This wiki is meant to be a quick introductory guide to the world of mechanical keyboards. It will include why you should consider a mechanical keyboard, a "quick and dirty" overview of mechanical switches and terminology, and features you might want to look for in a new keyboard. It concludes with links to plenty of buying resources. You can find a massive amount of information at Geekhack is in the form of "wikis" and with a bit of further research you should soon be on your way to becoming a member of the "Mechanical Keyboard Club".



What this wiki will not do is recommend one keyboard over another to you. Geekhack would not exist if there was a perfect keyboard that every one agreed on. The wiki does include suggested criteria to determing which keyboard is right for you. If after a bit of research you need advice or it gets confusing (or just want to chat) feel free to start a "What Keyboard Should I Get" thread in the Keyboards Forum. It is helpful to talk a little bit about your keyboard likes/dislikes and how you will be using the keyboard: gaming/typing/programming/etc. There are plenty of Geekhackers willing to help.

Members here get mechanical keyboards for various reasons. Maybe they grew up with them and have fond memories of a IBM Model M pinging away. Maybe they got tired of throwing out mushy rubber domes every three years. The best reason is Mechanical Keyboards just feel better and they will make you more efficient at gaming/typing. After you try one most people find standard rubber dome keyboards mushy and boring! Unfortunately Mechanical Keyboards cost more than the $5 throwaway keyboard that comes with most computers and the first reaction you have may be "why bother - my keyboard works fine". Keyboards are the primary way in which you interact with your computer. Think about how much money you spend on the other devices you use to interact with your computer - computer mice (you probably have several), computer monitor, and graphics card. A mechanical keyboard will generally outlast not only these but often your system build. Your fingers deserve the best.

Mechanical keyboards are not easy to try out in the stores so the next part of the wiki will go into describing mechanical switches in some detail in an attempt to make it easier to imagine what they will feel like. Lots of pictures "under the hood" are included to help you with this.

A typical "rubber dome" Keyboard looks like this. A peg will press down on a membrane with two conductive circles. A microcontroller scans what is called the switch matrix and information is sent to the PC.

Take special note of that peg in the center of the dome. This will become important when we start talking force curves.

Photo courtesy of cfishy

Another variation of the rubber dome switch is a scissor switch first used in laptops/netbooks but now on keyboards such as the Apple Aluminum. It's called "scissor switch" because under each key are plastic stabilizers. This allows the manufacturer to make a highly tactile small diameter and short length rubber dome without the switch not working because of off-center hits on the keys.

You can see why it's called a "Scissor" switch because of the stabilizers.


A highly tactile but low travel rubber dome over membrane.


A Mechanical switch often (not always) consists of a spring and two metal contacts like this.

A Cherry MX switch. Notice the gold on the contact point, what Cherry Corp. calls "Gold Crosspoint Switches".


IBM chose another mechanical arrangement where a buckling spring slaps a hammer down on a membrane.

Press....


wait for it....

Snap!


On the other end of a spring is a hammer that slaps down on the membrane, causing the switch to fire.


Other keyboards use a capacitive sensing circuit (think about your typical touchscreen phone or iPad) to figure out if a key has been depressed. In the case of a Topre RealForce or a PFU Happy Hacking Keyboard a low force spring provided the capacitive trigger. In a Model F they use a buckling spring/hammer arrangement similar to the Model M and the hammer is sensed by the circuit.

A RealForce 87U uses a rubber dome over a spring that is sensed by a capacitive circuit when it is about halfway compressed.


Finally there is the exotic. A Datahand uses magnets to hold the switch in open position. By opening it optoelectronics sense the movement and report the switch closed. Those Fraking Magnets - How DO they work!

photo courtesy of WebWit. Do with it what you will.

You are using a tactile and clicky mechanical switch. It is your mouse (or trackball) button. This happens to be a Omron microswitch rated at 75 gms of force to activate the switch.

A Clicky and Tactile switch with only .5mm of travel


Now that 75 gm is a bit stiffer than your typical keyboard and obviously has a lot less travel. Travel is the distance the switch can go from when you are lightly resting your hands on the keyboard to the bottom of the stroke as you bang out a term paper or blast an alien. A typical mechanical switch allows you more travel than a rubber dome (around 3mm usually) or scissor switch (a little over 2mm).

