Generally, the best keyboards are ones with Cherry MX Mechanical switches.

There are 3 types of switches that people mainly go for.

Red switches are linear switches, that means they don't have a bump. They are don't have a click, but make a large clacking sound. They will not have any feeling at the actuation point (The point where the keyboard recongizes your input). These are generally recongized as better for gaming rather than typing.

Blue keys will have an audible click at the point where the keyboard recongnizes your input. There will also be a slight bump at that point as well. These are generally recongized for being better at typing than gaming.

Brown keys are the middle between red and blue keys. Brown keys will keep the slight bump at the point where the keyboard recongizes your input, but does away with the click sounds of blue keys

Generally, the best keyboards will have genuine cherry mx switches of any type. That should be your starting point. Then you can add things like volume controls, backlighting, etc etc etc. Generally, the keyboard that stuffs the most of these features while keeping cherry mx switches will be your best deal.

All of these will be good gaming keyboards while keeping under your budget:

https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=sr_1_40?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480556&sr=1-40&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Mechanical-Keyboard-HX-KB1RD1-NA-A1/dp/B01NCX88FQ/ref=sr_1_37?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480525&sr=1-37&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B01ITE93OM/ref=sr_1_16?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-16&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Backlit-Mechanical-Keyboard-920-007857/dp/B01CDYB8F6/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-17&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Razer-BlackWidow-Ultimate-Mechanical-Programmable/dp/B01CVOMWXU/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-22&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Qisan-Keyboard-Mechanical-Backlight-keyboard/dp/B01872MCIA/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-11&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Qisan-Keyboard-Mechanical-Backlight-keyboard/dp/B01872MCIA/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-11&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-STRAFE-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B012B6X7MI/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-8&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Compact-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B00DOWCQ0I/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499480358&sr=1-4&keywords=mechanical+keyboard+cherry+mx

Welcome.

First piece of advice: forget Razer. Anybody who knows anything about mechanical keyboards will say that. They are designed to appeal to people who do not know anything about mechanical keyboards.

> my only two requirements are that it is mechanical and that is has a numpad.

Cherry MX switches are the most widely available. There are a number of differences switches, but there are three general types. They all actuate at 2mm depressed and they bottom out at 4mm.

• Clicky switches have a "bump" you can feel near the point of actuation and there is an audible click.
  
• Tacticle switches have a "bump" you can feel near the point of actuation.
  
• Linear switches are smooth, but they actuate at 2mm just like the others.
  
  You should decide on a switch you want. If you read up on it and still are not sure, get a tactile switch.
  
  The CM Storm Quickfire XT is probably a good start. It is a quality keyboard with a very reasonable price.
  
  I do not recommend getting backlit keyboards or any other complex features. They add to the cost and complexity and they are often the source of problems. In some keyboards, they also are the cause of inferior build quality as the company tries to keep the price low, while adding expensive flashy hardware, so they compromise on internal build quality.
  
  The wiki has plenty of information in the sidebar as well.

CM Storm Quickfire mx blue

2 Things: One, just FYI that keyboard is not mechanical. You may already know this, but if not then there you go. I recommend the Corsair k70 (this one has RGB lighting) or the CM Storm Quickfire, but there are definitely a lot more boards on the market. Come learn more at /r/mechanicalkeyboards!

Secondly, You might want to go for 2x4 (or 2x8 if you want) instead of 1x8 on the RAM. That way, if one stick fails, you still have some ram to go on until you can replace it.


Edit: Just some more stuff: No, you will not need a better CPU unless you are doing some pretty serious video editing or other CPU-intensive tasks. Gaming relies much more on the GPU than the CPU. That's not to say that the CPU is not important, but you won't really need an i7. You could probably go for a cheaper GPU if you wanted, your best bet would (just a guess) be the 1070 as it will almost certainly be able to handily hit that benchmark you were shooting for while still being cheaper than the 1080 and newer than the 980ti/390x. Also, maybe wait for more info about AMD's newest cards if you want to cut the price down a little. Some rumors are putting them at 980ti levels for $220, but even though that's best case scenario they'll still be worth looking at.

http://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463609371&sr=8-1&keywords=cm+xt

I'm saying $89. And if you turn into an enthusiast (I started on browns too)... then you might just thank me.

Are you 100% sold on that particular keyboard or would any with labeled media keys suffice?

Edit: Here, I went and found some keyboards that are full size, have brown switches, have labeled media keys, and are less than or equal to the price of that keyboard. All from US.

Rosewill RK-9000V2

CM Storm Quickfire XT

Ducky One

Das Model S

You are most likely looking for a CM QuickFire Rapid or QuickFire XT.

upgrading from $10 keyboard to $100~ keyboard is a huge difference. specifically the haptic feels for your finger. it's tight and responsive compared to mushy press.

I recommend you to get brown switch since it don't have high pitch clicking noise and is the average choice for gaming and typing. I chose coolermaster

CM QF Xt w/ Browns right about... $95?

