If you’re a gamer you should be skipping this part of my article but I would like to add this making sure we are all on the same page and so the newbies knows about it for alignment purposes. Mechanical Keyboards are the common keyboards mostly used nowadays. They are classic-looking, sturdy keyboards from the 1980s. It is made of high-quality plastic key switches underneath each of the keycaps. These switches are comprised of:
- Keycap – the top cap with the letter/number
- Stem – the part underneath the keycap that moves down then pressed
- Housing – the case holding together all the components
Here’s more interesting facts which you should be missed as I will be sharing with you a few important characteristics of a mechanical keyboard you should be considering when selecting one:
Budget/Cost
Mechanical keyboards range from as low as $60 or so to upwards of $200. And if you’re ok with an older model, you’ll pay even less. There are also pricing differentials between well-known and generic brands, as well as between full-size keyboards, with and without RGB lighting.
Durability/lifespan
Measuring durability takes into account things like how many keystrokes a particular mechanical keyboard is rated for over its lifespan. Consider that an average keystrokes per hour (KPH) is approximately 8,000 KPH, and then multiply this by the number of hours that gamers tend to play over the course of just a few weeks and you can see how exponentially those numbers increase.
Actuation Force
Actuation Force is the force required to press the key on the keyboard. It’s the key travel distance where the key is actually recognized by the keyboard. In other words, it measures how hard you need to press the key so that it is recognized by the keyboard. It varies widely and can range from 35 grams to as high as 350 grams. Most mechanical keyboards range from 45-60 grams.
Actuation Distance
It is the distance which the switch needs to depress to register as an input. It’s measured from the top of the keycap. An average rating for most mechanical keyboards is 2 mm, though there are some as low as 1mm.The shorter your actuation distance is the more chances you make keyboard mistakes because of the lighter feel?
Tactility
Tactility refers to the feedback and resistance that you receive when typing. It’s associated with the position that the key travels to when generating a keystroke. The feedback can be audible through a clicking sound, for instance, as well as visual in that you’re watching your fingers press the keys, which spring back and raise the keycap.
Mechanical keyboards tend to be more tactile. Conversely, many membrane keyboards are not tactile and feel somewhat softened after normal wear and tear thanks to their design. While membrane keyboards can be engineered to provide some tactility, they usually lack the more durable feel of the keys in mechanical keyboards or even scissor-switch keyboards.
Noise level
Noise and sound levels on keyboards can be important depending on the type of application you’re using or the game you’re playing, and where you’re playing it. Mechanical keyboards, for instance, are noisier than any other type of keyboards because there are clicks at both the beginning and end of keystrokes.
Mechanical keyboards are much more durable than membrane or rubber dome keyboards. For example, Cherry MX switches are rated to a lifespan 20 to 50 million keystrokes depending on the type of switch. The HP OMEN Sequencer Mechanical Keyboard, for example, offers a 70 million-click lifespan. Membrane/rubber dome keyboards are, on average, rated to last approximately 5 million keystrokes.
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