I see there are quite a few questions here on mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, and monitors. I just wanted to share a few links, which are pretty extensive and authoritative on each subject.
Mechanical Keyboards
Mechanical keyboards are favored by people because they feel less mushy than rubber-dome (the normal kind) keyboard. If you've ever used an 2-3 year old Dell keyboard, you probably know the feeling: it has a weird stickiness as you push it down and it comes up a little more slowly than your finger, so it feels like you're typing on a keyboard with syrup spilled on it or something. Mechanical keyboards last longer and don't have that mushy feeling.
There are 3 basic features of mechanical keyboards keys: how they feel when they are pushed, how loud they are, and how much pressure it takes to make it go down. I'll go over each feature in order.
Keys may be tactile or linear. Tactile means they have an "actuation point" where the key gives physical feedback to the user when the keypress is registered. Linear means that the key feels the same all the way through. Tactile, after getting used to it, is less stressful for touch typing; linear is better for gaming, when you just mash the key down.
Keys can be loud and clicky, like a typewriter, or quiet like a "normal," rubber dome keyboard. It's up to you to decide what you like better. Touch typists typically prefer the audible kind as it gives aural feedback when the actuation point is reached. Gamers with speaker may want quiet ones so it doesn't interfere with immersion.
Keys may require more or less force to push. Around 55 grams of pressure is what is required for the average, rubber-dome desktop keyboard. Some keys, which I'll call "heavy", require more; others, called "light", will require less or about the same.
They come in 4 basic types of "switch," which is a fancy way of saying "how the key feels and works when pressed." These common four, called the Cherry MX series, include:
Gaming Mice
Gaming mice are very different from their normal brethren. They generally have a very precise tracking ability, measured in Dots-Per-Inch (commonly abbreviated to DPI). The higher the DPI, the less you need to move the physical mouse to get the cursor on-screen to move. They are often wired, for better response times, and they usually have extra buttons other than left- and right-click.
There are 3 general kinds of gaming mice, divided up by how you hold it. The palm grip is where you contact most of the mouse with your hand, resting your fingers and palm on it completely. The claw grip is where you have an arc in your hand such that your fingertips are only touching the left- and right-click buttons; the middle of your hand and rest of your fingers are in the air. The fingertip grip is where your palm does not touch the mouse at all, and you secure the mouse with only your fingertips. There are technical reasons for these grips, such as your hand size, the stress put on your hand from each grip, and mouse movement speed, but beginners should experiment with a normal, cheap mouse before deciding which grip to use. This is because gaming mice are often designed to suit some grips over others.
Gaming mice are also divided between kinds appropriate for MMOs and FPSs. The kind made for MMOs usually have a huge number of buttons located approximately where the thumb goes for quick access to skills and items. Higher end mice made for FPSs generally have some kind of "scoping" button where the thumb is which decreases the DPS dramatically for high precision movements.
Monitors
This is by no means comprehensive, but it should go a long way to answering basic questions. I'll do my best to slowly port over the most basic information so people don't have to go through the links as much.
Mechanical Keyboards
- Mechanical Keyboard Guide by Manyak: This guide is extensive, covering NKRO, all the key types, and gives short reviews of dozens of popular keyboards.
Mechanical keyboards are favored by people because they feel less mushy than rubber-dome (the normal kind) keyboard. If you've ever used an 2-3 year old Dell keyboard, you probably know the feeling: it has a weird stickiness as you push it down and it comes up a little more slowly than your finger, so it feels like you're typing on a keyboard with syrup spilled on it or something. Mechanical keyboards last longer and don't have that mushy feeling.
There are 3 basic features of mechanical keyboards keys: how they feel when they are pushed, how loud they are, and how much pressure it takes to make it go down. I'll go over each feature in order.
Keys may be tactile or linear. Tactile means they have an "actuation point" where the key gives physical feedback to the user when the keypress is registered. Linear means that the key feels the same all the way through. Tactile, after getting used to it, is less stressful for touch typing; linear is better for gaming, when you just mash the key down.
Keys can be loud and clicky, like a typewriter, or quiet like a "normal," rubber dome keyboard. It's up to you to decide what you like better. Touch typists typically prefer the audible kind as it gives aural feedback when the actuation point is reached. Gamers with speaker may want quiet ones so it doesn't interfere with immersion.
Keys may require more or less force to push. Around 55 grams of pressure is what is required for the average, rubber-dome desktop keyboard. Some keys, which I'll call "heavy", require more; others, called "light", will require less or about the same.
They come in 4 basic types of "switch," which is a fancy way of saying "how the key feels and works when pressed." These common four, called the Cherry MX series, include:
- Cherry MX Red: Linear, silent, and light. Favored by gamers with a lighter touch.
- Cherry MX Black: Linear, silent, and heavy. Favored by gamers who are a little heavy-handed and prefer more resistance.
- Cherry MX Brown: Tactile, silent, and light. A compromise between gaming and typing.
- Cherry MX Blue: Tactile, loud, and heavy. Considered the best for typing.
Gaming Mice
- Gaming Mouse Guide by h7u9i and CorruptEagle This is pretty short, but should give a pretty good introduction to mice and sort a few of the popular ones out by price. It also carries several links to other sites for more info.
Gaming mice are very different from their normal brethren. They generally have a very precise tracking ability, measured in Dots-Per-Inch (commonly abbreviated to DPI). The higher the DPI, the less you need to move the physical mouse to get the cursor on-screen to move. They are often wired, for better response times, and they usually have extra buttons other than left- and right-click.
There are 3 general kinds of gaming mice, divided up by how you hold it. The palm grip is where you contact most of the mouse with your hand, resting your fingers and palm on it completely. The claw grip is where you have an arc in your hand such that your fingertips are only touching the left- and right-click buttons; the middle of your hand and rest of your fingers are in the air. The fingertip grip is where your palm does not touch the mouse at all, and you secure the mouse with only your fingertips. There are technical reasons for these grips, such as your hand size, the stress put on your hand from each grip, and mouse movement speed, but beginners should experiment with a normal, cheap mouse before deciding which grip to use. This is because gaming mice are often designed to suit some grips over others.
Gaming mice are also divided between kinds appropriate for MMOs and FPSs. The kind made for MMOs usually have a huge number of buttons located approximately where the thumb goes for quick access to skills and items. Higher end mice made for FPSs generally have some kind of "scoping" button where the thumb is which decreases the DPS dramatically for high precision movements.
Monitors
- TFTCentral: A great place to look up reviews. I've linked to a beginner's FAQ, which should explain things like IPS vs TN, 6- vs 8-bit color, ghosting, and color gamut.
- X-bit Labs: Another excellent review site. It deals with all kinds of hardware other than monitors too.
This is by no means comprehensive, but it should go a long way to answering basic questions. I'll do my best to slowly port over the most basic information so people don't have to go through the links as much.
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter