PLEASE... Help Me Find A Great Gaming Keyboard

Off-Topic Games, Gaming and Hardware
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Not sure if this is the best forum to ask this question, but here it goes.

I’m looking for a GREAT Wireless/Bluetooth (I prefer Bluetooth) Backlit keyboard.

I’m not sure if mechanical makes a difference or not. I’m a casual gamer and so I don’t really know the difference or not, but I DO know that I just bought a Corsair K57 RGB Wireless/Bluetooth Backlit Keyboard with “Slipstream Wireless Technology”, and I HATE the thing… I’m sending it back!

Right out of the box all the keys lit up in a bunch of different rainbow colors every which way to Sunday and I DESPISE the thing. I’ve been spending hours trying to figure out how to do one simple thing… How to make ALL the damned keys static with just ONE FLIPPIN’ COLOR!

According to the manual the Corsair K57 has Spiral Rainbow, Rain, Rainbow Wave, Visor, Type Lighting (Key), Type Lighting (Ripple) and FN +1 thru FN +0 keys… and I just hit FN +1, turned all of the keyboard lights off, and now I’m going to spend another hour trying to figure out how to get them back on again.

I don’t WANT complicated… I want simple.

Sure, I don’t have a problem with all the “Wavy Gravy” stuff, but keep it simple so if I want ALL of the keys static blue, then they will match my Alienware Static Blue Desktop lights, and my Static Blue Razer Naga Pro Mouse, and Static Blue Charging puck lights.

That’s all I’m hoping to find. A GREAT BIG Static Blue Happy Family.

Can anyone advise me as to the situation.

Thank you in advance for responding to this post.

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If you’re willing to spend money. The Logitech g815/g915 are by far the best I’ve used in terms of wireless. And battery life.

I believe razer do have their own offerings as well but it is well pass the $200 mark. I know hardware Canucks done a review on both these keyboards.

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If you want simple, then you should consider a non mainstream keyboard. The big names, Razer, Corsair, Logitech, they all tend to rely on software for even the basic color schemes.

I like Keychron and Roya Kludge. They both offer compact wireless keyboards (you will want to use that instead of Bluetooth, as those have noticeable delay).

They also have HARDWARE color control. You can even customize the switches (hot swappable) and the keycaps.

What keyboard layout do you want?

I like TKL or 96%.

If you are going for a 96%, and want a wireless RGB hotswappable keyboard with hardware RGB, I recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/RK-ROYAL-KLUDGE-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B0979YSL75

For an 80% TKL they have on sale (not hot swappable)

https://www.amazon.com/RK-ROYAL-KLUDGE-Sink87G-Exceptional/dp/B08GX7WLCF

Brown switches are a good in-between gamer and typist.

They have hardware lighting control, ranging from the rangy wavey stuff you are talking about, and generally around 8 standard solid colors.

This is what mine looks like, it is a 96% RK100 Pro.:

It’s the same as the KR100, but it is the Pro version I got on sale a while back. The Pro version just has an aluminum plate.

To control the RGB, you press FN + Print Screen to cycle through the patterns, and FN + DEL to cycle through the colors. It’s simple. Also comes with Bluetooth or normal 2.4ghz.

I like 96% because you don’t lose any keys really, you keep your F row, and you keep your numpad, and it’s still almost as small as an 80%.

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Using Asus ROG Claymore II. Happy with it.

Logitech quality went down the drain these days. G613 and G810. Both got problematic keys.

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Logitech sucks for keyboards because they use proprietary Romero G switches that you can’t even change keycaps on.

I would definitely skip any that don’t use the generic cherry style stems.

And hot swappable boards are so affordable now, it doesn’t make sense not to. Lets you easily repair broken switches, and also change out to different ones if you decide you want to go a different way.

I’ve got 2 Logitech keyboards, G413 and G613, that are essentially useless because the keycap stems are so flimsy, they have broken keycaps, and because they are proprietary, you cant even get replacements.

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according to the manual, FN + - disables the lighting

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Corsair hardware lighting never works right. You can disable the lighting, but even if you set a hardware lighting profile, it will forget the moment the keyboard loses power. I have a K68 and it never remembers anything set, requires to have icue installed to function properly.

