Posts by Anthony Cox5

Honestly, I’m starting to think decent keyboards have gone extinct. I’m just looking for a standard wired membrane board—something with actual multimedia keys and classic keycaps, not those ultra-flat modern ones. It used to be that companies like Logitech or Microsoft churned these out by the truckload, but now? Looking at the current market...

It’s a joke. There’s nothing.

If a keyboard has dedicated multimedia buttons, it’s instantly wireless and low-profile. If it isn't low-profile and it is wired, then it’s some overpriced mechanical beast with RGB lighting and macros costing upwards of $150—or it looks like absolute trash, like some tacky, overdesigned eyesore. And if it actually checks all my boxes? It’s usually some cheap, creaky no-name garbage.

Mechanical isn't for me; they’re too loud (even Cherry red or brown switches feel noisy to my ears). I need those dedicated controls because I run a passive 2.1 audio monitor setup, and I adjust the volume via the keyboard. It works perfectly for me, and I don't want to deal with the hassle of hunting for a separate mini controller or extra knob somewhere on my desk.

I’ve been using my beat-up, seven-year-old logitech media keyboard forever. The closest thing I’ve found to what I actually want is a Steelseries Apex, but even that feels way too bulky. As for everything else... good grief. Look, I enjoy gaming, but I don't need a keyboard with that aggressive "Fast & Furious" aesthetic.

Does an alternative even exist? 🕺

So, I just caught wind of some info suggesting the Logitech Wave is plagued by chronic key sticking issues—basically a syndrome where keys start jamming up within a year of use. Given that, I’m officially crossing it off my list.

Benjamin King2 said:Look, here’s the thing about mechanical keyboards: they’re almost exclusively designed for hardcore gaming or professional typing enthusiasts. Because of that focus, you won't typically find dedicated multimedia keys on them. The one that actually comes to mind with its own dedicated media buttons is the Corsair K90, but let's be honest—that's way out of your price range. In fact, pretty much any decent mechanical board is going to blow past your budget. The Steelseries 6 gV2 gets close to what you want to spend, but it lacks a wrist rest, and the media controls aren't separate keys. It's a trade-off, really. Steelseries Apex It’s got everything you actually need—it features silicone keys rather than mechanical ones—but man, the price tag is a bit much. $233. 😁

Is the Steelseries Apex RAW actually underperforming? It feels like it might be. $167There aren't any dedicated multimedia keys on this one, but I wonder... could we maybe reprogram some of the macro keys to handle that instead?

I get the whole point of mechanical switches, so it feels especially ridiculous that they aren't localized properly. It isn't like they don't exist with dedicated media controls—for instance, the Corsair K70 and the Gigabyte Osmium are both mechanical boards that actually include volume controls, which is exactly what I’m hunting for. But around here, you either can't find them in stock at all, or if you do, they only come in an English layout.

Price isn't actually the main issue here. It’s just... silly. Why would I pay a premium for features I'll never touch while compromising on the stuff I actually use? So, I've set a hard cap at $500. That should be plenty to land a decent membrane board or something similar, especially since those usually run anywhere from $100 to...$67It feels like there’s no middle ground lately. I’m stuck choosing between buying absolute junk or paying a massive premium for some high-end "gaming" keyboard, only to realize I won't even touch thirty percent of the features I actually paid for. Is that really how this works now?

The Steelseries Apex looked decent enough at first glance—I'll give it that. But if I remember correctly, it’s got that low-profile, laptop-style key feel to it, which isn't really my thing. Plus, there are just way too many useless macros cluttering things up. Honestly, I don't think it's quite up to the standard we need here in the States.
I obviously cut all those other models you mentioned from my list because they’re either total overkill for what I need or they lack decent controls—like the Steelseries 7G or the 6 gV2. Then there's the issue with the Corsair having those US-layout specific keys. If the 7G didn't have those media controls slapped onto the F-keys, I'd probably grab it in a heartbeat, regardless of the price tag.

Joseph Barrett said:This one comes closest to what you’re looking for: So, I was looking over this Corsair page for their gaming peripherals featuring the MX Brown switches. It’s one of those deep dives into technical specs that you sometimes find yourself doing when you're trying to justify a new setup. Is there really a massive difference between these tactile switches and something like the Cherry MX Blue? Or is it mostly just about how much noise you're willing to tolerate in an office setting? You look at the build quality, the responsiveness, and the way they handle heavy typing sessions. It’s a lot to weigh up. Does the tactile bump actually change the experience enough to warrant the upgrade, or are we just chasing a specific feel? Just some food for thought while I browse.