K70 is more like $110-130 on Amazon, even the non-RGB.

A great full size board with a solid build that is under $100 is the CM Storm QuickFire XT. It is very well built and should last you a while.

I need help making a purchase decision. I bought my first mechanical a few months ago. It was a $40-something off-brand with Outemu blue switches, and OH MY GOD was it a breath of fresh air compared to the mushy swamp keyboard I'd been struggling with since college. Clickety clackety never going backety.

Now I want to replace my work keyboard. I prefer something sedate and professional looking, and I really like having a number pad. I've pretty much settled on Cherry brown switches this time, but I'm tossing around a couple of different models in the sub-$100 category. The thoughts of /r/mechanicalkeyboards are welcome:

• Rosewill RK-9000. A pretty popular entry-level board, and I know the brand.
  
• CoolerMaster Storm QuickFire XT. CM's seem to have a decent reputation at this price point, and I've read rumors that the QuickFires are made in the same factory as some Filco models.
  
• iKBC C104. This is the model I'm most curious about. It looks like a nicely built keyboard with higher quality key caps, but I can't find much information about the brand other than some references to a MassDrop sale a while back. What's the deal here?
  
  Thanks!

There's some decent boards on Amazon. The best brand/board for that value with a num pad would probably be the CM Storm QuickFire TK.

There are a couple variations with different pricing ranging from 75-100. TKL, TK (No Arrow), and XL (Full). Their main switches are Red (Linear), Blue (Tactile, Loud), and Brown (Tactile, Quiet)

The best for matching your desires is: https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486864713&sr=8-2&keywords=CM+Storm+Brown

They're worth it for a bit more than $80. They have a much higher floor (base quality) than other boards on Amazon, and have a decent ceiling.

Personally, I would stick away from Aukey. For something you will constantly be using, probably every day, it's better to invest a bit into it.

https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02 a bit more than $80 but worth the price if you ask me.

Rosewill RK9000V2, Quickfire XT.

If you can, would reccomend saving an extra $20 and get a Ducky One PBT, with much better keycaps.

Cooler Master QuickFire XT. Fullsize, MX Brown, no backlighting. $90

A tenkeyless, standard layout with brown switches sounds like an ideal first board to me. I'll want to add a standalone number pad that I can place on the far side of the mouse (or the opposite side of the keyboard) later on.

I'm trying to use some Amazon gift card credit, and here's what I've found so far:

• CM Storm QuickFire Rapid
  
• CM Storm QuickFire XT
  
• Nixeus MODA
  
  I'm about to pull the trigger on the Nixeus, I'm just going to look through some reviews first.

Echoing the anti-Razer sentiment, they're just poorly built for the money.

The main thing most novices miss is the importance of having a standard layout. Mechs will last forever, but keycaps will get crappy eventually. Having a non-standard layout makes it much harder to find replacements. Razer and Corsair both almost always have funky layouts that make key cap replacements difficult.

If you want to go cheap, go with a Cooler Master Quickfire XT (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_GRsxwbG15SE8C). Standard layout, clean aesthetic, quality build.

If you have more money to burn, go with one of the Ducky Shine models. Standard layouts, typically considered the best backlighting.

Try using Cherry MX Brown Switches.

Quickfire XT (http://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449133201&sr=8-1&keywords=quickfire+xt) I think would probably be a good entry-way.

What do you guys think of this keyboard?

Is there a better one for the price, or should I wait for a sale? I'm interested in brown or black keys, and want a full size or tenkeyless if there are cool lighting things (like in the CM Rapid-i).

Thanks in advance for any responses!

If noise is a problem, do not get blues. I would suggest browns. As far as keyboards, please take a good look at the Das Keyboard Pro 4. It is the best keyboard I have typed on so far. If you want cheaper, the CM Quickfire Rapid and CM Quickfire XT are good choices as well.

I'm not sure if this is the right sub for this question.

I'm trying to achieve a high keyboard polling rate on a Mac (early 2009 iMac). With the standard Mac USB keyboard I was getting 125 Hz. So I bought a CM Storm Quickfire XT which is advertised as having a 1000 Hz polling rate. But I'm still getting 125 Hz. Anyone know what the problem might be? Is there any way to get a higher polling rate on a Mac? The ports are USB 2.0.

Cooler Master Quickfire XT

There's the CM Storm Quickfire XT full size with Cherry MX Brown switches. You'll get the tactile feel of the Browns, they don't make a clicky sound and they don't need too much force to actuate a keypress (45g). It costs $105 though, but it's a little difficult to find a mechanical keyboard that uses Cherry MX switches for under $100. There's the TK version. It has a strange layout, but it's a great board if you get used to it.

CM Storm QuickFire XT is a good, inexpensive, board. Switches are completely up to you, everyone has their own personal preferences (I personally like browns). Check out this for a basic overview of switch types.

Best mechanical keyboard for the money? No.

