Where I’m At
Basically, I know just the very basics. I’ve thought about building a keyboard many times and I have the technical means/knowhow to do such. I know there are very personal things like keystroke length, pressure, etc. that goes into it but I don’t have enough experience typing on keyboards that aren’t garbage to really know what I want. Advice on figuring that out would be really helpful.
As far as things that I know that I need:
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Backlighting. The lighting in my space is not great and it really helps (for me, since I don’t always have hands on the keyboard) to be able to quickly identify a key. I know this might deduct from the budget a lot, but I’m willing to absorb it because I consider this a must-have. Static color is fine, I don’t need full programmable RGB
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100% keyboard. I have the space and use all the keys for games, macros, etc. 6 years ago I got a giant grin on my face when I finally used the scroll lock key for what it’s designed for.
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Quietness is more important than feel for me. As much as I’d love one of those crazy Model Ms that have the servos for a replica perfect typing feel, I often am on voice chat while doing things so that’s a no go.
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I can’t do the split ergo thing, as cool as it seems. My brain has been trained to touch type poorly, and there’s no way I’m gonna be able to get away from that.
Budget
If this is possible for $200 or less, that would be great. If someone knows of something prebuilt, or a possible combination of parts that could fit within this budget I’d be very grateful. I can go a little over by piecemealing parts, but sooner rather than later would really be preferred. I’m tired of having either cheap or half broken keyboards.
Thanks
I think the Keychron V6 Max might be right up your alley.
It meets all of your requirements (100% layout, back light, quiet depending on your switches).
It’s also hotswapable so very beginner friendly when you’re trying to find switches you like. Here’s a sound test of all 3 switch options for the Keychron V6. There’s not a huge difference to me but I’m also just on mobile right now. With your budget you can also choose to try other switches too. You can use the stock switches as a starting point to see what type of switch best fits your needs. For example, note the force used to actuate (activate) the switch. If it feels too light, find a switch that has a higher force. Videos can help to identify which sound nice but keep in mind that the keyboard will also impact the sound.
Lastly the V6 can be used via Bluetooth or wireless USB for a cleaner look. I didn’t see gaming as a requirement so the lower latency over wireless connection should be fine.
There are other Keychron keyboards too if you want other options. The Q6 is very similar but is entirely made of metal, thus increasing the cost to $205 for a fully assembled board. Hippyo has an informative video on building and modding a custom keyboard using the Keychron Q6 as a base model.
Ok, honestly, this does look perfect. Thanks a lot for the specific recommendation. I’ll leave this post up for a bit in case someone comes up with something better. I’m willing to build one, but for the budget and features I need this seems ideal.