Mechanical vs membrane keyboard

[Deleted member 110222]

Hi guys. Ever since starting to learn the guitar I've also been playing all my games with mouse and keyboard to keep strengthening my dexterity.

It's working BTW. My fretting/keyboard hand is getting stronger by the week.

However I have noticed that quite frequently on my membrane-based plank... I often press a key and nothing happens as I'm not putting quite enough pressure on it.

So I wanted to ask anyone here, especially FPS/MOBA/MMO gamers, a simple question.

Will a mechanical keyboard result in better input performance, especially on the issue of key press not registering?

 

[UmbraRex]

I far prefer a mechanical keyboard for the tactile feedback.

 

[Caramel Clown]

If course it will. Just go to a computer store, they usually have mechanical boards on display you can put your hands on. Some fancy stores even have displays with multiple different switch types. Go and just try it. My favorites are cherry reds, linear travel. Some people love clicky blues, or the ones with the bump...brown ones? You definitely have a better push feedback on a mechanical switch. However, there are some good membrane boards out there.

 

[Morbad]

Will a mechanical keyboard result in better input performance, especially on the issue of key press not registering?

A good keyboard, irrespective of switch mechanism, will register keys when you press them. However, buckling spring mechanical keys tend to last a lot longer and are generally more consistent than all but the best membrane keyboards.

 

[m0rl0ck]

I dont know if they are faster, most gamers seem to prefer them, but once you use a mechanical keyboard, you will have trouble going back to a membrane keyboard.
They are just a pleasure to type with.

 

[Chris Simon]

Yes, one of the advantages of mechanical keyboard is better key press registering.
It depends on a particular switch type, but most mechanical keyboards register a key press in the middle of the stroke, not at the bottom. Some give audible and tactile "click" feedback, some are silent but all are better than a membrane (this is subjective, of course)

Plus mechanical key are easier to hold down, which is also useful in video games. Membrane keys' resistance grows linearly and is highest at the bottom, while mechanical swich will present a tactile resistance all the way to the "click" (again the amount depends on the particular switch) but holding them fully pressed is almost effortless, which is nice and less tiring.

Also mechanical keyboards, even cheaper ones, tend to be better built.

As your first mechanical keyboard I'd recommend Cherry Brown (silent) or Blue (clicky). Romer G switches from Logitech are also nice. Manufacturer of the keyboard itself doesn't really matter, usually, so you can go by the looks, I would only recommend avoiding the absolutely cheapest ones as even if they say "mechanical" they're usually some kind of hybrid membrane.
But anything above, let's say, 120 quid should be good.

Mechanical switches are also serviceable, unlike membrane. You can usually change them if they break. Getting custom key caps is also quite easy. they're a lot of fun.

 

[jasonbarron]

Mechanical keyboards are far and away superior to membrane.

 

[marx]

So I wanted to ask anyone here, especially FPS/MOBA/MMO gamers, a simple question.

Will a mechanical keyboard result in better input performance, especially on the issue of key press not registering?

Well, I'm not such a gamer, but let me chime in on this too. If you have an issue of a key press not registering, than that keyboard is simply bad: even an average membrane keyboard should register all your presses.
As for input performance: well, what kind of performance are you looking for? Input latency perhaps? In that case, even mechanical keyboards can vary widely, and you should definitely be careful about what you buy. That said, it's also a matter of what game you're playing - and more importantly, most of the time it makes far less of a difference than improving your game-related skills does.

If it's typing speed though, then that primarily depends on you, and not what kind of keyboard you're using. At the end of a day, a top-end mechanical keyboard won't make you type faster - but it will feel better to type on it, at least.

 

[Mole HD]

I favour my Logitech G910...has a lovely feel to it over all. An average priced, pretty good mechanical keyboard...has the added function of a smartphone docking port (which I rarely use).

 

[cpbtrading]

I have a mechanical kb at the moment.
But I've used all types, super cheap, cheap, mid range, expensive, super expensive.
What I have found is, when I press the 'A' key, they all type 'A'.. Marvelous isn't it..

