Hi Guys,

I plan to get my first mechanical keyboard and came across this DROP + OLKB PREONIC KEYBOARD MX KIT V3 which is an Ortholiear Kb.

The only reason I chose this is due to the case design but not really into Ortho.

Is there any other brand that makes almost identical or similar case design but in 60% or 65% type in aluminum?

if you're just interested in getting a full-size commercial prebuilt with relatively good build qualities, you can look for options by brands such as ikbc, ducky, durgod, filco, varmilo, and leopold.

a mechanical keyboard is still a keyboard. it's just that for mechanical keyboards, there are rich options for users to tune it according to own preferences. if you intended to do this, there are better options for you to get started, instead of prebuilts.

about cherry mx brown are good for typing, it's just marketing. it's like them telling us that cherry mx speed silver is good for gaming.

there are users who use ortho at mymkb, https://www.facebook.com/groups/MalaysiaMechanicalKeyboard

edit:

MelGeek MCR Horseman is at the shipping stage now. they are the first of the MCR profile.

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 25 2022, 11:37 AM

After long time thinking, pulled trigger on akko 3098b cs silver switch. Really love the keycaps design by looks. Hopefully doesnt disappoint.

your hobby ?
As for me , i just wanted a keyboard with better key press compare to rubber dome.If I measure the force , I need about 65-70 grams actuation force to press since having a bump below.It doesn't force down and register until i bottom out 65-70 grams.I guess you guys know what i mean by rubber dome.It's tiring to type for hours.

Keyboard type :
After reading a few page of the thread , i found there are a lot of key switch
https://keybumps.com/switch-list.html
Without actual trying everyone of them , just by browsing at youtube video , it's hardly able to choose which one is suitable for my liking.

niakulah when you first buy a mechanical keyboard , which one did you choose and the reason ? or did you try and test with other type of keyboard before choosing ?
At the current covid condition , not much seller willing to open a keyboard display to let you touch and type and with social distance.It'd be hard to actually choose one.So i just browse some youtube saying mx switch are easy and like a standard.Blue is not suitable at office due to clicky noise.I had never tried black , red and brown and all base on video recommendation.
Looking at https://www.pcgamer.com/best-mechanical-switches-for-gaming/ is completely different without trying.

Current budget range rm350, i think i can only get ikbc but i hope to tested out every of them.Btw , logitech G613 wireless using Romer-G tactile switches , how do you think compare to those brand you mention before for typing experience ?

akko pc75b plus
under RM500 budget option

IMHO
Hobby is another way to put it in collecting keebs hahaha
well the think that i learn when starting this journey if i may share is ... i get the most basic and cheap keyboard which is RK and then try to get the best switch and keycaps that suits me.
As for me i like loud switch since i use this mainly at home while i am wfh for the pass 2 years.

Then start looking on either going from pcb mounted to gasket as this also need to experience the feel for me lah in order to get the most suitable for me hahaha. Not going to custom build yet but have done customization on switches

as mentioned earlier, it is more toward your own liking and to get the best you need to try
yes it will cost a lot of RM

This post has been edited by cruzzmz: Apr 26 2022, 10:42 AM

i will not recommend trying out with demonstration units to prevent possible covid-19 infections also.

cherry mx was used as reference because previously they were the original and predominant mx style mechanical key switches in the market. since few years ago, after cherry mx's patent expired, their clones were introduced also. for the base switch types, there is mainly 3: linear (red, black, silver), tactile (brown, clear), clicky (blue). for relatively quieter typing, usually linear and tactile switches are used; for even quieter environments, silent linear or tactile.

videos are only about sound, not feel. they are solely for reference, because sound and feel are the results of keyboard parts and mods working together, not just switches alone. reading is similar. yes, i do notice that you have done quite a lot of research, but without trying out even once. it's not a good sign, because this hobby needs first-hand experience, so that you know what're comfortable to you. mkbs last long. they are maintainable/repairable. hence, we make them to provide the most comfortable typing experience to us, so that we can enjoy using them, not get tortured by them.

