The Glorious PC Gaming Race GMMK-BRN Modular Mechanical Keyboard Review
by E. Fylladitakis on November 1, 2016 10:00 AM ESTQuality Testing
In order to test the quality and consistency of a keyboard, we are using a texture analyser that is programmed to measure and display the actuation force of the standard keyboard keys. By measuring the actuation force of every key, the quality and consistency of the keyboard can be quantified. It can also reveal design issues, such as the larger keys being far softer to press than the main keys of the keyboard. The actuation force is measured in Centinewton (cN). Some companies use another figure, gram-force (gf). The conversion formula is 1 cN = 1.02 gf (i.e. they are about the same). A high quality keyboard should be as consistent as possible, with an average actuation force as near to the manufacturer's specs as possible and a disparity of less than ±10%. Greater differences are likely to be perceptible by users. It is worth noting that there is typically variance among keyboards, although most keyboard companies will try and maintain consistency - as with other reviews, we're testing our sample only.
The machine we use for our testing is accurate enough to provide readings with a resolution of 0.1 cN. For wider keys (e.g. Enter, Space Bar, etc.), the measurement is taking place at the center of the key, right above the switch. Note that large keys generally have a lower actuation force even if the actuation point is at the dead center of the key. This is natural, as the size and weight of the keycap reduces the required actuation force. For this reason, we do display the force required to actuate every key but we only use the results of the typical sized keys for our consistency calculations. Still, very low figures on medium sized keys, such as the Shift and Enter keys reveal design issues and can easily be perceptible by the user.
This is the first time we've come across Gateron’s products, and a keyboard full of their Brown switches is an excellent specimen for determining and establishing a baseline of their quality. Overall, the quality of the Gateron switches is not bad at all. They are definitely less consistent than Cherry’s switches, with an actuation force disparity of ±6.24%, whereas Cherry-based keyboards tend to display a disparity under 4%. The average actuation force across the main keys is 43.3 cN, lower than the specified 45 cN, hinting that most of the keys actuate slightly before the 2 mm travel point, where the spring’s force is lower. These differences however are virtually imperceptible by touch. In summary, the Gateron Brown switches appear to be good quality products, with performance figures slightly better or comparable to their Kailh counterparts, yet undeniably worse than the original Cherry MX switches.
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jeffbui - Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - link
Best first comment, could not write betterMr Perfect - Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - link
Replaceable switches are a cool concept. If a switch goes bad or gets dirty on most boards, you have to desolder it and solder on a new one. Most people can't do that. This also gives people the option to use unusual switch types, like clears or greens that no one seems to want to make boards out of. It's to bad that they're contact pads and not sockets though.Also, how many simultaneous key presses is this? 6 or full NKRO?
warrenk81 - Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - link
Did i miss the page where you demonstrated the headline feature? or was it just the two pictures?Ryan Smith - Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - link
Just the two pictures.DanNeely - Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - link
I'm still not a big fan of illuminated desktop keyboards, but moving the marking so both characters were side by side on the top and well illuminated looks a lot better than what I've seen on other recent ones where the bottom symbol was a steady clear/white color that clashed with the rest of the keys.mtbiker731 - Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - link
These copy/paste keyboard articles are getting incredibly repetitive. Can you at least try out some effort in not copying your words verbatim from the last 10 keyboard articles?? Maybe the companies sending you this stuff for review will start to pick up on your lazy tactics. Until then, I refuse to click on another keyboard article, or even consider purchasing one of these things."Final Words
I always try to use every keyboard that we review as my personal keyboard for at least a week. My typical weekly usage includes a lot of typing (about 100-150 pages), a few hours of gaming and some casual usage, such as internet browsing and messaging."
Where have I read that before...
Ryan Smith - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
The purpose of doing so is to lay out the subjective aspects of our keyboard testing methodology. But I do see your point. It's not going to go away entirely, but maybe we can do something a bit different...Manch - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Could you just do a keyboard round up instead of a separate article?FUBARette - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
Would anyone care to help me understand the advantages of this latest trend in tall mechanical keys with lengthy travel for gamers as opposed to the shorter chicklet keys? I know a lot of folks loathe chicklet keys with the heat of a thousand burning suns, but they're not going back to the Compaq keyboards of yore with keys so high they cast a farking shadow.I'm a former medical transcriptionist who was paid to type as fast and accurately as possible without ever looking down at the keyboard. When medical transcription started in the late 1980s, the keys were taller than the Empire State Building and required the strength of Godzilla to mash them quickly and accurately. I've long since moved on to tech support of hospital servers and MT workstations, but am baffled by what is, to me anyway, a new trend for sky-high keys and lengthy key travel.
Please for to explain this phenomena of towering keys. What are the gains? Is it just a trend that shall fade or is it here to stay?
Lord of the Bored - Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - link
The full-height keys enable the use of a larger switch with a longer travel and smoother action than the silicone rubber domes necessary for the small chiclet keys.The alleged advantage is that the keystroke resistance is even through the entire travel instead of all the force being at the beginning and then the finger "falling through" to the bottom when the dome collapses, so you aren't pounding fingertips against a hard surface all the time because of it.
Personally, most silicone dome switches just feel terrible to me. Some are better than others, though they all feel kinda mushy after using a microswitched board for some time.
I hadn't noticed chiclet keys ever becoming the standard for standalone keyboards. They tend to only show up where space is at a premium and there isn't room for full-height keys.
But everything old is new again. We came out of another "make the keyboard cheaper" trend and are in a "make the keyboard good" phase. There is no elimination of the low-profile boards, but the market IS focusing on full-size microswitched boards lately.