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If you are reading this article, then you are probably in the market for a mechanical keyboard. I have designed this guide with the competitive gamer in mind. Before I made the leap into the world of mechanical keyboards, I did quite a bit of searching. I found a few guides out there on the internet, but none that were really tailored towards the hardcore gamer. My goal is to provide a simple guide for gamers that includes the essential information needed to buy a mechanical keyboard.

Mechanical keyboard?

Yes. A mechanical keyboard may look like your standard keyboard. However, underneath each key lies a “switch” (more on this later). When you press down on a key, the switch underneath is actuated. Each time you press a key, you are greeted with a satisfying chunk that can make typing and playing games even more enjoyable. It almost feels like using a typewriter. Make sure you note, though, that mechanical keyboards can be pretty loud because of this. Due to their use of these switches, mechanical keyboards also have a significantly longer life-span than a non-mechanical keyboard. 

The Tt eSPORTS MEKA mechanical keyboard

Why is a keyboard important for a competitive gamer?

For most gamers (myself included) it's all about the way that a keyboard feels. If you are going to be spending long hours spamming that Drone hot-key in StarCraft 2, you don't want to feel like you are going to break your keyboard in half. The sheer build quality of a standard keyboard is nowhere near comparable to that of a mechanical board. Most of these mechanical keyboards range from 2.5 to 5 pounds. Pretty bulky stuff. 

Not only that, but the effort required to use a mechanical keyboard is about half that of a standard keyboard. Each key is designed to register your key press before you hit the bottom of the keyboard. (This is called bottoming out - we will use this term later). Just imagine how much faster you will be able to play if you don't need to waste energy bashing on cheap keys. 

Many mechanical keyboards also feature something called “N-Key Rollover.” This means that your keyboard can handle an unlimited number of keys being pressed at once. Some mechanical and cheaper “gaming” keyboards usually top out at 6. When you are moving quickly in your games, you don't want to be slowed down by a keyboard that can't process the information you are trying to send it. 

And let's be real. When your keys feel and sound as good as this, you start to play like a complete baller. At least in your head. 

After all, there is a reason that a huge number of pros choose mechanical keyboards. 

Types of Mechanical Boards

Mechanical keyboards come with a good amount of selection. As I mentioned before, the keyboards use “switches.” These are the little buttons that your key cap will be pressing down on. The most famous mechanical key switch manufacturer is a German company called Cherry. There are a seemingly endless number of mechanical key switches out there, especially when you delve into the world of hacking. 

But! This guide is for gamers, so I will only be covering the three best/most popular switches for gaming. 

Before we get into this, let me quickly define two words that I will be using often when describing each type of switch:

Tactile: For this guide, tactile means that there is a bump about half way down the key press. This means that there are two individual feelings when using these types of switches. There is the initial tactile bump followed by the bottoming out of the key hitting the bottom of the board. Think of it feeling like a click, followed up by a thud. 

Clicky: Clicky will mean a high pitched typing noise. If a keyboard is clicky, then it is designed to create a high pitched typing sound as it hits that tactile bump half way down. So these clicky switches have a clicking sound, followed by the booming sound of your key bottoming out. 

Note: The type of switch you choose is a very important choice. Each switch feels drastically different than the next, so I highly recommend you try out each type of switch hands-on before making a purchase. My goal with this guide is to give you as much streamlined information as possible, but everyone has different tastes and preferences. Don't say I didn't warn you! 

Cherry MX Black Switches

The Cherry MX Black switch is considered by many to be the best switch for gaming. These switches are not tactile and not clicky. They require about 60 grams of pressure to actuate.  

Most people feel like the tactile bump provided by other key switches are completely unnecessary when gaming. This is because you'll probably be slamming down all the way on your key anyway. As I stated above, these switches require 60 grams of pressure to actuate. That's quite a bit for a keyboard. This means that typing may not be the easiest thing in the world to do. It takes a bit of effort to actually press down a key. 

For gaming though, this is great. It means you will spend less time hitting the wrong key because you need to really be sure of your key press before you follow through with it. Spamming feels great on these switches. You feel like a total boss slamming down on them. 

Filco Majestouch

As far as sound goes, these switches are generally considered “quiet” by mechanical keyboard standards. Still, they are considerably louder than the majority of non-mechanical keyboards. The sound that you will hear is the sound of the key bottoming out, so the sound really is dependent on how hard you bash on your keys.  

The main downside to these switches is that some people don't really feel like they are clicky enough. A lot of people really want that sound and tactile feeling in a mechanical keyboard.  

Popular Cherry MX Black mechanical keyboards are the SteelSeries 6gV2 and the TT eSPORTS MEKA G1.  

Cherry MX Blue Switches

The Cherry MX Blue switch is probably the switch you are thinking of when you first think of a mechanical keyboard. They are tactile and clicky, so these keys feel and sound great. They require about 50 grams of pressure to actuate.  

Let me just start out by saying that, in my opinion, these switches are by far the best for typing. Due to their light actuation force and tactile feeling, you will absolutely fly. Seriously. My average words per minute hit a consistent 130. This translates pretty well to gaming. In my experience, I have found them great for RTS games. The satisfying tactile "crunch" really helps me perform actions quickly. 

Razer Black Widow

You will also find the most variation with these switches. If you know where to look, you can find a few random companies producing inexpensive keyboards that use blue switches. Just be wary. When you find a mechanical keyboard for 50 dollars, it's probably too good to be true. You get what you pay for.  

Two popular Cherry MX Blue mechanical keyboards are the Das Keyboard Model S Professional and the Razer Blackwidow. 

Cherry MX Brown Switches

The Cherry MX Brown switch falls somewhere in the middle of the blues and the blacks. They are tactile but are not clicky. They are more similar in sound to the black switches, but feel a lot like the blues. They have an actuation force of about 45 grams. 

The brown switches are probably the least popular out of the three. I would really suggest these switches to anyone who enjoys the feel of the blue switches, but dislikes the sound. In a nutshell, they are a more discreet version of the blues. They are exceptionally satisfying to use. Luckily, you don't have to worry about shoddy production quality with browns as much as you do with blues since they are less common.  

A popular Cherry MX Brown mechanical keyboard is the Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent. 

In closing

As you see from the tables above, mechanical keyboards can be ridiculously expensive. Purchasing a mechanical keyboard is a significant investment that can be really hard to justify. If you are on the fence, try to imagine how much time you spend at your computer. Do you play a lot of games? How many hours of the day are you typing? Remember that a good mechanical keyboard can last you about as long as 3 non-mechanical keyboards.  

Let's be completely up front. Buying a mechanical keyboard will probably not make you a better gamer. If it is any indication, a great deal of Korean StarCraft 2 professionals do not use mechanical keyboards. Still, there is a reason that these keyboards have begun to dominate the pro scene. Their incredible build quality really makes them a no brainer for professionals and people who are serious about their gaming.  

If you can spare the cash, take a leap. You won't regret it.

That's all from me guys. Look forward to actual hardware reviews from me soon! If you have any requests, be sure to sound off in the comments below and we will see what we can do.