Cherry MX 10.0N mechanical keyboard - A non-enthusiast's thoughts after one month
So bit more than one month ago my very old Microsoft Sidewinder X4 keyboard broke the membrane on the 'A' key, meaning it was effectively kaput. I decided that I wanted to try a mechanical.
The Search
My use-cases are as follows, in the order of importance:
- Gaming
- Programming
- General typing
These were the first requirements I settled on, based on my limited knowledge of mechanical keyboards:
- ISO nordic layout
- Full size: Because I make heavy use of both numpad and the insert-delete-home-end-page island of keys. Whatever it is called. I have zero interest in compromising on the standard layout.
- Nice to have: Metal body
- Nice to have: General high-quality
- Nice to have: Wireless, but only if 2.4Gz.
- Nice to have: Tactile switches
- Nice to have: Backlit keys
- Nice to have: Simple elegant aesthetic. I especially want to avoid typical gamer aesthetic.
- Budget basically unlimited
With these requirements I eventually settled on Keychron Q6 Max with Jupiter Brown. But just before ordering one, I started thinking about the height of the keys on a normal old-school mechanical.
I don't remember when I have last used one, all my recent keyboard had been modern low-profile so I didn't have a reference for what I was buying other than images.
I started reading about wrist problems from keyboard height and the recommendation of a wrist rest. I looked at the Keychron options and saw that they only had rests that were completely detached from the keyboard.
Thing is that I move my keyboard around my desk a lot, so I figured that having a wrist-rest that was not attached would become an annoyance.
After this I decided to just stick to what I am used to and added another requirement:
- Low-profile
Unfortunately when you set requirements for 100%, ISO, and low-profile, then the otherwise extensive Keychron catalogue becomes super limited. So I started looking elsewhere.
At the time there was a new post about a search engine on the /r/MechanicalKeyboards front page.
Using this I discovered the Cherry MX 10.0N. This seemed like a good deal. High quality all-metal body.
The only real sticking point was that the switches are linear with very short actuation, but I liked the look of this keyboard so much that I decided I could probably learn to live with it.
The review
The keyboard looks great in person. The all-metal body feels very solid and high-quality. It's got good heft and sticks to the table. The entire board is very thin and feels good to rest on.
The keys also feel high quality with minimal wobbling, and long keys sound and feel the same whether pressed on the edge or in the middle.
That's all the good stuff. Now on to the less good.
The foot
The adjustable foot in the back has no real positions. Meaning that there is no point in adjusting it where it will click in place and stay there, and it is under constant spring pressure to return to the stowed position. This means that the only thing keeping the extended foot in place is the weight of the keyboard. As mentioned I move my keyboard around frequently, and this means that everytime I move it I have to readjust the foot.
Additionally, it's highest position is sort of a balancing point, meaning that it you are a bit off, or accidentally push the keyboard a bit in this position, then the foot will suddenly collapse.
It's a minor annoyance, but one that is unique to this keyboard since I don't see this kind of foot design anywhere else. Otherwise the full-length metal foot is really nice, if only they had added proper click positions in its travel.
The switches
As mentioned, these are linear with very short actuation. CHERRY MX LOW PROFILE RGB SPEED switches to be specific. My first thought when trying to type with these was "Oh my god I hate this, how can some prefer this?!".
Constant mistyping was the name of the game. I was so used to being able to slightly miss a key, but still only actuate the intended. But that doesn't fly with this keyboard. If you depress any key even the slightest, it WILL actuate.
For gaming I first didn't understand why I sometimes kept jumping. I eventually figured out its because the mere weight of my thumb resting on the spacebar can be enough to actuate it sometimes.
After 1 month of regular usage, I can confidently say that my thoughts are now "Oh my god I hate this, how can some prefer this?!". Okay, I improved my typing somewhat to maybe half my mistyping. Gaming is still a pain, and I've had to regularly rest my thumb on the table instead to stop the sudden jumping.
Unfortunately this keyboard does not have hot-swappable switches, so there is no fixing it unless I want to buy a soldering iron and replace every single key, which I am not willing to.
Key spacing
So while the keyboard is technically 100%, Cherry has still designed it to be as compact as possible. One area where they have shaved off the length is the spacing between the main keys and the arrows keys and those above. Aswell as on the other side with the numpad.
