Do Mechanical Keyboards Make You Better?
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- Опубліковано 17 чер 2022
- When it comes to the world of PC peripherals there is nothing more coveted, mythologized, or consuming than mechanical keyboards.
It’s become so deep that if you don't have one yourself, you are led to believe that you’re missing out. That there’s a hole in your life that can only be filled by a rectangular slab of metal or plastic.
Sure, you can argue that other pieces of one's setup are more integral to their overall experience. But there is nothing more personalized and customizable than your keyboard.
Now that also means that the mechanical keyboard community can also be one of the most fanatical.
Since there is basically no ceiling for how unique your keyboard can be, you can fall down a rabbit hole that could end up costing you a pretty penny.
That being said, it is pretty incredible how far keyboard tech has come in the last ten years. But the question remains… is any of it worth it?
Are all the clickity clackity switches, RGB settings, and custom caps just filler? Have we strayed too far from the intended function of keyboards? Do mechanical keyboards actually provide any competitive edge?
Written by: Devin Coull (@fake_devincoull)
Hosted by: Dimitri Pascaluta (@DPascaluta) and Colten Gowan (@TheOnlyZoltan)
Edited by: Colten Gowan (@TheOnlyZoltan)
Produced by: Keith Capstick (@KeithCapstick) & Niall McCrossan (@niallmccrossan)
Thumbnail by: Bennett Grainger (Instagram: @bennettgrainger)
All footage courtesy: pastebin.com/inu5N1UA
Music used under license from Associated Production Music LLC (”APM”).
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One thing about this video I realised watching this is, I dont think anybody ever said custom keyboards were meant to make you better at playing games. People buy them to just have a better feeling and sounding thing to type on. If you really wanted a keyboard for your game, you would just buy a gaming keyboard because thats the whole point of the keyboard. This is coming from a person that has spent over 1.5k on keyboards and play games.
Thank you sir for doing the lords work of the custom keeb community lmao
How is a gaming keyboard necessarily better than a custom keyboard? As long as they click well with latency, I don't see the problem.
@@ACE112ACE112 gaming keyboards have more types of switches available like Hall effect and optical, with more latency optimized pcbs. However, the differences are very small and not many can tell the difference between 2 keyboards with a few milliseconds difference in response time, but there is still an advantage. Gaming keyboard also has better customer support and availability compared to group buy custom keyboards.
Linear switches have shorter travel distance therefore faster response time. Within the linear switch family you have different travel distances and actuation forces.
If you use a clicky then switch to a linear you will notice the feedback difference in the response time translated to your game.
@@ACE112ACE112 although the difference is minor, there is a point to be made that optical switches could provide a competitive advantage in some games as they actuate faster and with a far faster response time. The question comes down to whether you prefer a better typing experience and more customisability or potentially a couple milliseconds advantage on your inputs
I really like the way theScore feels with their staff, it feels like a stay at home newscast and there's always a director in the call it just seems like a nice work environment.
A few points to point out:
1. Razer actually had a Blackwidow with Cherry MX Blue before their own knockoff green switch. That was their first mass-produced mechanical keyboard I believe.
2. The pricing for custom doesn't necessarily have to start at $300 and be custom CNC'd aluminum, I had my first custom for just $50. There are a lot of really budget options now especially for the past year or so.
To me, custom keyboard is not about the gaming performance, it's about having the options. Have noodle fingers? Get switches with lighter springs. Want to have a very satisfying tactile feedback? Get big bump tactile switches. Hate your friends? Get some really loud clickies and use it during Discord gaming sessions. Want something fancy that suits your personality? Just find something you like.
This^ I think the custom scene is seen as hyper expensive 300+ dollars. This is usually from people buying gmk sets (worse if they are over retail), and expensive cnc alumimum bodies. The cheapest I've seen a good board are keychron's q series boards, and they are all 140 minimum. But if you don't care as much about that. There are 50 dollar DIY kits you can get off amazon. Buy that with some 20-40 dollar switches and some decent pbt keycaps around 40-60 and maybe a lubing kit. You can often make one for less than 150 dollars.
Agree I found a $90 keyboard with removable switches can customize it anyway I want. Doesn't have to start at 300 or any where close
He literally said they had mx switches
Yup. I had the Mass Effect N7 edition and its still going strong today as my friends work keyboard.
