Mechanical Keyboards

[Drkcloud]

If one were to use a PS/2 to USB adapter, would that change the KRO?

[Skelly]

If one were to use a PS/2 to USB adapter, would that change the KRO?

Yep. Its a problem with the USB interface itself, where certain rollovers won't work together.

[Cyanotical]

Razer Blackwidow comes as USB variety only, no PS/2 connector, therefore it's worthless crap for real gamers looking for a mechanical keyboard.

It's not an opinion but fact that because it's USB version, you are severely limited by how many keys you can press down at the same time. On Blackwidow it's two only with the exception of WASD keys. Proper keyboards using PS/2 connectors can have any number of keys down at the same time. I was seriously interested in buying it until I looked bit deeper into the facts under Razer's advertising bullshit.

and you yell at me for making blanket statements :P

the black widow is more then capable of handling the needs of 90% of pc gamers, its the other 10% that need n-key roll-over

that is provided of course that you get the a good one, half of them are bad out of the box,

[vesseblah]

the black widow is more then capable of handling the needs of 90% of pc gamers, its the other 10% that need n-key roll-over

Needing three keys down at the same time is fairly normal in first person shooters (run & strafe down and you try to do something else while doing it), and the Blackwidow can not do that unless at least one of those three keys is in the WASD area.

What about players who want to remap their movement keys one row down? What about left handed players who remap movement keys to the right end of the keyboard? For those people Blackwidow is dangerously close to being useless junk. When You're paying $100 for a keyboard from company that claims to manufacture gaming peripherals, you'd expect a bit more.

[Deleted]

About the USB limitation of keys pressed. Is it possible to override it with right drivers? Even custom drivers, if not from producer.

EDIT: Found this keyboard, by TT eSports: http://www.ttesports.com/products/pr...g=feature&s=19
Anti Ghosting Feature (up to 16 keys presesd, on USB)

[vesseblah]

About the USB limitation of keys pressed. Is it possible to override it with right drivers? Even custom drivers, if not from producer.

With custom drivers you can push the simultaneous keys pressed limit so high it doesn't really matter, but there is still a limit. Corsair for example advertises 20 simultaneous keys which would allow four hands controlling at the same time. There were actually quite many games like that where up to four players could use the keyboard at the same time in early 90's before games moved online. You still can play those on emulators with modern PC, assuming you have a decent keyboard for it.

One problem with such hacked drivers is that it starts interfering with all other USB thingies at some point, like for example mouse or USB harddisc or memory stick would get slow/choppy. PS/2 connector does not have the limit as it uses old paradigm of peripherals where every device gets their own port in the computer, and nothing needs to be shared unlike USB where you can stick up to 127 devices into single port with hubs.

[Deleted]

Ok, thanks for the answer!
I have to think if I should spend shitload of money on right keyboard or just use some custom drivers and hope it won't mess up other devices.

[Deleted]

USB vs PS/2 is only half the truth when it comes to nKRO - USB supports up to 6KRO without any special drivers, but the keyboard itself has to support it, and that has to do with the pcb that is used. if you take the blackwidow as example, it will never be able to support nKRO even if use a PS/2 adapter and some kind of special/hacked drivers, simply because the hardware does not support it. there are very few keyboards that actually support nKRO, and most of them are realy expansive. but if the board does "only" support 2KRO that does not mean that allways only 2 keys pressed at the same time are registered, it means that any combination of 2 keys is guaranteed to work, while some combinations of 3 or more keys might work too.

[Deleted]

But if the board does "only" support 2KRO that does not mean that allways only 2 keys pressed at the same time are registered, it means that any combination of 2 keys is guaranteed to work, while some combinations of 3 or more keys might work too.

Aye, from what I've read most of keyboards (if not all of them) meet standard Windows key combinations with modifier keys (ALT CTRL SHIFT etc).

[redruMPanda]

So Why do YOU want a Mechanical Keyboard?
For most people it's all about the feel. With the keyboard you're typing on right now you've got to press the key all the way down to the bottom to get it to register. This wastes a lot of energy and causes fatigue, as most of your effort is spent pushing against a solid piece of plastic. Mechanical keyswitches are designed so that they register before you bottom out, so you only need to apply as much force as is necessary to actuate it, not wasting any. And with as many different types of switches as there are you can pick and choose which one you're the most comfortable with, as each one has a different feel to it. And most people who try one can never go back to using rubber domes, as they realize just how "mushy" they really feel.

http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide


Hell if I know what the big deal is with these, but I use a pos compaq keyboard that doesnt even have a usb plug. I plan to update it....when I get around to it.

