#Headline Creation Challenge#How to choose the right mechanical keyboard for yourself, there are many points to pay attention to, otherwise it is easy to step on the pit. This article will introduce the relevant knowledge of mechanical keyboard in detail, and provide reliable purchase suggestions to help you choose the right mechanical keyboard for yourself. The content of this article is long, you can first like, favorite, follow, etc. and have time to read slowly.
Mechanical keyboard is a kind of keyboard that uses independent mechanical micro switches for each key, compared with ordinary membrane keyboards, it feels better, has higher durability and faster response, so it is now more and more loved by the public.
The key points of purchasing mechanical keyboard are summarized as follows:
Keyboard category: the game gives priority to "mechanical keyboard", and the office can consider "membrane keyboard" or "silent red axis mechanical keyboard".
Shaft body: recommended red, tea, silver shaft, small white can start the shaft tester to feel, everyone's feel and preferences are still different.
Configuration: full function selection 104 with columns, accustomed to the numeric keypad and requires the keyboard size to choose 89 with columns, no need for numeric keypad can choose 87, 60 columns.
Keycap material: PBT > ABS, PBT matte feeling, not easy to oil for a long time.
Keycap character craft: dye sublimation> two-color injection molding> radium carving
RGB and backlight: insufficient budget, choose white light, simple and power saving; If you like cool, choose RGB mixing.
Bottom cotton and silent cotton: with bottom cotton and sound absorbing cotton, quiet, who uses who knows.
Connection mode: game party, office choose three modes, Xiaobai choose wired or wireless
Hot plugging: I like to change the shaft body, choose hot plugging.
No punch: full key no punch > multi-key no punch
If you need to know more detailed mechanical keyboard related knowledge, please continue to read down.
Keyboard category
1. Mechanical keyboard: there is an independent shaft body, through the contact of two springs, to trigger the signal, the price is relatively expensive. It works to make the contact on or off, it has a simple process, noisy, easy to maintain, and let you have a strong sense of rhythm when typing, so that you will feel comfortable in terms of long-term use.
2. Plastic film keyboard: generally there are three layers of circuit boards inside, the upper and lower layers are circuit boards, the middle is the insulation layer, the keyboard is pressed, through the first layer and the third layer of contact, trigger the signal. And it also has a very important feature is low price, low noise and low cost, but this product will make your feel change due to material problems after long-term use.
3. Capacitive keyboard: This keyboard is rare and expensive. It is generally a keyboard for professional typists, with the title of "king of keyboards". It uses a similar principle to capacitive switch, it is mainly through the key to change the distance between the electrodes caused by capacitive capacity, characterized by no wear The most important thing is that its sealing is also better.
4. Metal keyboard: This keyboard is to use its waterproof, dustproof, explosion-proof, anti-corrosion special attributes, so it is widely used in many outdoor self-service equipment, is definitely domineering necessary equipment.
Plastic membrane keyboard
Purchase suggestions: the game recommends "mechanical keyboard", and the office can consider "membrane keyboard" or "silent red axis mechanical keyboard"
Shaft body
There are many types and brands of shaft bodies of mechanical keyboards, and the main shaft bodies are "Cherry axis" and "domestic shaft". In recent years, with the expiration of Cherry shaft body patents, domestic mechanical keyboard manufacturers have launched many excellent self-developed shaft bodies, such as Kaihua shaft, Jiadalon shaft, TTC axis, Kaihua BOX axis, Razer Razer shaft.
The main parameters of the shaft body:
Grams of pressing pressure: the greater the number of grams of pressing pressure, the greater the force required to press the button;
Trigger key travel: The larger the trigger key travel, the longer the response time for key presses.
Number of clicks: indicates the service life of the button shaft body.
Paragraph sense: There is a clear sense of paragraph, that is, the louder the "click" sound of pressing the button.
Black Axis: A favorite of early gamers, but then the Red Axis, less pressure than the Black Axis, the Black Axis began to decline.
