Good keyboards now days?

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Just bought a Corsair K95 which I'm happy with (replacing a Razer keyboard)...I like typing on it (a little click, not a lot of clack ... short travel). 

 

I loathe that iCUE software though....

[neufuse Veteran]

23 hours ago, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

WTF? Ergonomic keyboards, $10 keyboards, and the Apple Magic keyboard are majority of the suggestions here? Wow!

 

A good mechanical keyboard is the way to go for something that one uses all the time.  To me it's night and day between a good mechanical and a cheap keyboard.  I even bought one to replace my keyboard use at work (and the mouse). I work in IT and hate to even get on someone's machine and use their crap keyboard. I am not going to recommend one because a mechanical keyboard is something one has to try themselves as the switches that are available for them are so different.

 

TBH I just can't imagine someone who is into tech/computers and is a regular on a site like this is sitting at home typing on a $10 keyboard. LOL

well I did ask for suggestions for a replacement of an ergonomic keyboard... kind of what I was expecting to get as responses

[Good Bot, Bad Bot]

1 minute ago, neufuse said:

well I did ask for suggestions for a replacement of an ergonomic keyboard... kind of what I was expecting to get as responses

I know...just hate them.

[neufuse Veteran]

8 minutes ago, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

I know...just hate them.

and I can't stand rectangular ones anymore, I used to hate ergo ones until I had wrist issues, haven't had a wrist issue since I switched 12yrs ago 😆

[adrynalyne]

45 minutes ago, Jim K said:

Just bought a Corsair K95 which I'm happy with (replacing a Razer keyboard)...I like typing on it (a little click, not a lot of clack ... short travel). 

 

I loathe that iCUE software though....

It is terrible. I have to use it with my AIO cooler and I want to slit my wrists every time. 

6 minutes ago, neufuse said:

and I can't stand rectangular ones anymore, I used to hate ergo ones until I had wrist issues, haven't had a wrist issue since I switched 12yrs ago 😆

I have psoriatic arthritis. There is just no avoiding issues for me anymore. 😢

[ThaCrip]

On 15/07/2021 at 07:09, Biscuits Brown said:

So I consider my wife to be a normal person. She doesn't use a computer for work at all. She does what normal people do, surf a bit, read/send a few emails and watch streaming content. After trying my first mechanical keyboard, she immediately wanted me to get her an 87 key version.  She moved from a $20 keyboard to a $125 one and never wants to move back.  What I'd say is that the normal person compromises with the cheap keyboards because they simply have never used a good one and they just don't know the difference.

 

That's not to say they can all afford a top quality keyboard, they can be expensive and as a value proposition, most people will say, "I really like that new one but mine is good enough." That's a fair observation however it is vastly different than your 'I speak for the normal user' attitude that proclaims top tier keyboards aren't worth it.  

 

Look, its like a car. Most people are completely satisfied with their car however that doesn't mean they wouldn't enjoy driving a better car if given the opportunity. Same applies here.  

 

That's a good argument in favor for your case there, so I got to give you some credit on that one

 

Sure, I agree with your car analogy. I am sure I would like a $100 keyboard, I just can't justify spending that much though on a keyboard. but like I say, you got me a little curious to try a fancy keyboard, especially given your wife's opinion as if you can convince her it's worth the money, it sure sounds plausible about what you said with the "because they simply never used a good one" comment.

 

but I think I can speak for the normal user though (at least most) simply because to the common person, who does not have money to burn(or living comfortable enough to where they got a fair amount of side cash to spend on random things), will almost surely opt for the cheaper keyboard is my general point. so whether I have a attitude or not, that's hard to argue against. so while you made a good argument in favor of a expensive keyboard there, as I gave your post a 'Thumbs Up', I still think I made a strong case though to, just on price difference alone.

 

with that said... even among the pricier keyboards, there surely must be a point to where the gains, even for someone who likes pricier keyboards, would figure the price difference is not enough to upgrade further. like for example... say a $100 keyboard vs a $150 (or $150 vs $200-250 etc), is it worth it? ; or would you say that once you crack roughly the $100 range, that gains beyond this point are largely minimal?

 

22 hours ago, adrynalyne said:

LOL, it’s like talking to a brick wall with you. 