I also feel like being able to build a keyboard and call it your own build is cool as well
My standpoint as a gamer AND someone who has made a custom keyboard is this.
Custom keyboards were never MEANT to give a competitive advantage and tbh they never will. They aren't optimised for performance, they're just nice to have as a novelty
It's a way of expressing yourself even if no one will ever see it
And it's also just nice to have a keyboard that lasts longer, feels nicer to type on, and sounds better
There's really not much practicality in the hobby since it was never meant to be practical in the first place
Mechanical keyboards do absolutely give an advantage depending on the game, almost any rhythm game they will provide you with a better experience overall, also replacing keys is cheaper since it just needs a switch and not an entirely new keyboard.
osu! players can approve
Agree on the rythm game part. But membrane keyboards have replaceable keys as well.
@@ilysavio Yep, ima 4 dig in mania so a membrane just can’t keep up with that many taps at once.
true, i don't think i'd be able to singletap 280 bpm that consistently with a membrane kb
@Levi Based
I can confidently say, having played on both laptop membrane and custom mechanical keyboards, that if they do make you better the difference is absolutely negligeable. It's just that the feel and sound of a mechanical keyboard makes is very nice for typing
You guys have me on the radar or something. Every time I get into something or binge a certain kind of content you guys always make a video a week or two later LOL.
Mechanical switches are definitely "essential" in certain games that require heavy button smashing like "OSU" (rhythm game). Having that consistent feedback and tactile feel does not make you better at the game instantly but rather it provides you a consistent feel and helps you improve massively.
Ghosting*
The most important thing in a keyboard for rhythm games is arguably it's polling rate (hz) and switch type comes in second. I would rather use a switch type I'm uncomfortable with (like cheap rubber domes) than mechanical switches. If the board with rubber domes has a significantly higher polling rate than the board with mechanical switches. I could perform significantly more accurate and consistent with the rubber dome board than the mechanical switch board, because it's possible to get used to a different switch type, but you can't perform consistently with a low polling rate board, because the variation in the time between input and output will be bigger (125hz = 0ms to 8ms in variation, 1000hz = 0ms to 1ms in variation, 8000hz = 0ms to 0.125ms in variation)
Ohio State University
sorry but *osu!
sorry but *osu!
Alice layout gang where you at
you can build a custom keyboard for like 70 bucks if you want. for example you can combine a tester680 (~30$), some 10% keycaps, milky yellows (~0,22% per switch) and random stabs (10-25%) and there you have a perfectly fine custom
fantastic vid, im afraid ive already fallen down the rabbit hole to far, im typing this on one of my 4 custom keebs and im looking at buying another
20 min video that provides 1 min of content
YT is absolutely crushing it
Finally.... A Crack episode about keyboards! Keep up the good work Dmitri!
When I was looking for a gaming keyboard, one factor I really had to consider was the sound the keys made. Most of all I have a keyboard that really feels good to use. Plus the RGB is a nice bonus
I do use Razer Blackwidow v3 TKL
Yes Dmitri. I remember trying out a Razer mechanical keyboard for the first time at a store too. I had a great experience.
I still own my g15 keyboard and no joke, just replaced it about 5 months ago. It still chugs along but man is it worn out and very dirty! Love to see the g15 brought up in this video. Brought back so many good memories from back in the day playing world of warcraft!
I still have my g15 as well and am in same boat. It's just dirty so waiting on my first mechanical. G15 is pure nostalgia for me as it was my dad's and he passed away in 2010
Before buying a mechanical keyboard, you should decide whether you need it or not. If you feel like your membrane kb stresses you out or simply makes your fingers hurt when you use it(happens pretty often), then perhaps it's about time you buy a mechanical one.
Although there's a couple of things to consider and decide for yourself:
1. You should decide exactly what kind of switches will fit you. Generally even the Red, linear ones are louder than an ordinary membrane, keep that in mind.
