Cherry black switches vs. brown and blue - Page 2

On December 17 2011 22:20 -Trippin- wrote:
I think that the bump is very important. It would save a ton (very marginal amount) of apm if I could know how far I actually need to press the keys for them to register. I think that the fact I have to hit the blacks all the way does well for accuracy in that I wont make a mistake as easily (which might be great for FPS games or Moba type games), but the reality of it is that in starcraft speed and accuracy is needed. Blacks are just so terrible in my opinion, and I don't see the appeal to reds beside the fact that they might be a bit easier to press.

To be honest, I don't really even see the point of getting a mechanical keyboard at all if it is going to have a linear switch. It just doesn't make a lot of sense to me seeing as how I am going to bottom out on a linear switch whether it be a membrane or mechanical keyboard... and Black switches definitely don't feel better and that's for sure.

On December 17 2011 22:52 -Trippin- wrote:
All of these replies have a helped a lot so far, thanks. It would be awesome if I could hear some detail as to what you guys like about your blues in comparison to your blacks, however! :D

On December 17 2011 22:53 Hashbaz wrote:

Rubber dome keyboards are tactile, not linear. And one of the main draws of linear switches is that they make it easier to avoid bottoming out (with practice).

Tactility is not going to net you any APM. It wouldn't net Jaedong APM either. Switch choice is not about improving your game mechanically, it is about improving the feel and enjoyment of using the keyboard. There's no "best" switch for gaming, there is only your preference. The tiny advantages the switches grant (like doubletapping on linear switches) are dwarfed by the importance of how much you like their feel.

I feel like you are being influenced by confirmation bias. Blacks are a great option for some, but apparently not for you. You've dismissed reds here without even trying them. My suggestion would be to return the Steelseries since you can, and try a different switch type.

On December 17 2011 22:55 NET wrote:
Background:
I own both black and brown 10 key-less filco boards (My blacks are the 1st series and my browns are the 2nd series ninja edition (Dunno if there is a huge difference between the 1 and the 2 series but just stating for general purposes). I've used the Black Widow Ultimate blue switches as well as the 6GV2 blacks.

Here are my experiences with my boards.
I wore my blacks in pretty well after about a year of use and they are actually lighter than my friend's newer steel series black switches. I would slam the hell out of them in the heat of battle and they feel like they can take a beating(and they do). The lighter feel after a period of time made it a bit easier to press, so I can imagine the reds being pretty nice. All the same, if you have black switches, after some brutal use with em I say they get nicer over time, similar to a fine wine.
Ages ahead of any membrane keyboard. Also typing on blacks is like typing on a cloud... at least that's the feeling I always got from typing on them.

I got used to the linear feel of the blacks and then went to browns. Browns were a bit weird at first, but I finally got used to them. I used the blues prior to buying the browns, but the clicks seemed a bit over the top for me. I wasn't getting a keyboard to type as if it were a type writer, I was getting it for sc. Most of my gaming is done in the peak hours of the night so having a quieter keyboard is always a plus for me.
The funny thing is my friend who went straight to browns from a membrane doesn't really feel the tactile bump of the browns for being so soft compared to a standard keyboard. I on the other hand, coming from a linear board, can appreciate the light tactile feedback of the browns.

Final thoughts:
Any mechanical board is a winner in my book. If you want to go for more accuracy and don't care much about little more force, I say go with the blacks. Or if you like to bottom out your keys I would say go with blacks or reds. If you want more speed(and in turn possibly less accuracy) and still wanna feel a slight bump to know when you pressed the key, then go for browns(unless you came from a membrane keyboard, then go for the slightly stronger blues).

Probably not the best source for a mech keyboard, just sharing my thoughts and experiences.

On December 17 2011 14:53 DjRetro wrote:
RED FTW! lol

Seriously, that's the reason why they cost more comparing with others. Although brown and blue are great switches too.

On December 17 2011 22:52 -Trippin- wrote:
All of these replies have a helped a lot so far, thanks. It would be awesome if I could hear some detail as to what you guys like about your blues in comparison to your blacks, however! :D

On December 17 2011 23:14 Terranist wrote:


if you really didn't like blacks, you won't find a whole world of difference with red, brown, or blue. mechanical switches are mechanical switches.

On December 17 2011 14:58 -Trippin- wrote:
So is there a reason why no one reccomends black? Or have I pretty much covered it? So far thinking blue is the way to go.

On December 17 2011 23:22 -Trippin- wrote:


The only thing I don't like about blacks is the amount of pressure it takes to activate the key. I've tested blues and I like them a lot. I just haven't tested out any of the other switch types. I think hash was right in saying that I am too quick to dismiss the other switch types.

The Rosewill RK-9000 requires very little actuation force, so your fingertips can just lightly touch the key and it will respond. It's a quiet keyboard, easy to type on, and may require some getting used to so that you can keep from bottoming out (hitting the keycap all the way to the bottom of the board). Red switches also have a linear feel as opposed to the tactile feel of blue and brown switches, and I'm not a huge fan of it but that's what I get for wanting a quieter keyboard. The keyboard itself is well-made; for some reason the keycaps feel very soft for me to type on. The red plating isn't too noticeable unless you're looking down at the keyboard, and for some people it's a bonus for aesthetics. The braided cable seems very durable, and the gold plated connectors are a nice touch. This keyboard also has anti-ghosting, which is good for gamers.

I mainly use the keyboard for typing and gaming (Starcraft II, when I'm able to play), and so far it's been really nice. I managed to get this board during the Black Friday sale since it was $80, and it's definitely worth the money since you can rarely find nice mech keyboards for under $100 in general, and red switch keyboards are pretty rare, although they're becoming more common It may not be worth the regular pricetag of $130 compared to other mech keyboard brands, but if it's on sale, definitely snag it.