Peripherals Keyboard Recommendations

Hi everybody,

Unfortunately my venerable Saitek Cyborg V.5 has started to develop a few faults including and intermittent space bar and a failing backlight, so I've started looking for a replacement. However, keyboards have obviously moved on a LOT since I last looked and I'm lost.

In the good old days you had a choice of backlit or not, and the brands were the OG peripheral brands: Logitech, Corsair, Razer, etc. Now there's a whole world of people collecting switches and keycaps like they're pogs and there are a multitude of new (to me at least!) brands that in which can't tell Aliexpress specials apart from the genuine article.

Can someone help me please? Apologies for yet another keyboard thread!

Things I would like:

• Full size, including number keys
• Integrated wrist rest
  
• Backlight (although if I have to lose one criterion it'd be this)
  
• Decent typing action (so, probably mechanical??) I like keys with quite a long travel and a positive action, noise isn't an issue
• Restrained colour scheme. Please no RGB unless it can be turned off using generic drivers as I'm a linux user and ideally the keyboard would be in black
• Slight preference for wired as I can't be bothered with batteries but I'm not really fussed either way

I've not mentioned budget as I have no idea. I'm shocked that a decent keyboard can be £100-£150 these days and I'd prefer not to spend that but I'm willing to be educated and persuaded. As ever though, as little as possible please!

Thanks in advance
Jack

 

Have a quick read of this 23,563 reply thread, I'm sure it will answer your questions

Otherwise, I started looking into keyboards more myself recently, and a big snag I've hit is getting a solid UK layout, is that something you require?

I would definitely say get a mechanical, and do a little research into what keys would suit you. Maybe something like a Das Keyboard would suit, I think integrated wrist rests are somewhat out of fashion.

I'm just delving into the world of keyboards, however and I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly

 

I would ask why you want/need an integrated wrist rest, if you really want one I'd get a standalone.

Mechanical I would say is the way to go, and if you want plain/formal look then obvious examples would be daskeyboard and filco.

Edit:
Missed the backlight comment, in which case Ducky would probably be a good shout.

 

Second Ducky with blue/brown switches and a gel wrist rest.
A separate wrist rest is better because you can find something that suits you and can reposition and replace it as needed.
Otherwise, something like a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, but they tend to not last that long in my experience.
If you really want the integrated wrist rest try Corsair K68 or k70 around £100.

 

Thank you all for suggestions. With regards to the wrist rest that's just something that I find comfortable and I thought intergrated would be better than having to mess on but if separates is the common wisdom then fair enough.

I had identified the Das Keyboard Prime 13 as probably what I'd buy before I thought to ask here, so I am pleased to see that be suggested.

 

I've got a Hunstman Elite I picked up for around £130 ages ago (over a year). I love it. Not a huge fan of the RGB though you can change and turn that off, but it's been a lovely keyboard to use.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Razer-Hunt...keywords=huntsman+elite&qid=1586188460&sr=8-4

Sadly the Elite seems to be £230 now, and the only difference is a wrist pad (with RGB /rolls eyes).

It's definitely worth looking into IMO. It feels kinda like a brown, without much resistance.

Edit. It seems to be missing the multimedia keys that I have never even used.

 

So my DAS Prime 13 showed up yesterday after a LOOOOOONG delay, it's all great aside from the backlight isn't auto-dimming. Is there a setting somewhere on the keyboard itself?

Alternatively, I wonder if it's something like linux polling the keyboard so it doesn't realise that it's idle?

 

You can alter the brightness with Fn and F1 - F2 iirc. I don't think it auto-dims.

 

It does, says so on their site. Actually I wonder if it is, it's just not dimming all the way to off (which in fairness it never said that it does). I just pressed a key to get out of my screensaver and it got much brighter.