 

[GuruNot]

I loved my Microsoft Office Membrane Keyboard, which I had for a long time.

Spoiler

But when it died I replaced it with a QPAD MK85 (Red) and that felt better when typing and seems to handle multiple key presses better.

Spoiler

 

[Chris Simon]

I loved my Microsoft Office Membrane Keyboard, which I had for a long time.

Spoiler

But when it died I replaced it with a QPAD MK85 (Red) and that felt better when typing and seems to handle multiple key presses better.

Spoiler

If you're worried about rollover, PS/2 is still a thing. Incredible how this one interface turned out to be so timeless.

 

[Morbad]

But when it died I replaced it with a QPAD MK85 (Red) and that felt better when typing and seems to handle multiple key presses better.

When I originally purchased my current keyboard (a FILCO Majestouch tenkeyless) probably about a dozen years ago, I did so not because I cared much about the feel of the keys, but because a high-end mechanical keyboard was the only reliable way to get more than 3-4 key roll over.

If you're worried about rollover, PS/2 is still a thing. Incredible how this one interface turned out to be so timeless.

Six keys + modifiers (the limit on USB without workarounds) is enough for most scenarios, but it is important to check what degree of rollover a keyboard has. The simple matrices in almost all cheap keyboards, including some mechanical and some PS/2 keyboards, are often very limited in this regard.

PS/2 also generally has lower latency than USB as it's interrupt based, rather than being polled at an interval.

 

[ZeroAi]

Hi guys. Ever since starting to learn the guitar I've also been playing all my games with mouse and keyboard to keep strengthening my dexterity.

It's working BTW. My fretting/keyboard hand is getting stronger by the week.

However I have noticed that quite frequently on my membrane-based plank... I often press a key and nothing happens as I'm not putting quite enough pressure on it.

So I wanted to ask anyone here, especially FPS/MOBA/MMO gamers, a simple question.

Will a mechanical keyboard result in better input performance, especially on the issue of key press not registering?

Congrats on starting to learn the Guitar!

I need to learn break out my keyboard (no room for a piano) and get back to learning it!

 

[Caramel Clown]

Speaking of guitars, Unicorn. Your entry seems to be missing in this thread https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/guitars.525915/
I think you should do something about this terrible injustice

 

[Jezzah]

I used to use membrane keyboards but I changed to a mechanical one recently and I love it. Much more feedback.

I'm away from my pc for a few months so I cant remember what i bought exactly. Basically I bought the Top rated one as reviewed on Rock Paper Shotgun if you look at the hardware reviews you'll find it.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Speaking of guitars, Unicorn. Your entry seems to be missing in this thread https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/guitars.525915/
I think you should do something about this terrible injustice

Nice. I'll share mine later after dinner.

Going back to the titular topic. @Chris Simon made an interesting point and I think he's right. The issue only really occurs when I'm holding down WASD for movement. I think my fingers just relax a bit too much at the moment thus the key lifts off a little bit.

I'm 90% convinced that this is the "problem".

Now I've identified it I can start training my muscle memory to compensate.

 

[PiLhEaD]

Having worked in IT for a very long time, the early IBM keyboards were imho the best I have ever used.

About the same weight as a small car, quite a concaved shape to the whole keyboard, sat at a fair angle with long press keys that went 'clack'. Brilliant.

Membrane keyboards are okay and a necessary evil for most (all?) laptops, but aren't my first choice..... I say as I type on a tablet's screen using only my thumbs.....

 

[kilvenny]

I would always advise to go mechanical, but I prefer to use membrane as I get older because they seem to suit my arthritic hands better.

 

[Chris Simon]

Having worked in IT for a very long time, the early IBM keyboards were imho the best I have ever used.

About the same weight as a small car, quite a concaved shape to the whole keyboard, sat at a fair angle with long press keys that went 'clack'. Brilliant.

Membrane keyboards are okay and a necessary evil for most (all?) laptops, but aren't my first choice..... I say as I type on a tablet's screen using only my thumbs.....

Would you look at that.
The buckling spring lives on.