Choosing a keyboard that is comfortable, functional and beautiful is the guarantee of efficient work and efficient gaming. But the modern market offers hundreds of options with prices varying tenfold.
The question of keyboard pricing and the aspects of choosing the right model are the subject of our article today.
What is the price of the keyboard?
While the keyboard is one of the most affordable parts of a desktop PC, it's a fairly complex device.
The cost of a keyboard depends on a number of criteria:
Manufacturer's brand and reputation
It's only logical that some manufacturers who have invested heavily in advertising and marketing want to offset the cost at the expense of the cost of goods. Meanwhile, keyboards from the "no-name" category in the Asian market are much cheaper, but since the device doesn't have a name, no one cares about its reputation.
Offices - with the most budgets, they are usually made of cheap materials and have the necessary minimum functionality.
Multimedia - Also the basic keyboard in the budget segment, equipped with several additional keys for controlling audio and video content.
Ergonomic - Common user equipment, distinguished by a special comfortable shape and a non-standard key arrangement. Generally, the more unusual a keyboard looks, the more expensive it is.
Gaming keyboards are the top-of-the-line category with maximum functionality, additional keys, backlighting, and more.
Material
The keyboard is made of various plastics. The most budget option is ABC. It is easy to form and relatively durable. But with heavy use, the case and some keys can crack. Over time, the key surfaces will wear out and start to glow, and the white keyboard will turn noticeably yellow.
RBT is a stronger, more durable plastic. It's not afraid of UV radiation, and the keys' matte, slightly rough surface won't wear out even after a few years. The cost of a keyboard made of this plastic cannot be called a budget.
Another plus for the price tag is the use of metal in the keyboard design. It can act as a deck or form the basis of a keyboard.
mechanism
There are now 3 types of keyboards. If we sort them in ascending order by price, we get the following ratings:
membrane;
Scissors;
Mechanical.
The choice of options should be based on the purpose of the device. We have detailed the advantages and disadvantages of various mechanisms in this article.
number of keys
The minimum configuration of the keyboard contains 104 keys. Some manufacturers extend functionality by introducing additional keys, such as blocks for controlling multimedia applications, buttons for turning the system on, off and hibernating. Meanwhile, some compact keyboards may even lack a numeric keypad.
Backlight
By definition, any computer component with a backlight, such as peripherals, is more expensive. Manufacturers spend money on technology, and naturally they put those expenses into the final cost of the device. But choosing a keyboard with or without a backlight is a user's choice. It usually doesn't carry the feature load unless you're typing in complete darkness.
Standards like connection method, button height, color, and even design usually don't have a significant impact on cost. Within each price category you will find different options.
How to choose a working keyboard?
For the most part, work keyboards are a commodity in the budget and mid-price segment. First of all, you should pay attention to the comfort of the work. Fortunately, the keyboard is one of the few items you can try out in stores.
When buying a keyboard for everyday text processing, pay attention to the following metrics:
Comfortable button placement and size, especially function buttons;
Key stroke depth and key sound;
presence of necessary additional keys and manipulators (multimedia, digital blocks, touchpads);
Do gamers need expensive keyboards?
If choosing between budget membrane keyboards and more expensive mechanical keyboards, gamers should take a closer look at the mechanics.
The truth is that there are rubber membranes under the keys of the membrane keyboard. Press too often and the material loses its elasticity and the button starts to "stick". And because the player intensively uses a fairly narrow set of keys - W, A, S, D, plus the less powerful E, Q, and arrows, those buttons are the first to fail.
In this regard, the keys of mechanical keyboards exhibit better durability. Yes, they work more clearly, with characteristic clicks.
Another great thing about gaming mechanical keyboards is their foundation. The base of a good gaming keyboard is usually a metal plate. This device is much heavier than plastic, doesn't ride on a table, and gives a solid and solid feel.
Not to mention the downsides of a mechanical gaming keyboard. The first is the sound of pressing. Since many users are gaming at night and at night, the noise can be extremely annoying to others even if the computer is in another room. If the game's soundtrack can be neutralized with the help of headphones, the loud button clicks, especially in the heat of battle, won't cut it.
But backlighting is a relatively neutral selection criterion. First, on a gaming keyboard, you can usually turn it off at any time, or adjust the brightness of the glow. Second, enthusiastic players rarely set their sights on the keyboard. Game controls are done automatically and they don't need to be peeping.
But there is one class of users who likes that everything sparkles. In this case, the backlit keyboard that comes with a system unit with RGB backlighting would be the most appropriate option.
In fact, there are no clear criteria for choosing a keyboard. Everything is purely personal. If you're comfortable with a premium gaming https://www.kemove.com/product-category/keyboard/, no one will judge you. It's also a matter of habit if it's convenient for you to play with the most budget model, and you have every right to do so.
