deskthority

I had been using my trusty old G80-3000LPMDE-0 for years but really want a tenkeyless keyboard with similar keys and ideally switches that are quieter. After looking around I found CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid tenkeyless with PS/2 and USB that's available with Brown or Black switches. I couldn't find a US layout version to order in Germany.

I don't know which switches are built into my old G80 but I believe Brown or Black should be similar and quieter. Does anyone know where to order a US layout Quick Fire Rapid with brown or black switches in Germany? Ideally I'd like an unbranded version without all the colorful logos. Is the board real PS/2 and would it work in a PS/2 port? It comes with an adapter and after failing to find a USB adapter for my old G80 that would make it run at a USB port I'm careful to speculate.

Any help is appreciated as I'd like to get rid of the current non-mechanical USB Cherry board asap. Having PS/2 and USB is important because I will use the keyboard with PS/2 with a new pc.

You've mentioned a few things in your post that I'll address separately:

cmm wrote:I had been using my old trust G80-3000LPMDE-0 for years but really want a tenkeyless keyboard with similar keys and ideally switches that are quieter. After looking around I found CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid tenkeyless with PS/2 and USB that's available with Brown or Black switches. I couldn't find a US layout version to order in Germany.

You can almost definitely find someone selling a QFR or other TKL board in the Marketplace. Also, if you want to go even lighter than black switches, I know that QWERTim is selling a Filco TKL board with MX Red switches (which feel similar to MX black but with much lower actuation force). Link here: http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... %20selling

cmm wrote:I don't know which switches are built into my old G80 but I believe Brown or Black should be similar and quieter.

You can find out by just popping off one of your keycaps. The switch will be coloured brown or black.

cmm wrote:Is the board real PS/2 and would it work in a PS/2 port? It comes with an adapter and after failing to find a USB adapter for my old G80 that would make it run at a USB port I'm careful to speculate.

Any help is appreciated as I'd like to get rid of the current non-mechanical USB Cherry board asap. Having PS/2 and USB is important because I will use the keyboard with PS/2 with a new pc.

I'm not sure about this, but your problem was likely that you were using a cheap, passive PS2 -> USB converter. You can get an active PS2 -> USB adapters cheaply on the likes of eBay and Amazon.

Amazon.com fast and not expensive

CeeSA wrote:Amazon.com fast and not expensive

Shipping from US to DE?

scottc wrote:You can almost definitely find someone selling a QFR or other TKL board in the Marketplace. Also, if you want to go even lighter than black switches, I know that QWERTim is selling a Filco TKL board with MX Red switches (which feel similar to MX black but with much lower actuation force). Link here: http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... %20selling

Are you suggesting I should pm QWERTim? His website and the thread over there doesn't list anything fitting does it?

Ducky Shine looks nice but do they also exist without LEDs?

scottc wrote:You can find out by just popping off one of your keycaps. The switch will be coloured brown or black.

Need to find something to get them off. Plain fingers don't work and I don't want to scratch or damage with metal tools. No info on cherry's website about the switches in that keyboard but couldn't it be those white ones which are not produced anymore?

scottc wrote:I'm not sure about this, but your problem was likely that you were using a cheap, passive PS2 -> USB converter. You can get an active PS2 -> USB adapters cheaply on the likes of eBay and Amazon.

Good idea.

cmm wrote:Are you suggesting I should pm QWERTim? His website and the thread over there doesn't list anything fitting does it?

I probably should have been more specific. The MX Red switches in the Filco keyboard that he lists are linear, like MX black (so no feedback until the key bottoms out) and with the same amount of actuation force of MX brown. So they are a linear version of MX brown, which seems like it would suit you.

cmm wrote:Need to find something to get them off. Plain fingers don't work and I don't want to scratch or damage with metal tools. No info on cherry's website about the switches in that keyboard but couldn't it be those white ones which are not produced anymore?

