Mechanical keyboard under 10k

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nithin1992

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Hey folks,

I'm in the market for a good mechanical keyboard. Budget is <10k, and of course the lower the better if there's not much sacrifice.

I use it mainly for typing / coding and occasional gaming [CoD MW & BF 2042]. It would be nice to use it with my MacBook too at times.

I've been looking at the Keychron K8 Pro non aluminum [as aluminum is OOS]. Does the aluminum make a lot of difference? Couldn't get much details about this while searching the internet.

Apart from the above, are there any other good options I should be considering? Kindly suggest, thanks in advance!
 
nithin1992 said:
Hey folks,

I'm in the market for a good mechanical keyboard. Budget is <10k, and of course the lower the better if there's not much sacrifice.

I use it mainly for typing / coding and occasional gaming [CoD MW & BF 2042]. It would be nice to use it with my MacBook too at times.

I've been looking at the Keychron K8 Pro non aluminum [as aluminum is OOS]. Does the aluminum make a lot of difference? Couldn't get much details about this while searching the internet.

Apart from the above, are there any other good options I should be considering? Kindly suggest, thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Keychrons are pretty good. The aluminium plates are just for show and the keyboard itself even without the plates is pretty rigid. Go for it.
 
I won't suggest buying any Keychron keyboards. They are overpriced and overhyped because of some famous Youtubers shilling for the company. The typing experience is pathetic and the keys/stabilisers make way too much rattling/clacking noise.

Rather make your own custom keyboard or take a look at the Royal Kludge range.

I'd suggest getting the RK71 (wired) with Gateron Yellows. Later on, replace the stock ABS OEM keycaps with PBT XDA keycaps for a more thoccy feel. The total investment should be around 7K and will provide way better typing experience than any Keychron to date.
 
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I would also recommend something from Royal Kludge. Keychron is good but not worth the asking price IMHO, it also lacks some very important features like 2.4GHz dongle support in wireless keyboards.
 
@AINDRASIS_GUPTA @john1911 Thanks for the insights. Do the RK keyboards work well the Macos?

Royal Kludge RK71 (HOT-SWAPPABLE) : Meckeys.com : 65% Keyboard

Hot-swappable mechanical keyboard with Gateron Mechanical key switches, ABS bottom shell with double-shot ABS keycap., RGB backlit keyboard. Customization available both on-board & via software., Ergonomic keyboard design to offer the most comfortable gaming and work experience., Detachable USB...
www.meckeys.com www.meckeys.com

I was looking at the above as suggested with yellow switches and keycaps but it doesn't work wireless I believe? It's not a must for me but was wondering if it was worth it to have the option. Also would you say RK71 with the xda keycaps will work better than a keychron as a general keyboard for typing?
 
nithin1992 said:
Do the RK keyboards work well the Macos?
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It should work well in MacOS. RK advertises official MacOS compatibility in most of its wireless keyboards (not sure about wired).

For me it is always worth it to have wireless option, but it is very personal and subjective thing.
See these options too.

www.genesispc.in

GenesisPC: Indian Gaming and Esports Store

GenesisPC specializes in bringing the best gaming and esports products to India. From Mousepads, Mechanical Keyboards, Mouse Skates, Mouse Grips, Keyboard and Mouse Switches to aesthetically pleasing Keycaps and Deskmats.
www.genesispc.in www.genesispc.in

You'll find something that fits your needs.
 
john1911 said:
It should work well in MacOS. RK advertises official MacOS compatibility in most of its wireless keyboards (not sure about wired).

For me it is always worth it to have wireless option, but it is very personal and subjective thing.
See these options too.

www.genesispc.in

GenesisPC: Indian Gaming and Esports Store

GenesisPC specializes in bringing the best gaming and esports products to India. From Mousepads, Mechanical Keyboards, Mouse Skates, Mouse Grips, Keyboard and Mouse Switches to aesthetically pleasing Keycaps and Deskmats.
www.genesispc.in www.genesispc.in

You'll find something that fits your needs.
Click to expand...
I saw the wireless options, but it seems the battery is only 1800Mah ish compared to the much larger one on the keychron for example. Don't you think we would need a larger battery?
 