 

I could easily say the same about you (although I do think Biscuits Brown made a pretty respectable counter-argument there in favor of the higher priced keyboards)

 

because at the end of the day... roughly $80+ price difference is difficult to overlook on something that functions well enough. I might equate that to one of those high priced CPU's vs more reasonably priced CPU's, the reasonably priced CPU's offer most of the performance but without the high price. the same principle applies here to keyboards (at least on some level, even though I realize the keyboard has a physical effect on a person (with general feel) where as a CPU might not be precisely the same and all, since it's just more of a mostly small luxury performance thing, but close enough I guess, even though I suspect you could disagree with me on some level here given what I just said here etc.).

Edited July 16, 2021 by ThaCrip

[Skyfrog]

On 14/07/2021 at 10:09, ThaCrip said:

@Skyfrog

 

Yeah, that keyboard does look like it's got some age on it just from looking at it's design ; my old IBM (Model: KB-9930) keyboard, which as I mentioned in my first post, is probably around 1998-2000 (I would probably say not newer than 2000) and even that still looks a bit more modern (besides the PS/2 connection) where as the one you got is starting to look more old school.

 

but yeah, if it's not dead by now and it's 25 years later, it does seem like it will probably last a lifetime. can't fault longevity (assuming price is reasonable) as not many products are built to last nowadays

They are really built like tanks. It was a hand-me down so it's actually older than that; the manufacturer date is 1992 so it's nearly 30 years old now. When I got my first new computer I did use the rubber dome keyboard it came with for a while but I really didn't like it at all and tracked down a PS/2 cable on eBay so I could use the Model M again. I love that the older models have removable cables and you can use whatever type of connector you need. Mine started with an AT connector, than the PS/2, and now USB. I've tried other mechanical switches like Alps and Cherry but to me nothing beats a buckling spring switch.

On 11/07/2021 at 16:15, neufuse said:

I used to only buy MS Ergonomic 4000 keyboards, loved them, worked great... their replacement for it just just blah and meh (yeah I got one used it for a few months could never get used to it).... spongey, no elevation legs for the back. keys are smaller and moved around in a way that just feels odd...

 

Any good recommendations for a replacement?

I've seen several brands of ergonomic keyboards that use Cherry MX switches so most of those are probably fine, Kinesis is one brand I see a lot and they usually have good reviews.

[adrynalyne]

34 minutes ago, ThaCrip said:

 

That's a good argument in favor for your case there, so I got to give you some credit on that one

 

Sure, I agree with your car analogy. I am sure I would like a $100 keyboard, I just can't justify spending that much though on a keyboard. but like I say, you got me a little curious to try a fancy keyboard, especially given your wife's opinion as if you can convince her it's worth the money, it sure sounds plausible about what you said with the "because they simply never used a good one" comment.

 

but I think I can speak for the normal user though (at least most) simply because to the common person, who does not have money to burn(or living comfortable enough to where they got a fair amount of side cash to spend on random things), will almost surely opt for the cheaper keyboard is my general point. so whether I have a attitude or not, that's hard to argue against. so while you made a good argument in favor of a expensive keyboard there, as I gave your post a 'Thumbs Up', I still think I made a strong case though to, just on price difference alone.

 

with that said... even among the pricier keyboards, there surely must be a point to where the gains, even for someone who likes pricier keyboards, would figure the price difference is not enough to upgrade further. like for example... say a $100 keyboard vs a $150 (or $150 vs $200-250 etc), is it worth it? ; or would you say that once you crack roughly the $100 range, that gains beyond this point are largely minimal?

 

 

I could easily say the same about you (although I do think Biscuits Brown made a pretty respectable counter-argument there in favor of the higher priced keyboards)

 

because at the end of the day... roughly $80+ price difference is difficult to overlook on something that functions well enough. I might equate that to one of those high priced CPU's vs more reasonably priced CPU's, the reasonably priced CPU's offer most of the performance but without the high price. the same principle applies here to keyboards (at least on some level, even though I realize the keyboard has a physical effect on a person (with general feel) where as a CPU might not be precisely the same and all, since it's just more of a mostly small luxury performance thing, but close enough I guess, even though I suspect you could disagree with me on some level here given what I just said here etc.).

The difference here is, I don’t have multiple people telling me that I don’t speak for others. You do. 
 

I get your hang up, I truly do. But you gotta understand who you speak for. Yourself, just like I speak for myself. 
 

