Mechanical keyboards are all the rage today in the world of computers. Keyboards come in many sizes and forms and it can get difficult to keep up with all the new products and find out if a keyboard is truly mechanical, even more so if you just recently found out about them. But don’t fret, there are some tips that can help you find out if a keyboard is mechanical.
There may be several reasons why you may want a mechanical keyboard. There are many keyboards out there that feel like mechanical keyboards but are not. If you’re wondering how you can identify the differences and find out if the device is truly mechanical, you’re in the right place.
You can tell if a keyboard is mechanical by how much sound it makes when you click the keys, as mechanical keyboards make loud clicking noises when they’re pressed. You can also tell if it’s mechanical by removing the keys. Mechanical keyboards have switches under every key, whereas membrane keyboards don’t.
Are Mechanical Keyboards Better?
Mechanical keyboards are the best kind of keyboards for regular users. They are more durable than regular keyboards and have a much faster input response. In fact, many professional gamers prefer to use mechanical keyboards for their high durability and speed.
The primary reason mechanical keyboards are more durable is that the keys have switches underneath. So, when you press a key, you will activate the switch underneath that key, and most high-end switches are estimated to last for at least 20-40 million clicks, which is a lot more than a regular membrane keyboard. When the key is pressed, the switch activates and this emits a ‘click’ sound.
Since the feedback from mechanical keyboards is both sensory and auditory, it’ll be easier to type on a mechanical keyboard.
Not just gamers, but writers and editors also prefer to use mechanical keyboards. Usually, when you’re typing for hours a day, you’ll register a lot of keystrokes.
Let’s say you register 8000 keystrokes per hour, if you work for 6 hours a day, that will be 48000 keystrokes. Now, a regular laptop keyboard wouldn’t be able to withstand that type of workload for a very long time compared to a mechanical keyboard.
Most membrane keyboards have a life cycle of one to five million strokes. After this, the keyboard becomes highly unreliable for either gaming or typing.
Their mechanical counterpart is, however, capable of handling upwards of 50 million keystrokes if it’s handled correctly and taken care of properly. The improvement in the typing and gaming experience does come at a cost though. Mechanical keyboards cost more than a traditional membrane keyboard.
However, if you’re looking for a keyboard to use in the long run, mechanical keyboards are the way to go. Frankly put, you will most likely save money by purchasing a mechanical keyboard because of how long they’re expected to last, even under heavy usage.
How do Mechanical Keyboards Feel?
Mechanical keyboards have the best feedback in the industry because of the design of the components. The feedback is partly a result of the springs underneath the keys that are pushing them up again, making the keyboard feel bouncy. Membrane keyboards provide less feedback than mechanical keyboards.
They don’t emit any clicking sounds and they don’t usually feel bouncy because they’re not built using the same type of springs.
Mechanical keyboards also emit a sound when clicked. This sounds helps register the click. You can identify the feedback and analyze it to improve your typing speed and experience.
I think a mechanical keyboard offers a more natural workflow than most other keyboards because of the feedback that’s given with every click.
Even though mechanical keyboards may sound like they need more power to operate, that’s not the case. Most mechanical keyboards require the same clicking force as a membrane keyboard. Some mechanical keyboards also come with special keys that can register the click even when the button is half-pressed.
The bouncy feedback of mechanical keyboards will help you type faster. If you type for long hours continuously, you must get a mechanical keyboard as membrane keyboards will tire you faster. The spring actions are usually soft on the finger and will save you from any finger pains.
Difference Between Mechanical Keyboards and Membrane Keyboards
There are several differences between a mechanical keyboard and a membrane keyboard. The first difference you should know about is the design itself. Membrane keyboards have a plastic membrane beneath the keys. When you press a key, the key will touch the membrane and that will register the click.
The reason membrane keyboards are difficult to work with is because they don’t have any feedback mechanism. The only feedback you get is the soft bounce from the keys when pressed.
The feedback can go unnoticed if you’re not paying attention – saying a membrane keyboard is hard to use is an extreme overstatement. I will, however, say that a mechanical keyboard is easier to use and more forgiving in both the short and long run.
