Can you please recommend me a mechanical keyboad with such specs?

[iamgenius]

Here are the specs I want:

It should be mechanical of course(wired).
Back-lit with red or blue lights.
Has a built-in USB 3.0 hub.
Somewhat ergonomic.


Thank you very much.

[destrekor]

Not sure if you're gonna find any with USB 3.0 hubs, I hadn't seen a thing when searching like crazy for a similar-spec mechanical.

Do you have preference for a particular switch type?

If you like Cherry MX Browns, I personally am in love with my Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth (first model, not the 2013 series). It does have USB Passthrough, but I'm 99.9% sure neither it nor the 2013 models are USB 3.0-capable. They are USB 2.0 capable though, I think (it has one port, btw, and uses two USB ports on your PC: 1 for KB, 1 for USB passthrough). I use mine for the wireless receiver of my G700, since it's right next to the mouse. The g700's cable is routed to the tower.

When it comes to requiring backlighting and specific switches (Cherry MX Brown, my preference), you start highly narrowing down the field of possibilities.

Logitech's finally got a mechanical of their own now too, and appears to be very similar to the Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth, with a few differences/additions.
It too, though, is also limited to USB 2.0 passthrough.

I haven't searched thoroughly out there for any potential Chinese-import boards with USB 3.0, but I would hazard a guess and say you won't be finding one for awhile, especially with other specific requirements.

[Jader88]

GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium has USB 3.0

And it has a blue backlight. It only comes with Red switches

Its not ergonomic though.

[ripster55]

Usb 3.0 >>>> ps/2!

[Zxian]

Originally Posted by ripster55

Usb 3.0 >>>> ps/2!

Interrupts >> Polling!

[destrekor]

Originally Posted by Zxian

Interrupts >> Polling!

Granted, I use a USB 2.0 keyboard (cannot imagine why 3.0 would even matter for a keyboard, unless it has a hub - and a straight passthrough is better imho), but hell, even my motherboard has a single PS/2 connector on it (labeled as "keyboard"). I was puzzled over this, like: "why the hell is such an ancient connector still on this Z68 chipset board? One designed for overclockers, no less. ?"

Then I discovered, only PS/2 allows true nKRO (n-key roll over). And as I discovered in my search for mechanical boards, quite a few have PS/2 capability (though you lose any fancy features iirc). Sometimes they are even described as "full NKRO with PS/2, such and such with USB". I think USB actually has a limit, but not all keyboards can even achieve that limit if they are cheaply designed.
The Blackwidow Ultimate, for example, has an "enhanced gaming optimized matrix" or some such that ultimately only allows for 6 keys simultaneously, at best (with modifier keys iirc). Whereas the Ultimate Stealth model (the one I have) has it better. I think the best I tested was 10 keys simultaneously; perhaps it was more, but I also think that was only 10 including modifiers.

Actually, after typing all that, I think I remember it better. At best, the regular Ultimate model allowed 3 standard keys, up to 6 or so depending on the specific keys in question (including modifiers, and game-focused keys like WASD). The Stealth, iirc, can do up to 6 standard keys, and up to 10 when you throw in modifiers. I believe that is the limit of USB.
However, I honestly don't care enough to require more than what the Stealth/USB offers - I only have five fingers on the keyboard during games, and I'm not playing speed-type MMOs or click-fests like Starcraft. (I do enjoy Diablo, but I'm not god at the game, and thus not proficient enough to test these types of limits). FPS games hardly bring the issue of KRO into play - for mechanical boards, switch type plays more into the FPS equation than anything else. At least, the standard BWU would have worked fine for BF-type games, if not for the blue switch. I did stumble into a limit on boards that had a standard, non "optimized" matrix under the switches (my experience with such were limited to dome and scissor switch boards).

[balane]

As far as I know, and I searched quite a bit, only the above mentioned Gigabyte board will come close to your wish list.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823334013

[destrekor]

That Gigabyte seems like an overall good board.

As one review mentioned, the macro keys have a funky positioning (most, if they have macro keys at all, put them on the left, flanking the tab/caps/Lshift/etc).

The only other aspect is whether one prefers the MX Red switches. I've never tried anything other than the Blue and Brown switches. Mine are the Browns, I do like them a lot too. Especially wonderful for typing, which they remove a lot of the clicking noise -- though mechanical boards still tend to be louder than other types -- that the Blue switches create, yet they still create a tactile feedback at the actuation point (which is somewhere around half a key-press).


That actually surprised me that Gigabyte had a board with USB 3.0 passthrough, as I hadn't seen any or heard about any getting released.
What's interesting is it also appears to have a second USB 2.0 port on the rear (near right edge as well). I imagine that's a passive hub-type port, daisy-chaining off the main USB 2.0 link the keyboard uses for itself.

As for ergonomics, I'm not really certain what the OP intends for that point. A good mechanical keyboard is going to have tiered keys that also have a varied slope for each row (you can see it in any straight-on side profile photo). At any rate, I really haven't seen any Cherry MX switch toting keyboard with anything other than what I just described.
There may be few mechanical boards out there (Cherry MX switches or other types, like buckling spring) that have the split-half ergonomic design - but I seriously doubt you'd find one that even has any of the other desired features, let alone have a gaming focus.

[iamgenius]

Okay.............sounds like the osmium is the way to go. I'll give up on ergonomics.

Thanks

[ripster55]

Now I'm curious. WHY do you need a USB 3.0 port on your keyboard. The only USB 3.0 device I have is a Lexar cardreader and I swear that thing has a lot of dropouts.

[balane]

I would love a USB 3.0 port on my keyboard. The only thing that matters with USB 3.0 are storage devices. I have an external hard drive in a 3.0 enclosure and also a 64GB thumb drive. Both work awesomely and 2.0 feels positively archaic in comparison, I could never go back to 2.0 for storage any more than I could give up my SSD. My keyboard is a lot closer to me than my computer and having a port there would be handy indeed.

[iamgenius]

Originally Posted by ripster55

Now I'm curious. WHY do you need a USB 3.0 port on your keyboard. The only USB 3.0 device I have is a Lexar cardreader and I swear that thing has a lot of dropouts.

So that I can connect my USB 3.0 flash drives into the provided port. It is much more convenient to plug a stick into the keyboard because it is the closest device to your hands. Better than having to plug them in the back of my case or other hard to reach places.

[ripster55]

Thanks. I need to go update all my thumb drives now.

[balane]

Originally Posted by ripster55

Thanks. I need to go update all my thumb drives now.

Two words for you my friend, "Shell Shocker." Keep your eyes peeled.