Question Mechanical vs Membrane Keyboard

[dsdani352]

Hi. I'm planning to buy a new keyboard. Two options before me are Razer Cynosa Chroma and Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth 2016 edition. I was wondering which one I should go for. Cynosa appears to be more recent, which means better software support maybe? I'm not sure. On the other hand, Blackwidow is mechanical. Could someone please explain if that matters at all? I'm not a hardcore gamer who gets into tournaments and stuff. Just some casual gaming here and there. But I could use a keyboard which won't fail in the long run.

Also, I heard the Blackwidow has a new 2018 edition, which unfortunately is not available in my country's (India) online stores. So let's say I'm going for the Blackwidow. Does it make a difference if I get the 2016 edition instead of 2018?

 

[Gam3r01]

It comes down to personal preference, there really is no "right" answer here.
Mechanical keyboards are popular, but they dont offer any visible performance difference to a typical user.

Personally, I would stay away from Razer products if possible, their build quality tends to be hit or miss.
If you have it available, or in your budget, considering something from corsair, like a K70.
If not, pick whichever of those two looks nicer to you or fits your budget better.

 

[dsdani352]

I'm really interested in the customisation options offered by Synapse. And yeah, individual LEDs sound appealing too. But I'll look into the Corsair one as well. Thanks

 

[dsdani352]

I checked out the Corsair one. It's a bit on the expensive side for my current budget. By the way, what do you think could be the differences between a 2016 and 2018 edition of Blackwidow?

 

[Gam3r01]

From what ive seen, mostly small quality of life changes, but the keyboard itself is relatively similar.

 

[dsdani352]

Okay. Thanks for making it clear. I guess I wouldn't need a mechanical keyboard then; not a pro gamer anyways lol. I'll go for the Cynosa

 

[Karadjgne]

Keyboards and mouses are the single most personal items on any pc. They are literally hands on at all times. So regardless of which is better, or prettier or has more gimmicks, if you can't stand the way it feels, it's useless. Mechanical keyboards are the worst culprits for this. There's multiple keys. Some are hard press, some soft. Some click, some don't. Some require full push to activate, some only a half push. And then there's key spacing. Some are tighter, some are wider.

The only way you'll get a decent answer is get down to every place that sells keyboards, and get your hands busy typing. On mechanicals especially if that's the route you want. Figuring out the difference between Reds, Blues, Black's, Browns, Purples, Greens etc. You might hate them all.

It's really no different than buying shoes. You gotta try a few pairs on first, see how they feel. Buying by looks alone, or supposed popularity is a fools venture.

 

[dsdani352]

Keyboards and mouses are the single most personal items on any pc. They are literally hands on at all times. So regardless of which is better, or prettier or has more gimmicks, if you can't stand the way it feels, it's useless. Mechanical keyboards are the worst culprits for this. There's multiple keys. Some are hard press, some soft. Some click, some don't. Some require full push to activate, some only a half push. And then there's key spacing. Some are tighter, some are wider.

The only way you'll get a decent answer is get down to every place that sells keyboards, and get your hands busy typing. On mechanicals especially if that's the route you want. Figuring out the difference between Reds, Blues, Black's, Browns, Purples, Greens etc. You might hate them all.

It's really no different than buying shoes. You gotta try a few pairs on first, see how they feel. Buying by looks alone, or supposed popularity is a fools venture.

Will try to do it. Thanks for the suggestion. Though I'm not sure there are many shops in my place that has every variant of mechanical keyboards. Gotta look into it though. 😅

 

[delaro]

Mechanical vs Membrane Keyboard

Standard membrane keyboards have rubber domes that need to be pressed all the way down for the button to be registered, mechanical keyboards have specific switches which allow for quicker actuation. Mechanical keyboards are better for gaming and I personally find the "Clicky" sound to be satisfying, you can however find mechanical keyboards without that.

There are two types of mechanical keyboard switches.

Linear- To actuate a linear switch, you must push it all the way down, like a membrane key but the distance needed is far less than a Membrane.

Tactile- To actuate a tactile switch, you usually push it about halfway down.

Tactile is generally better for typing and Linear is in my opinion better for gaming.