[ZeroWashu]

It is called tactile response. You subconsciously develop a reaction to typing on one that for many people increases their speed and accuracy. The audible click becomes one of those noises that falls into the background after continued use, while it is filtered out you will know when it is truly absent.

Most mechanical keyboards actually have better components and faster over all response times especially compared to membrane keyboards whose quality is rarely consistent.

[Muffinator]

The other keyboard I liked was the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard. http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboa...nated-keyboard.

I have this keyboard and I'm quite in love with it. The main draws to this for me was the extremely short travel of the keys, and there being little to no side to side play or wobbly depression. Typical keyboards like anything below $10 and even upwards of the Logitech G15 have really tall keys that wobble and can be depressed on one angle of the key but not the other. Too much travel down to the activation point, and they aren't snappy at all.

The Logitech Illu I find is very nice in all of these departments. Flat, wide keys with very short travel, no side play, and despite not being mechanical they're very snappy once the activation point is triggered.

[Defaulty]

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboa...d/devices/6692

lol I'm a cheap person with keyboards, I don't know what a Mechanical keyboard is nor do I "need" one. This works for me. :P

Though I do have a Razer Naga (God send) and Astro A40s its a wonder why I don't have a "better" keyboard. >_>

[Cyanotical]

Needing three keys down at the same time is fairly normal in first person shooters (run & strafe down and you try to do something else while doing it), and the Blackwidow can not do that unless at least one of those three keys is in the WASD area.

it's fine for first person shooters, again, how many people play first person shooters vs how many are professional gamers, and even most pros dont use complex macros or hold 4 keys down at the same time

When You're paying $100 for a keyboard from company that claims to manufacture gaming peripherals, you'd expect a bit more.

this i fully agree with, if and when they make a gaming peripheral, let me know

[Accaris]

Regular keyboards get squishy over time. I have a Saitek Cyborg, which I considered a high-end keyboard when I first bought it, and the WASD keys are getting squishy and worn out. From what I understand, mechanical keyboards don't have that problem.

[Xuvial]

Being a 110wpm+ typist I'd love me a mechanical but I would miss the CRAP out of my G110's volume wheel and mute button, I use them too often. Anyone know a mechanical with those features? A way to adjust or mute game volume from the keyboard.
Even Logitech's $170 G19 doesn't have goddamn mechanical keys.

[vesseblah]

Being a 110wpm+ typist I'd love me a mechanical but I would miss the CRAP out of my G110's volume wheel and mute button, I use them too often. Anyone know a mechanical with those features? A way to adjust or mute game volume from the keyboard.

I'm in exactly same boat with exactly same G110. Corsair Vengeance K60/K90 comes closest and should be available next week. It uses the lightest possible Cherry MX Red switches which could be a good or a bad thing.

[BicycleMafioso]

And that's why I've ordered a K90 already. I do love my G110, but I'm a bit too interested in the peripheral perfection not to use a mechanical.
I also don't see it as a drawback that the macro/media-buttons aren't mechanical, which is off-putting to some. I mean, I don't type with them - I hit them once-twice then leave them alone until I need to rehit them. /shrug

[Cyanotical]

And that's why I've ordered a K90 already. I do love my G110, but I'm a bit too interested in the peripheral perfection not to use a mechanical.
I also don't see it as a drawback that the macro/media-buttons aren't mechanical, which is off-putting to some. I mean, I don't type with them - I hit them once-twice then leave them alone until I need to rehit them. /shrug

i dont really think anyone cares that the keyboard is not fully mechanical, i think people are upset about the fact that Corsair isn't posting that in their ads

there is also the Azio Mech4 which would be a perfect match to the RAT7/9 if it didn't have a tiny backspace:

[Idrinkwhiterussians]

I haven't seen this on here yet, but here is a decent rundown of the different switches and mechanical boards that are out there.

http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/me...keyboard-guide