I didn't know this prior to puchasing this keyboard, but apparently this spacing is essential for my muscle memory to be able to find those keys. The lack of spacing has meant that maybe 25% of the time I use them, I press the wrong key.
Overall
Now the issue with the switches and spacing is really an issue of preference. These aren’t quality issues. They were designed this way because some people like it (somehow). So if this keyboard looks interesting to you, and these preference design choices don't bother you, then I can only recommend the Cherry MX 10.0N. It really is a very high quality keyboard.
For me though, I just can't overlook these choices, so I have started looking for another keyboard again. I'm currently split between the Cherry KW X ULP and Logitech G915 X Lightspeed. None of them are full-metal body unfortunately. The cherry one seems to be the higher quality, but the the key caps remind me of laptops keys, which I really hate the feel of. Maybe I'm overreacting to it. The Logitech one is lower quality, but has all the the features that I would want. If you know of something better then please do leave a comment. I might reconsider my low-profile requirement. I'll give it at least another month before I become serious about switching again.
Low profile keys are complicated. I would highly recommend rethinking that requirement and looking for a keyboard with a permanently attached wrist wrest or a magnetic one so that moving the keyboard around, while possibly detaching the wrist wrest, while make it super easy to attach it again.
If your budget is essentially unlimited you could also think about commissioning a keyboard just for your usecase. You'll likely be looking at USD 1000+ to make that happen though. Good thing about a fully custom keeb is that at the very least, the components are detached from each other, which means that you can individually replace them. Though this point holds for every custom keyboard, not a commissioned one.
I looked briefly at more custom keyboards in the very beginning of my search. But it all seemed catered to smaller layout, so didn't stay long. I also easily get choice paralysis :D
Most keyboard stores allow you to filter for sizes. Personally for me 75% is ideal, though I do miss my numpad and have opted to get a separate one.
Unfortunately right now super small keyboards are the trend in enthusiast circles; the amount of 60% I see being advertised everywhere is insane.
I honestly don't understand the love for mechanical keyboards. I've owned several niceish mechanical keyboards over the years, and I think most of the hype is bullshit. 99% of people are not going to need the difference in actuation speed, and in my experience they're not particularly enjoyable to actually type on - not to mention the racket. I've been using a Logitech MX Keys for years now, which apparently has "scissor switches" which are something of a middle ground between membrane and mechanical, and it's perfect for both work and gaming, IMO. I never accidentally actuate keys, it's quiet but there is some actual feedback when you press a key, and it's extremely low profile so my wrists feel great. I understand that there are probably some drawbacks on paper when it comes to gaming, but frankly I'm not a professional and I'm way too shit at games for the equipment to be the problem. I'd much rather reduce the amount of noise and increase the amount of comfort.
For some people, such as myself, the racket is a feature. I love the full sensory experience of typing on one of my boards. When my wife and I are both working from home, it sounds like WORK is being done.
That said, I generally don't bring a loud keyboard to the office as I know others don't all appreciate my cacophony.
Yeah, I get that it's a feature for some folks, I just don't care for it. Although I will say, that wasn't the case until I had a baby - I did not enjoy having a super clicky keyboard and trying to game or type while the baby (or mom) was asleep. I know there are some switches that are fairly quiet now, but that wasn't as easy to get when I had little ones.
It's all personal preference. For me, I like the sound and the feel both. Typing on mechanical keyboards (multiple types of switches even amongst my many keyboards) just feels ergonomically good to my fingers. I end up typing faster, more accurately, and more comfortably. The real physical feedback of the feel and the sound really helps me / my brain.
I've used chiclet keyboards, mushy membrane keyboards, low quality IMO mechanical (Logitech) and to me, actual decent mechanical keyboards are a worlds apart in how they feel and in how I perform on them in comparison.
Do I recommend everyone switch? No of course not, our needs may be different. Though I do recommend people try them out if they ever get a chance. For some people it may be a worthwhile upgrade in feel, performance, and comfort if their brain is like mine and really craves/excels whenever something has a lot of feedback
It's really sad to me that 'clicky' keys are the standard for mechanical keyboards, it's definitely a turnoff for me and for many more casual users. After years of having mech keyboards I've found that I love lubricated linear switches. They are generally quiet and easy to type on - My current favorite are Durock L1 creamy yellow linear switches.
I'd argue that "clicky" switches are not actually standard for mechanical keyboards these days and haven't been for a while. That being said, there are still around and I imagine they always will be as some people really like them.
