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Need a budget keyboard

post #1 of 3
9/19/12 at 8:33pm
Thread Starter 
Looking for a decent but cheap keyboard. Don't know much about mechanical keyboards but I found this really cheap one:

Azio Levetron
I did a quick google and found them to be of the lower(est?) end style switches but I know nothing about which one is better for what, gonna start reading that soon. But I wanted to know if this is a better quality route than going for something like a logitech or something? I'm currently using a Creative Media Keyboard. The gf bought it for me when my old one was nearing end of life and... I'm soft. But this thing is old and I need something new.

So is this worth it to get into a mech kb or a cheap thing to stay away from? Also, if this isn't good, any suggestions for ~$40 and under, preference on being cheaper. Shifts cut back... Only gotta last till next year anyway.

Thanks in advance to all the OCN experts, and the rest of ya too I guess tongue.gif
M04
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M04
(19 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
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Hard DriveHard DriveHard DriveOptical Drive
WB Blue 500GB WD Black 1.5TB Crucial M4 128GB (OS) Samsung ODD 
CoolingOSMonitorKeyboard
Corsair H50 Push/Pull Win7 Ultimate 64 bit Acer X223w (1050) Sharkoon Tactix 
PowerCaseMouseMouse Pad
OCZ ModXstream Pro 700w Modular Azza Solano 1000 CM Storm Xornet Steelseries Qck+ DOTA2 Edition 
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post #2 of 3
9/19/12 at 10:25pm
$40 and under and mechanical is limiting, but doable, and IMO still preferable to going for a rubber dome.

That Azio belongs to the Taiwan Tai-Hao family of ALPS-clone keyboards, like the brandless "Mechanical Gaming Keyboard"s that were all over eBay and Amazon a few months ago. The Azio incarnation hasn't been around long enough to say for sure about it, but the brandless ones were regarded as having fairly sketchy build quality.

One way you might go to maximize your value for money is to pick up a cheap used IBM Model M on eBay. You will have to clean it, and buckling springs aren't for everyone, but in terms of sheer rugged quality, it's hard to beat at any price.

If you're dead-set on buying new and cheap, it's hard to go lower than the MicroConnectors D07-135. Build quality isn't stellar, but it's cheap, and if you luck into one with the black tactile switches, it's actually (IMO) not a bad switch.
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The Computer
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WD Caviar Black 1TB Biwin 60GB SSD Cache Drive Asus DVD Burner Windows 7 Pro 
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ViewSonic VX2460 Noppoo TANK (MX Black) Rosewill Capstone 650-M Zalman Z9 
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post #3 of 3
9/19/12 at 10:39pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info. But mech isn't required. Anything thats decent enough to last a year till I move and buy an all new, much bigger and better rig (with proper periphs like a REAL mechanical board)

I wasn't sure about going with a decent build quality dome kb vs a cheap as dirt "mech" like the azio. It's hard finding reputable info on it...

So yea, I'm open to logitechs and such, just want to maximize my small budget for now, rather than buy the cheapest keyboard thats "good enough for now" and being done with it like usual.
M04
(19 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
AMD Phenom II B55 - 3.8ghz @ 1.36v (1.45 load) Asus M5A97 Gigabyte HD6850 Windforce O.C. G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 2133 CL9 @ 1733... 
Hard DriveHard DriveHard DriveOptical Drive
WB Blue 500GB WD Black 1.5TB Crucial M4 128GB (OS) Samsung ODD 
CoolingOSMonitorKeyboard
Corsair H50 Push/Pull Win7 Ultimate 64 bit Acer X223w (1050) Sharkoon Tactix 
PowerCaseMouseMouse Pad
OCZ ModXstream Pro 700w Modular Azza Solano 1000 CM Storm Xornet Steelseries Qck+ DOTA2 Edition 
AudioAudioAudio
Edifier e1100+  Sennheiser HD215 Plantronics Gamecom 307 
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M04
(19 items)
  		  
CPUMotherboardGraphicsRAM
AMD Phenom II B55 - 3.8ghz @ 1.36v (1.45 load) Asus M5A97 Gigabyte HD6850 Windforce O.C. G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 2133 CL9 @ 1733... 
Hard DriveHard DriveHard DriveOptical Drive
WB Blue 500GB WD Black 1.5TB Crucial M4 128GB (OS) Samsung ODD 
CoolingOSMonitorKeyboard
Corsair H50 Push/Pull Win7 Ultimate 64 bit Acer X223w (1050) Sharkoon Tactix 
PowerCaseMouseMouse Pad
OCZ ModXstream Pro 700w Modular Azza Solano 1000 CM Storm Xornet Steelseries Qck+ DOTA2 Edition 
AudioAudioAudio
Edifier e1100+  Sennheiser HD215 Plantronics Gamecom 307 
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