for beginner, i will suggest you get a hot-swap prebuilt that supports switch swapping instead, from tecware, akko, keychron, or gmmk. since you like tactile, then start with tactile (cherry mx brown; gateron brown). you can get enough gateron yellow if you wanna try out linear, populating alpha area (cherry mx red might be too light for you)

to me, romer-g is just like cherry mx style key switches. there is no reason for users to throw away massive and fully compatible options for cherry mx style key switches, especially key caps, replacement parts, and the levels of switch customization that they can possibly achieve.

edit: note that the above are just my opinions. there is nothing wrong if you get logitech boards because you might like other features on them. it's really fine.




This post has been edited by horns: Apr 26 2022, 11:11 AM

Well it's a hobby now. Initially I was just like you. Wanted a full size black discrete keyboard for the office (I don't have a PC at home).

https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=94558993

Nope did not get to try anything, just did my research, bought online and hoped for the best.

we all started somewhere. mine was a full-size corsair k70 rgb. it's still kicking nicely after i belanja'ed it with kopi peng/coke/milo peng, etc. in different occasions.

i do make a lot of mistakes, like giving wrong comments, with then puny and limited experience. e.g., shiny ABS key caps are bad. now, i ended up getting more ABS key caps; and i think shiny key caps are ok haha

eventually, we all will come to a point and realize that there is no right or wrong in this hobby. as long as the owner is happy with their work, it's really good enough.

it's just a keyboard after all.

Haha. Yes. Reading back that first purchase post, I'm surprised I found the OEM profile high! I'm super comfortable with KAT now which is just as tall, to the point I don't like Cherry profile. I don't even use a wrist rest, I naturally hang my wrists nowadays.

Wow, surprised that it still works. My first is already dead by my own hands. Too many pads lifted during desoldering.

And reading back some more, aiya I was so blur. I even tried to pop open my switches to spring swap without desoldering.

haha!

that's why i said mkbs are long lasting; proven by my own experience. in my case, i did clean it up with alcohol, and only used it after a week or two. now it's with corsair's thick pbt key caps.

well, technically it's not dead yet i think. lifted pads are still fixable, but yeah it will take more efforts to do so.

yeah things that we do for the betterment sometimes involve weird actions lol

a lot of good advices here
as for me i like xda profile one since it is uniformed hahaha

next project wanna do a nasi lemak switch ... this time may venture to linear one hahaha

This post has been edited by cruzzmz: Apr 26 2022, 02:15 PM

xda profile, like dsa, are flat for me. however, they look nice haha

one of my favorites is this reference build with generic 60% plastic tray-mount case.



the case is warped, but fixed 'accidentally' with gasket-friction mounting hehe

it's not pretty, but its typing feel is nice (to me)

using O ring???

it's something like this.

it's a partial gasket friction mounting, because there are no cutout on pcb to prevent it from direct contact to the supporting extructions that are found around the internal of the case.

for now, dz60 flex-cut pcb has this kind of pre-cuts.

i see ... i tried emulating gasket with the screw o ring since i cant get the big elestic o ring

tried that. it does create relatively softened typing feel, compared to stock tray-mount. however i prefer gasket friction mounting, because no screw is used, which help to reduce hard spot effects a little bit more imo. also, i leave a gap filled with thin foam between pcb and standoffs.

as a refresh about these tray-mount mods:

- a tray-mount board usually produces firm/hard typing feel, with additional hard spots at the areas of supporting extrusions and standoffs of the case.
- gummy o-ring mod makes a tray-mount build to have gasket-mount-like softened typing feel, and eliminates hard spots. physical work needs to be done on pcb, and case.
- o-ring and this gasket friction mounting give relatively softened typing feel compared to stock tray-mount, with reduced hard spot effects.

edit: note that the firm/hard typing feel of the tray-mount is still there. it's just relatively 'softened' by o-ring and gasket friction mounting mods.

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 27 2022, 11:40 AM

Thanks for the heads up. Mine just arrived!

That knob more expensive than some keyboards lol

More expensive than a Logitech K120.