/g/ Mechanical Keyboard FAQs

/g/ Mechanical Keyboard FAQs:

1) What keyboard do I buy?
	- See the buyer's guide

2) ABS? PBT? POM? What are these?
	- These are different types of plastics that are used to make the keyboard cases and key caps
	- ABS is the cheapest of the 3 and will lead to key cap shine after a few months of use, has a smooth texture
	- PBT is arguably the best material for key caps since they will resist shine and have a fine grain texture
	- POM is typically only used to special cases such as higher quality key caps with transparent legends for back lights

3) Where do I buy mechanical keyboards?
	- See the /g/ sellers list: http://pastebin.com/8Yku80VL

4) What is the difference between keycap brands?
	GMK
	- Highly regarded among keyboard hobbyists
	- High quality thick ABS
	- Large range of keycap molds
	- Cherry profile
	- $80 - $120 Price range on average

	BSP
	- High quality thick PBT
	- Limited keycap molds
	- Cherry profile
	- $90 - $120 Price range on average

	Gateron
	- Relatively new company
	- High quality thick PBT (about 0.5 mm thinner than BSP)
	- Large range of keycap molds
	- Cherry profile
	- $50 - $80 Price range on average

	Vortex
	- One of the only companies to offer double-shot PBT
	- Average quality with keycaps ranging from thin to thick PBT depending on the series
	- Average range of keycap molds
	- OEM and Cherry profiles
	- $30 - $70 Price range on average

	Signature Plastics
	- Average quality medium thickness PBT and ABS
	- Large range of keycap molds
	- DSA, DCS, SA, LP, KT profiles
	- $70 - $120 Price range on average

	Tai-Hao
	- Low quality thin PBT and ABS
	- Limited range of keycap molds
	- OEM profile
	- $20 - $50 Price range on average

5) Cherry vs Kailh vs Gateron vs etc? Does it really matter?
	Cherry
	- Cherry MX switches are the most widely available mechanical keyboard switch
	- The original mechanical switches with this design
	- They are reliable and have withstood the test of time

	Clones
	- Kailh switches are based on Cherry's design and are cheaper in cost
	- In a blind test, most people would not be able to tell the difference between Cherry and Kailh switches
	- Cherry switches use a higher quality plastic for the stems, this means that they're less prone to snapping
	- Cherry MX key caps DO fit on Kailh switches

	- Gateron switches are considered the best clones available due to their smooth linear switches
	- Many people consider Gateron's linear switches to be better than Cherry's offerings

6) I bought this key cap set and it is shaped differently than my original set!
	- Key caps come in variety of different profiles, most stock keyboards come with OEM profile keycaps
	- Other profiles are: Cherry, DSA, SA, SS, DSS, LP, KT
	- Make sure you know what profile you are buying if you plan on mixing and matching sets

7) Why does it seem like /g/ hates Razer and Corsair mechanical keyboards?
	- Razer has changed from Cherry switches to Kailh switches without reducing the price of their products
		- While using Kailh switches isn't inherently terrible, Razer have switched purely to increase their profits

	- Corsair mechanical keyboards have a certain aesthetic to them which attracts a specific demographic
	- Corsair boards use a non-standard layout for the 5th row. This makes buying after market keycap sets difficult
		- There have been reports of quickly dying LEDs on certain Corsair models
		- RGB versions of this keyboard have had numerous issues with drivers and flickering

8) What are the differences between all the types of switches?
	- You can find a detailed description of the most common switches here: http://i.imgur.com/p86x8kS.gif

Want even more information? Try http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/official-mechanical-keyboard-guide