2. You should choose the form factor of the keyboard. Do you need the numpad? No? Maybe you should consider 87 keys (TKL). If don't even need F-keys, take a look at 68-65 key keyboard. This does seem like a pretty simple choice but trust me, it really isn't. I myself went with a TKL keyboard and it honestly feels alright, but I also feel like I could get a 65% keyboard without losing anything. Remember, the less keys there is, the more space you have on your table, which is super crucial for FPS when you sometimes need a good half of your table only for a mouse pad.
3. Mechanical keyboards are usually times more expensive than membrane, but they don't necessarily have to be 100-150 dollars. You can get a Womier K87 or GK707 (those are 87 key ones)for 75 and 55 dollars respectively, and there's a bunch of other options. Just don't buy anything that has either Outemu or "Axis" switches, they won't last long.
That's pretty much it. I hope it helped.
One thing that's not discussed in mechanical keyboards that needs to be shined a light on is "proprietary" keyboard switches. One thing to avoid is the ones that's way too different from the standard. The Romer-G switches used by Logitech has a time bomb where it breaks just outside warranty. Then, the legs of the keycaps would snap and get stuck at the switch and would be hard and expensive to get them replaced, to the point where it may be cheaper to just buy a new keyboard.
Romer-G switches are also prone to double presses.
To be fair you can replace Outemu switches with switches that has the same sockets for said switches. They are also a pretty cheap option aswell and you can replace them with any switches that could fit in the sockets which could be more better sounding and durable than the stock Outemu switches.
@@thehighnote9579 well not all keyboards are hot-swappable. And there are also keyboards like RK87 that are in fact hot-swappable and have Outemu switches out of the box (which you can replace) but there's not many switch options for keyboards like this since the pins on Outemu switches are much more thin (therefore sockets are also smaller) than the ones on Gateron or Kailh, so you'll only be able to replace them with Gazzew Boba U4/Gum (which are made by the same vendor as Outemu, but they're much better) or any Akko switch (they also fit pretty well).
I have played games using both membrane keyboards and mechanical keyboard and I can definitely say that now the PC recognise keystrokes better when you press multiple keys at the same time as with a membrane keyboard all the input is on a membrane that is on the same surface whereas on a mechanical keyboard every key has it's own switch so the PC can recognise keystrokes better and in many games you will need that where you need to press multiple keys at a time to perform better and have a good gaming experience.
I swapped to a mechanical because it was cheaper than trying to find a new Dell SK8115 that I love. I quickly fell into the rabbit hole though as I learned I prefer DSA Keycaps more than anything. I'm probably gonna end up buying a K2 and throwing a DSA set on it soon.
Perfect timing as I had just finished changing my seitch
I just spent 5 hours lubing last night.
I also tape modded as well as change the springs, and flimed the switches.
Membrane keyboards feel gummy/sticky. I used Razer's Mecha-membrane keyboard and over a year or so, my keys started sticking/being gummy. I use the Razer Huntsmen Elite, and they use Opto-mechanical keyboard (actuates with light, so literally faster than any switch). I feel the difference, because I barely have to touch my keys which means I type faster (around 20+ extra words per min)
The biggest reason to why mechinical keyboards became so big was cause the actual signal sent in a membrane keyboard is sequential where as the keys on a mechanical one can have all keys pressed at the same time and still actuate
I sincerely don't think so, this feature is called anti-ghosting and it is avaliable on membrane keyboards, you just have to buy a Keyboard with this technology.
the term is called rollover and most gaming laptops or gaming membrane keyboard have them which allows for multiple key to be pressed, i knew the pain of not being able to mash many keys at once made some fighting games impossible to play
It was never supposed to be about making you better at video games, it was always about how the keyboard feels, and how they loock.
High quality presentation. Liked.
As someone who has seven custom keyboards…….a custom mechanical keyboard isn’t just for gaming, it’s for expressing your waifus as well.
As a keyboard enthusiast this interest me.
I dont think anyone or at least a very small amount of people would buy a custom keyboard just to improve their gaming, for me personally i like the building process it just feels ecstatic everytime
You guys neglected to mention key ghosting. The reason I bought my first mechanical keyboard was my old non-gamer one couldn't register pressing W A and X at the same time.
Does ghosting have anything to do with a keyboard being mechanical or not?
@@evilbound yeah, membranes cant press more than 3 keys at the same time, while mechanicals, you could smash your keyboard and all the keys would register.
