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Reddit mentions of Cooler Master MasterKeys S PBT- Tenkeyless Gaming Mechanical Keyboard, Cherry MX Brown Switches, Thick 1.5mm PBT Keycaps
Sentiment score: 20
Reddit mentions: 53
We found 53 Reddit mentions of Cooler Master MasterKeys S PBT- Tenkeyless Gaming Mechanical Keyboard, Cherry MX Brown Switches, Thick 1.5mm PBT Keycaps. Here are the top ones.
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Cherry MX Brown Switches - Good for 50 million strokes, TenkeylessThick 1.5mm PBT Keycaps for Durability - No wear and tear due to your sweaty fingersEasy Switchable OS and Key Layouts - Switch from Windows, Mac, QWERTY, Dvorak, and Workman with simple shortcutsOn-the-Fly Adjustment of Settings - On-board Cortex processor allows changes in macros, repeat rate, etc. instantly the press of the keys6-Key and N-Key Rollover for Superior Precision - All keys inputted are registered. Period
Specs:
Color | BROWN |
Height | 1.3 Inches |
Length | 14 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Small (TenKeyless) |
Weight | 2.1 Pounds |
Width | 5.3 Inches |
Das keyboards get some flak for being overpriced, but at $60 this is a pretty good deal.Now that they have apparently sold out, see below for some alternatives.EDIT: if you search for Das on /r/mechanicalkeyboards you'll find lots of people talking about how Das keyboards have declined in quality recently and some controversy about the software for one of their new models (not this KB) being Windows only. The keycaps Das uses are also said to be low quality. These issues aside, I personally think this is a good deal. If you are in the market for a full size mechanical keyboard, it's hard to find a better keyboard for the price. Some alternatives that are better but more expensive:
EDIT 2: as /u/SolixTanaka pointed out below, the Magicforce keyboards have questionable quality control. It's probably not fair to say they are better than Das keyboards. Some users love them and have no problems, others find their board crapping out after a few months (or sooner). Buyer beware. I like them because they are a cheap way to try out a 60% layout if that's something that interests you but you're unsure if you'll like it.
Budget
Middle tier
Premium
Owned boards from all of the series above. Highly recommend looking on your local Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or /r/hardwareswap for used keyboards. Can easily get them for half price from keyboard addicts such as myself who have too many ;)
Cooler Master Masterkeys S PBT. It's not fancy, but it has MX Browns and is only $80. If you want LEDs, there is also the Masterkeys Pro S.
Its no longer in production
The masterkeys pro s is the newer version of that board. It also comes in a a PBT version found here
Do you definitely need a numpad..? If not, I would encourage you to wait a bit for this new simplistic Masterkeys from Coolermaster, as it will be definitely worth it's money. Multiple switches to pick from, great build quality and great keycaps. Also standard layout that you can customize later if you want to, macros and ability to change into Dvorake/Colemak on a firmware level.
without rgb is under 100. I have one and I’m happy with it
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503206398&sr=8-1&keywords=master%2Bkeys%2Bpbt&th=1
Masterkeys S PBT. Great stock caps, and decent quality overall.
Look for 60% or 80% keyboards. 80% are also called TKL or Tenkeyless. A nice deal right now on an 80% is: https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Mechanical-TenKeyless/dp/B01D8ETGNQ for RGB
or
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ for non RGB
Otherwise, 60% keyboards are pretty niche but you can find them on Massdrop regularly or mechanicalkeyboards.com for usually $10-20 more than Massdrop.
what is the difference between this and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071W2697M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EMpfAbQAPDCV8? Are PBT Key Caps something special?
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B071W2697M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521578479&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=cooler+master+masterkeys+s+pbt&dpPl=1&dpID=51-K4yYpwGL&ref=plSrch
I love it
Hey dude.
Thanks for the awesome write up. Over the last week I've been mulling over getting into my first board. I too was super overwhelmed by all the information and the learning curve. I was intimidated by the really cool custom boards but knew I was nowhere near that level yet. Just yesterday I finally pulled the trigger on these two Items Filco Majestouch Numpad and Cooler Master MasterKeys S. Im pretty excited to see where things go. I'll eventually get some keycaps.