I am touch typist with wpm close to 100 and I have the Keychron K2 V2. I just love this keyboard. The best part is that it works very well as I frequencly switch between Windows laptop and MacBook Pro. This is one of the strongest points of Keychron builds. Build quality is excellent, the only downside though is that with the white keys on K2 V2, the laser etching of keys is not perfect. Black keys are much better. I got one with gateron brown switches and it makes lot lot lot less sound when compared to my good old TVSE Gold.
 
desiibond said:
I am touch typist with wpm close to 100 and I have the Keychron K2 V2. I just love this keyboard. The best part is that it works very well as I frequencly switch between Windows laptop and MacBook Pro. This is one of the strongest points of Keychron builds. Build quality is excellent, the only downside though is that with the white keys on K2 V2, the laser etching of keys is not perfect. Black keys are much better. I got one with gateron brown switches and it makes lot lot lot less sound when compared to my good old TVSE Gold.
Click to expand...
I'll also be moving from my TVSE Gold which I've used for about 7-8 years or more now. Yeah, some people do have good things about the keychrons but are usually quite expensive
 
nithin1992 said:
I saw the wireless options, but it seems the battery is only 1800Mah ish compared to the much larger one on the keychron for example. Don't you think we would need a larger battery?
Click to expand...
Yes, 1800mAh on RK87 might be a problem, it lasts me around a week, YMMV.

On the other hand, RK84 has 3700mAh battery which used to last me for considerably more than RK87.

The only problem I have with Keychron is lack of 2.4GHz dongle.
 
nithin1992 said:
I'll also be moving from my TVSE Gold which I've used for about 7-8 years or more now. Yeah, some people do have good things about the keychrons but are usually quite expensive
Click to expand...
Yeah. And remember, these new mech keyboards are lot fatter at the bottom when compared to TVSE Gold. I had to purchase Keychron's 'made for K2 V2' wooden palm rest. It was around 2.5k. Do make sure that you also get a good palm rest else you will end up with wrist pain within a week (well, unless you keep your palm in air without resting them, while typing).
 
nithin1992 said:
I'll also be moving from my TVSE Gold which I've used for about 7-8 years or more now. Yeah, some people do have good things about the keychrons but are usually quite expensive
Click to expand...
I am a TVSE Gold user for the past 10 years and love the clicks and the firm response. Will moving to a newer Mechanical keyboard worthwhile and give a more pleasant experience?
 
john1911 said:
Yes, 1800mAh on RK87 might be a problem, it lasts me around a week, YMMV.

On the other hand, RK84 has 3700mAh battery which used to last me for considerably more than RK87.

The only problem I have with Keychron is lack of 2.4GHz dongle.
Click to expand...
What is the dongle used for exactly? Does it come to use when the PC or laptop does not have BT or is there another use case?
desiibond said:
Yeah. And remember, these new mech keyboards are lot fatter at the bottom when compared to TVSE Gold. I had to purchase Keychron's 'made for K2 V2' wooden palm rest. It was around 2.5k. Do make sure that you also get a good palm rest else you will end up with wrist pain within a week (well, unless you keep your palm in air without resting them, while typing).
Click to expand...
Ah is it? Wish they'd at least bundle one
 
nithin1992 said:
What is the dongle used for exactly? Does it come to use when the PC or laptop does not have BT or is there another use case?
Click to expand...
Bluetooth in Windows has improved a lot in the last years but it is still far from perfect. Bluetooth in MacOS is so much better WRT Windows.

1. If you're connecting via bluetooth, you won't be able to get into BIOS. You need to connect either wired or via plug-and-play dongle.
2. It is often reported that bluetooth has higher latency than standalone wireless dongles, although I have never noticed it. It might affect those who are playing competitive games.
3. Bluetooth might not support n-key rollover perfectly, my old Logitech K380 used to freeze every once in a while while gaming on Windows. I don't know how is the current bluetooth situation with Keychrons and RK.

Point 1 and 3 are deal breakers for me, so I always go for a keyboard which has PnP wireless dongle.
 
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