Here's another real life example. Grab a ball point "clicker" pen and start clicking!

A Clicky and Tactile Switch with a full 4-6mm of travel


As you press down the spring resists your finger until you reach what is called the "tactile point". At the same time you hear a "click". That is what is meant by a tactile and clicky switch. Some switches don't click but are still tactile. Some feel like the beginning part of that ball point pen - no click or tactile point but a springy rising force. This is called "linear" in switch terms.

If you were the technical sort and plotted a graph of force versus travel distance it would look something like this. A force diagram records the force required on the switch to press the key down and the resistive force on the return.


But here is the most important difference between mechanical switches and rubber domes. Every time you press a rubber dome keyboard you are pressing that rubber peg into a membrane until it contacts the membrane switch. That is called "bottoming out".

This is a typical Rubber Dome force chart. Notice the "activation point or operating position" (where the key is recognized) is at the bottom of the stroke. You probably have noticed this with old keyboards or even old TV remote controls. In the beginning many rubber domes aren't half bad. As they get older you find yourself having to press down harder as some keys aren't getting recognized. At some point it gets so bad it's time for a replacement.

A Rubber Dome Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite


A Mechanical switch on the other hand activates in the middle of the stroke. The advantage is that you DO NOT HAVE TO PRESS SO HARD OR SO FAR. This allows you to type more relaxed and often more accurately.

Topre RealForce - the spring is sensed by a capacitive circuit in the middle of the key press.


A lot more force diagrams are in the various switch wikis in the "Links" section.

Now you probably noticed the pen felt a bit stiff as you pressed it. This is the other advantage of mechanical keyboards over rubber domes. Activation force is the force required at the "activation point" (the part of the keystroke where the key is recognized). Force is sometimes specified in centinewtons or grams (the difference is somewhat academic since 1.00g=1.02cn on good old Planet Earth). A typical rubber dome is in the 60g to 70g range - a G15 for example is 65g.

HP 210HD has a 65g switch with 65g of activation force - 50g weight and 3 nickels (a nickel is 5.00g).


This is another area where mechanical keyboards really shine. By tuning the spring and other tricks you aren't limited by the force required to make a membrane switch activate. Forces can range from 20g (a Datahand) to 30g (some Topre Models) to 45g (a so called "Ergonomic" Brown Cherry MX) to a 70g (White Complicated ALPS) to even stiffer (over 100g on some Gray Cherry MX spacebar switches). Now 30g is just about the practical limit for low force switches on a standard keyboard because at rest on the home row it would be too easy to accidentally press keys.

Altough this range of choice is great it also means you should consider your typing/gaming habits. If you want a crisp feeling switch with little chance of making an accidental keypress you might want to go heavier. If you suffer from stiff fingers after long typing/coding/gaming sessions you want to look at lighter switches.

This 2x2 Matrix gives you a summary of the most common switches mapped to these two variables.


You shouldn't have any problems finding lots of threads at Geekhack comparing switches. A few of the "classic" comparison posts are in the Links section of this wiki. Take a look at the latest Geekhack "What is Your Favorite Switch" poll . You don't have to necessarily pick the winner - in fact Geekhack is the kind of place where you get street cred for picking "other"! Assuming you can sort all this out and think you know what switch you want are getting close. Now it's time to pick the keyboard!

Nobody has the exact same criteria but these come up time and time again in reviews and discussions.

Wanna Switch? - Clicky or Quiet, Tactile or linear? - The switch you choose is probably the most important decision you will make. A Clicky keyboard is fun but can get LOUD. A sharp tactile keyboard sounds good but if it's too stiff for your fingers maybe you should have gone lighter. There is no one perfect switch for everyone. And it's fun to try new ones!

Build Quality - This is pretty subjective. Some people equate weight and plastic thickness with durability. Details such keyboard feet that don't collapse easily or slide around, thickness of cable, and plastic finish are other clues. This is one of those things that you can't see in pictures so have to rely on reviews by others. Don't get scared off by one bad review! Some of the people at GeekHack are pretty picky.