@@luis.f.lopez420 thats bs lmao I have a cheap membrane keyboard from HP and I can press 4-5 keys at the same time(I do it daily while playing PES) maybe not all but yea
@@evilbound it doesn't. A membrane keyboard can have anti-ghosting too, it just has to be wired correctly. A lot of cheap membrane keyboards (think office dell ones) are wired in sections instead because it's cheaper, and mechs almost never are.
that's not ghosting thats key rollover ghosting is where the key is registered even when you didn't actuate it
Word of advice, don’t buy keyboards from “gaming” brands (razer, corsair etc). You’re better off with keyboards from gmmk, keychron, qwertykeys, epomaker and many other more that lets you customized your keyboard down the line if you want to.
3:53 nice mousepad
14:37 That's all I've ever done, it's fine, precise timings come from foresight/tactics more than reaction in that game, wherein the most precise reaction you need is your preferential sensitivity settings of your mouse. Just felt a mechanical keyboard for the first time yesterday, and you can liken it to binding scroll wheel to jump because you are too lazy to learn how to time your spacebar for bhops. It's not that difficult, but it will be easier (albeit the scrolljump method was inconsistent even with an oiled and unlocked wheel.
I ordered a budget Mechanical keyboard with Outemu Red switches legit a few hours ago. Gonna be my first mech keyboard xD
first launch of Razer blackwidow actually used cherry blue switches, they made the razer greens in a later version of the blackwidow
Me with a laptop keyboard: uhhhh am I missing something?
It's all about feel. That's all it is. Does it make you better no. I mean to a very small point sure. The cheapest membrane keyboard probably will not be as consistent and you might get weird double presses or no presses. Compared to a well built mechanical keyboard but overall it's more about feel than anything. But one thing I need to stress is just build your own. Seriously. You can buy sub $100 cases then $30 switches and $20 keycaps. The reason for this is 1. it's fun 2. You get to learn. 3. It's custom. 4. You can do hot swappable switches which means you don't have to solder anything and you can easily change them out for different switches.
The other option is get something like an iqunix or gmmk board which is prebuilt. But is hot swappable.
there are a lot of switch variants, you can choose a switch that's short-traveled, and light (by changing the springs) when you want to press the keys very fast and repetitive, like when you're playing rhythm game, or FPS games. and there are some keyboards that lets you change the actuation point of a switch, like the Apex Pro from Steelseries, so i would definitely say that MechKeys MIGHT make you perform better if you get the right one.
and some of the cheaper keyboards doesnt even have NKRO, meaning that when you press a lot of keys at the same time, it wont register all of the keys
can't wait for the optical switch keyboards
yes, the noise of the mechanical keyboard gives +35 mechanical skill
modding side of the keyboards are pretty worth it
When started play with a mechanical keyboard my gameplay improve a lot. Really worth it every penny.
0:39 i like that there's A7X randomly popping out of nowhere in this video lmao
Hello Dimitri and @theScore esports in general. Could you please give me your opinions on EVGA Z20 and most specifically on the Time of Flight sensor? P.S you are all the perfect choice to watch when I need to chill out
yo I like the world hess championship shirt... Robert Hess and Danny Rensch are hilarious lol
Truly top tier. Can't spell chess without hess.
I almost screamed when I saw Colten rocking the Hess tshirt!
Robert is truly a king. Sad he's not commentating the Candidates right now.
9:33 AW HELL NAW CRUNCHY SWITCHES
It’s just a more precise tool with good ergonomics and consistent feeling. The better the gear the less perfect you need to be in someways
im probably the only one that still uses a membrane keyboard, but while taking out my keycap i lost it and replaced it with my num pad key (yes i have a numpad) and now im missing a numpad key and you cant just reorder one like you would keycaps for mechanical keyboards
At 16:54 the credit for the footage is Taeha Tapes instead of Taeha types
I honestly don't care if they make me better in no, I need the sensory click physical and audial from the mechanical keyboard, it helps me know weather or not I've even hit the key.
Especially my custom metal typewriter keys that make a "Tck" sound.
Their also tactile, very very tactile.
i got a ducky with silent reds. main reason for the upgrade was that i wanted to get rid of the num block. and i knew beforehand that GF will kill me if i use the clickedy clack type switches.