I really liked clicky switches, mostly for the tactile feel/feedback. But I did need something a little quieter, so for a while I was using Mute Jades but they were kinda inconsistent (but I did like them). I’ve swapped to tactiles and don’t feel like I’m missing out on too much.
I’m currently rocking JWICK Taro switches on my main board, and lowprokb’s sunsets on my low-profile one.
I do think that “clicky” switches are loud, but linear and tactile switches can also be loud, if you bottom out the keys on every press - which I think a lot of people do, especially if they’re new to mechanical keyboards.
I honestly can't grok how anyone types without bottoming out, it feels so alien and wrong to me any time I try. And that's across a number of different switches (clicky, tactile, and my current preference for heavy linears).
oh, I definitely bottom out still, especially when I’m typing normally or fast.
If I’m explicitly going slowly or trying to type quietly I can avoid it, but that’s significantly easier to do with tactiles since the bump is the actuation point. (Or with clickies, since the click is the actuation point.)
Yep, that is what I am seeing as well. I really, really don't care for linear switches, but I am pretty set as far as keyboards go these days so no biggie.
Honestly, same. I have had a cheap razor mechanical, a wasd keyboards 80% with MX clear, and one of the metal ultra compact keyboards with MX clear (I want to call it a teensy, but that’s a microcontroller). For the last three years of my professional life as a data analyst, I used an Apple Magic Keyboard with numpad, despite still having the wasd keyboard. I got it because I could get one in purple, and it was the same height as the Magic Trackpad I was using (on Windows) for RSI reasons. I won’t say the Magic Keyboard is the best keyboard, but it is quite good (although the price is way too high). It just didn’t matter to me.
I’ve recently bought a (an?) MX keys, and it is nice to type on. I might try a mechanical keyboard at some point, but I need to carry my keyboard between different computers on different days/sessions, and that portability was a big sell.
I agree it feels like a nice halfway between a mechanical and membrane.
Really, there are two mostly-separate parallel worlds for mechanical keyboards: prebuilt, mass-market boards and custom kits that need to be built. There are a few that straddle this line (like Keychron’s higher end barebones boards) but that’s not too common.
While there are good prebuilt boards, my experience is that on average they aren’t all that representative of the potential strengths of mechanical boards - they often use mediocre switches, bad stabilizers, and cheap keycaps and are designed in a way that favors economical manufacturing over user comfort. More expensive models also aren’t necessarily meaningfully better at any of this (though the cheapest models are often notably worse than the rest).
Custom builds are an entirely different world. The owner gets full control over every aspect and can tailor it exactly to their preferences in everything from chassis material and color to angle to keycap profile and material, and there are now hundreds of different switches to choose from all with different spring weights, actuation points, resistance curves, tactility, sound profiles, etc, etc.
As an example, a couple of the boards that I have in my rotation are built to be as quiet as possible, using gasket mounted plates (sandwiching the keyboard plate with soft rubber to dampen vibration), having foam in their cases (further dampens noise and fills space to prevent resonance), and use U4 Boba Gum silent switches which are linear (actuation produces no sound) and have little rubber pads internally to prevent bottoming out from making any noise. Especially when placed on a 3mm-5mm thick deskmat, typing on these boards is nearly inaudible from just a few feet away, and each keystroke is much more consistent than is possible with most rubber dome or scissor switch boards.
To give a different perspective on what other people have said here - The primary benefit and defining trait of a mechanical keyboard is part-way activation of a key press.
That is, a key is registered as being "pressed" when you don't need to push it all the way to the bottom. This is good because it allows you to type with less effort and less impact on your fingers.
By contrast, the £10 cheapo office keyboards require you to smash the keys to get anything done.
Well made rubber dome keyboards like Topre are still classed as "mechanical" by the community because they have this behaviour, yet are the quietest mechs you can buy. All the other stuff about feel/sound/features are just personal preference or marketing BS.
I understand the appeal of low-profile switches, but I've not seen many positive reviews or much innovation for mechanical low-profile. Meanwhile full-height has many good options for analogue/optical/clickbar/click-jacket/buckling spring/hot swappable etc...
It sounds like you're concerned about wrist problems but haven't experienced full-height switches? I'd suggest borrowing one from a friend if you can or trying one in a shop to see if it's comfortable. I've used them for 10+ years and not felt the need to get a rest.