Most of these big companies design their boards this way to get you to install their RGB software so they can harvest your data for free.

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yeah they are steering you towards their iCue software

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Their keyboards are very overpriced as well, and also have weirdly sized bottom row keys.

I’m using their (also overpriced) H150i Cappelix Elite AIO and SP120 fans all around as well, so I use iCUE anyway.

But they don’t do a 96% and also didn’t want to pay almost $100 for a pretty basic TKL.

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Personally, I don’t like ‘gaming’ keyboards at all.

I hate mechanical keys for one thing, and all the most desirable gaming keyboards have them. Faux mechanical keys are annoying too.

Tap tap tappity tap clickity click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click beats obnoxious thing to death with a hammer!

I also really dislike flashy RGB lighting on keyboards. They’re very distracting and annoying. I can deal with a small bit of RGB on my gaming mouse, but that’s it.

I’m also not a fan of wireless keyboards. Maybe those unreliable early generation wireless keyboards with their frustrating pauses in function just ruined me forever on wireless keyboards, but I’ll take a hardwired keyboard, thank you very much.

In my opinion, the very plain, standard, classic and cheap Microsoft 600 wired keyboard is the most perfect keyboard ever created, be it for gaming or general use.

I always keep a new 600 in the closet for if/when I need to replace it for any reason. I think I’m currently on my 3rd one. I’ve been using these a very long time.

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FQR969J

Here you go. Simple. You plug it in and go. You have an option of Yellow or Green switches here. This one I linked above has Razer YELLOW keyboard switches which are ideal for gaming. You can also download the razer software to control the rgb colors. This is just optional though.

This will explain Razer keyboard switches

If you get a NON razer keyboard. You want a machinal keyboard with Black or Brown switches for gaming IMO

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  1. Well, that’s probably because you’ve only ever encountered your basic blue style switch, which is indeed loud. There are a variety of switches now, including optical, that can be very quiet. And in some cases, even quieter than membrane keyboards (the type that you are referencing in your “cheap” Microsoft.) Check out Cherry MX Silent reds. They are about equal to membrane.

  2. Those cheap membrane keyboards are fine; I have been using them professionally at work forever…but they all tend to have issues with maxing out at only a handful of simultaneous inputs. They typically don’t have n-key rollover, and your typical WASD movement can sometimes interfere with pressing other keys. If membrane is your thing, and you game, you are best served by making sure the one you want has N key rollover. But perhaps especially for a work setting, a nice quiet low resistance silent red or silver speed switch can actually help with finger strain. I notice typing on work keyboards after a few hours can really start to hammer on the ol’ arthritis, simply by the amount of force that requires you to bottom out a membrane keyboard for it to register.

  3. As for lighting, that is a feature mostly highlighted by the “big brand” mechanical keyboards, as I’ve already stated. Many of the enthusiast mechanical keyboards generally feature RGB as a user option, not a focus.

  4. Wireless…I’m with you. Bluetooth has delay. Normal 2.4ghz is inconvenient with range. Battery is another unnecessary component. I always use my keyboards wired, even if they have the option for wireless.

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Nope. I’ve tried multiple switches, including the most ‘quiet’ style switches and guess what, none of them are actually quiet.

 

I have checked them out. They are NOT equal to membrane keyboards AT ALL.

Mechanical switches are not quiet. Period.

 

Yes they are, and I’m very loyal to my Microsoft 600. No further recommendations or thoughts needed.

I’m a crochety old man on my front porch telling you to get off my lawn, so get to get’n.

I’ve done my share of experimenting and trying this and that, and I know what I like.

 

I couldn’t care less about RGB (optional or not), and I couldn’t care less about mechanical keyboards.

 

Good to have found our common ground.

/cheers

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Well I guess different strokes for different folks. GET IT? STROKES? KEYSTROKES!!

My goodness my inner dad is coming out…

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/chuckles… :smile:

Feel free to drop all your extra dad jokes in here!

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For real though, light force linear switches have done wonders for my finger arthritis.

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Throws a wet fish at you…

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don’t traumatize me with memory of the feast event

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My shoulder is acting up again!

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Been dealing with tennis elbow (not from tennis…from yard work) for the past 8 months. My wife has to open pickle jars for me because I can’t do that motion without pain.