Shoobs the GOAT in a CRACKED video!?!?!
"imagine counterstafing in cs with a membrane" i dont gotta imagine that my bro
Actually, for beginners, they simply have to look for the keyboard size they want and buy a budget hotswappable keyboard. From there, you can buy some switches to try the feel before settling down on one particular switch. The entry point for this hobby is actually far cheaper now compared to like 8 years ago.
Funny enough, I recently switched back from Razer Huntsman Elite V2 Analog to my 2018 Blackwidow Ultimate, because i NEED my tactile switches. I cannot linear. It feels so weird. And so much less satisfying too.
There is a latency factor. Ranging from 14ms on popular boards like the Ducky One 2 Mini to 0.1ms on the Corsair K65 Mini. RTings to my knowledge is the only outlet that actively tests for latency in boards, worth checking out. (I will stick to my thocc tho)
There is a lot more to it than it, but of course that only matters for the only type of games that the score will never cover
So exemple
I have 2 mechanical keyboards
I have 2 membrane keyboards
Ok, that doesn't matter much, so let's go into more details
1 mechanical keyboard is outemu browns, the other is cherry silver
1 membrane is a latex mat, the other is a latex thingies
great, now I can go and say : the outemu browns are shittier comapred to the cherry silvers because they stick to the side because of that bump, and they also require more force to press down and
both membranes just takes too much force to press down
that's 95% of where everyone just stops it
but great that you are going farther than that, but there's more to it
so all my keyboards have a polling rate of 125ms, so that means that they are all the same regarding that aspect?
Nope.
How many keys can you press at once where it will send all of them at once?
well, my outemu brown keyboard can only do one, once every poll, of course that is not the fault of the switches themselves, but to the board maker, my silver mx are kinda finicky in a way that's semi random if it can send more than one, and for no fuckign reason it's better in bluetooth?!
anyway, who says that membrane keyboards are always bad?
Because it turns out, the latex mat keyboard has the best board! despite being a stock keyboard that came with a computer, it consistantly is able to send all keys at once! talk about free greatness
and the latex thingies is just as bad as the outemu browns keyboard on that matter.
So now knowing all that information you can actually judge keyboards, but there's even more to it!
Brands lies !
My cherry silver board maker had informations out there about being a 1000hz polling rate keyboard, well, people were assuming that because of some random shit they saw and I trusted them and I shouldn't have and I'm totally not salty about it rn that I wished I would have taken the corsair keyboard instead ah ah ah ah ah ah aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha h
@@Sinaeb jesus christ how much time do you have on your hands
I've been trying to figure out what Dimitri's keyboard is since I first saw it on the Taeha video you guys did. Is it a Polaris? Cerakoted perhaps?
I have a very loud very tactile membrane keyboard because of how the keys are connected to they keyboard cost like $25. people think it's mechanical all the time and it's very durable too
You forgot about one thing: ghosting. Most membrane can't register 5/6+ keys at once, a lot cant even register 3. This becomes a problem in games like osu, bdo or elite:dangerous where clicking multiple keys at once is needed and just can't be done on membrane.
That has more to do with PCB than switches. Some keyboards, like the g80-3000, have limited rollover, especially over USB.
Mechanical keyboards feel great for typing. I used to like blue switches, but then switched to brown. Nowadays I have a Corsair K100 with optical mechanical keys, and while I don't like those keys as much as I do the browns they're a lot more reliable and will last a lot longer.
On a related note, I will never pay as much for a keyboard ever again.
One of the first mainstream gaming mechanical keyboards was the SteelSeries Steelkeys 6g, way before the Logitech and Razer...
Knowing I’ve been tap strafing with membrane, and gaming the past 5 years with a membrane makes it more funny.
?? very much felt, feeling so pressured to get one lately
nice that A7x made into video
If anyone wants the best keyboard for gaming either get apex pro tkl or the wooting lekker keyboards. Custom keyboards are for sound and feel. Lekker keyboards have a .1 mm adjustable actuation.
playing osu! with a mechanical keyboard is just so much better than with a membrane one
Yes it does help compared to the normal pc keyboard or laptop keyboards
I like the way clicked feel better. And I can’t hear it when I have my headset in so…. Yeah clicks for me
It all depends on the game. In League of Legends, it will not make a difference with most champions, but when playing champions like Aatrox, having an antighosting effect because you have a mechanical keyboard does for sure make a big difference, and that is because with Aatrox you will usually press two buttons at the same time, same thing could apply to KSante, or Gnar, maybe Riven too.
