why are mechanical keyboards so damn expensive?

[LOLMAN02]

Im looking at the razer blackwidow chroma keyboards and k70 mechanical keyboards,
they all cost upward 120$+ and was wondering why it cost so damn much?
i have a membrame keyboard, which isnt to bad, but from what i keep hearing and watching, the mechanical just seems superior in every way

now im really temepted to buy a mechanical keyboard and i heard that theres 4 switches,
brown, red,blue and green
can anyone explain to me breifly what distuinguishes them all apart?
and what would you reccomend me if i wanted a quite click, buy no so quite at the same time?

also what good mechanical keyboards can you suggest me that has some lighting on the keys but costs less then 100$?

 

[Chicken-Select]

Mechanical keyboards are simply a luxury. Really cool to have but not at all necessary. They won't make you a better gamer but they can make your gaming experience more enjoyable. Those keyboards you mentioned are top of the line from popular brands. They have all or most of the bells and whistles. RGB lighting, no ghosting, limited key pressed, gold plated connectors, pass troughs, warranty, etc. As for the switch types as far as Cherry MX key switches, reds have the shortest travel distance, are linear, and are easy to press. Blues are a little harder to press and have a tactile click that indicates when the key is being pressed and it will only register on your PC as soon as it clicks, not before. Browns are a mix of reds and blues less clicky than blues but harder to press than reds. Greens are very hard to press and extremely clicky. Neither switch is so much better for gaming or typing than the other that would warrant getting them over the other just look up a youtube video comparing them and order what you think you would like best. I personally like the clicky blues. You can order a sample kit for a little more than $10 that has each type of Cherry MX switch so you can try before you invest in a full keyboard. I've had Razer, Steelseries, and Cooler master keyboards all of which served me well. Cooler master are cheaper but still of good quality. Consider checking them out I could make a more specific suggestion if you tell me what you prefer or plan to do with the keyboard. (gaming, prolonged typing, streaming, features you'd like, etc).

 

[LOLMAN02]

Mechanical keyboards are simply a luxury. Really cool to have but not at all necessary. They won't make you a better gamer but they can make your gaming experience more enjoyable. Those keyboards you mentioned are top of the line from popular brands. They have all or most of the bells and whistles. RGB lighting, no ghosting, limited key pressed, gold plated connectors, pass troughs, warranty, etc. As for the switch types as far as Cherry MX key switches, reds have the shortest travel distance, are linear, and are easy to press. Blues are a little harder to press and have a tactile click that indicates when the key is being pressed and it will only register on your PC as soon as it clicks, not before. Browns are a mix of reds and blues less clicky than blues but harder to press than reds. Greens are very hard to press and extremely clicky. Neither switch is so much better for gaming or typing than the other that would warrant getting them over the other just look up a youtube video comparing them and order what you think you would like best. I personally like the clicky blues. You can order a sample kit for a little more than $10 that has each type of Cherry MX switch so you can try before you invest in a full keyboard. I've had Razer, Steelseries, and Cooler master keyboards all of which served me well. Cooler master are cheaper but still of good quality. Consider checking them out I could make a more specific suggestion if you tell me what you prefer or plan to do with the keyboard. (gaming, prolonged typing, streaming, features you'd like, etc).

i mostly game, but since im also a student i require to write about 1000 words essays at least once a week,
I dont want an over all clicky noise as id imagine it can annoy my family when they are in the room next to me chilling :/
however I do want to experience the so called "tactical and noise" feel of everypress that everyone has been talking about.

 

[Neur0nauT]

I have a Q-Pad M50 with Cherry MX Red switches. It was not very expensive...in fact it costs the same as a lot of standard branded keyboards!

The switches colour represent how tactile the key presses are and also how loud they sound when depressed. Its a personal preference. Cherry reds are the softest & quietest, although you can still feel and hear the click when pressed. You can find out more about them here: http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/

The reason that mech keyboards are more expensive is down to having individual switches for each key as opposed to a membrane. This produces more accurate & responsive key presses which is not only better for typing, but when playing fast-paced games.

