Best Keyboard for ~$100?

[Blain]

The Logitech illuminated keyboard is really nice.
Will you be using it with a KVM switch?

If you are using a KVM, I'd opt for the Logitech K800 wireless illuminated keyboard.

 

[Pia]

I'd take one of the Leopold boards or a CM Storm, though the latter look a bit gaudier to me.

 

[Fallen Kell]

I personally just picked up the Tesoro Durandal that someone else mentioned (ordered it 2 weeks ago). I have a preference for the Cherry MX Brown switches. To me, they are the perfect combination for both typing and gaming. They "can" be quiet, but not if you bottom out the key (in fact they are almost silent, but bottoming out will be much louder than on the old dome keys).

The Tesoro Durandal also has full NKRO over USB (one of only 3 keyboards that I know of that does this, the other 2 are ducky keyboards). So no problem of ghosting or issues in games when needing to hit multiple keys at once.

The only reason for me that this is not my ultimate keyboard is the fact that I would have liked to see the USB cable be detachable (and use a recessed connection location. There are plenty of keyboards that have a detachable USB cable, but most the connection is simply at the top or side of the keyboard and can easily be damaged by dropping the keyboard if it lands on the spot with the connection).

 

[Pia]

The Tesoro Durandal also has full NKRO over USB (one of only 3 keyboards that I know of that does this, the other 2 are ducky keyboards). So no problem of ghosting or issues in games when needing to hit multiple keys at once.

I have been under the impression that the boards with >6KRO over USB do some kind of trickery which makes them non-standard and creates compatibility problems? At least Noppoos had something like 18KRO but did not work right with Macs.

The bulk of boards advertised as NKRO, including the most expensive ones, are 6KRO over USB. I have never played a game where you would even potentially want to hit more than 6 keys at the same time. I'm sure there are some exotic rhythm games which do that, but...

 

[gorb]

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/

or just buy a filco or a leopold or rosewill

 

[Sureshot324]

Any keyboard that doesn't have a built in volume slider/dial is fail imo.

 

[Ashenor]

I love my Ultimate Black Widow Razer keyboard.

 

[birthdaymonkey]

Any keyboard that doesn't have a built in volume slider/dial is fail imo.

I'd best discard my Realforce 87U then.

 

[Pia]

I'd best discard my Realforce 87U then.

87U has been a waste of money to me. It sits in a box while I pound away on my blank Filco tenkeyless (which I had years before the Topre). The main issue I have with the 87U is that the keys on my model are too light.

 

[Ben90]

I find Realforce boards to be the most well rounded board. They don't have the swag of a Unicomp or Blues, but everything else they just do better. I'm about to revoke my Blue board I permanently "loaned" to my friend because its so damn loud over the microphone.

Besides, White/Grey is just plain sexy:

I wouldn't recommend a Realforce as a first high end board, unless you are willing to accept that you are not going to be wowed at first.

 

[birthdaymonkey]

87U has been a waste of money to me. It sits in a box while I pound away on my blank Filco tenkeyless (which I had years before the Topre). The main issue I have with the 87U is that the keys on my model are too light.

I've heard a lot of people say that they like the 55g version best. I have the 45g, and it was borderline too light for me at first (coming from Blues), but I got used to it. I suspect you have the variable mode, which is even lighter than the 45g.

Now I use my 87u 45g at home and a WASD with blues at work. Since I changed the keycaps on the WASD to a lower-profile set (Cherry profile) that's a closer match to my Realforce, I find witching back and forth every day is much easier.

I'd love to try a 55g board though .

 

[Pia]

I've heard a lot of people say that they like the 55g version best. I have the 45g, and it was borderline too light for me at first (coming from Blues), but I got used to it. I suspect you have the variable mode, which is even lighter than the 45g.

Now I use my 87u 45g at home and a WASD with blues at work. Since I changed the keycaps on the WASD to a lower-profile set (Cherry profile) that's a closer match to my Realforce, I find witching back and forth every day is much easier.

I'd love to try a 55g board though .

Yes, I have the variable weight model and the problem isn't really the lightness of the keys in general, but two specific keys: the outermost ones on the home row. Like all pinkie keys on the variable model, they are something like 35g. I'm totally on board for lighter keys for pinkies in general, but not home row keys which get activated by accident while resting fingers on top. As far as I know, this can be fixed with a very fast, foolproof, zero-cost mod (cutting and swapping pieces of membrane inside) but I have not bothered to do this; my old Filco fits my current weird setup better, and I also have an inexplicable aversion to eviscerating $300 pieces of plastic. Maybe when I actually have need for two keyboards.

Also, I don't really see a point to the built-in virtual keypad.

 

[michilius]

Concur with all those above that said that a mechanical is the only way to go at this price range. Here's a good site that helped me understand more about them, in case you need the tutorial...

http://wiki.geekhack.org/index.php?title=Mechanical_Keyboards