As for CPU, that is largely subjective but my viewpoint falls along the lines of this:

 

My time is very valuable to my company. That is not a figure of speech, but literally. If my machine is slow enough that it is literally causing me to sit around waiting for things to happen, money is being lost. So then it becomes a justified reason to have better hardware. I have co-workers who have to wait 5x longer than I do for a project compilation, load, etc. I also build Android firmware. Try that on an i3 sometime. 😜
 

 

[ThaCrip]

On 16/07/2021 at 08:40, adrynalyne said:

The difference here is, I don’t have multiple people telling me that I don’t speak for others. You do. 

 

Regardless, that still does not mean what I said is actually wrong like apparently some seem to think in here. so while I would not claim to speak for 'most people' on quite a few other topics, this particular topic is a pretty safe thing for me to make the claim that I did (even though obviously, I can't speak for 'all people').

 

so while I do speak for myself, you seem to think it's ONLY for myself, even though I made a pretty good argument otherwise. but yet people keep acting like I am the villain here for stating what's obviously true.

 

but with that said... thanks for your time and I think it's time for me to move on now

[adrynalyne]

On 17/07/2021 at 04:19, ThaCrip said:

 

Regardless, that still does not mean what I said is actually wrong like apparently some seem to think in here. so while I would not claim to speak for 'most people' on quite a few other topics, this particular topic is a pretty safe thing for me to make the claim that I did (even though obviously, I can't speak for 'all people').

 

so while I do speak for myself, you seem to think it's ONLY for myself, even though I made a pretty good argument otherwise. but yet people keep acting like I am the villain here for stating what's obviously true.

 

but with that said... thanks for your time and I think it's time for me to move on now

Oh boy. You will just not get that your opinion is just an opinion. Oh well.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Just saw this on kickstarter. Looks like an interesting ergonomic concept being able to spread out the left/right halves

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/keyboardio/model-100

[adrynalyne]

On 17/07/2021 at 10:58, Brandon H said:

Just saw this on kickstarter. Looks like an interesting ergonomic concept being able to spread out the left/right halves

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/keyboardio/model-100

Not sure how I feel about it being wood. 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 17/07/2021 at 13:06, adrynalyne said:

Not sure how I feel about it being wood. 

*Knock on wood*

[adrynalyne]

On 16/07/2021 at 05:22, Skyfrog said:

They are really built like tanks. It was a hand-me down so it's actually older than that; the manufacturer date is 1992 so it's nearly 30 years old now. When I got my first new computer I did use the rubber dome keyboard it came with for a while but I really didn't like it at all and tracked down a PS/2 cable on eBay so I could use the Model M again. I love that the older models have removable cables and you can use whatever type of connector you need. Mine started with an AT connector, than the PS/2, and now USB. I've tried other mechanical switches like Alps and Cherry but to me nothing beats a buckling spring switch.

I've seen several brands of ergonomic keyboards that use Cherry MX switches so most of those are probably fine, Kinesis is one brand I see a lot and they usually have good reviews.

Had a co-worker with a Kinesis. He loved it, every time I came over to help him, I had to use it. 
 

Rage. So much rage. 
 

But yeah, he loved it. 😂

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

On 17/07/2021 at 14:06, adrynalyne said:

Not sure how I feel about it being wood. 

Not sure how i feel about the function button arrangement and the size and the placement of the space bar 😏

[adrynalyne]

On 17/07/2021 at 14:10, E.Worm Jimmy said:

Not sure how i feel about the function button arrangement and the size and the placement of the space bar 😏

There is that too but the material stopped me first 😁

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

On 17/07/2021 at 18:16, adrynalyne said:

There is that too but the material stopped me first 😁

Hey. Retro is the new new , nowadays

 

If you want it to be.

 

I would actually consider an ergo keyboard like that. But this look like a learning curve compared to MS

 

And I really don't like learning curves in my daily object use -  which is basically 💯 of my muscle memory

 

It is an effort to relearn and I would rather buy a nice conventional mechanical keyboard then this...

[adrynalyne]

On 17/07/2021 at 16:28, E.Worm Jimmy said:

Hey. Retro is the new new , nowadays

 

If you want it to be.

 

I would actually consider an ergo keyboard like that. But this look like a learning curve compared to MS

 

And I really don't like learning curves in my daily object use -  which is basically 💯 of my muscle memory

 

It is an effort to relearn and I would rather buy a nice conventional mechanical keyboard then this...

