Mechanical Keyboard Starter Guide

Why Mechanical Keyboards?

Mechanical keyboards are a type of keyboard that uses mechanical switches to register keystrokes. These switches a smooth and acrurate typing experience and can also give tactile, audio feedback when pressed depending on the type of switches you use. They are also more durable than most standard keyboards that came with your desktop or lapto keyboard, which makes them ideal for gamers and typists that want a better feel when typing.

More often than not, you've used a membrane keyboard. Membrane keyboards use a rubber or silicon sheet to make contact with the keys and read the input. When a key is pressed, the rubber presses down and the sensor interprets this as an input from that key that feels sort of mushy. They are not as solid and responsive as mechanical keyboards, but they are usually cheaper and quieter.

There are many benefits to using a mechanical keyboard over a membrane keyboard. Primarily, they are much more durable than their membrane counterparts, which is great for those who work in extreme conditions or play video games often. The sound of the keystrokes is also much more satisfying to the ears than that of the plastic-on-plastic sound generated by cheaper keyboards. Each key on a mechanical keyboard has it's own dedicated physical switch that can be customized with a different feel and weights on each keypress.

Customize Each Switch

The switches for each key on the keyboard are what make mechanical keyboards so fun to type on. There are many different types of switches out there to tailor to your typing style but most fit into 3 main categories: linear, tactile, and clicky.

When using Clicky switches, you'll feel a bump and hear a loud click sound in the moment the switch is activated to let you know the moment you've successfully pressed it. When pressing on the switch, you'll feel a little bit of resistance right before the switch activates and that is what is called the tactile bump. Many typsists like this to let them know that they pressed a switch succesfully with the maxmium feedback from each switch.

Linear switches don't have the tactile bump or audible click while pressing the key which makes them quieter. Also, the pressure when pressing the switch is peferctly even until it hits the bottom of the switch. Gamers especially like using this switch since it allows them to press the same key very quickly without having to get over that tactile bump each time.

Tactile switches have a tactile bump but no audible click. Although there is no audible clicky sound, there is a little bit of sound when getting over that tactile bump. This switch is great for tyists that want a great feeling keyboard without the loudness of a clicky keyboard.

There are many other factors that go into a mechanical switch like how heavy you need to press, the feedback when you hit the absolute bottom of a switch, and much more. Many places will even sell a mechanical keyboard switch tester so you can sample keys before you purchase a whole set.

Mechanical keyboards come in all shapes, sizes, and materials

Customizability doesn't just apply to the switches! Many parts of the keyboard vary from different brands, kits, and parts. There are also many differerent sizes ranging from a full-size keyboard with function keys and a num pad to tiny keyboards that just have the essentials that you need.

It all really comes to your preference and needs! If you're a beginner, we recommend taking a look at our preassembled mechanical keyboard list to see which keyboards we recommend that comes with all things you'll need but still be able to easily customize later.

When choosing a kit or keyboard, there are several different terms that you might see. Below are some definitions of features that can come with a keyboard. Many keyboards come with a combination of these depending on price, style, and customizability.

Common Keyboard Features, Terms, and Definitions

• Hotswappble PCB: The printed circuit board (PCB) that your switches are connected to for your keyboard to work has the ability to swap switches whenever you want to
• RGB Lighting: Your keyboard has the ability to have multicolored lighting in a combination of either under the keyboard or under the actual keys themselves.
• Key switch plate: There can also be a plate right above the PCB to keep your switches stable that can range from different materials for your sound preference
• USB Connection: Your keyboard can either be bluetooh wireless or more commonly connected through USB which many keyboard are USB-C Compatible now

Diving into Mechanical Keyboards

As a beginner, all the information on features can be overwhelming. We recommend focusing on the first two parts of this article: switch type and keyboard layout. Focus on what sort of switch you'd like to type on and what type of keys and layout you'll need for either your gaming, typing or combination use. Our preassembled mechanical keyboard list have the best recommendations in terms of quality, design, and feature set and have been highly rated through the community. Good luck on your journey with mechanical keyboards!