MECHANICAL
KEYBOARDS
Make the switch, claim victory, and make a
great noise doing it with these clicky beauties
By Alice Newcome-Beill, Alan Bradley
GROUP TEST
2T
aking the plunge
and investing in a
mechanical
keyboard can alter
the whole feel of
your PC. There’s nothing wrong
with using a stock keyboard, but
opting to upgrade one of the
main ways you interact with
your computer gives you a more
personalised experience. Their
signature feel is down to the
mechanical switches, giving each
one a little bit of tactile
personality. There are some cool
benefits to switching to
mechanical too, even if you’re
not primarily using your
keyboard for gaming.
First of all, they’re really
strong on customisation,
meaning you can choose the look
and feel that suits your needs
and works best for you. RBG
lighting seems to be a given on
PC hardware these days but
there’s also the option to choose
the type of switch – whether
that’s the staccato pops found in
Razer Greens or the linear action
of the Cherryx MX Reds. But
aside from the feel and look of
your keyboard, you can also
choose your preferred layout. If
a standard 104-key layout isn’t to
your liking, you can always drop
the numpad and go the
‘tenkeyless’ (TKL) route instead.