You know, I'd do a steampunk keyboard if my desk setup matched it.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

On 17/07/2021 at 20:18, adrynalyne said:

You know, I'd do a steampunk keyboard if my desk setup matched it.

A big (giant) if.  

[domboy]

On 16/07/2021 at 08:06, ThaCrip said:

 

with that said... even among the pricier keyboards, there surely must be a point to where the gains, even for someone who likes pricier keyboards, would figure the price difference is not enough to upgrade further. like for example... say a $100 keyboard vs a $150 (or $150 vs $200-250 etc), is it worth it? ; or would you say that once you crack roughly the $100 range, that gains beyond this point are largely minimal?

 

I personally like no-frills 104-key mechanical keyboards (i.e. a standard keyboard with switches), so I'd say the $75-$100 range is what I've bought. There are now more cherry-clones making mechanical switches that are in even cheaper keyboards, but I mostly bought mine prior to that. Much past that you get into models with programmable keys, lighting (either backlight or RGB), dedicated media controls etc. For some people (esp gamers) those features may be worth it, so it really depends on what you need or want.

 

I get what you're saying about "most people", as I would venture to guess a typical business or school probably just buys standard PCs that comes with dirt cheap keyboards and mice and that's all their workers or students will ever use. I've used plenty of those over the years. But once I tried a good keyboard I find it's well worth the money for someone that knows how to touch-type. I'm much more accurate and my speed is better on a mechanical keyboard vs a cheap membrane one.

[adrynalyne]

On 19/07/2021 at 07:59, domboy said:

I personally like no-frills 104-key mechanical keyboards (i.e. a standard keyboard with switches), so I'd say the $75-$100 range is what I've bought. There are now more cherry-clones making mechanical switches that are in even cheaper keyboards, but I mostly bought mine prior to that. Much past that you get into models with programmable keys, lighting (either backlight or RGB), dedicated media controls etc. For some people (esp gamers) those features may be worth it, so it really depends on what you need or want.

 

I get what you're saying about "most people", as I would venture to guess a typical business or school probably just buys standard PCs that comes with dirt cheap keyboards and mice and that's all their workers or students will ever use. I've used plenty of those over the years. But once I tried a good keyboard I find it's well worth the money for someone that knows how to touch-type. I'm much more accurate and my speed is better on a mechanical keyboard vs a cheap membrane one.

You gotta watch out for the cherry clones. Sometimes they are inconsistent from one key to the next. Drives me bonkers.

[margrave]

Steampunk keyboard.... you got it:

https://www.amazon.com/steampunk-keyboard/s?k=steampunk+keyboard

 

[domboy]

On 19/07/2021 at 11:06, adrynalyne said:

You gotta watch out for the cherry clones. Sometimes they are inconsistent from one key to the next. Drives me bonkers.

Not surprised. The last keyboard I bought I made sure didn't use clone switches. To me inconsistent performance isn't worth saving a few dollars.

[ThaCrip]

While you can see my previous replies are defending typical $10-20 membrane keyboards, and I still think they do offer good bang-for-the-buck for the typical user, I finally took the plunge and bought a mechanical keyboard recently (as the price was reasonable at $52 total cost) and I got to say it's overall feel is better than I expected to where it's worth buying 'if' you can get one at a more reasonable price.

so I guess it mainly boils down to getting a mechanical keyboard at a reasonable price (say around $50-60) as at the more typical price ranges for the non-cheaper mechanical keyboards, say $100-ish, while still within a sane price range, it's probably still a bit too steep if you ask me and is more difficult to justify given the price gap compared to a typical membrane keyboard. but at the price I paid (i.e. $52), or thereabouts, it becomes a lot easier to seriously consider a mechanical keyboard over a typical dime-a-dozen membrane keyboard (especially assuming they last at least 10+ years) since the price is not much higher.

