BUILD vs BUY Custom Mechanical Keyboard!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2024
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Razer Huntsman V2 on Amazon: austin.tech/huntsmanv2
Drop CTRL Barebones: austin.tech/ctrlbarebones
Kailh Speed Copper Switches: austin.tech/speedcopper
Drop MT3 Black on White Keycaps: austin.tech/mt3white
Krytox 205 Lube on Amazon: austin.tech/krytox205
Keyboard Lube Kit on Amazon: austin.tech/lubekit
Squirtle Keycap on Etsy: austin.tech/squirtlekeycap
DUROCK V2 Stabilizers on Amazon: austin.tech/durockv2
Nuphy Halo65 on Amazon: austin.tech/halo75
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By using our Amazon affiliate links we may receive compensation for purchases through those links.
Chapter Titles:
0:00 Intro
0:55 Not as Easy as it Looks
1:49 What's a "Budget"?
2:49 Headphones.com
4:06 The Most Popular Keyboard
5:00 How Hard Could it Be?
5:49 My Keyboard Parts
7:30 Switches
8:44 Keycaps
10:32 Desk Mat
11:39 How to Lube Switches
13:09 Behold, The Build
13:59 Razer vs Custom Build
14:42 Typing Test
15:56 Is the Huntsman Better?
16:35 Enter the Nuphy
17:14 Buy vs Build? - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Oh boy, keyboard content! Would you be willing to do it again and have one of the keyboard enthusiast to come on and take part?
I will put out a shameless Glarses Channel plug here :)
@@FamilyGuyRoks6 Hell yeah, that collab would slap
man literally bought browns (yes ik they are mx coppers but they are still shit).....hurts my eyes but glarses is very happy i see
EXACTLYYYY. I volunteer as tribute.
@@TheNerdVoice lol
Bro chose one of the worst kits and some of the worst switches too crazy luck lmao
I built my own custom keyboard, using mostly Amazon, and it was $100, almost on the dot. If you just take your time to research switches and boards, you can find cheap stuff that’s still good. Mine has a nice weight to it, the key caps were cheap, but they feel good and look awesome and haven’t worn out at all so far. Custom keyboard making is just fun tbh
I used broken/ used parts and just refurbished them it cost me around $60
Nice. However I will vouch for GMK keycaps. I know its VERY hard to justify $100 on keycaps alone especially once you learn they are ABS instead of PBT but there is something special about the way they feel, sound, and look. I'd argue that keycaps make more of a difference than anything. Switches obviously make a difference but a cheap cherry red switch versus something like tealios if they are both lubed they can both feel equally good. A cheap keycap is a cheap keycap and will almost always feel that way.
Drop that shop list! ive been wanting to get into custom keybards but dont wanna spend 300-400 dollars on a keyboard
@@GibbyTTV you can build a budget keyboard. Many TH-camrs have done challenges that limit it to less than $100
My $100 pre-built gaming keyboard, I guarantee, is still better than yours LOL
the thing about keyboards are that you can build them in a lot of different price ranges, the razer keyboard that was $200 you could with some research build a enthusiast keyboard that would subjectively be better than the razer, but as he showed in the video a lot of keyboard stuff is on pre order or back order or group buy which could take months or YEARS to arrive. the thing i like about keyboards is that with enough trial and error you can get the perfect keyboard to your exact preference like linear/tactile/clicky, the actuation force, travel distance, sound, and feel.
Not subjectively if it’s built to your taste it’s the best for you for sure.
Years thing isn’t much of a thing anymore. Most group buys turn over pretty quick.
Please note that the Durock v2 screw in stabilizers will not work in the drop ctrl keyboard. The ctrl uses plate mount stabs, which can become acceptable if you clip, lube, and bandaid mod them :)
Austin just does all of these challenges so we don't have to. We salute you for the amount of stress you must go through just for some switches :)
But isn't that part of the fun?!
Don’t you mean money
Not sure about stress haha 😂
Pro Tip for Austin and friends- Dielectric grease will fix that spacebar rattle. Also clip the bottom of the stabs.
Loved the video very informative for the customizable part and the do’s and don’ts. Keep it coming i want to build my pc eventually i just learned how to soder.
Keychron has enthusiast grade prebuilt keyboards that are better than 90% of first attempt builders! Especially with their new Q Pro line that also features BT 5.1, and the best part, it’s all available!!!
agreed, its a solid base, and then from there you can go as crazy as you want with switches and keycaps, but only if you want to or when you need to because a switch quit. and there are some very affordable keychron options, the Q is just the best value for an aluminum case if you ask me.
I was just about to say, I've been using a Keychron keyboard for about a year now, and loving it ever since! Definitely recommend!
Agreed, just got a K4v2 and some nice PBT keycaps, 100% recommend it. What is also really stand out is being able to use it bluetooth or wired in on both windows and mac.
i just got the q2 and i am loving it
I was looking for this comment, I own 3 of their Q collection and I love them, with few tweaks you can make them look and sounds like way more expensive brands.