Keys - Since this is where "the rubber meets the road" you want durable keys where the lettering does not wear off. Often though it's a complex tradeoff between looks, durability and cost. And in the end alas all keys will wear down nice and shiny (even though you probably won't care if it takes decades of heavy use, which it does for some materials). Plastics.

N-Key Rollover Capability - Any keyboard can recognize anywhere from 2 to 8 keys at one time. This is fine for general typing. However MOST keyboards will fail with certain 3 key combos and this becomes important to gamers (the keyboard is called 2KRO because only 2 keys are GUARANTEED to be recognized at one time). You can really get hung up in the details here so ask yourself if it's ever been a problem for you and if a keyboard is 6KRO and not 104KRO don't get too hung up on this. You only have 5 fingers on each hand.

Aesthetics - Your choice. Everybody likes something different. Spend a bit of time thinking though if you are the type of person that likes to keep a keyboard clean. If you are a neat freak shiny keyboards will keep you quite busy with polishing cloths. Black likes to expose dirt and key shine, too.

Features - Most keyboards are pretty utilitarian devices with little extra features. Gaming Keyboards can get crammed with lots of things. Backlit keys are going to raise your cost but if you need them you need them. Media keys (for controlling sound/playback) and Macro keys can be recreated using software such as AutoHotkey but good gaming software makes it easy. USB hubs are convenient but watch out, they often don't have enough power to run 100% reliably. Whatever you do be skeptical of Gaming Keyboard marketing claims - "Gold USB Connectors Reduce Latency!" is a classic example of this (yes, the Geek in Geekhack means we have a Wiki for that).

And of course price.

As a general guide these appear to be the natural pricepoints in the Mechanical Keyboard Market.

1. Good deals under $50 - used, free from dumpster, Ebay finds, product blowouts/End of life (EOL) like the ABS M1
2. Mainstream Mechanicals - $50-$100 - Adesso, Scorpius, Steelseries 6GV2, Rosewill, Razer, Unicomp, IBM Model M
3. High quality and/or Feature Laden Gaming Keyboards - $100 - $200- Das, Filco, and LED keyboards like the Deck/Razer/Xarmor.
4. Boutique - $200 Plus - RealForce, HHKB, Ergonomic layout, NIB IBM Minis, Custom keyboards, Collectibles.

Like most products there is usually a direct corellation with price/quality but diminishing returns as you go up the price curve. Don't assume that even if you can afford it the boutique keyboard is the one for you.

Some people go look at one page at Elitekeyboards, pick one, press the "buy" button and THEN post asking if they did the right thing. Other people will make 200 posts at Geekhack before buying their first mechanical keyboard (I think that's the record).

Start by looking at the Mechanical Keyboards Sorted By Switch wiki. If you have a switch in mind that will narrow down the search dramatically. Then check out the Reviews section of Geekhack and search by title for your keyboard of interest. Odds are you'll have a couple of reviews to compare plusses and minuses of each keyboard. If not, just post and ask for feedback.

Time to buy. Elitekeyboards in the US and The Keyboard Company in the UK are popular sellers here but small. International buyers sometimes have additional costs due to shipping costs (easily $40 U.S. for a typical keyboard with tracking/reasonable shipping time and don't forget VAT and/or duties). The Mechanical Keyboard Sorted By Switch wiki includes some international shops by region. If you buy direct from several keyboard manufacturers like Metadot (Das) you can generally get a 30 day guarantee and possibly even a student discount or other discount. Once again, the "Mechanical Keyboards Sorted By Switch" wiki has direct links to sellers and updated pricing for each of the keyboards listed. Check the Ebay section of Geekhack for the more vintage keyboards.

Don't worry too much - even if you end up making a mistake buying the wrong keyboard (hey, it happens!) there is an active classified's section at Geekhack and you will get the majority of your money back (or even just propose a trade).

