PC Peripherals Budget Mechanical Keyboard Advice

nikrusty

nikrusty

Well-Known Member
Adept
Hi all,

Need help in deciding about a Budget Mechanical Keyboard. Here are things I would consider:
- I don't want to pay exorbitant prices for a keyboard.
- I don't like noisy keypresses, so no Blue switches. Quieter, the better. I hear reds and browns are better.
- I type a lot. Regular membrane keyboards last me 1.5 years before they start to become hard.
- It needs to be a FULL keyboard with Numpad. I use the Numpad frequently.
- I want a wired keyboard.
- I type a lot, I game of course but gaming isn't the objective.
- RGB lighting isn't important for me.

My current strategy:
Use cheapo membrane keyboards and change them every 1.5 years.

Need your advice on:
- How good are these budget Mechanical Keyboards. Would they last well for 3 years?
- Are there good membrane keyboards that will last well for 3 years or so? I doubt it though. By lasting well, I mean the keys shouldn't become hard and unusable.

Keyboards that caught my eye:

GAMDIAS Hermes P2A Full-Size RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Optical Switches
https://amzn.to/3F3bhar

Cosmic byte black with Brown switches (The keyboard looks are too flashy for me though)
https://amzn.to/3q1up4r

Redgear MK881 Invador (It has blue switches though)

Logitech G413
 
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If you can extend your budget a bit, you can go for hot swappable keyboards, this will allow you to try different switches like reds, browns on same keyboard.
 
I bought Asus TUF K3 for 5.5k, working good for me. Else to save money, maybe the Cosmic Byte one, I was considering its older model, GK11, but decided to go for Asus.
 
DrkLord said:
If you can extend your budget a bit, you can go for hot swappable keyboards, this will allow you to try different switches like reds, browns on same keyboard.
Click to expand...
That actually sounds cool. So basically, I can use the same board, I assume boards don't go spoilt!? And change the keycaps around whenever I want? Can I even mix keycaps?

What are your suggestions? This sounds like something that will go into Rs.10k category.
OMEGA44-XT said:
I bought Asus TUF K3 for 5.5k, working good for me. Else to save money, maybe the Cosmic Byte one, I was considering its older model, GK11, but decided to go for Asus.
Click to expand...
Yeah, good looking KB too. However, is there a brown variant in this? It doesn't say.
 
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Asus TUF K3 owner. you can use it for a better work balance. solid hardware for the price. Logitech G413 is no no. you will break the ctrl and alt key will break a lot. based on my previous experience.
 
nikrusty said:
That actually sounds cool. So basically, I can use the same board, I assume boards don't go spoilt!? And change the keycaps around whenever I want? Can I even mix keycaps?

What are your suggestions? This sounds like something that will go into Rs.10k category.

Yeah, good looking KB too. However, is there a brown variant in this? It doesn't say.
Click to expand...
No brown variant to my knowledge. A friend of mine bought CM CK550 v2 brown for 6.8k or so. He said it's good but it had some issues with keys & has already gone through 1 RMA.
 
princeoo7 said:
Asus TUF K3 owner. you can use it for a better work balance. solid hardware for the price. Logitech G413 is no no. you will break the ctrl and alt key will break a lot. based on my previous experience.
Click to expand...
Ah, okay. Thanks. Asus, one wouldn't even think of Asus in peripherals.
 
nikrusty said:
That actually sounds cool. So basically, I can use the same board, I assume boards don't go spoilt!? And change the keycaps around whenever I want? Can I even mix keycaps?

What are your suggestions? This sounds like something that will go into Rs.10k category.
Click to expand...
I guess it is better for the long run. There is Gk61, royal kludge 68. And hot swappable variant of Keychron K2. GK61 and RK68 should be around 4.5k. Keychron k2 around 7.5k. GK61 and RK68 are good entry points for seeing what you like.
There is also a te member here who is quite experienced in such things. They will be able to guide you better. I will search and tag them here.
Edit: found them! @SunnyBoi will you be kind enough to help @nikrusty out in choosing a mechanical keyboard?
 
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is their a hot swappable full size keyboard from Keychron which can work both wired and wireless and is best for gaming and work :angelic:
 
So an update from my end. I bought Cooler Master CK550 V2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Brown Switches - Rs. 5700. Quite nice, lesser noise due to the brown switches. Of course, these aren't quiet but fine as a baseline for me. Next time perhaps quiet red switches with DIY Keyboard, which will cost more than double no doubt. Let's see.

www.coolermaster.com

Cooler Master CK550 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Get a straightforward keyboard that performs well on the battlefield with the CK550 Gaming Keyboard. Mechanical switches rated for 50 million clicks will guarantee your keyboard will stay combat-ready during all your long-lasting skirmishes. On-the-Fly Controls allow customization of your...
www.coolermaster.com www.coolermaster.com

Mdcomputer.in has the best pricing for this keyboard (as of 12th Jan 2022). Amazon.in was showing Rs.2000 more.

Buy Online - Cooler Master CK550 V2 Keyboard | Brown Switch

Cooler Master CK550 V2 Keyboard | Brown Switch | 1000 Hz Pooling Rate - 32 Bit ARM Cortex M3 Processor - Anti Ghosting Mechanism and Macro Recording
mdcomputers.in mdcomputers.in
 
nikrusty said:
GAMDIAS Hermes P2A
Click to expand...

I bought the GAMDIAS Hermes E1 A combo with blue switches and I was really impressed by the quality. I have a cherry red keyboard but I use this now as I felt blue give a better actuation feel than red ones. Quickfire XT has really soft red switches leading to accidental presses. Maybe try them out and get a feel of it before the final purchase.
 
enthusiast29 said:
If anyone wants to try RED switches for cheap,
Full size: https://www.thecosmicbyte.com/gamin...-outemu-redswitches-and-rainbow-led-blackgrey
TKL: https://www.thecosmicbyte.com/gamin...outemu-red-switches-and-rainbow-led-blackgrey

This is a new launch.
Click to expand...
Woah, didn't see this, otherwise I would've bought this itself. that is quite cheap. My other cheapo Logitech membrane keyboard is starting to get hard, I might buy this and experience red switches. I was actually thinking of getting a membrane mechanical-feel keyboard to try out what the fuss is about. This seems more interesting honestly. Thanks for sharing.

Only one reason from the photos that I didn't want CosmicByte stuff is that it looks tacky. But I saw a user's photo and it didn't look that bad.
 
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