I bought a 'Havit KB487L' (which apparently has 'Jixian Red Switches' (rated for 50 million key presses), which appears to be cheaper switches than the more typical name-brand switches), which was basically $52 total. I was reading a review on tomshardware (from May 2023) and, in short, it said "Best Budget Mechanical Keyboard for Work and Play" as the general topic of that article was "The best sub-$80 mechanical keyboards." as, assuming these keyboards last (which is a critical thing otherwise the more expensive keyboards will ultimately end up being cheaper long term), I feel it's much better for most people to buy something around $50-60 vs $100-ish or higher purely on bang-for-the-buck since I am confident I got a large portion of the benefits of mechanical keyboards in general without paying about twice the price to get it as at $52 that's not much over a typical membrane keyboard and is noticeably better feel etc. even on that same tomshardware article, their top choice for keyboards under $80 was "Cooler Master CK552", which was pretty much $80 and while it's probably good, I suspect it's probably not worth the extra $30 or so over what I got even though it has 'Gateron' switches, which seem to be among the best (I am aware that 'Cherry MX' seems to be basically the measuring stick/standard though but it appears they are not the only good quality switches from reading around as others probably offer better bang-for-the-buck) from what I could tell looking around online in general and I suspect is partially why price is a bit higher vs what I got.

but reading random sites, as I don't know how accurate this is, but one claimed... "Mechanical keyboards, on average, last for about 10 to 15 years under heavy typing or gaming." ; assuming that's a ball park estimate I would expect to get a bare minimum of 10+ years out of mine to really feel I got my money's worth out of it (any less I would consider it a failure), especially given your typical $10-20 membrane keyboard can probably give 'at least' 5-10 years in many cases (some well beyond that as someone I talked to online said they still have their same membrane keyboard from about 1991-1992. I even have a IBM (PS/2) membrane keyboard from about 1998-2000 and still works well but it's probably not seen regular usage since probably early 2000's as it was originally a keyboard to my uncles first PC I think). so basically since mechanical keyboards are supposed to be better than membrane keyboards, I tend to sort of expect 15+ years out of this Havit mechanical keyboard to feel like I got my money's worth out of it.

anyways, on the Havit KB487L keyboard, while it's generally good, if someone uses the 'numpad' often that could be a problem since it does not have easy access to the usual "+ - * /"  etc stuff for basic math in that area like a typical full-size keyboard layout does. but at the same time the keyboard is physically smaller which is a small bonus here as it takes up less space on the desk. also, I notice I use that bottom right enter key (which is not there on my new keyboard) a bit more often than I thought I did, but I can live without it. but given the way this keyboard works on the 'numpad' section, I notice while I used to have the numlock generally to the 'on' position on my previous full-size membrane keyboard, I notice it generally leave it in the 'off' position on my Havit keyboard given I tend to use the 'PgUp' / 'PgDn' / 'Del' keys and that's the only way to get access to those functions on the keyboard since it does not have the standard ones that are typically located above the arrow keys and that when using the Calculator it don't seem to be a issue when I leave 'numlock' off as long as calculator is the active window it still registers the numbers on the numpad side.

in terms of noise levels... I would not say there is any huge difference between my previous Microsoft membrane keyboard (i.e. Microsoft wired keyboard 600, Model:1366) and this new mechanical Havit one (with red switches as apparently Red/Brown switches seem to be among the quieter ones for mechanical keyboard standards after doing a little research). it does have a different sound and is noticeably louder on some level (as it's in the hit when the key bottoms out and again when it returns to the top/resting position is basically where just about all of the noise comes from), as there is a noticeable difference in noise, but it's not annoying (I kind of like the sound). but from what I heard it sounds like the 'blue' switches are supposed to be noticeably louder than red/brown ones (but the 'blue' apparently are a solid choice for general typing as apparently they are a bit more resistant to accidental button presses than say red etc are). it's one of those things I can't really say much about since I only have used 'red' as I am just going by what I read etc.

looks like one can lube switches on some stuff etc to lower noise levels and make things feel a bit different, but I am not going to bother. also, the keyboard I got has non-removable switches (the keycaps can be remove though as it comes with a keycap puller to remove key caps if needed). so if I ever had to change any, I think I would have to open it up and do some soldering. but I don't plan on modifying this as ill leave it stock and hope it lasts a long time.

p.s. on a side note... on monkeytype.com (which is what "Unofficial 293 WPM Typing World Record Set by MythicalRocket" used earlier this month as shown here... https://www.tomshardware.com/news/world-typing-record-mythicalrocket-293wpm ; looks like he's just jamming on keys, but is accurate. got 293wpm/97% accuracy) my personal best is 103wpm/99%(99.61%(1-mistake)) 257/0/0/0 (those numbers are... correct, incorrect, extra, missed) at 80% consistency on the default 30 second test there (see attached screenshot). I can't typically do that though as to guesstimate a more typical range I am at is probably about 80wpm, maybe a bit better. I don't even type properly (seems more proper way is using F(left index finger) and J(right index finger) keys with fingers on those and in that general area etc) but trying to reprogram the way I type ain't going to happen as it would take too long and my typing speed would drop off a cliff. also, I played with other random sites and depending on what they make you type my typing speed can take a rather big hit. but I feel that monkeytype site is closer to general day-to-day real world stuff I type, so it's more accurate for gauging my general day-to-day typing.