Red shaft: The feel is similar to the black axis, but the pressure is less, office typing and playing games are also very good, suitable for most people.
Green axis: the most obvious sense of paragraph, the largest knocking sound, for the representative of the mechanical keyboard axis, although it is very cool to type, but easy to be critten by the people around you.
Tea axis: a more balanced axis, with a sense of paragraph, less noise, office typing and game feel are very good, and also has the title of "universal axis".
Silver shaft: known for its ultra-short trigger abbreviation and ultra-fast output speed, buy this axis friends should be careful, this axis is suitable for "dragonfly point water" type operation, more suitable for typing maniacs, line masters.
TTC shaft: refers to the key shaft produced by TTC genuine Kedian Company, its protrusion breaks the myth of the cherry shaft, structural design, quality control, feel and other aspects have surpassed the cherry shaft, cherry myth only cherry tea and cherry green are still struggling to support.
Jadalon shaft: The shaft known as the Cherry, also known as the G axis. Now the Gadalon shaft has been pushed in many versions. Its white axis is a very special axis, it is softer than the red axis, comparable to static capacitive keyboards, but unfortunately there are very few keyboards using this axis.
Purchase suggestions: recommend red, tea, silver shaft, small white can start the shaft tester to feel, the new cherry shaft is more crotch-pulling, try to avoid.
array
Good keyboards can come in a variety of shapes, but the arrangements are pretty much the same. As a standardization tool, the keyboard is largely standardized. The keyboard key area typically contains letter keys, number keys, function keys, modifier keys, navigation keys, and numeric keypads. According to the different design uses of the keyboard, different key areas are arranged and combined, resulting in different configurations.
100% with 101/ 104 / 108 keys:
The 100% equipped mechanical keyboard has the most standard key area layout, because it can directly use the number keys, function keys, navigation keys, and independent numeric keypad without modification, and even add independent system multimedia keys when the keyboard space is enough, so its use efficiency is undoubtedly the highest.
Especially for financial and accounting personnel who need to frequently use numeric keypads, the mechanical keyboard with 100% arrangement is undoubtedly the best choice to improve the efficiency of number combination calculation. But because it has the most complete keypad and the most buttons, its size and weight are relatively largest, so it will not only occupy more desktop space, but also very inconvenient to carry.
85% with 92 / 96 keys:
A 100% mechanical keyboard with a configuration cuts off the navigation key area, and becomes an 85% equipped mechanical keyboard - of course, the navigation key area is not really removed from the keyboard, but integrated into the numeric keypad through common modification.
Because the numeric keypad is retained, the 85% mechanical keyboard is also very suitable for users who need to enter a large number of numbers, but it is relatively smaller and takes up a smaller area of the desktop.
80% with 87 / 86 / 84 keys:
From 104 keys to 87 keys, 80% of the mechanical keyboards that are equipped with the key area are the numeric keypad. The keys on the numeric keypad can be replaced by the numeric keypad on the letter keypad, so for many users who do not need to enter numbers and mathematical symbols frequently, the numeric keypad will be more cumbersome, so cutting off 80% of the numeric keypad appeared.
It is worth noting that 80% of the mechanical keyboard with columns retains the navigation key area, so if you are very accustomed to using navigation keys to improve the efficiency of page navigation, the mechanical keyboard with 80% is really the best of both worlds.
75% with 84 / 86 keys:
On the basis of 80% configuration, the right side modifier key area and navigation key area are streamlined and fused to form a 75% matching mechanical keyboard. Because the frequency of use of the right function key area is lower than that of the left function key area, cutting the right function key and arranging the navigation keys vertically will not affect the key efficiency too much, but also can save the width of the keyboard and save the objective desktop space very obviously. The function key area and the number key area are also completely preserved and can be reached directly without FN modification, so the mechanical keyboard with 75% is a perfect mechanical keyboard in the minds of many people.
65% with 68 / 71 keys:
The 75% key can basically ensure that most of the standard keys can be output with a single press without modifying the key, but even if the size of 75% is already very small and exquisite, the more streamlined 65% of the mechanical keyboard still has an audience.
