Looking to invest into another gaming KB.. Your advice is needed!!

dispair

Member
Oct 17, 2005
197
0
0
Well it's pretty simple, but yet now. I just got rid of my old style G15 and my MX510. I need some replacements though. I already have the new G5 with the two buttons, but the keyboard seems to be a sticky subject.

I loved my G15 but hated the bulkyness. The LCD screen was nice, but only helped me when trying to find out who sent me a tell or how my queue was for the BG's in WoW. Other than that, it was just a KB.

Any/All advice is welcome, the rig it is going on is a freshly built one, listed below. Ty Again.

Rig:
E4500
4gig(4x1gb) Crucial Ballistix pc6400
Abit ip35-e
500gb WD AAKS HD
BFG 8800GT OC
Vista Home Prem 64-bit
Sonata III w/EW 500
 

skace

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
14,488
7
81
I bought a Steelkeys 6G, and it doesn't feel as responsive as my old IBM-M. I'm kind of bummed but it is an otherwise good keyboard so I'll see it through. I never bought into the whole "built for gamers" bullshit, but I was hoping that it was a higher quality mechanical keyboard, which is really all I wanted.
 

msi1337

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
7,818
67
101
Originally posted by: skace
I bought a Steelkeys 6G, and it doesn't feel as responsive as my old IBM-M. I'm kind of bummed but it is an otherwise good keyboard so I'll see it through. I never bought into the whole "built for gamers" bullshit, but I was hoping that it was a higher quality mechanical keyboard, which is really all I wanted.

I have noticed that you swear in almost every post you make :eek:


I would recommend the Saitek Eclipse 2. Once you feel the keys, you will be sold. The keys have a satin finish on them, and your fingers slide over them. It is amazing. Afterall, the point of a keyboard is to use it for typing right? The bigger space bar and illumination is nice too.
 

Skott

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2005
5,730
1
76
Another vote for the Saitek Eclipse II. I love mine. I have a couple of the Saitek I originals too.
 

swtethan

Diamond Member
Aug 5, 2005
9,083
0
0
New G15 is much smaller, but the color theme is ugly. The new Razer keyboard that came out looks nice, look around for that too.
 
D

Deleted member 4644

Originally posted by: skace
Originally posted by: msi1337
I have noticed that you swear in almost every post you make :eek:

I'm making up for years of forced censorship.

LOL.. me too...


As for keyboards. I just got a Logitech Edge.. its uber cool looking, but it isn't at all a "gaming" keyboard.

Are any of the gaming one faster in the response times?
 

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
71
my saitek eclipse gave me issues. bought it this past spring.

first the key 'paint' started wearing off in the summer. saitek support was very quick to send me replacement keys. easy peasy i thought.

but a couple months later, many keys just started sticking and acting up. i took a lot of care to not spill anything into this keyboard so it was purely the keyboard itself. and not just WASD keys were sticking, other ones as well.

so i gave up on saitek not wanting to try them again.

i decided to try the ideaZon Merc Stealth as i had to have backlit keys, the main reason for going to saitek.

i got this merc about 2-3 weeks ago. the first few days were rough, retraining the muscle memory, but i am pretty much already used to it. another ocuple of weeks and it will be complete 2nd nature. i have to say this layout for the gaming area gives me access to many more keys closer to my fingers for playing FPS than a regular keyboard layout.

keep in mind due to wanting to keep the keyboard from becoming way too long, they combined the FIND< HOME< INS< END< DEL etc. keys with the number pad. i dont find it to be a major issue at all, the plusses of the gaming zone part of the keyboard outweigh the negatives of this layout.

also they say you can press a lot of keys at once and it wont cause an issue with this keyboard. i never had a problem with regular keyboards before this so i could care less about that. also this does macros, but i dont need them either. i got this for being backlit and putting more keys within quicker reach of my hand.
 

dispair

Member
Oct 17, 2005
197
0
0
Well I bit the bullect on the Razer Lycosa. Of course the day after I order it from the Razer site, it comes in stock at Newegg and Razer goes on backorder until the 3rd. LoL.

As it pertains to a gaming keyboard in general, I agree, a gaming keyboard is overboard for the minimal gaming I do, do. However I did very much enjoy my old G15, so I figured that I might find the same luck with some of the newer ones.

There was a great Logitech wireless keyboard I found for 29.99 at Fry's, and almost got it actually, but not sure about it's response time, which is quite important for the Season 3 of Arena that just started. :)
 

IndyJaws

Golden Member
Nov 24, 2000
1,931
1
81
I have the Eclipse II and have been very happy with it. Just wish the backlighting were brighter.
 