So, it’s over $130 and doesn't even include the Enter key? Honestly, I just realized this is way beyond what I actually wanted to spend. 😬

But let's be honest—the vast majority of the keyboards mentioned above... $133Especially those models featuring a Backlight—they don't even include the standard US layout keys.

...which is exactly why I'm reaching out for some help here. 😉

The backlight isn't really the deciding factor for me. I actually had the K70 as one of my top picks because of how it looks and performs, but I ended up passing on it. Why? Because it doesn't have the US layout.

Am I going to have to hunt everywhere just to find another Logitech Wave? Or am I stuck settling for some generic "media" keyboard for a hundred bucks?$67. :/

Setting price aside for a moment, is there actually anything available here in the States that checks all my boxes? Or is it just a given that writers, journalists, and devs aren't really the type to listen to music through their PCs and crave having those controls right at their fingertips? 😁

Hey everyone!

Honestly, I can't believe it’s become such a massive headache just to find a decent keyboard that I actually have to turn to this group for help... but it seems like everything on the market is either hyper-extreme-ultra gamer-centric or it's some tiny, wireless, floral-patterned thing designed for aesthetics over function.

At home right now, I'm using an old Logitech membrane multimedia keyboard that served me well enough, but it's definitely on its last legs—half the letters have already worn off. I've looked through what Logitech and Microsoft have to offer lately... and frankly, I wasn't impressed. So, I'm looking for some recommendations or advice from anyone who might share my specific set of requirements:

• DEDICATED (!) multimedia keys (volume control is a huge deal for me)
• a wrist rest
• wired
• standard US layout
• full numpad and "traditional" key layout, nothing like those cramped laptop styles
• decent build quality (anti-ghosting would be a plus)
• not eyesores (practically every gaming model out there is hideous)
• $400$167 max
• available here in the US

From what I've seen, it feels like there isn't a single mechanical keyboard that checks every single one of these boxes, so—fine—I'm willing to settle for a high-quality membrane if necessary. Backlight isn't a requirement, and I don't care about profiles or macros—I'm not exactly a hardcore gamer.

Here is what caught my eye as MAYBE acceptable, along with the things that bother me about them:

• Corsair K400 - I have doubts about the build quality, and let's face it, it's pretty ugly.
• Logitech Media Keyboard K200 - no wrist rest, feels cheap, and I suspect it lacks any semblance of anti-ghosting.
• HP Aivia K8100 - the volume slider is terrible, and the keys have inconsistent resistance, which makes typing feel clumsy.

If anyone owns one of these or has considered them (or has a different recommendation entirely), please weigh in so we can chat about it.

This turned into a bit of a novel. 😁

I’ve been scrolling through various threads on this sub lately, and while I plan to keep digging for info, I figured I’d throw out a few questions first.

So, last year my wife and I bought an apartment. We used a mix of our own savings and a fixed-rate mortgage with a monthly payment we could actually live with.

We still have a certain amount sitting in a housing savings account at Zions Bank—that was a requirement to unlock their preferred action credit.

Even though my wife took a pay cut during the recession (I wasn't working a 9-5 back then), keeping our debt obligations low and cutting back on spending kept us in the black. Our financial situation is steady now, but we're still in recovery mode and continuing to furnish the place.

At my new job, the pay is decent and I’ve finally started seeing a surplus at the end of the month. Some of that goes toward home improvements, but I'm looking for options centered around two main goals:

a) Short-term savings—looking at a one to two-year window—essentially building up enough to, say, put a down payment on a reliable new car rather than some junker.

- For something like that, would I be better off with a standard savings account, investment funds, or something else entirely? Ideally, I want the flexibility to fluctuate my monthly contributions.

b) Starting to build a reserve and establishing a level of financial security that can eventually be repurposed for other things.

- In this case, I’d probably stick with the housing savings route.

Does this all make sense, or am I completely off base here?
Thanks for any insight.

Hey everyone!

So, I'm on the hunt for a new PCI-E card. It needs to handle driving both a 22-inch LCD monitor and an HD-ready TV (1366 x 768) properly. Basically, I need a decent successor to my ancient 2600XT.

The setup: Core i7, 4GB of RAM (moving to 8GB soon), a Corsair 450W PSU, and a Gigabyte P35 DQ6 motherboard.

Budget: $300 plus a little extra if absolutely necessary.
Location: Washington, D.C.

Other details: Aside from being able to run various games—everything from FPS and RTS to Need for Speed—it also needs to handle HD video, CAD, and 3D work. This is my main rig for both work and play, after all. Ideally, I'd like something that doesn't sound like a dying rhino whenever it's playing a movie. An HDMI output is a must, though I suppose that goes without saying these days.
I'd prefer an AMD card since that's what I'm running now; I'd rather not deal with the headache of switching driver ecosystems.

Thanks a lot