The Cherry MX Board 6.0 Mechanical Keyboard Review
by E. Fylladitakis on January 27, 2016 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Cherry MX
- Mechanical Keyboards
Quality 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.
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.
The quality testing of the Cherry MX Board 6.0 gave us unnaturally good results, smiting every other mechanical keyboard that we have tested to this date - including those made with Cherry's own switches. Our instruments recorded an average force of 43.5 cN, with a disparity of just ±1.61% for the main keys. Even the force of the larger keys is abnormally close to that of the smaller keys, as their force figures are usually significantly lower due to the size of the keycap.
Although this is just an assumption on our part, we believe that these abnormal figures are a product of more than just the lack of variability in Cherry's mechanical switches. Our testing equipment is set to hold the force value once a key has been actuated, but it can only realize that it has actually been actuated once the keyboard sends a signal to a computer. Inherently, this process has a latency of a few milliseconds, during which the analyzer keeps increasing the force. Cherry claims that with the Realkey technology of this keyboard, it can signal the system every single millisecond. Again, this is a mere educational guess on our part, but it may be that Cherry effectively minimized the latency of the keyboard, which is now signaling our test system to stop more consistently. This could explain the abnormal consistency of the results, as a latency of even a few ms would increase every recorded value slightly.
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buxe2quec - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - link
http://www.cherry.de/cid/Mechanical_keyboards.htm? this is the listSamus - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - link
Awesome keyboard, but I repeat your "Wow...$200" statement.I mean is it really that much better than a $60 Coolermaster Quickfire with the same MX Red keys?
valentin-835 - Saturday, January 30, 2016 - link
I used to think that way. 200 bucks. What's that ? I know people that spend more than that in a month drinking a lot of Starbucks coffee. Them caffeine junkies !!!voicequal - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - link
Once you get adjusted to MX Red it's hard to go back to MX Brown. I have two Kinesis keyboards, the first was MX Brown, the 2nd MX Red. Compared to the MX Red, the MX Brown feels sticky and requires harder key presses, but then bottoms out abruptly. MX Red has light but consistent actuation force that allows faster typing while reducing fatigue, once you learn to not hammer the keys. I use the MX Red at work while the MX Brown stays home, while I've come to prefer the MX Red overall.MrSpadge - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - link
Interesting. I definitely prefer MX Brown over MX Black. And I've got 2 examples for Brown's: a basic Cherry for ~50€ at work and a.. oh dear, forgot the name. From some other company for 120€, a heavy unit with a solid back plate. The keys feel so much better on that one, precise and light compared to "a bit mushy" - it's amazing. I would have sworn they use different ones if I didn't kow better.MrSpadge - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - link
The better one is a Celeritas.BurntMyBacon - Thursday, January 28, 2016 - link
@MrSpadge: "... a heavy unit with a solid back plate. The keys feel so much better on that one, precise and light compared to "a bit mushy" "This is exactly my experience. I've had the opportunity to use browns and blacks at work. Waiting till prices are better in general for home as I'd like a backlit mechanical keyboard with a solid back plate for my dark environment, but I'm unwilling to pay the current going price for it. If the keyboard has flex in the back plate, the keys feel sticky and require a lot more actuation force. A solid back plate allows you to accurately feel the crossover point and waste no more time or energy on the key press. Blacks aren't really that bad for me, but with no feedback to tell me it has actuated, I end up bottomed out or nearly so every key press. Given that reds are less resistive, I'd probably be bottoming out every time.
guidryp - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - link
People are different and I suppose you can get used to anything.But Browns and "harder key presses" doesn't make much sense, these are extremely light press keys.
That "bottoms out suddenly" is the tactile breakover effect, and is exactly what I want in a keyboard switch. It's the only reason I want a mechanical keyboard. I despise the linear black and red keys with the Linear keys you get no tactile cue about actuation, except bottoming them out.
voicequal - Thursday, January 28, 2016 - link
The Kinesis also helps by playing an audible "tick" sound when the key actuates. I've kept this on with both the Brown and Red, and I recall I did have trouble detecting feedback when I turned it off.I guess if the key is going to bottom out hard anyway, I'd rather have the Red which gives you more control over how fast you bottom out. Since the brown requires more initial force to actuate, your always going to bottom out hard. For me it agitates RSI.
BurntMyBacon - Thursday, January 28, 2016 - link
@voicequal: "The Kinesis also helps by playing an audible "tick" sound when the key actuates. I've kept this on with both the Brown and Red, and I recall I did have trouble detecting feedback when I turned it off."Good information. I didn't know the Kinesis keyboards had that feature. It's too bad the board has enough flex that you can't get a good response from the browns, but it sounds like the audible feedback is responsive enough to make the reds usable. This keyboard is not really in my price range, but perhaps the audible feedback scheme will show up elsewhere in the future.