DangerAardvark

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2004
7,581
0
0
Originally posted by: PremiumG
what exactly does a "Gaming" keyboard have a normal one doesn't?

Basically you install a couple of 5 cent LED's and you can mark it up 75%.

Anyway, I really wanna get a Sidewinder for the programmable macro buttons. I usually play on low sensitivity, so in order to turn 180 degrees I have to move my whole arm. But with this thing I can program it to a mouse button... then hope Punkbuster doesn't kick me.
 

DangerAardvark

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2004
7,581
0
0
Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
my saitek eclipse gave me issues. bought it this past spring.

first the key 'paint' started wearing off in the summer. saitek support was very quick to send me replacement keys. easy peasy i thought.

but a couple months later, many keys just started sticking and acting up. i took a lot of care to not spill anything into this keyboard so it was purely the keyboard itself. and not just WASD keys were sticking, other ones as well.

so i gave up on saitek not wanting to try them again.

i decided to try the ideaZon Merc Stealth as i had to have backlit keys, the main reason for going to saitek.

i got this merc about 2-3 weeks ago. the first few days were rough, retraining the muscle memory, but i am pretty much already used to it. another ocuple of weeks and it will be complete 2nd nature. i have to say this layout for the gaming area gives me access to many more keys closer to my fingers for playing FPS than a regular keyboard layout.

keep in mind due to wanting to keep the keyboard from becoming way too long, they combined the FIND< HOME< INS< END< DEL etc. keys with the number pad. i dont find it to be a major issue at all, the plusses of the gaming zone part of the keyboard outweigh the negatives of this layout.

also they say you can press a lot of keys at once and it wont cause an issue with this keyboard. i never had a problem with regular keyboards before this so i could care less about that. also this does macros, but i dont need them either. i got this for being backlit and putting more keys within quicker reach of my hand.

How's the software for the Merc? That's the one complaint about it I heard; that sometimes the features just don't work.
 

skace

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
14,488
7
81
Originally posted by: PremiumG
what exactly does a "Gaming" keyboard have a normal one doesn't?

Well, the Steelkeys 6G supposedly has an actual chip in it that buffers keyboard commands so that it can accept more keys at the same time than a normal keyboard. Unfortunately, this doesn't overcome the massive flaw in every keyboard since the dawn of the stupid things, which is that certain keys can never be pushed at the same time due to the underlying keyboard layout. I'd pay a boatload for someone who would friggen redesign the keyboard system to accept an infinite number of keys at the same time.

Another good feature it sports is a supposedly quiet mechanical design, it's a mechanical spring design without the audible click of the IBM-M. But the "ridiculous gaming feature" is the supposed gold plated mechanical parts. The marketing of which makes me feel like I gave money to monster cables and want to vomit in my mouth.

But at the very least it doesn't have the ridiculous backlighting, 900 media keys, hideous layout and other "features" of gaming keyboards these days.
 

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
71
backlight is a very useful feature for a lot of us. i could care less about the bling, but i do care about being able to see my keys well in the dark.

check out the ideazon merc, the layout is definitely geared to gamers. as stated above, i find that it puts more buttons within easier reach of my hand during intense FPS fighting. after retraining your muscle memory, it will become second nature.

again not for all but to dismiss these features as across the board worthless is just being stupid.

to the poster who asked about the merc software: so far i have used this for cod4 & crysis. every key maps to where i want it to using either the ideazon software or just assigning in-game. i tried both.

only one issue i have had that i emailed ideazon about is that when using the cod4 profile i customized, when chatting/typing in game my T's come up as a 3 and my Y's come up as a -

every other letter types fine, not a big deal to me at this point. the gaming zone works perfectly.
 

skace

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
14,488
7
81
Backlight is a very useful feature? You should never be looking down at your keyboard when playing. If you are, you could gain a million more tangible benefits from learning how to properly touch type than any 100 dollar "gamer" keyboard could give you. On top of that, backlighting means you are using your computer in a room so dark that you can't even see your keys. This is absolutely terrible for your eyes.
 

samduhman

Senior member
Jul 18, 2005
397
2
81

Im also looking for a new gaming keyboard. I've came down to either the Ideazon Merc Stealth or this new guady looking Saitek Saitek Cyborg keyboard. Since I love my black Saitek Eclipse this seems like the ideal replacement. So do you think the lights on the top bar actually have a function other than silly bling effect?

Im still considering the merc stealth while I wait for the cyborg to be released. I wish I could test one out in person. I thought the original Ideazons gaming keyboard keys were a little mushy feeling. Anyone know if its the case for the Stealth?

