The PC market continues to make headlines due to the global chipset crisis, not to mention the scarcity of GPUs worldwide. But today, we are looking at an important PC component that’s often overlooked or is usually an afterthought when buying or building a PC, despite being a key member of the board. There are tons of keyboards available in various shapes and sizes at different price points, and we’ve got a list of some of the best mechanical keyboards that you should consider for your next purchase.
Why should you buy a Mechanical Keyboard?
Before we dive into some of the recommendations, let’s understand what exactly a mechanical keyboard is. Basically, a keyboard is defined by the switch it uses.
Cheaper keyboards usually incorporate a rubber-dome or a membrane switch system wherein a keypress pushes onto a silicone dome, connecting the circuit to register what the user is typing. These often require a large amount of force for actuation and give off mushy feedback due to the silicon underneath. These are relatively silent and don’t offer audible feedback, while the overall lifespan of the keys is also comparatively shorter.
When you press a key on a mechanical keyboard, an actual physical switch, including a spring-based pushback mechanism, comes into play. Depending on the type of key switch, you get a certain tactile or linear feedback as you type along. While that in itself makes a huge difference, these switches also last really long, with certain manufacturers claiming up to 50-80 million keystrokes.
In short, mechanical keyboards offer a longer shelf life, and you can expect a much better typing experience thanks to the wide variety of switch options.
Navigate this guide:
- Best full-size mechanical keyboard: Corsair K100 RGB
- Best wireless full-size mechanical keyboard: Razer BlackWidow V3
- Best tenkeyless mechanical keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB TKL
- Best wireless tenkeyless mechanical keyboard: Logitech G915 TKL
- Best compact mechanical keyboard: Razer Huntsman Mini
- Best customizable mechanical keyboard: Glorious GMMK
- Best mechanical keyboard for multiple OS: Keychron K4 V2
- Best budget mechanical keyboard: Redragon K552
Best full-size mechanical keyboard: Corsair K100 RGB
The best full-sized mechanical keyboard has to be Corsair’s K100 RGB. Not only is it one of the most expensive ones, but this keyboard has it all. It comes with a polling rate of up to 4000Hz and 0.5ms response time, making it the fastest keyboard that money can buy. It also comes with Corsair’s OPX optical-mechanical key switches that use a beam of infrared light to register an actuation, which means a fast and precise keypress registration at a 1.0mm actuation point. Corsair also sells the K100 with Cherry MX Speed Silver switches with an actuation distance of 1.2mm.
The keyboard also offers macro support, a dedicated control wheel for various functions, and to top it off, per-key RGB backlighting with a 44-zone three-sided RGB edge lighting. It also comes with highly durable construction and premium design, making it one of the most desirable keyboards on the market.
- The Corsair K100 RGB is a fully loaded mechanical keyboard available with fast key switches and a polling rate of up to 4000Hz.
Best wireless full-size mechanical keyboard: Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is the best mechanical keyboard for those who don’t like wires. It’s a full-size keyboard that’s great for gaming or just regular typing. It’s available with Razer’s Green switches for a clicky, tactile feel, or you can go for the Yellow switches that are linear, silent, and offer a smooth keystroke. The BlackWidow V3 Pro comes with a premium design, including a plush leatherette wrist rest and double-shot ABS keycaps.
You can use the keyboard with Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless tech using a USB dongle for low latency or go the traditional way using Bluetooth or wired. There are also some dedicated media keys, a volume control wheel, and individually RGB-backlit keys that can be controlled using Razer’s software.
- The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro should be your choice if you want a premium full-size wireless keyboard experience.
Best tenkeyless mechanical keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB TKL
Corsair’s newly launched K70 RGB TKL is the best TKL (Tenkeyless) keyboard and in our opinion, it gives tough competition to Logitech’s G915 TKL. It isn’t wireless, but Corsair’s AXON technology can deliver a polling rate of 8000Hz over a wired USB connection. This makes it twice as fast as the company’s most premium offering, the K100 RGB. The keyboard is available with either Cherry MX Speed Silver or Cherry MX Red switches.
Corsair hasn’t cut any corners here and has made the K70 RGB TKL to match the requirements of professional esports gamers. It comes with a solid metal frame, dedicated media keys and volume dial, and a special ‘Tournament Switch’ that can be flipped to move to static backlighting and disable accidental macro activations automatically.
- Corsair's new K70 RGB TKL keyboard has been made keeping esports gaming professionals in mind featuring fast key switches and polling rate of up to 8000Hz.