These types of keyboards are also more sturdy than standards, and will last longer....so they are also more expensive because of this too.

If you use your PC a lot, then it is a good idea to get a mechanical keyboard. They are great and you'll wonder why you didn't get one before. You don't have to spend a ton of money though. Sometimes you are just paying for the name, so shop around.

My PC sits in the next room, and when my wife is asleep, my typing on this keyboard doesn't wake her...and trust me she is a light sleeper!

 

[LOLMAN02]

I have a Q-Pad M50 with Cherry MX Red switches. It was not very expensive...in fact it costs the same as a lot of standard branded keyboards!

The switches colour represent how tactile the key presses are and also how loud they sound when depressed. Its a personal preference. Cherry reds are the softest & quietest, although you can still feel and hear the click when pressed. You can find out more about them here: http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/

The reason that mech keyboards are more expensive is down to having individual switches for each key as opposed to a membrane. This produces more accurate & responsive key presses which is not only better for typing, but when playing fast-paced games.

These types of keyboards are also more sturdy than standards, and will last longer....so they are also more expensive because of this too.

If you use your PC a lot, then it is a good idea to get a mechanical keyboard. They are great and you'll wonder why you didn't get one before. You don't have to spend a ton of money though. Sometimes you are just paying for the name, so shop around.

My PC sits in the next room, and when my wife is asleep, my typing on this keyboard doesn't wake her...and trust me she is a light sleeper!

thanks for your reccomendation i will have a look

 

[SnoitseuqPi]

"i heard that there's 4 switches,
brown, red,blue and green
can anyone explain to me briefly what distinguishes them all apart?"

There are Cherry MX Switches, a brand of mechanical switch that is considered the standard.
There 3 types: Linear Tactile and Clicky. They also make a locking switch. https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX Most recently they have introduced gaming marketing "Speed Switches" Which offer a low actuation force, as well as shorter travel distance.
In the 3 categories switches are then sub-divided by actuation force. All of these switches cane be identified by the color. They have recently also introduced the clear variants of all of their switches for LED back lighting purposes.

Now there are also many other mechanical key switch manufacturers including Gateron (https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=77) which are a Cherry MX clone, Razer has also recently developed their own switches (https://www.razerzone.com/razer-mechanical-switches). There is also a company Matias making Alps clones, which were a popular switch in the 90's IBM keyboards.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/mechanical_switches.php?brand=

Above is a link to a site that shows more brands and types, and describes their function/use.

Really they only thing to do is to try out some key switches/keyboards and see what you like. I personally, despite not gaming much, use CherryMX reds. Low actuation force, linear, smooth, and pretty quiet. Many people appreciate the tactile switches for typing, and hardcore typist seem to lean towards the clicky switches (like the blue).

Personally I think accuracy has a lot to do with it. If you are prone to mashing keys, the reds will be misserable, where the blues could really improve speed and accuracy. However if you're accurate, a linear switch can reduce fatigue, and not drive people around you crazy.

Despite the links I shared, there are countless other, more obscure mechanical key switches, including hall effect switches.

One thing to consider also is key caps. You are going to find it much easier to find key cap sets that fit Cherry MX switched, and their clones than any other design.

It really is up to your preference in regards to switched. Then once you choose a switch, shop for a keyboard that offers the features you need (n-key roll over/anti ghosting/macros/pass throughs/10 keyless or full size/backlighting (RGB)/etc). You can get a good mechanical keyboard these days for a reasonable price if you stick to the basics. I use a sub $100 CM Storm QuickFire Pro (https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-Pro-Mechanical/dp/B007VDOOBU). There are even cheaper options on the market these days with all the Cherry Clones offering competition in the market.

It really is all about preference, I would just get the cheapest board with the switches you like. Everything else is nit picky BS. People can and will justify $500 keyboards because they are stupid. I recommend the sub $100 price point for best results and avoiding feeling like an idiot for wasting money on frivolities.