 

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
71
Originally posted by: skace
Backlight is a very useful feature? You should never be looking down at your keyboard when playing. If you are, you could gain a million more tangible benefits from learning how to properly touch type than any 100 dollar "gamer" keyboard could give you. On top of that, backlighting means you are using your computer in a room so dark that you can't even see your keys. This is absolutely terrible for your eyes.

what are you talking about?

i dont look at my keys to type or game, i type over 70 wpm.

however, i grab for drinks, smokes or other various quick things when i game and so being able to see right where to put my hand back quickly is very useful. that is where the backlight is useful and when i need it.

why should i game in a well-lit room? i am staring at the screen not the keyboard. do you watch movies in the light? i really dont understand your point here. this isnt reading in the dark, and as i stated i dont look at my keys to type or game.

i fail to see validity in either of your points.

also when i retouch photographs, i do so in a dark room. this is the best way to do so as well. this is the other time the backlit keys come in handy here and there, but primarily for gaming.
 

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
71
Originally posted by: samduhman

Im also looking for a new gaming keyboard. I've came down to either the Ideazon Merc Stealth or this new guady looking Saitek Saitek Cyborg keyboard. Since I love my black Saitek Eclipse this seems like the ideal replacement. So do you think the lights on the top bar actually have a function other than silly bling effect?

Im still considering the merc stealth while I wait for the cyborg to be released. I wish I could test one out in person. I thought the original Ideazons gaming keyboard keys were a little mushy feeling. Anyone know if its the case for the Stealth?

i like the feel of the gaming zone keys.

like i said, it IS an adjustment for your muscle memory. you will screw up a lot at first. one of my clanmates could not get used to it and just sold it. it isnt for everyone.

personally, it took me a week of playing about 10-15 hours to have my hand become instinctive with the new layout. another week and i am about as good as i was with a traditional WASD keyboard layout. keep in mind i was unlearning years of muscle memory. i think another week or two and it will be seamless.

but again, i feel that i have much better reach to more functions. for example, i would never use lean left or right because i mapped the Q & E keys to things i used more like Knife & Frag Nade to keep them close to my hand. so i sacrificed the lean. now with the Merc layout, i keep the lean and have buttons close enough for everything else i need so that knife and frag are right there as well.
 

skace

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
14,488
7
81
Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
why should i game in a well-lit room? i am staring at the screen not the keyboard. do you watch movies in the light? i really dont understand your point here. this isnt reading in the dark, and as i stated i dont look at my keys to type or game.

i fail to see validity in either of your points.

also when i retouch photographs, i do so in a dark room. this is the best way to do so as well. this is the other time the backlit keys come in handy here and there, but primarily for gaming.

No validity to my points? If you knew how to type properly you would know there are notches on the f and j keys which a touch typist can find without ever looking at the keyboard regardless of room lighting. And how can you think a dark room for gaming is a good thing. Your eyes are trying to focus on multiple levels of darkness, the room lighting and the monitor lighting. Causing eye strain, headaches and other conditions. There are also very few studies on the long term affects of these conditions, look into CVS. You aren't doing any favors for yourself.
 

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
71
Originally posted by: skace
Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
why should i game in a well-lit room? i am staring at the screen not the keyboard. do you watch movies in the light? i really dont understand your point here. this isnt reading in the dark, and as i stated i dont look at my keys to type or game.

i fail to see validity in either of your points.

also when i retouch photographs, i do so in a dark room. this is the best way to do so as well. this is the other time the backlit keys come in handy here and there, but primarily for gaming.

No validity to my points? If you knew how to type properly you would know there are notches on the f and j keys which a touch typist can find without ever looking at the keyboard regardless of room lighting. And how can you think a dark room for gaming is a good thing. Your eyes are trying to focus on multiple levels of darkness, the room lighting and the monitor lighting. Causing eye strain, headaches and other conditions. There are also very few studies on the long term affects of these conditions, look into CVS. You aren't doing any favors for yourself.



as i stated before, i type well over 70 wpm, i know where the keys are i dont need the lighted keys to type, which you are blathering on about above. it is just plain faster when playing a game to quickly glance down after removing you hand and quickly get it in place when you can see the keys for that split second. ditto when learning cs3 shortcuts until they become muscle memory.

so now all gamers should game in a well lit room? give me a break. shoudl we watch movies in well-lit rooms too? a video game is like an interactive movie, i spend 99.9% of the time checking out the game, with short glances at the keyboard when i am learning a game layout or putting my hand back on the keys, and the backlit really helps, especially when drinking