I do a lot of number entry at work and wanted to have a left side number pad, hence the two items. I saw this board online DSI LEFT HANDED USB KEYBOARD but was a little turned off by MX-Red only and then it being a board from 2012. I'm not sure how quality has changed the last 6 years and I wanted to go with MX-Browns for my first board. Maybe a little foolish to buy two items, but I was afraid of how hard it may be to switch from red to brown.
I think I'll eventually get into a full custom board where I can have a more compact layout but still have a Tenkey on the left side. We'll see how that goes. I'm hesitant to get a bunch of tools that would be needed to make a board. Hopefully more left side tenkey options will come out some day.
Anyway, tldr: just got my first board, looking forward to the adventure. Thanks for the info and the kind welcome to the community.
I know you mention USD, but maybe I'm missing something in regards to Canada or something, but that CM Masterkeys S is $80 with free shipping, brand new via amazon, at least in US. Unless it's different?
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Mechanical-TenKeyless/dp/B071W2697M?th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071W2697M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cmTWzbZC3HAFR
This would be a tiny tiny bit out of your budget coming in at like 103.19 cad according to google. Honestly these are amazing board's coolmaster makes one of the NICEST mechanical keyboards and it was one of my first boards. Mine was Cherry blues but browns are not a bad mid tier starter switch if you never had a mechanical keyboard before. https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522223170&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Coolmaster+TKL
CM MasterKeys S with PBT keycaps.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/
This or this/this if you'd prefer having a numpad.
Check the Cooler Master MasterKeys S PBT. Was considering buying this but didn't want to wait so I instead went with the iKBC MF-87.
Wouldn't this one be a fair bit cheaper?
Alright, there is a few options that i would recommend
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If you don't want a numpad this is a great option
Cooler master masterkeys S (PBT (Thicker keycaps))
If you want a numpad this is the version with one
Cooler master masterkeys pro L
If you want a non pbt version of the S
Cooler master masterkeys S
If you want a pbt version of the pro L
Cooler master masterkeys pro L (PBT(Thicker keycaps))
---
These are all cherry mx brown switches, I'm not sure what the difference is between the pro and non pro versions you might have to look that up, they have white leds and come in at your budget, enjoy
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499866510&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=cooler+master+keyboard+mechanical&psc=1
This keyboard is recommended by the community as a great starter board. You have a few switch options, TKL and fullize, and comes with pbt caps stock.
Maybe you'd like this? Looks really simple but feels great and gets the job done.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M
No numpad so it's not as wide.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/
I've been looking for a keyboard with Brown switches for work. I have a CoolerMaster MasterKeys Pro L with Red switches at home and am leaning heavily towards another CM board for work.
Thoughts on the CM MasterKeys S PBT - TKL? Looking at the reviews, it seems the letters on the Key caps fade, and as much as I want to give PBT a try, I don't want a keyboard with faded keys. Worst comes to worst, I'll look at the MasterKeys Pro M.
Living in Canada and hoping for a $150 budget, lower preferable. Open to alternative recommendations if anyone has any. :)
Unless you insist on a numpad, TKL is probably the way to go, just for the sake of saving space and giving your right hand some room to work with. I don't know about black friday sales, but in that case, you can't go wrong with the Masterkeys S PBT for $80.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=140
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=iKBC+keyboard
Looking to get my first mechanical keyboard because people won't shut up about how good they are (honestly still skeptical if I'm actually going to "get it" seeing as I've always found a $20 Walmart keyboard to always have nothing left to be desired, but fuck it here I go)
I've read the sidebar stuff and think I want a TLK with brown switches. I'd like some tactile feedback but silence is a must.
This first one is the one that I'm currently leaning towards.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3597
It is REALLY stretching my budget so I'm kinda nervous about pulling the trigger. Would this be good for that price?
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071KGHZY4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1DYE0JBXZTW6W&psc=1
This was a runner up, but it looks like a cheaper build at a glance and is a little gaudy imo. It fit the criteria though.
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Then there is this one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071W2697M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
This is about what I feel comfortable spending for a keyboard, but I'm worried by undershooting by that much I might just be disappointed or worse end up with a defective crappy one (some pretty negative reviews there)
Any opinions?