I like keychron, I have their 96% (rip muscle memory, never again, will replace with a Q6 at some point) and their Q0 numpad. My other keyboard is a ridiculous IBM Model F reproduction which I wouldn't recommend for average people just for the cost, but it's wonderful.
To jump on this: I agree low profile keys kinda just suck. I too use full height keyboards without wrist rests and have never had a problem from typing. OP, why not grab a cheapo full height when you see one on discount to see how they feel sans wrist rest? You can pretty regularly get a fine keyboard for like $40 US that would give you a sense of if you need a wrist rest or not.
Also, watch out, you've entered the mechanical keyboard pipeline of chasing the "more perfect"! This way lies madness! Next thing you know you'll demand left side num-pads!
Southpaw numpads on full-size keyboards are honestly underrated. More mouse space without giving up any keys? Yes please!
The difference between low-profile switches and “regular” switches really isn’t a huge difference IMO. The bigger difference is in the keycaps for “regular” switches.
I would recommend getting a full size hotswappable keyboard (so you can find and try different switches), and going with a “lower-profile” keycap. Something like DSA or G20.
See: https://www.keycaps.info/
This is unfortunate because the standard keyboard layout is not conducive to long hours in front of a computer and can cause poor posture and carpal tunnel.
I use and love this keyboard from boardsource https://www.boardsource.xyz/products/lulu. Warning: boardsource keyboards are kits, you have to solder it yourself
A split ortholinear keyboard takes time to learn how to type on, but with switches that you like can make a big difference in comfort and posture when spending multiple hours on a keyboard.
In terms of switches (mentioned this in another comment) I highly recommend the full profile Durock L1 yellow linear switches - they are not too sensitive and are a joy to type on.
I love my Keebio Iris & Iris CE, which I think are a similar-ish layout to the lulu, but hot swap switches and no soldering needed.
https://keeb.io/collections/iris-split-ergonomic-keyboard
Of all your requirements, this is the one I suggest you compromise on. I think you've discovered one aspect why there's so much more demand for traditional switches. Some of it is hype, yes, but some of it is that low-profile switches (especially low-profile speed switches) are generally unpleasant to use. I'm sure some people do prefer that, but by and large, there's not enough demand to drive the kind of selection you saw before you added that requirement.
I personally move my keyboard around a lot, and I personally use a wrist-pad. I don't think it's too bad, although every once in a while I do notice I have things placed at an odd angle and correct it. The most important thing is to buy a wrist-pad that is the same width as the keyboard, so it's easy to quickly align things by feel. It is not worth compromising on typing experience to avoid that movement.
I feel obligated to recommend Topre switches, but you almost certainly will not find that in nordic layout. It looks like Realforce used to manufacture these but it is discontinued.
Other than that, I suggest sticking to MX-style switches, and adding a requirement
of hot-swappabilitythat the board is hot-swappable. This will give you a chance, if you decide you don't like the switches after all, to experiment and try something new without abandoning the entire keyboard or layout.I don't understand all this hype and this search for each very specifics details about keyboards.
I did one search for my keyboard 10 years ago with my principal ask being a keyboard that does not break when punching it when raging (I did break my first mechanical keyboard following such acts) and at this time Ducky was the main brand I found which had comments attesting of their sturdiness.
I bought only a second one for my work place since then, and I had no problem with mine despite punching it a good amount of time.
I never seen them talked about in all the threads I've browse since then, and I don't really know why.
And for all the love the metallic bodies seems to have, my first mechanical keyboard had a metallic body and it broke on me probably less than a year after my purchase (granted, again, i had a lot more excess of rage to spend). Maybe it was because it was a Corsair one, can't attest of them now.
But my Ducky Channel One with good old plastic has passed the test of time.
have you considered that maybe most keyboards are generally made for typing on, and not punching? even the metal ones.
I would like to share my experience. I am also heavily in favour of slim keyboards - and even then the strain can be a lot. To satisfy the slimness constraint, I had to compromise on lay-out. I learned typing on a BE-AZERTY layout, but offerings are slim. So I finally moved to a US international with dead keys lay-out on a Keychron K3. This is not ideal for French, but good enough for Dutch. I still notice a hit in typing speed for French. Overall I'm happy with the keyboard, but it reminds me constantly the good reason why there are so many lay-outs out there. Let us know what you settle for!