Best keyboards for gaming!

This might not be the best forum for this, at least post in the video games discussion section. Go to forums>Misc>Video Games discussion.
 

I have/like the Merc Stealth from Steel Series.

I can game on pretty much any keyboard, but mostly favor an old IBM Model M for that buckling spring tactile feel. 2KRO hasn't hindered me at all thus far.

Contrary to the usual rhetoric about linear switches being the best for gaming, I HATE linear switches due to their precise lack of tactile feedback, and doubly so in a keyboard's case because the switches are long-throw for a digital switch. I like to know by feel exactly when a switch has actuated or released instead of having to rely on feedback from the screen to know if something went through or not.

For a lot of games 2-key-rollover is enough.  But sometimes it won't work for FPS if you need to move forward and right and also reload and jump at the same time.  You would need 6KRO or more.  Most USB keybaords do 6KRO as that's the default USB implementation for keyboards (6 individual keys plus modifiers: shifts, ctrl, alt, etc).  Some keyboards like Leopold can do N-key roll over on USB.  Poker can do NKRO as well.  Some of the NKRO implementation don't work on OS X though.  Most of the 6KRO can become NKRO over PS/2 port, if PS/2 is supported.

Rosewill, CM Storm are value gaming keyboards.  CM Storm tenkeyless is around $70 when discounted.  Leopold is good at around $110 from elitekeyboards.com. Filco is also very good, at round $140+ from keyboardco fulfilled by Amazon in the USA.  Both Leopold and Filco are better made keyboards with better PCB design and manufacturing than Poker, Rosewill, and CM Storm.  But you don't game better on the cheaper 6KRO keyboards.

As for linear (Cherry MX red and black) vs. tactile (Cherry MX brown and clear) vs. clicky (Cherry MX blue), it is just a personal preference.  There are professional Starcraft 2 players using any of the above.  Clicky switches like IBM buckling springs and Cherry MX blue are not as good for gaming if you need to double tap a lot (as in Starcraft 2) because the actuation point and the reset point are far away relative to linear (red/black) and tactile (Cherry MX brown).  So when double-tapping, the key switch stem needs to travel a longer distance comparing to linear switches which you could "float" between the actuation and reset points.

I am a noob here on head-fi, but I frequent geekhack.org and deskthority.net with 40+ keyboards in my collection.  So I can help out here or over on those 2 forums.

I personally love brown and red, as well as Realforce topre switches and sometimes IBM Model Ms.  But just today I am typing on a DAS2 with MX blue and blank keycaps at work. I guess I love them all.  :-)

nice thread, I've not yet felt the need for a gaming Key Board yet, I just have an old usb but I'm sure as I start to play bigger and better mmo's and FPS/3PS I'll need to g et one!

I have a few G-series peripherals not that I game but it's mostly because I find that gaming products are pretty resilient and durable. They work well too! I happen to have the Microsoft Sidewinder keyboard too (not sure what model it is) but the keys are very responsive and in my opinion performs better than the G110.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikp 

I have a few G-series peripherals not that I game but it's mostly because I find that gaming products are pretty resilient and durable. They work well too! I happen to have the Microsoft Sidewinder keyboard too (not sure what model it is) but the keys are very responsive and in my opinion performs better than the G110.

Yea good point, xD they are made for some hard core use lol. Also sincere where on this subject

KIDS DONT GAME ON LAPTOPS, I've broke a few laptops gaming... just from heavy key board use lol,

Still, I have a basic usb keyboard and that's always worked for me... so long as my GPU wasn't laggy <.<

Nice, it's about $44 on Amazon, might get when I feel my basic one isn't good enough any moar!

Which keyboards have sufficent drivers that let your games utlize what ever extra keys that you have btw?

@OM Yeap. I played some Battlefield games for fun quite a while ago. Got to the top 3 ranks consistently in a game - fast responsive keyboard + high DPI mouse a.k.a G500. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikp 

@OM Yeap. I played some Battlefield games for fun quite a while ago. Got to the top 3 ranks consistently in a game - fast responsive keyboard + high DPI mouse a.k.a G500. 

Nice, I'll have to look into a better mouse and keyboard when I can afford it!