but one thing I noticed that helps you speed up is you have to consistently read ahead of what you are typing as if your fingers pretty much catch up, that will slow you down a bit as I can tell I have slight pauses in between which will lower your words per minute a fair amount, especially when I start reaching closer to my current upper limit.

but it's kind of funny how on some of those typing sites having you do it 'the more proper way' with index fingers on F and J keys etc and then has me type certain keys, I am not good that way (kills my typing speed) and when I got to type non-words it's like my hands/fingers don't know where to go. but when I type general words my hands/fingers just know where the keys are without having to look when I type the way I usually do. but I wonder if somehow one could get used to the regular proper way of typing if they could actually type faster or not vs how I do it now(?). even if true, I would probably have to spend too much time doing it and unless I got a worthwhile speed improvement, it's probably not worth the time investment to relearn everything from scratch.

Edited May 17, 2023 by ThaCrip

[Keyboard Cowboy]

On 17/05/2023 at 02:28, ThaCrip said:

While you can see my previous replies are defending typical $10-20 membrane keyboards, and I still think they do offer good bang-for-the-buck for the typical user, I finally took the plunge and bought a mechanical keyboard recently (as the price was reasonable at $52 total cost) and I got to say it's overall feel is better than I expected to where it's worth buying 'if' you can get one at a more reasonable price.

so I guess it mainly boils down to getting a mechanical keyboard at a reasonable price (say around $50-60) as at the more typical price ranges for the non-cheaper mechanical keyboards, say $100-ish, while still within a sane price range, it's probably still a bit too steep if you ask me and is more difficult to justify given the price gap compared to a typical membrane keyboard. but at the price I paid (i.e. $52), or thereabouts, it becomes a lot easier to seriously consider a mechanical keyboard over a typical dime-a-dozen membrane keyboard (especially assuming they last at least 10+ years) since the price is not much higher.

I bought a 'Havit KB487L' (which apparently has 'Jixian Red Switches' (rated for 50 million key presses), which appears to be cheaper switches than the more typical name-brand switches), which was basically $52 total. I was reading a review on tomshardware (from May 2023) and, in short, it said "Best Budget Mechanical Keyboard for Work and Play" as the general topic of that article was "The best sub-$80 mechanical keyboards." as, assuming these keyboards last (which is a critical thing otherwise the more expensive keyboards will ultimately end up being cheaper long term), I feel it's much better for most people to buy something around $50-60 vs $100-ish or higher purely on bang-for-the-buck since I am confident I got a large portion of the benefits of mechanical keyboards in general without paying about twice the price to get it as at $52 that's not much over a typical membrane keyboard and is noticeably better feel etc. even on that same tomshardware article, their top choice for keyboards under $80 was "Cooler Master CK552", which was pretty much $80 and while it's probably good, I suspect it's probably not worth the extra $30 or so over what I got even though it has 'Gateron' switches, which seem to be among the best (I am aware that 'Cherry MX' seems to be basically the measuring stick/standard though but it appears they are not the only good quality switches from reading around as others probably offer better bang-for-the-buck) from what I could tell looking around online in general and I suspect is partially why price is a bit higher vs what I got.

but reading random sites, as I don't know how accurate this is, but one claimed... "Mechanical keyboards, on average, last for about 10 to 15 years under heavy typing or gaming." ; assuming that's a ball park estimate I would expect to get a bare minimum of 10+ years out of mine to really feel I got my money's worth out of it (any less I would consider it a failure), especially given your typical $10-20 membrane keyboard can probably give 'at least' 5-10 years in many cases (some well beyond that as someone I talked to online said they still have their same membrane keyboard from about 1991-1992. I even have a IBM (PS/2) membrane keyboard from about 1998-2000 and still works well but it's probably not seen regular usage since probably early 2000's as it was originally a keyboard to my uncles first PC I think). so basically since mechanical keyboards are supposed to be better than membrane keyboards, I tend to sort of expect 15+ years out of this Havit mechanical keyboard to feel like I got my money's worth out of it.