It's a fairly solid keyboard, but the bottom case is cheap feeling, the keycaps are especially cheap feeling, and it doesn't do 16.8 million colours as advertised.

Non removable cable is another drawback, as well as needing two USB 2.0 slots to power the thing.

And the non standard layout makes it damn near impossible to swap out the keycaps when they inevitabley get oily and shiny, as ABS plastic does.

If LED gimmicks are what you're looking for in a keyboard, by all means buy a K70, or a Strafe. Otherwise? You've got the Ducky One at a lower price point.

And you've got anything Coolermaster has to offer, such as the XT

Aw sorry you didn't get a response.

Look into the Cooler Master QuickFire XT or TK.

They come in reds, blues, and browns even greens IIRC.

I guarantee you the build quality is top notch and at $90 - 100, it's a great board for those who don't wanna shell out $150+ just for more lighting options.

Here's a quick pic of my TK with Vortex Doubleshot PBT keycaps (non-standard space bar sizing cause of compact numbpad).

http://i.imgur.com/HKMnOQg.jpg

To address the number pad/macro pad element of this search, I would suggest a 75-100% keyboard as this range tends to have a number pad. If a macro pad is a must, you could take a look at software that could trigger macros from your number pad (kind of like an IME or something of the sort).

If you're playing OSU and FPS the most, I would recommend a keyboard with MX Red switches. Although they aren't the best things on earth to code on, nor are they the best to play MMORPGs on, I can speak from experience when I say that they certainly get the job done for long typing hours due to their light actuation force and are great for gaming as that's what they were designed for. In fact, this entire comment was typed on them and I found it to be quite enjoyable. You learn the actuation force pretty well with time so bottoming them out all the time really isn't an issue. However, most boards have MX Brown and MX Blue variants, so if you find that you enjoy one switch more than the other there's always a little room for adjustment prior to purchase.

With these constraints being taken into consideration, a search or two returned recommendations along the lines of:
CM Storm QuickFire TK
Leopold FC900R Black PBT Mechanical Keyboard
Red Scarf III Ver. A (Please note that this is a DIY board and will not be available for a considerable amount of time)
CM Storm QuickFire XT

And Topres, if that's your thing and you have the money to spare:
Topre Realforce RGB Premium Mechanical Keyboard

EDIT: Formatting

https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499656730&sr=8-1&keywords=quickfire+xt

• Great build quality
  
• Removable cable, with a full-size USB port (best for longevity)
  
• Standard key sizes
  
• Looks very plain, which is great if you don't care for those gaming keyboards that look like they were pulled off the dashboard of a stealth fighter

WSIG: Mechanical Keyboard for Work

---
I am looking for a mechanical keyboard to use at work.

I purchased a CM Storm Quickfire XT with Cherry MX Brown switches for my home about 2 years ago. I enjoy typing on the keyboard, but I have a couple of concerns with bringing a mechanical keyboard into the office.

Keep in mind that I am still new to mechanical keyboards and I'm pretty sure I still don't understand all the different switches (even after reading the extensive wiki here).

My first concern is noise. There is another employee in the office with their own mechanical keyboard that has blue switches. Being that I can hear them across the office, I have to rule out blue switches from the start.

My second concern is tactile feedback. From what I understand, I believe the Brown switches I have provide a tactile feedback for typing, but I don't actually enjoy the feedback that it provides. I think what I want going forward is a keyboard that is quiet and smooth to type on, but I don't need a clicky or tactile feedback to let me know that I pressed the key.

I'm located in the USA. I type about 120 WPM (just switched to Dvorak), so I can be pretty loud when I get going with my emails or other work. I'm looking to spend less than $150, but if your suggestion is just slightly over that, it's fine. Arbitrary cutoffs bother me, :) I would like the keyboard to be full sized, as well.

From my own brief and uneducated search, I believe Black or Red switches would be good for me. However, as I stated before, I'm very new to this area so any and all suggestions are much appreciated!

Thanks for your time and help! Let me know if you have any other questions.

EDIT: Backlit is not a necessity at all. It would be purely bonus. I would actually pay less to not have backlit.

$85 in MX Brown and MX Green, $100 in MX Blue

Full size. They offer tenkeyless which are full size minus the number pad, too.

A bunch under $100

Yeah I was planning on replacing it, but if it was going to have the same problem I was going to avoid it and get a cheapo membrane Logitech.

I've done some research on the type of switches. I'm a gamer, but I also enjoy typing, at around 140 WPM. I decided on MX Brown and found this: https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467739581&sr=8-1&keywords=cherryMx+Brown

Do you think that would be a good board for me?

• http://www.amazon.com/Storm-QuickFire-Rapid-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B0068INSUM
  
• http://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02

So if your options were these 3 which would you pick?

QuickFire XT

FC900R

Rosewill

The cm storm quickfire is a decent option under 100. There are a few others under 100 I believe but am not very familiar with them.

https://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-XT-Mechanical/dp/B00EQV0W02