You can get dedicated keycap pullers online. I have one of these from WASD and it works very well. Anything that looks the same should do the job fine. Beware of the completely plastic ones, because I've heard rumours that they can damage your caps (but I'm not sure how true that is, no first-hand experience with this). Before I had a keycap puller I sometimes used a butter knife which worked fine.

From some Googling and threads on this forum, it seems like your keyboard probably has MX blacks.

cmm wrote:

CeeSA wrote:Amazon.com fast and not expensive

Shipping from US to DE?

Shure, otherwise it would be senseless to recommend it to you....
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068I ... UTF8&psc=1

I got one in 2013 for $94 - import tax in germany and shipping all included.

scottc wrote:I probably should have been more specific. The MX Red switches in the Filco keyboard that he lists are linear, like MX black (so no feedback until the key bottoms out) and with the same amount of actuation force of MX brown. So they are a linear version of MX brown, which seems like it would suit you.

Reds are quieter blacks?

Browns are tactile blacks?

In the thread at http://deskthority.net/try-before-you-b ... ml#wrapper there's this comment:

matt3o wrote:really... for a compact wireless keyboard I would also take MX Red (the hell switch!)... who cares I would replace them later

Is there a reliability problem with mx reds?

No, reds are like blacks with less force required to activate the switch (ie it feels lighter, like a brown feels lighter than a black). Browns aren't tactile blacks, they're more like tactile reds. Check out the Cherry MX article on the wiki for more information.

And no, I think that's just because matt3o doesn't like MX reds. I don't know of any reliability problems.

If you like red switches there's also the possibility of buying a RMA one from here:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/380850121115

My own experience with them is good (bought a MX Black Quickfire Rapid there, which was new):
http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... t6100.html
ne0phyte as well: http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... t6215.html

If you want to make the keyboard more quiet, there's also the possibility to use O-Rings, which should reduce the sound of bottoming out.

Daniel wrote:If you like red switches there's also the possibility of buying a RMA one from here:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/380850121115

I don't know if I like them maybe I can find a keyboard at a local electronics retailer to try the switches and get a feel.

Daniel wrote:My own experience with them is good (bought a MX Black Quickfire Rapid there, which was new):
http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... t6100.html
ne0phyte as well: http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... t6215.html

thanks gonna check out the links

Daniel wrote:If you want to make the keyboard more quiet, there's also the possibility to use O-Rings, which should reduce the sound of bottoming out.

Isn't that a big change in how the keys feel?

Daniel wrote:If you like red switches there's also the possibility of buying a RMA one from here:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/380850121115

Are there only RMA'd boards on offer on ebay? Is there a reason for not offering new and unopened boards? Just surprised that's all .

http://www.ebay.de/itm/CM-Storm-QuickFi ... 20e04e6992

just found this in ebay, might be interesting for you!

cmm wrote:I had been using my trusty old G80-3000LPMDE-0 for years but really want a tenkeyless keyboard with similar keys and ideally switches that are quieter. After looking around I found CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid tenkeyless with PS/2 and USB that's available with Brown or Black switches. I couldn't find a US layout version to order in Germany.

I don't know which switches are built into my old G80 but I believe Brown or Black should be similar and quieter. Does anyone know where to order a US layout Quick Fire Rapid with brown or black switches in Germany? Ideally I'd like an unbranded version without all the colorful logos. Is the board real PS/2 and would it work in a PS/2 port? It comes with an adapter and after failing to find a USB adapter for my old G80 that would make it run at a USB port I'm careful to speculate.

Any help is appreciated as I'd like to get rid of the current non-mechanical USB Cherry board asap. Having PS/2 and USB is important because I will use the keyboard with PS/2 with a new pc.

Normally our goal is to sell the local layout for local countries. For your case that would mean a German layout for Germany. If you are interested in a US layout you possibly have to look into buying it from other regions. In Holland we sell US/UI layouts.. Possibly you can order from a Dutch site like possibly this one I found:
http://gamepc.nl/game-accessoires/game- ... fire-rapid?