Best wireless tenkeyless mechanical keyboard: Logitech G915 TKL
Logitech makes some of the best gaming peripherals, and the G915 TKL is a pristine wireless mechanical keyboard. It’s an ultra-thin keyboard with low-profile keycaps backed by Logitech’s custom-made low-profile GL switches available in either clicky, tactile, or linear type. Using the company’s Lightspeed wireless technology, the G915 TKL comes with a response rate that’s as good as a wired keyboard, while the battery can last about 40 hours with the RGB lighting enabled. Although I really wish Logitech would stop using micro-USB for charging its peripherals.
Additionally, the keyboard includes Bluetooth, when low-latency is not required, dedicated media control keys, and a volume scroll wheel. If tenkeyless is not your thing, Logitech also has a full-size version.
- An excellent slim, low profile tenkeyless keyboard featuring a premium design and lag-free wireless connectivity.
Best compact mechanical keyboard: Razer Huntsman Mini
Hands down the best compact 60% keyboard, the Razer Huntsman Mini is a delight for customers who like to keep things minimal. Razer offers the keyboard with newly updated linear red switches with a 1.2mm actuation distance and 48g actuation force. In comparison, the clicky purple switches come with a 1.5mm actuation distance and 45g actuation force. It features solid-looking PBT keycaps and a USB Type-C cable for connectivity.
Of course, it comes with Razer’s Chroma RGB lighting, a solid aluminum chassis, onboard memory for up to five profiles, and side-printed secondary functions on the keycaps. The Huntsman Mini is available in either Black or Mercury (White) color options.
- A great recommendation for someone looking for a compact keyboard for a clean and minimal desk setup.
Best customizable mechanical keyboard: Glorious GMMK
Claimed to be the world’s first modular mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting, the Glorious GMMK is for those who want something future-proof. It comes preinstalled with Gateron brown switches with black or white ABS double-shot injection keycaps depending on which color you go for. It’s also available in full, tenkeyless, and compact form factors, thus offering a wide choice for the user to choose from.
It has a simple, minimal-looking design, so it doesn’t look very loud. Apart from the keycaps, the switches can also be removed if you change your mind in the future about the kind of switches you want. The company hasn’t missed out on RGB, and you can control that without installing any software, which is neat.
- Available in full-size, tenkeyless and compact form factors, the Glorious GMMK comes with the ability to swap out keyswitches.
Best mechanical keyboard for multiple OS:Keychron K4 V2
Keychron started as a Kickstarter project, but today offers a wide range of keyboards. One of the best offerings is the Keychron K4, a full-size keyboard with a 96% layout, available with a variety of customization options. You can get the keyboard with white or RGB backlighting and there is the option of an aluminum frame for more rigid construction. The keyboard comes with Gateron Red, Blue, or Brown key switch options, and you can also opt for the hot-swappable variant to quickly move between switches.
The keyboard is great for both Windows and Mac operating systems and it offers wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or regular wired connection via USB.
- Keychron makes some of the best keyboards with the K4 being one of the best options if you are looking for multi-OS support.
Best budget mechanical keyboard: Redragon K552
If you are on a tight budget, say under $50, you can check out the Redragon K552. It isn’t the most premium mechanical keyboard, but overall the keyboard should serve you well for most use cases. It is a tenkeyless keyboard with clicky Outemu Blue switches that mimic Cherry MX Blue, but there’s also a variant with linear Red switches. Fully compatible with Windows and Linux, the Redragon K552 can also be used with macOS but with limited functionality. Other notable features include full RGB backlighting with 18 different effects, a splash-proof metal and plastic chassis, n-Key rollover, 12 multimedia keys, and the option of a white color variant.
Overall the keyboard is pretty good and responsive for gamers although it might offer higher latency than most keyboards. It’s also suitable for typing and office use cases as the keys are light, but they can get noisy so the keyboard might not fit well with users looking for a silent experience.
- The Redragon K552 is a recommended mechanical keyboard with tenkeyless design for customers looking for the best value on a tight budget.
These are some of the best mechanical keyboards in our books. Depending on the exact machines you go for, these keyboards should be widely compatible with the best laptops and best gaming laptops.
Share your thoughts and tell us if we have missed a certain category or form factor that you would be interested in!
The post These are the Best Mechanical Keyboards to buy: Corsair, Logitech, Razer, and more appeared first on xda-developers.
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