The mechanical keyboard with 65% configuration is based on 75% configuration and cuts the function key area, that is, F1 - F12. F1 - F12 Whether in Windows or macOS, the default bound system is very rich, after cutting the function key area, F1 - F12 needs to use FN to modify the number keys to achieve, which will theoretically sacrifice a lot of keyboard ease of use.
60% with 61 keys:
The next step after cutting the function area is to completely cut the navigation key area, including the up / down / left / right arrow keys and HOME / END / PAGE UP / PAGE DOWN, so you have a very clean right side.
However, this does not mean that all these navigation keys disappear directly from the keyboard, they are also integrated into other keys. But this design means that FN as a modifier key, its key frequency will skyrocket, more keys need to use it to modify a set of key combinations to achieve output.
40% array:
More exaggerated than the 60% configuration is the 40% of the mechanical keyboard with the number key area cut. This customized ultra-compact keyboard almost only leaves the letter key area and the modified key area, other keys need to be modified to achieve, you need a large number of key combinations to achieve such as 75% matching normal single press can achieve output, although you gain ultra-small size and ultra-high mobility, but at the same time the complexity of the keys has also increased significantly, so this extremely streamlined configuration, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.
Purchase suggestions: full function choose 104 with columns, accustomed to the numeric keypad and require the keyboard to be small to choose 89 with columns, no need for numeric keypad can choose 87, 60 with columns.
Keycap material
At present, the common materials of mechanical keyboard keycaps are PBT, ABS, PC.
PBT keycaps:
The scientific name polybutylene terephthalate, with high hardness, high density and other characteristics, so PBT keycaps are known for durability, although the touch is rough, but fingers long-term tapping friction is also difficult to oil, durable. And thanks to the excellent high temperature resistance of PBT, complex and colorful patterns can be transferred to PBT keycaps through the dye sublimation process to produce very beautiful and chic theme keycaps.
However, the color and light transmittance of PBT are very general, which is not suitable for making word through keycaps, and PBT keycaps are also prone to deformation during the process of sublimation, which is why many sublimation PBT spaces will bend unevenly.
ABS Keycaps:
Scientific name acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, with low density, easy to color and other characteristics, so ABS keycaps are known for precise color and delicate feel, which can give the keyboard a better color look, and the touch is warm as jade, and the tapping is very comfortable.
However, due to the low hardness of ABS, the ABS keycaps will be easily worn after friction with fingers, and the touch will become smooth and sticky, which is what the public often calls the ABS keycap oiling problem.
PC Keycaps:
The scientific name polycarbonate has the characteristics of low density and high light transmission, so PC keycaps are commonly found on through-shell keyboards, which can make the keyboard look and feel more crystal clear, and can completely transmit the keyboard backlight, RGB full.
However, the surface of the PC is very easy to stick fingerprints and scratches, and it is easy to be oxidized when exposed to the air, and it usually turns yellow after a year and a half, so PC keycaps are more suitable for distant viewing than close play.
Buying advice: PBT > ABS>PC
Keycap character craft
Keycap character crafts are common radium carving, two-color, and dye sublimation processes.
Laser carving: the use of laser engraving characters, this process has low cost, the surface of the keycap is uneven to the touch, and the characters will be worn off after long-term use. Many low-end production keyboards use this process.
Dye sublimation: In layman's terms, it is high temperature to penetrate the character pattern into PBT, so that the keycaps will not fall off, only PBT can be heat sublimation, ABS is not resistant to high temperature. PBT dye sublimation is also divided into single-sided and five-sided, and the five sides can make a lot of three-dimensional pattern effects, and the cost is higher. PBT sublimation is not a panacea, especially large keys are easy to bend and deform at high temperatures, and seesaw spaces are common.
Two-color: The process of coincident characters and keycaps. There are also two types of processes: two-color injection molding and overmolding.
Two-color injection molding: It is to make two colors together under one mold, with low production cost, also called fake two-color.
