keyboard channels peddling more switches, keyboards, accessories, mods, and the likes that will drive you into this rabbit hole of never being satisfied (even after spending a ton of time and money). I always think if these guys really even type that much to warrant all these? The Chinese manufacturers have definitely got a whiff of this keeb craze, you can see that from the list of brands I gave above XD...(at least the prices have come down now)

Tl;Dr: Get a cheap hot swappable keyboard and decent linear or tactile switch and be happy. Don't fall into the rabbit hole, save yourself. (You can see how deep this rabbit hole goes by searching custom keyboards and Keycult)
 
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Thanks you all for the suggestion and I decided to buy Epomaker th80pro with those blue budgerigar switches for 100$.

You might ask that's way above your budget but sadly I fell into the keyboard trap (idk what you call it).

Thanks guys have a great day.
 
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My biggest problem with expensive mech KBs nowadays is that the backlight is practically useless to see letters in dark/dim lighting conditions.

I wanted to buy Keychron V6 Max at 9.5k but when I saw RK100 for 4.7k, I just opted to save money & compromise on the compact layout. Upgrading from Asus TUF K3, my effective upgrades are brown switches & wireless capability whereas I took a downgrade in layout.
 
I have ducky mecha mini, bought around 12k . I was in rabbit hole, further spend 2500 on mx cherry swithces, lubes, pads etc. But now my experience says anything more than 5k is not VFM.
 
OMEGA44-XT said:
My biggest problem with expensive mech KBs nowadays is that the backlight is practically useless to see letters in dark/dim lighting conditions.

I wanted to buy Keychron V6 Max at 9.5k but when I saw RK100 for 4.7k, I just opted to save money & compromise on the compact layout. Upgrading from Asus TUF K3, my effective upgrades are brown switches & wireless capability whereas I took a downgrade in layout.
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eh, thats a bad purchase, I have the same keeb, but RK96/98 would have been way better for us.

P.S. if you are complaining about the backlight of rk100, then something is wrong with your keeb, mine works perfectly
Pyception said:
I have ducky mecha mini, bought around 12k . I was in rabbit hole, further spend 2500 on mx cherry swithces, lubes, pads etc. But now my experience says anything more than 5k is not VFM.
Click to expand...
10k is the sweet spot imo for a full size keychron keeb, the QMK/VIA support alone makes it worth it
 
It might depend on switches, RGB switches have a different design and a transparent body. Top (bottom as well) decides how much backlight is going through. I've top right switch and facing the same issue.
 

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altair21 said:
eh, thats a bad purchase, I have the same keeb, but RK96/98 would have been way better for us.

P.S. if you are complaining about the backlight of rk100, then something is wrong with your keeb, mine works perfectly

10k is the sweet spot imo for a full size keychron keeb, the QMK/VIA support alone makes it worth it
Click to expand...
No RK96 or RK98 in India.

I am complaining about backlight of south facing LED KBs w/o a shine through keycap in general. Hence decided against buying Keychron V6 Max at 9.5k (spending 9.5k & still being annoyed on your KB is not what I want, hence saved money with RK100 at 4.7k)
 
OMEGA44-XT said:
No RK96 or RK98 in India.

I am complaining about backlight of south facing LED KBs w/o a shine through keycap in general. Hence decided against buying Keychron V6 Max at 9.5k (spending 9.5k & still being annoyed on your KB is not what I want, hence saved money with RK100 at 4.7k)
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Ah, yes. Most Keychron keebs don't have shine-through keycaps, and that sucks.
 
OMEGA44-XT said:
No RK96 or RK98 in India.
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both are available here
OMEGA44-XT said:
I am complaining about backlight of south facing LED KBs w/o a shine through keycap in general. Hence decided against buying Keychron V6 Max at 9.5k (spending 9.5k & still being annoyed on your KB is not what I want, hence saved money with RK100 at 4.7k)
Click to expand...
eh, even north facing will have the same issue if you dont have a shine through keycap set, do north facing LEDs have some particular advantage? this is one of my regrets with RK100, Cherry profile keycaps dont sit well with North LEDs and most of the sets I like are Cherrys
 
altair21 said:
both are available here

eh, even north facing will have the same issue if you dont have a shine through keycap set, do north facing LEDs have some particular advantage? this is one of my regrets with RK100, Cherry profile keycaps dont sit well with North LEDs and most of the sets I like are Cherrys
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Provide links of RK96 & RK98. S98 has south facing LEDs w/o shine through keycaps.

Easy to get shine through keycaps for north facing LEDs.
 
OMEGA44-XT said:
Provide links of RK96 & RK98. S98 has south facing LEDs w/o shine through keycaps.

Easy to get shine through keycaps for north facing LEDs.
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they are not available now my bad, but they were definitely available 6 months back (got my cousin a RK96 back then), and if you have bought it now, RK S98 would have fit in your budget too
OMEGA44-XT said:
Easy to get shine through keycaps for north facing LEDs.
Click to expand...
P.S. did you check curiositycaps for keycaps? Sahil is basically the de-facto guy for kaycaps and its his store, https://curiositycaps.in/collections/backlit-keycaps
 
altair21 said:
they are not available now my bad, but they were definitely available 6 months back (got my cousin a RK96 back then), and if you have bought it now, RK S98 would have fit in your budget too

P.S. did you check curiositycaps for keycaps? Sahil is basically the de-facto guy for kaycaps and its his store, https://curiositycaps.in/collections/backlit-keycaps
Click to expand...
S98 has the same problem as V6 Max, keycaps. Also, S98 looks ugly to me (colour options).

Have checked out that website, was reading stuff in r/mkindia. Most backlit keycaps suitable for south facing LED have side printed characters(instead of top). Also, 2-3k for keycaps would have made the total cost 11-12k. Anyways, have purchased RK100, the compact layout is an annoyance, but at least it was cheap at 4.7k (+500 for a wrist rest). Will use it for few years & hope people + companies realise that there needs to be practical stuff. I know its a gamble, like how sunroof is a counterproductive feature in India yet people are demanding it & companies are decreasing the options w/o sunroof.
 
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