anyways, on the Havit KB487L keyboard, while it's generally good, if someone uses the 'numpad' often that could be a problem since it does not have easy access to the usual "+ - * /"  etc stuff for basic math in that area like a typical full-size keyboard layout does. but at the same time the keyboard is physically smaller which is a small bonus here as it takes up less space on the desk. also, I notice I use that bottom right enter key (which is not there on my new keyboard) a bit more often than I thought I did, but I can live without it. but given the way this keyboard works on the 'numpad' section, I notice while I used to have the numlock generally to the 'on' position on my previous full-size membrane keyboard, I notice it generally leave it in the 'off' position on my Havit keyboard given I tend to use the 'PgUp' / 'PgDn' / 'Del' keys and that's the only way to get access to those functions on the keyboard since it does not have the standard ones that are typically located above the arrow keys and that when using the Calculator it don't seem to be a issue when I leave 'numlock' off as long as calculator is the active window it still registers the numbers on the numpad side.

in terms of noise levels... I would not say there is any huge difference between my previous Microsoft membrane keyboard (i.e. Microsoft wired keyboard 600, Model:1366) and this new mechanical Havit one (with red switches as apparently Red/Brown switches seem to be among the quieter ones for mechanical keyboard standards after doing a little research). it does have a different sound and is noticeably louder on some level (as it's in the hit when the key bottoms out and again when it returns to the top/resting position is basically where just about all of the noise comes from), as there is a noticeable difference in noise, but it's not annoying (I kind of like the sound). but from what I heard it sounds like the 'blue' switches are supposed to be noticeably louder than red/brown ones (but the 'blue' apparently are a solid choice for general typing as apparently they are a bit more resistant to accidental button presses than say red etc are). it's one of those things I can't really say much about since I only have used 'red' as I am just going by what I read etc.

looks like one can lube switches on some stuff etc to lower noise levels and make things feel a bit different, but I am not going to bother. also, the keyboard I got has non-removable switches (the keycaps can be remove though as it comes with a keycap puller to remove key caps if needed). so if I ever had to change any, I think I would have to open it up and do some soldering. but I don't plan on modifying this as ill leave it stock and hope it lasts a long time.

p.s. on a side note... on monkeytype.com (which is what "Unofficial 293 WPM Typing World Record Set by MythicalRocket" used earlier this month as shown here... https://www.tomshardware.com/news/world-typing-record-mythicalrocket-293wpm ; looks like he's just jamming on keys, but is accurate. got 293wpm/97% accuracy) my personal best is 103wpm/99%(99.61%(1-mistake)) 257/0/0/0 (those numbers are... correct, incorrect, extra, missed) at 80% consistency on the default 30 second test there (see attached screenshot). I can't typically do that though as to guesstimate a more typical range I am at is probably about 80wpm, maybe a bit better. I don't even type properly (seems more proper way is using F(left index finger) and J(right index finger) keys with fingers on those and in that general area etc) but trying to reprogram the way I type ain't going to happen as it would take too long and my typing speed would drop off a cliff. also, I played with other random sites and depending on what they make you type my typing speed can take a rather big hit. but I feel that monkeytype site is closer to general day-to-day real world stuff I type, so it's more accurate for gauging my general day-to-day typing.

but one thing I noticed that helps you speed up is you have to consistently read ahead of what you are typing as if your fingers pretty much catch up, that will slow you down a bit as I can tell I have slight pauses in between which will lower your words per minute a fair amount, especially when I start reaching closer to my current upper limit.

but it's kind of funny how on some of those typing sites having you do it 'the more proper way' with index fingers on F and J keys etc and then has me type certain keys, I am not good that way (kills my typing speed) and when I got to type non-words it's like my hands/fingers don't know where to go. but when I type general words my hands/fingers just know where the keys are without having to look when I type the way I usually do. but I wonder if somehow one could get used to the regular proper way of typing if they could actually type faster or not vs how I do it now(?). even if true, I would probably have to spend too much time doing it and unless I got a worthwhile speed improvement, it's probably not worth the time investment to relearn everything from scratch.

Holy resurrected forum Batman! I'm currently using a Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro TKL and I'm really cheesing on it. 😁