Actually, where did you find a CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with brown switches and german layout (as it sounds in your OP)? I would be very much interested in getting my hands on one of them.

imbattable wrote:Actually, where did you find a CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with brown switches and german layout (as it sounds in your OP)? I would be very much interested in getting my hands on one of them.

Our USA store has it listed as well: http://www.cmstore-usa.com/cm-storm-qui ... -keyboard/

However shipping might not be the cheapest... In EU we did focus mostly on black switches but in EU we almost have no more rapids available in general regardless of switch..

CM Bram wrote:

imbattable wrote:Actually, where did you find a CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with brown switches and german layout (as it sounds in your OP)? I would be very much interested in getting my hands on one of them.

Our USA store has it listed as well: http://www.cmstore-usa.com/cm-storm-qui ... -keyboard/

However shipping might not be the cheapest... In EU we did focus mostly on black switches but in EU we almost have no more rapids available in general regardless of switch..

I noticed that with a very sad face. I don't like the black switches very much and thus was "forced" to buy from your competition

CM Bram wrote:

imbattable wrote:Actually, where did you find a CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with brown switches and german layout (as it sounds in your OP)? I would be very much interested in getting my hands on one of them.

Our USA store has it listed as well: http://www.cmstore-usa.com/cm-storm-qui ... -keyboard/

However shipping might not be the cheapest... In EU we did focus mostly on black switches but in EU we almost have no more rapids available in general regardless of switch..

Any chance to ever get a Quickfire Stealth tenkeyless with MX Greens in Europe?

CM Bram wrote:... In EU we did focus mostly on black switches ...

This is a point on which I have always wondered.

mSSM wrote:Any chance to ever get a Quickfire Stealth tenkeyless with MX Greens in Europe?

AFAIK there was some trouble with Filco having the exclusive rights to use side-printed caps in Europe, so I guess it is unlikely...

mSSM wrote: Any chance to ever get a Quickfire Stealth tenkeyless with MX Greens in Europe?

rindorbrot wrote:

mSSM wrote:Any chance to ever get a Quickfire Stealth tenkeyless with MX Greens in Europe?

AFAIK there was some trouble with Filco having the exclusive rights to use side-printed caps in Europe, so I guess it is unlikely...

Jep indeed, we cannot carry in Europe our Stealth keyboard models because they are indeed under patent laws. However we do have the TK Stealth model in Europe.. Because of its unique form factor it is not under this patent issues !!

Is there a real difference between US and UK layout Rapid boards?

ANSI vs. ISO is a pretty real difference.

CM Bram wrote:Jep indeed, we cannot carry in Europe our Stealth keyboard models because they are indeed under patent laws. However we do have the TK Stealth model in Europe.. Because of its unique form factor it is not under this patent issues !!

So a Stealth board ordered from Amazon USA won't pass the EU customs? Why is it available on local Ebay?

Muirium wrote:ANSI vs. ISO is a pretty real difference.

Been looking at the UK layout rapid board and maybe there's extra labels printed but the the physical keys (return key) look the same. Isn't that right? Is the photo on Amazon wrong http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41LhDupOx4L.jpg

That's an ANSI-US board. Nothing UK about it. And I do indeed find that photos are very often wrong on Amazon.

Muirium wrote:That's an ANSI-US board. Nothing UK about it. And I do indeed find that photos are very often wrong on Amazon.

But the difference is just labeling right?

Nope. ISO and ANSI have different keys, not just labels.

http://deskthority.net/wiki/ANSI

I type on both routinely, and prefer ANSI anyway, but it is noticeable.

If I believe that site, then Dutch shops carry ANSI keyboards (http://gamepc.nl/game-accessoires/game- ... fire-rapid). ISO has a different return key and the slash key above it and a large left shift and not the <>| key to the right of it.