A mechanical keyboard, on the other hand, comes with physical switches under the keys. When you press a key, you’re essentially pressing the switch. Most mechanical keyboards will have two kinds of feedback. The first one is the sensory feedback you get from the springs.
When you press a key, you’ll compress the spring and activate the switch. Now, the compressed springs will push the key back to its initial state giving very strong feedback in the process. The string feedback helps you register the clicks easily and improves your typing speed.
The second type of feedback is audio feedback. The switches emit a ‘click’ sound when you press them. This comes in handy especially if you’re a gamer since you won’t always be in a position to look at the keyboard and type.
Another major difference between the membrane keyboard and the mechanical keyboard is the durability. Mechanical keyboards are made with springs and switches that have a longer lifetime than plastic membranes. This increases the durability of mechanical keyboards.
Usually, the number of keystrokes a mechanical keyboard can take is several times more than that of a membrane keyboard. Even though the number of keystrokes doesn’t tell us the whole story, it ensures us that mechanical keyboards last longer than membrane keyboards if they’re maintained well.
The last major difference between mechanical and membrane keyboards is the price. Usually, the computer or the laptop manufacturer will give you a membrane keyboard when you purchase your system. These keyboards cost anywhere between ten dollars and 50 dollars. The more the features, the higher the price.
Mechanical keyboards can be a little pricier than this. They usually cost anywhere between 50 and 100 dollars. The high-end models made for professional gamers are priced even higher, going up to 200 dollars.
The cost difference may seem like a lot but mechanical keyboards last way longer than traditional membrane keyboards. The final difference is the features. Since mechanical keyboards are made for either typists or gamers, they usually tend to have RGB lighting for backlighting. These lights will help you type or play at night without any issues.
Some mechanical keyboards specially made for gamers also come with way more benefits like highlighted WASD keys, multiple RGB zones, etc.
Are Mechanical Keyboards Worth It?
If you’re a writer, you are probably familiar with finger pains. When you type for long periods continuously on a membrane keyboard, you are likely to develop terrible pain in your fingers.
This is because the membrane keyboards don’t have proper feedback, which will cause you to press the keys differently. This isn’t unique to membrane keyboards in any way, that’s not what I’m saying.
You can develop the same type of finger pains from using a mechanical keyboard, and sometimes faster – depending on the model and how hard you press. In order to appear, finger pains usually require heavy usage regardless of the keyboard used. If your typing speed is on the higher end of the spectrum, you may run into finger pains pretty easily.
There’s a certain type of mechanical keyboard that can help you relieve the finger pain a little.
Some mechanical keyboards have keys that are triggered even when they’re only pressed halfway. This certainly reduces the strain the keyboard puts on your fingers. In fact, if you have a regular mechanical keyboard, your fingers may even hurt more because you’ll have to apply more strain to press the keys.
If you’re a gamer, there is a good chance that a mechanical keyboard will help your games. As a gamer, you will have to spend a lot of time looking at the screen and pressing the keys from muscle memory.
However, it’s more challenging to know if you pressed a key on a membrane keyboard since there is very little feedback. This may require you to shift your focus to your keyboard for a second to see if you did press the key.
As we know, when it comes to games, every second counts and every second can make a huge difference. This is especially the case for e-sports, where there’s a lot of things on the line and every single moment can make the difference between winning and losing.
So, getting a mechanical keyboard can save you time through good feedback and keep you focused on what’s important.
Most mechanical keyboards come with special lighting effects which may look even cooler with a complete gaming setup. The lights are, like everything else, a matter of taste.
Some people enjoy the lights and think they look visually pleasing while others think they look too futuristic or out of place. They do, however, have a little bit of functionality by illuminating the keys, making the keyboard visible in low-lighting environments.
Conclusion
Mechanical keyboards are quite different from membrane keyboards. They can be a bit costlier than the traditional keyboards that you get when you first purchase your systems. However, they are worth every penny and last way longer than the regular ones.
You can easily tell if a keyboard is mechanical by observing the click. If you hear a ‘click’ sound when you press a key, the keyboard is likely a mechanical keyboard. However, if you want to be absolutely sure, you have to remove the key. If the key is unremovable, the keyboard is likely a membrane keyboard.