When you get your keyboard post in the "What Did You Get In The Mail" thread and WELCOME TO THE MECHANICAL KEYBOARD CLUB!


photo courtesy of Pfink

* Noise - If you have been raised on rubber domes you might be surprised at the noise some of these Mechanical keyboards can make. Even a Topre is a tiny bit louder than a scissor switch keyboard. Expect some clicks, pings, and thuds depending on what keyboard you pick. If you are sound sensitive check out the Keyboard Sound Samples At Geekhack. Most of the time people will adjust fine but don't be surprised if neighbors/spouses complain. Just smile and type faster. They'll get used to it.

* Scissor Switches Aren't Bad! Meh. These Mechanicals Are Oversold! - It happens. You might want to make sure you have a retailer that has a generous return policy. But rest assured even if Mechanical Keyboards aren't for you they are quite easy to sell here at Geekhack in the Classifieds Section or on Ebay.

* Selection and Price. More and more companies are jumping into the Mechanical Keyboard business. However selection is nothing like Rubber Dome keyboards. You will have to work harder to find one, and don't be surprised if you can't get it in the color you want. A number of models can be obtained worldwide but the best deals may vary depending on which corner of the world you are in. If you need a country-specific layout, this can also change the list of candidates dramatically (you can get most anything in US layout, the rest may vary). Prices will be higher but remember that a mechanical keyboard will last longer, maybe over several system builds. Remember how much you paid for that now obsolete graphics card?

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Although there are many more keyboards in the review section of the forum here are links to reviews for some of the more popular keyboards here at GeekHack. Although some may not have the particular switch you were interested in they generally give you lots of buying information you can not find anywhere else and without the "bias" you see in many Internet "Reviews".

In Alphabetical Order

Adesso MK-135B Review.
Cherry Corp G80 series G80-3000SLRC - Blue Cherry MX Review 1. Review 2.G80-3494 Red Cherry. G80-3000 Clear Cherry.
Das S (shipped briefly with Media keys but are now removed) Das S Review. Das S Review 2. Das Vs Filco. Das Vs. Filco 2.
Ducky keyboards Ducky 9008. Ducky 1087 Tenkeyless.
Filco Tenkeyless - Various Switches Blue Cherry Otaku. Blue Cherry Otaku 2. Das Vs Filco. Das Vs. Filco 2.
Filco Fullsized Brown Cherry MX. Brown Cherry MX 2.
IBM Model F (Buckling Spring Capacitive) - Review.
IBM Model M (Buckling Spring Membrane) - Comparison of IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp.
IBM Model M2 (Buckling Spring Membrane) - Review.
IBM Model M4 - Review.
IBM Model M15 - Review.
Matias Tactile Pro 3 - ALPS Simplified Type 1 (Fukkas) Review 1. Review 2.
PFU Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 Review 1. Review 2.
PFU Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite Review 1. Review 2.
Razer Black Widow Non-Illuminated 1. Non-Illuminated Video Review.
Rosewill RK-9000 "First Looks Review" - no pics. Review 2.
Scorpius M-10 - Blue Cherry MX Review 1.
Solidtek 6600 - White Clicky Simplified Type 1 ALPS Review.
SteelSeries 6G V2 - Black Cherry MX Nordic Layout.
Topre RealForce 86U, 87U, 103U - RealForce 86U. RealForce 87U. RealForce 87U 55g. RealForce Versus HHKB.
Unicomp - Buckling Spring Unicomp Endurapro with pointing stick. Uncomp Customizer. Unicomp Customizer 2.

Activation point/Activation force - Activation Point (or Operating Position) is the key travel distance where the key is actually recognized by the keyboard. Activation force is the force required at this point.

AHK/AutoHotkey/SharpKeys - Software programs that allow you to remap keys to different functions

Bottoming Out - When the switches are depressed all the way down

BS - Nope, not THAT one. It's an acronym for Buckling Spring. Switch mechanism used by IBM Model M, Model F, Unicomp and others. More in the IBM Wiki.

Click/Clack - Some switches makes an audible "Click" when the switch is actuated. All switches "Clack" when they hit the bottom.

Double Tap/Riding The Activation Point - Gaming techniques where you bottom out the keys rapidly or try and keep the key right in the center of it's travel to spam keystrokes.