Here are nice guides that explains more.

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/mechanical-keyboard-switches,review-4154.html

https://www.displayninja.com/mechanical-vs-membrane-keyboard/

I like Clicky clacky noisy keyboards... although nobody else in my house seems to like them. Razer Green and Cherry MX Blue keys are what I stick with and you can find them in the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate and G. Skill Ripjaws KM570 RGB.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

I can personally attest to the Corsair K70.
I have the Corsair Vengeance K70 with Cherry MX Red switches and I love it, but as others have stated, when it comes to mechanical vs membrane, it's preference. And preference is very important when comparing different switches on mechanical keyboards.

I've used quite a few mechanicals in the past though and do really like my K70.

And if I had to pick a second favorite, it would be the older Logitech G710+ which uses MX Browns.

Of course, I am more of a heavy gamer as well as someone who types a lot and the reds for me at least are nice sweet balance for both.

 

[dsdani352]

Okay. Thanks for all the suggestions. I get it that mechanical keyboards are great and tactile, gives better feedback and all. But for someone who does casual gaming like random pubg, ghost recon, some Assassin's creed and witcher maybe.. can someone like that really notice the difference? I'm asking this because like I said, it's just some casual gaming here and there, no tournaments or online competition kind of thing. For someone like that is mechanical keyboard an absolute necessity, if we are talking about durability? I mean I know mechanical keyboards tend to last longer, but considering no heavy gaming is involved, would a membrane suffice?

 

[Karadjgne]

There's a 3rd option. Some keyboards are hybrid. My Cougar K500 is one such. It's a membrane keyboard set to emulate mechanical switches. My other keyboard is a Logitech G110 and I love that one. Much softer touch, super quiet keys, more like a laptop, but with a longer travel.
There's a marked difference between them. My wife can type @ 160wpm, so on a quiet keyboard it's no worries, get her on my Cougar and it sounds like machine gun fire. She hates that.

 

[dsdani352]

There's a 3rd option. Some keyboards are hybrid. My Cougar K500 is one such. It's a membrane keyboard set to emulate mechanical switches. My other keyboard is a Logitech G110 and I love that one. Much softer touch, super quiet keys, more like a laptop, but with a longer travel.
There's a marked difference between them. My wife can type @ 160wpm, so on a quiet keyboard it's no worries, get her on my Cougar and it sounds like machine gun fire. She hates that.

Yeah. Like Razer Ornata right? Mecha membrane they call it. I'm considering it an option as well. But my main concern is durability. My current keyboard is cooler master devastator, and some of its keys have become almost impossible to press in almost an year or so. The next keyboard I'm getting should do better. That's all I ask for in fact.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

if you're looking for durability, then a mechanical with Cherry MX switches is what you want.

As for something that could be a bit quieter, I know for a fact that browns are fairly quiet compared to the other colors.
Assuming you're looking for quieter that is.

But for longevity, a board with Cherry MX switches is going to be your best bet.
And you can get one for fairly cheap now.

This G.Skill board has Browns which are bit softer and quieter but also require a bit more push to activate which if you're currently used to using a membrane keyboard will still feel more responsive by comparison but be closer to the feel of pressing down on a membrane key fairly far before it activates, which the browns do require them to be pushed down a bit farther than others before it activates the key.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Keyboard: G.Skill - Ripjaws KM570 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-22 20:29 EDT-0400

But if you want to save money and replace the keyboard more often, (like once a year at best if you're gentle with it) you can just go buy any old generic membrane keyboard for like $15.

 

[Karadjgne]

Lol. Both my Logitech's and my Cougar are over 6 years old, and you really can't mess with my 17 year old Dell factory kb or the Microsoft 2 button mouse that Dell uses. Both of which still work.

Mechanical have exactly 1 advantage over membrane, you can get new keys. That's it. They last no longer or shorter, that's all on who built it.

There's a reason the Devastator kb + mouse combo is only $26 on average.

 

[dsdani352]

Okay. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll buy one next month. Let's see if any of the mentioned ones gets a discounted price by then.

 

[Karadjgne]

Sales are good, sales are always welcome!