So the time has finally come where my trusty 10 year old Razer Lycosa keyboard is no longer operating as it should anymore. The other day it picked up a ghosting issue when using the Spacebar and either A S or D. If I am holding any of those keys the Spacebar presses do not register at all. It never used to be this way, there’s supposed to be anti-ghosting on the WASD cluster, but no amount of reinstalling, resetting our other troubleshooting methods have fixed the problem.
So the good news is now I can finally get a shiny new mechanical keyboard - the sad news is that I can’t really spend too much as funds are low after having to pay the bond and transfer attorneys their pound of flesh with getting the new house in Jan.
The main thing I’m looking for is n-key rollover, I do not want to suffer ghosting issues again. I’m not too fussed clickiness ect. The quieter the better where possible.
So I’m looking for the following:
N-key rollover
Fairly quiet (Red or Brown switches)
Affordable but still well designed and durable (by affordable I mean R1k or less, preferably less)
Not rubbish driver software
Would love to hear your suggestions and experiences with mech keyboards.
Cool, thanks for the responses. Ya I realise that I won’t get all the preferences due to the budget constraints but I’m hoping to find the best possible compromise. Will check out the suggested keyboards.
I have a friend who has an Aorus keyboard and he hadn’t been too impressed with the software, I would hazard a guess that the Gigabyte one shares similar software
Honestly, I’d just get a SteelSeries…their keyboards (even the membrane ones) have all the fancy anti-ghosting, n-key rollover, etc etc etc stuff you’d expect. You’ll probably still be using the SteelSeries in 2030.
My SteelSeries (Ideazon) keyboard was bought somewhere in the early 2000s. It’s USB 1.0 (not even the snazzy 1.1) and I’m still using it well over 10 years after buying it. I do have a newer “gaming keyboard” that’s gathering dust, but the 10+ year old SteelSeries is still better than the new keyboard by a good margin. The keys are not even getting shiny and the lettering is not disappearing. It’s hands down the best value for money I ever got with a keyboard.
I have a Steelseries APEX at home. It’s great, but membrane. I got my first mech keyboard for work recently, the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB. My word, what a great keyboard it is! Was on special for -50% at Wootware, so ended up paying just over R1000 odd for it. Don’t regret it at all. Besides, work paid for it…
Honestly mechanical is amazing. I’ve replaced all keyboards in my life with mechanical and I’ll never go back to membrane. Same with 144hz vs 60hz. I’ll never game on 60hz ever again
I use a Reddragon Devarajas which I got for about R900. It’s worth for that price but I think it uses Reddragon’s own brand of switches. It has RGB and macro software but it can work without it.
@PsychoFish I’m seriously considering the Steelseries Apex 300 especially since I’d be able to get it with my eBucks from Takealot (their “special” at least places it at the current price at other stores.)
@LazyDemoni I’ve heard some good things about Redragon keyboards. Would definitely look at the Devarajas if there was a special on it.
I’m also using the Redragon K556 Devarajas RGB, sturdy af aluminum all round, the keys are basically MX Browns, the keys are raised which is nice, RGB works well and have had no issues with it thus far.
If you can get it on special, why not have all 3? My HyperX Alloy Elite RGB is pure bliss to use and cost just over R1k… It was on a slightly over 50% discount at the time, but I guess it’s worth waiting for those?
So, in an interesting twist in fate my Razer Lycosa has fixed itself and is working perfectly again. The legend lives on!
With that in mind I’ll rather hold off on a new keyboard until I can afford the higher price range to get a really decent mech board. Thanks for all the suggestions though, I now have a decent idea of what to look for when I finally do take the plunge.
I had a lycosa. there was apparently a trick with it where you put like tinfoil or something behind the circuit board…or SOMETHING like that, there was some kind of manufacturer defect with a batch of them…im too lazy to google it, but yea there was a “workaround” fix for lycosa issues, that I know
