The first customized keyboard is mainly for beginners, and it can be customized according to your own needs in the future, including customized shell, customized PCB, customized positioning board, customized keycaps, and so on.
Best Customized Mechanical Keyboard Selection Guide
Select the Configuration
Now the common configurations are 60%, 80%, and 100%. According to the number of keys, it is 60 or 64, 84 or 87, 90 or 100 or 104. There are also 40 keys and 73 keys produced by PCB, so directly give the conclusion:
1. If you don’t need the number area of the small keyboard, but you need the arrow keys, you can arrange 60 keys if you don’t need the F area, and there are more 64 keys for left shifting, and you can choose more accessories in the later stage; The 104 standard keyboard has removed 17 keys in the small keyboard area).
2. If you need a number area, you can directly display 100% arrangement. Common 98 keys, 100 keys, and 104 keys are all available, but 98 keys and 100 keys are more compact. The advantage is that the width of the keyboard is reduced. The disadvantage is the distance between the direction keys and the small keyboard area. It is easy to accidentally touch it if it is too close, and the 104-key one is too common. Generally speaking, the 980 is recommended.
3. It is not recommended to take a mechanical keyboard for a business trip. It is thick and heavy, and the feel is improved and the burden of the business trip is heavy, so it is not recommended.
Select the Shell
The common casing is plastic, and the plastic casing has many colors, low cost, and light weight, so the general finished keyboard is a plastic casing. If you pursue individuality, you have to choose high-priced products, and you can buy cnc aluminum alloy shells or solid wood shells. Generally, the weight of the plastic shell keyboard is within 1KG, the weight of the aluminum alloy shell keyboard is about 1.5KG, the starting weight of the aluminum lump keyboard is 5KG, and the weight of the solid wood shell keyboard is also within 1KG.
Many high-end gamers think that the cnc aluminum shell is stable and not easy to move, and some players think that the sound of the solid wood shell is too dull. We think that you can choose according to your needs, choose according to your budget, and just choose according to your own usage scenarios. Play games at home, and the desktop is stable. If you like the warm feeling of wood, you can also choose solid wood, or if you like the second dimension, it is recommended to use plastic shells, and it is easy to buy shell accessories to match your favorite keycaps.
Keyboard Structure
The keyboard structure has a lot to do with the keyboard feel, but ordinary players don’t need to pursue this extreme feel. The most common one is the hull (tray mount structure), which contains PCB + positioning board and keycaps on the top. The structure is simple and does not require much adjustment. It only needs to paste sound-absorbing cotton inside to reduce the cavity sound. The more common 60 configuration is the gasket structure, one layer of bottom shell, one set of shell, PCB + positioning plate + shaft cap, fixed with screws, and needs to be adjusted. It is more complicated and not suitable for beginners, so we won’t say more. It is recommended that novices use ordinary hulls.
Keyboard Mode
The mode of the keyboard is actually wired mode and wireless mode, generally divided into single mode (only wired mode), dual mode (wired + wireless), triple mode (wired + Bluetooth + 2.4G). In the wired mode, pay attention to select the C port, the key wire is separated, and there is a wire groove at the bottom, so that the outlet position can be adjusted. Bluetooth 4.0 or above is fine, and now it is generally 5.0.
There is nothing to say about 2.4G, the non-Logitech brand is ordinary 2.4. Of course, there are also great masters who have added Logitech’s main control to the customized keyboard. Non-Logitech brands can also use Union, and the cost is not high. Buy the cheapest Union keyboard + a certain manual fee, almost 150 to get it done, but not really necessary. 2.4G is enough for ordinary people, and they feel that the interference should be closer. Anyway, how far can the keyboard be placed? The direct wired mode for gamers is much safer. It is recommended to choose three-mode if you can choose three-mode, or dual-mode if you can’t.
Select the Shaft
There are already a lot of articles about the selection of the shaft body, so I won’t say much. If you want a quiet choice, you can choose a linear axis, and if you want a feel, you can consider a paragraph axis. If you are not pursuing the ultimate pursuit, the axes of Cherry, Gatron, Goto, TTC, and AKKO are almost enough to choose.
It should be noted that if you are not sure, you can buy a shaft tester online and buy a few intention shafts to experience it. Recommended G Yellow PRO, G Silver PRO, BOX White, TTC Gold Powder, and Gatron Red Switch, these are all insurance choices.
Keyboard Lighting Effects
Many players care about the keyboard light, especially when the RGB light pollution is full, the game experience is completely different. The keyboard light is generally no light, monochromatic light, mixed light and RGB. If you don’t like light pollution, you can consider no lights or monochrome lights, and you can go directly to RGB if you are looking for lighting effects.
Select the Keycaps
Keycap material: The common materials for keycaps are ABS and PBT. ABS has a good feel but is easy to oil. PBT is durable but has a general feel. There are also ABS and PBT that are not easy to oil and have a good feel, but they are more expensive.
Keycap features: You can choose two-color keycaps with single-color lights, and you can choose without lights. It is recommended to choose PBT keycaps with good shading for RGB lights. The color of the multi-key caps added with shading powder is grayish, and the shading with bright colors is generally not good! The other is the shape and height of the keycaps. There are standard square caps, ball caps, and keycaps similar to steampunk. Generally, you can choose square caps and ball caps. In terms of height, the original height and OEM height are more comfortable, and the XDA feels bad.
Front engraving and side engraving: According to personal preference, front engraving is more common, and both light engraving and thermal sublimation are acceptable, but it is a question of durability, and it is almost the same if it is used lightly.
Tips:
1. The PCB should be hot-swappable RGB as much as possible. The function can be used but not without it. It is best to have a driver, and the playability is much worse without a driver.
2. The hot-swappable RGB LED lamp beads should be reversed as much as possible, which can be compatible with more axes.
3. Select TYPE C for the charging port, and the battery starts with 3000mah.
4. You can buy the factory-run shaft for the shaft body, and you don’t have to worry about it when you come back. If you buy the self-lubricated shaft for the satellite shaft, you don’t need to worry too much, and don’t get into the pit of the shaft!
5. There are sound-absorbing cotton for the cavity sound. You can buy felt pads or silicone pads between the PCB and the positioning board. Not much steel wire sound.
6. There are no keycaps that are in place in one step. You can choose a cheaper one when you first enter the pit, and change it slowly later.