Alistar comes to mind
The nostalgia from using the Blackwidow Chroma
in my case I've been using membranes for 20 years since I don't have the money to switch to mechanicals but in 2021 I switched to cheaper mechanical keyboard my fingers sake it feels good without having the backlog anymore also the softness of the keycaps itself differs well anyways its my opinion
I started getting into custom keyboards because I miss the feeling of building PCs. I love building things. And making keyboards is the closest thing to building a PC imo. But ever since I built my first keyboard I can never go back to off the shelf keebs again. It's the worst and best hobby to get into.
Same, also what’s your spec for both the pc and keyboard
Me watching this as soon as I was about to buy and make my own keyboard :D
Bought an HyperX cherry red keyboard for Osu and I have no regrets
I subbed right when I heard him say "so wtf is an actual mechanical keyboard?" Lol.
that eye twitch when talking about anime keycaps
17:07 CRACKED me up xD (pun intended)
I am still using my COMPAQ keyboard from the early 00's.
I didn't expect getting rick rolled in this vid. hahahah
at the beginning, you can make progress with anything, mechanical keyboards give you objective comfort, but to progress on your esport games of preference, at the beginning, you can make it happen with anything, it's like playing on a 240hz display, it's not gonna make you better instantly if you're bad.
19:29 thankyou for the advise
I'm not a competitive gamer, but as a software developer I just can't go back to regular keyboards again. It's not as if mechanical makes me type faster or more accurately (not that it matters a whole lot for programming anyway) but since I'm spending half my day at the desk using this thing, it might as well be pleasing to look at and more importantly type on. Think of if this way, if you're a carpenter you might as well get a quality saw or drill or whatever it is that carpenters use, it's the thing that makes you money, don't go cheap on it. Now I've had membrane and chiclet keyboards that I liked but they can't measure up to the satisfying snappyness of a mechanical, plus they all seemed to have terrible longevity. I've felt so bad about throwing out keyboards that were almost completely okay but had some small thing broken, but like, what is there to do, it's not like I can get spare parts to repair it.
The grocery store near where I live sells knockoff mechanical keyboards, right next to the batteries. There is a bundle with a mechanical keyboard, a mouse, and a headset for $30, all of it's RGB. I wouldn't trust that it's quality for a second, but they sell it.
When are y'all gonna make a Cracked video on GameCube controllers??
Amalee in Colton's background :3
At 9:18 that was written in german xd
Good video my guy
Best keyboard is the steel series apex pro omnipoint switch’s and silver switch are the second best and third yellow switch’s
Well worth the money. I love my end game!
Pros:
Pressing keys feels smooth and not wiggly.
Cons:
Keys having post-trigger travel distance is just bad despite what mech keyboard stans may say. It makes pressing a key multiple times hard and doesn't give any benefits as far as I can tell. Also, red switches like on mine are especially bad due to accidental key presses happening all the time.
Maybe all the cons are specific to linear switches, but keyboards with tactile and especially short-travel switches are pretty rear if you want good bang for buck (
I love that the mechanical keyboard scene is on bloom these days
I'm crazy I love mechanical keyboards and it's sound calms me down
Tactile feedback directly aids muscle memory, and that's the biggest advantage of a mechanical keyboard for gaming.
"know your limits" , yeah thats a nice advice considering if you ever try custom mech keyboards (even modded ones) you never want to go back to the rgb gaming mech keyboards you buy and you'd bully everyone who has one because the spacebar sounds shit (its the same feel how you never want to go back to membrane keyboards if you got your first mech keyboard basically)
Remember to lube your stabilizers
Black widow 2012 blue switches diehard here once on the widow she'll never let you go
Still waiting for the day blue alps is converted to cherry styled switches.
My $40 redragon k552 loud keys is waving.
As someone that works in finance I just shudder at all these keyboards not having a number pad.
The guy at 1:02 is Glarses not Hamaji Neo
Great video