Secondary molding: is two molds, high production cost, see the bottom of the keycap has a clear and regular injection pattern, two-color process requires a separate mold, high-end keycap one water two-color.
Purchase suggestions: overmolding> dye sublimation> two-color injection molding> radium carving
RGB with backlight
Ordinary backlight: the version with backlight in the ordinary mechanical keyboard, the light source is an ordinary LED light-emitting diode, and the color cannot be adjusted.
RGB: Lights using SMD LEDs capable of customizing up to 16.7 million colors. RGB refers to the three primary colors red, green, blue, the three primary colors can be mixed out of all colors, such a design can customize the color of the backlight through the software, suitable for light poisoning players.
Purchase suggestions: insufficient budget, choose white light, simple and power-saving; If you like cool, choose RGB mixing.
Base cotton and silent cotton
Try to choose with bottom cotton and sound absorbing cotton, who uses who knows, quiet, good feeling.
Purchasing advice: with bottom cotton and sound absorbing cotton
Connection method
There are three common connection methods for mechanical keyboards: wired connection, 2.4G wireless, and Bluetooth connection.
Wired connection: Some keyboards can support key cable separation, so that when the keyboard is out of power or wants to use a wired connection, it can be connected to the computer, or it can be used while charging.
2.4G wireless: There are independent USB2, 4G wireless transceivers, need to occupy a USB port of the computer, you can consider 2.4G wireless keyboard and mouse set.
Bluetooth connection: You can directly connect with the computer Bluetooth without occupying the computer USB port.
Purchase suggestions: game party, office choose three modes, Xiaobai choose wired or wireless.
Hot-swappable
First of all, the trigger of the lower shaft body of science popularization, there are 2 pins under each shaft body connected to the corresponding hole position of the keyboard, and the communication and disconnection of the shaft body and the keyboard rely on the pins to transmit.
Non-hot-swappable: The keyboard and shaft body are connected by welding. Its connection is stable enough, but replacing the shaft body is more troublesome, and some tools are required to de-solder the internal circuit board.
Hot swappable: The shaft of the mechanical keyboard can be removed separately. Hot swap shaft Because the hole between the shaft body and the keyboard has a fixed conductive medium, it can be replaced by a shaft puller, without the use of tools such as electric iron, and everyone can also replace their own customized shaft after proficiency.
Purchase suggestion: If there is a need to change the shaft body, priority is given to hot swapping.
No punch
Key conflicts are caused by the matrix design of the keyboard, and the simplest keyboard matrix may conflict with 3 keys. Ordinary mechanical keyboard needs to cross two signals across perception to trigger, although each key of the current mechanical keyboard is an independent switch, but must experience signal crossover to trigger and recognize. Due to the limitation of cross-triggering of the horizontal and vertical signals, pressing multiple keys at the same time may also cause input errors.
Six-button no-punch: Fingers press the keyboard at the same time, there will be no conflict and cause insensitivity, and the membrane keyboard is three to six keys without punch.
Full key without rush: Especially when playing games, multiple keys can be pressed at the same time, which can respond at the same time without conflict, resulting in insensitive moments at critical moments.
Purchase suggestions: full key no punch > multi-key no punch
Mechanical keyboard brand
When choosing a keyboard, choose according to your budget, have the ability to choose a brand better, and have products that can be obtained at different price points. Brands with relatively high visibility, or praise from many professionals, the brand is relatively reassuring.
At present, there are no technical barriers to mechanical keyboards, and many domestic manufacturers are doing OEM for big-name products, product quality, creative ID, and price are very good, and non-faith players are recommended to be on domestic products. Here are some of the brands that I think are good at the moment.
Entry-level keyboard brands: Dalyou, Raibo, Ai Stone, Lenovo, and made in Tokyo
Advanced keyboard brands: IKBC, AKKO, Tokyo-made, Black Canyon, Belly
High-end keyboard brands: Amilo, Jurco, Leobold, Corsair, Cherry, Aluminum Factory
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