HHKB - Happy Hacking Keyboard sold by PFU systems and using Topre switch technology. Based on the Sun Type 5 keyboard.

Hysteresis - Once the key switch has "fired", it will remain active and you have to go back up some distance to deactivate it again. This helps against accidental double characters when typing, but can be annoying during gaming.

Key Bounce - A mechanical switch, being mechanical and generally filled with springs and thin metal, will tend to bounce around several times making and breaking electrical contact before coming to rest. This often ranges up to 5ms. The firmware designer of the keyboard controller takes this into account and sets the scanning rate high enough that keys are being reported accurately but low enough that multiple erroneous key presses aren't sent to the PC.

Keyboard Matrix - Since connecting them all individually would require an awful lot of lines that would be a mess to route and scan, the key switches are laid out in a matrix. A glimpse of one is shown in the rubber dome pic above. How the switches are laid out determines the NKey characteristics of the keyboard (switches on the same row behave better than if you try and hold keys on different columns).

Linear - A switch that has no tactile 'bump' - the resistance increases in a linear fashion along the travel of the key.

N-key rollover, NKRO (also 6KRO, 2KRO) - The ability to hold down multiple keys at once. Important mainly for gaming. See the Nkey Rollover Definitions and Does It Matter?

Plate Mounted/PCB Mounted - Switches can be mounted onto a metal plate over a PCB (circuit board) or directly to the PCB.

PBT, POM, ABS, PVC - Different plastic types used in keyboard shells and key. See the All About Keyboard Keys - Types, Shapes, Materials and Maintenance wiki.

POS - Nope, not THAT one. Point Of Sale keyboard, for cash registers and such.

Scan Rate - The keyboard matrix is scanned at rate set by the firmware engineer. It is a tradeoff between the key bounce characteristics of the switch and the desire to scan as quickly as possible for optimum typing/gaming.

Tactile point/Tactile force - Similar to the Activation point/Activation force point but at the top of the tactile "bump".

Tactile "bump" - The resistance of the switch increases until you feel the force rise suddenly and then the resistance decreases. This can be pretty subtle on some switches.

"Two Piece Keys"/"PadPrinted"/"Tampo"/"Lasered"/"Sculpted" KEYS - see the All About Keyboard Keys - Types, Shapes, Materials and Maintenance wiki

USB - MAJOR HINT TIME!!!! This is the answer to the GeekHack registration question!
Aren't you glad you read all the way down to the end!

General Advice For People New To Mechanical keyboards

Keyswitch to recommend to newbies
Help a n00b choose a new keyboard
If you REALLY can't decide try this personality test.


Gaming Posts

Best/Boards Switches For Gaming?
Recommendations for a new Gaming Keyboard? (Backlit)
Cherry Brown Vs. Cherry Clear (gaming)
Nostromo N52 Mod (includes spring swaps)

Switch Specific
Brown vs. Blue Cherry Switches
Fukka Switches (long post)
Buckling Spring - Did Quality Decline? (answer: you'll be safe with any decent condition Model Ms or new Unicomps)

Overview of various switch types
Cherry Corp MX, ML, MY, etc
IBM Model M Buckling Spring, Model F Capacitive and Lots More IBM Info
Topre switches and keyboards
ALPS Switches and ALPS "compatibles"
More Obscure Switches

All About Keyboard Keys - Types, Shapes, Materials and Maintenance
Key Pictures and Specifications For Numerous Keyboards
Lasered Keys Technology including Das Versus Filco Durability Comparison

Nkey Rollover Definitions and Does It Matter?
NKey Rollover - Intro and full listing of NKRO/6KRO/Gaming Optimized/2KRO keyboards
USB Versus PS/2?
Do Gold USB Connectors Matter? (includes more than you ever wanted to know about USB wiring)

PS/2 to USB Adapters (tl;dr? - get a Blue Cube or Belkin)

Soldering Guide
Fabrication Resources
Scan Codes

Most Countries have direct links in the "Mechanical Keyboard Listed By Switch Wiki". Here are a couple more detailed wikis.

Buying in Japan
UK Layout Keyboards And Stores