Cooler Master Masterkeys S PBT is a nice TKL for $80 USD on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527020942&sr=1-3&keywords=tenkeyless+mechanical+keyboard
I'm also currently trying out the Logitech G Pro keyboard and I'm liking it so far. Awaiting my WhiteFox to come
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Mechanical-Keyboard-Portable-Detachable/dp/B06XMRQ68B/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527021015&sr=1-4&keywords=tenkeyless+mechanical+keyboard
CM Masterkeys S PBT vs. Ducky One 2 Skyline TKL vs. Leopold FC750R vs. Your recommendation for a tactile (like browns) TKL board in the $100 area?
Bonus question one: Is the quality of a $80 board (like the CM) noticeably worse than of a $100 board (like the Ducky) and a $100 board compared to a $120 board (like Leopold) and a $120 board to a $150 board (like WASD)?
Bonus question two: I've seen people complain about MX Browns, but I haven't seen any useful explainations as to why they are bad. Is complaining about MX Browns a joke in this subreddit?
Edit: Fixed link to CM, added Leopold
I know shit all about mechanical keyboards because I just got my first one a few days ago, but it was this:
https://www.amazon.ca/MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical-Keyboard-Switches/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526395649&sr=1-1&keywords=cooler+master+masterkeys+s+brown&dpID=51-K4yYpwGL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I don't have anything to compare it to but I'm really happy with it so far, and I think it's a good deal.
Yeah, its this board here.
https://smile.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=masterkeys&qid=1552259451&s=gateway&sr=8-1&th=1
Get a Coolermaster Masterkey S or L.
Comes equipped with PBT caps out of the box, solid build quality, Cherry MX switches. All you'll need!
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B071W2697M?th=1&psc=1
It also has Red MX switches and not really 10-key-less.
I am sure you will find one.
I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Storm-QuickFire-Rapid-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B0068INSUM but is has no LED and when I bought it it was quite a bit cheaper. I think it was replaced by this one: https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=pd_sbs_147_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071W2697M&pd_rd_r=VP57V3VZWMEGJ0MQ2ZC8&pd_rd_w=EmoPN&pd_rd_wg=KaHEK&psc=1&refRID=VP57V3VZWMEGJ0MQ2ZC8
First off, thanks to everybody asking/answering questions, I have learned a lot from this thread. I have a couple of questions (looking for my first mechanical keyboard for a mix of gaming and typing, so sorry if they are dumb/repetitive):
I am looking at these two keyboards in particular:
HyperX Alloy FPS Pro Tenkeyless Cherry MX Red for $80
Cooler Master MasterKeys S PBT Tenkeyless Cherry MX Brown or Red for $80
Does anybody know any cheaper or better alternatives? I've done a lot of research and looked around a bunch on the wikis of this subreddit, but I was hoping for some personalized advice because I don't want to shell out $80+ and end up being dissatisfied with my choice. Thanks so much!
Meh, in that case I’m just talking about backlighting in general.
Option 1
Option 2
Hey. I guess I can list the two that caught my eye, I'm just undecided on which I should get/wait for. Though if you have more suggestions that would be nice as well.
I was initially interested in the MasterKeys Pro S Non-RGB version, but I think after discussing it with you or someone else I thought that the MasterKeys S PBT would be a better buy.
You also recommended the iKBC CD87 PBT, but IIRC this brand does not go on sale. I should mention that I'm fine with TKL versions.
Both of those are currently ~$100. I remember you helped with the differences and I think I preferreed the iKBC one, but the lack of sales was holding me back and I've been in limbo since.
If there are other boards that you would recommend that are similar to these I wouldn't mind taking a look.
Boards:CM MKS Brown
Caps: /dev/tty
Thanks! I'm really happy with them :)
Ok great, here are two very strong choices:
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2588
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499868071&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=cooler+master+keyboard&psc=1
Define fairly cheap.
Here's a great board for $83, no LEDs but the keycaps are much better than most other stock keycaps.
This is usually similarly priced but for some reason there's none in stock on Amazon, so just check retailers.
Hello, looking to get my first MK.
-Found Ducky one blue backlit full sized with browns for really cheap(80 USD). But I wanted to try TKL instead so found this, it is nice but out of stock and will be 50 USD dollars more because I am in Canada.
-What is PBT and is Double Shot a big difference from other PBT
-I saw that backliting is considered a con, Why?
-Cooler Master MasterKeys S PBT won't ship to Canada...right?
-Glorious modular mechanical keyboard...worth the extra 30 USD?
I am really sold out on the Ducky one full sized brown because of my budget and I don't think I have many options in Canada?
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496703723&sr=8-2&keywords=master+keys+pbt
Trying to pick from the following keyboards:
I'll be using this for programming at work. I've never used anything less than a full-sized keyboard, though. For anybody who has used the Anne Pro before, how was the actual battery life they experienced? I know they say you can go about a month if you keep the LEDs off.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M
This meets all of your requirements, and is much less than your budget.
Overall, the keyboards from CM are well recommended around here, as they are pretty good quality for the price.
Never heard of tecware, but ducky and vortex make great keyboards.
Also you should stop thinking of things as being good for gaming, that's all marketing. Getting a mechanical keyboard with specific switches isn't going to make you any better at playing games. Just try and research what you might like as far as personal preference. Anyone saying "blues are for typing, reds are for gaming" is just buying into marketing.
My biggest recommendation for stock mechanical keyboards would be Coolermaster Masterkeys series. Like this keyboard.
It's got PBT keycaps that are a denser kind of plastic and the lettering will never wear off. There's no shinethrough though if that matters to you.
Non-backlit, actually. I'm talking about the PBT version.
O-rings would only quiet the bottoming-out sound on Blue switches. They don't quiet the click noise or the upstroke. Not too familiar with Aukey but it's rare that a mechanical that comes with a knockoff Cherry switch can't take Cherry or other clones.
Not sure I understand what you don't like about the Magicforce. It's not as wide as either the Aukey or a CM Quickfire Rapid. Also, the Quickfire Rapid is discontinued which is why they're hard to find. They've been superseded by the MasterKeys S. If you don't need backlighting then you're only looking at about $80 brand new.
Yup, a basic CoolerMaster is $80.
If possible, could you throw out what boards you're looking into? I'm afraid you'll go with a board this generally dislikes for fairly valid reasons (Corsair, Razer, Logitech) and then possibly regretting it later down the road.
If I could make a suggestion, I would suggest this if you're looking into Cherry Browns:
TKL:
https://smile.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1517803476&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Coolermaster%2Bmasterkeys%2BPBT&th=1
Full-Size:
https://smile.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B072C516B9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1517803476&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Coolermaster%2Bmasterkeys%2BPBT&th=1
Keep in mind these are the non-RGB version. That being said, they do have better caps (The PBT versions I suggested) than what any stock Logitech, Razer, or Corsair board will come with.
Browns are probably the way to go.
You didn't mention budget - if you have just over $100, the MasterKeys S PBT is probably the best option we can get up here at a reasonable price.
It's hard to find cheap TKLs with browns, honestly, so I'll juve give you a couple other options - Velocifire makes one and two full sizes with browns, DREVO has a 75%.
If you can go even smaller, the Anne Pro is on sale today for $71, and available with browns.
That keyboard is way overpriced. You can get a better/nicer one for less.
https://smile.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510089068&sr=8-2&keywords=mechanical+keyboard&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011%2Cp_89%3ACooler+Master
or this if you want the fancy RGB lighting. https://smile.amazon.com/CORSAIR-STRAFE-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B014W3FGYU/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1510089135&sr=8-19&keywords=mechanical%2Bkeyboard&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011%2Cp_89%3ACooler%2BMaster%7CLogitech%7CCorsair&th=1
Razer calls brown switches orange.
https://www.amazon.com/Razer-BlackWidow-Tournament-Stealth-Mechanical/dp/B00IZXXF92
The only other option (that was of decent quality) I saw was this - which is out of stock
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-QuickFire-Rapid-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B007VDKLLM
This one also wasn't available when I purchased mine - It wasn't made available according to the user questions until past June 28th, despite that it says it was available June 1st
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B071W2697M