Ich hope they are going to do a PC buy vs build! Great video Austin & Austin‘s team
Petition to do Cheap vs Rich keyboard build challenge! deadass feel like it would be entertaining to watch austin building a cheap keyboard
Edit: EVEN BETTER GET KEN TO DO THE CHEAP BUILD AND AUSTIN TO DO A RICH BUILD!
That look in Austin’s face at the end of the video when they are talking about price….the look of,” the next mystery tech is gonna be soo expensive”. Love it
Nothing tests your patience like hand lubing each switch
I regret not spending the extra $20 to get pre lubed switches.
@@danr8267 don’t need to. Akko, ktt, and aflion all have great switches that don’t need lube if you’re on a budget
As a keyboard builder, I have some pointers for anyone who wants to build a keyboard, one, don't waste your money buying drop keyboards, get a board from keychron or epomaker instead, 2 keycaps don't really matter, but buying clones isn't the best thing to do, white on black or black on white are good, switches should be preference, but companies like dangkeebs sell a vast amount of switches and keycaps you might enjoy, if you have any questions just ask
I have the Halo65 keyboard from NuPhy and it is a killer keyboard. Love this thing I take it everywhere.
We need a Glarses collab! (:
i think the real budget move is prebuilt keyboard upgraded, i got a redragon k630 for my first mechanical keyboard with akko cs cream yellow v3 lubed with krytox 205g0 and for the mushy stabs u can clip the extra legs and lube them and its genuinely 100x better also i put pe foam in the case and tape modded the pcb and it solved the pinging mainly and i got this for only around £62/$79
Always love your amazing videos ❤
Monsgeek M3 - $115
Akko Tactile Cream Yellow/Blue - $10 per 45pcs
(Clacky) Aifei ABS Cherry Profile Keycaps - $17-$30 || (Thocky) MDA PBT Profile Keycaps - around $20
Approximately $235 and it will sound better than the build in this video though I understand they aren't too deep in the hobby yet.
Bakeneko 60 is also a great choice. I think its a better choice than the Monsgeek M3. Its one of my favorites in my collection currently and like it better than the bakeneko 65 since the 65 is a little stiffer imo. Bakeneko 60 with tx stabs and some linears would be a great combination. Also I know that they are just into the hobby, but it just sort of pisses me off that they made a video about building a keyboard without doing any research or knowing about anything. Sort of misleading I feel like since some people will take inspiration from this.
@@Qboy2250 The reason why I chose the Monsgeek M3 bc of its price value and it's tkl like they chose as the replacement. They should've contacted Switch and Click since she was the one who made Austin's KBD8X a while back. But I prefer a 65 with knob or 75 but TGR x Mono or Mode Sonnet type. I currently only have one board which is the GMK67 which only costs $50 barebones in my country. KTT Darlings as my switches but swapped the 22mm long springs to 14mm springs bc I need them clack as possible and the stock springs kinda made them sound dull for me. Aifei ABS Dreamland keycaps which is only $20.
@@Qboy2250 you don’t really need tx stabs as the clip in ones from cannonkeys work fine
@@obsidianquill7949 I just prefer tx since cherry clip ins have been a bit of a hit or miss for me. I don’t know if it’s qc or just the nature of them. For one of my bakeneko the stabs just wouldn’t stop ticking even after lubing and doing as many mods as I could and other one was fine. But if the cherrys are fine, then they work fine and you don’t need tx.
@@Qboy2250 oof. Hope you get better luck with your stabs!
Oh I so needed this video today, I love your content!!!!!
Honestly a very great and informative video! If you guys happen to do another episode comparing major brand pre-builts, I'd like to see how the Asus ROG Azoth holds up against a similarly priced custom. The Azoth, in my opinion, is definitely one of the best pre-built keyboards that basically gets your foot in the door for custom boards.
Continue this series! Very interesting
built a gmmk pro last year for around 300, used those durock stabs and holy pandas with some nice keycaps. Obviously not a cheap project but it was a fun project and easily the nicest feeling keyboard I've ever used.
New series, ok Austin. I am looking forward to it. Ken showing up drip. Austin face priceless when the price pop up. 😂
Just a tip. Never buy everything from one vendor. Split it between multiple vendors. So the board from drop or novelkeys or whatever, the switches from another website, the caps from another.
Theres not a bad reason for this. Its just psychological. Spending $100 at a time feels far better than spending $300 at a time lol.
I thought my board cost me like $300 but later on I added it up and it was actually $550 but part of that was because I went all in with tealios, custom cable (that I made but had to order the parts). GMK keycaps, lubed and filmed every switch, balanced the stabilizers, etc... But in the end it was worth it. Its very hard to explain or convey to someone why a custom board is worth it or how it feels any better but it does and when you build it you have that connection.
OH but one of the best suggestions I can ever give is first off buy a switch tester. Thats how I found what I like. It was like $40 or something like that. Totally worth it as I was then able to share that with a friend. The second thing is get a hotswap board if for some reason you get switches you dont like. What I ended up doing was replacing my spacebar switch for I think it was a cherry black I mean I swapped the spring and not the whole switch. I dont remember for sure what I used as it was 3 years ago but I used a heavier spring.
Also stabililzers make a big difference. At the very least get some permatex lube for them. I went all in with mods on my board to get the best sound I could. but leaving a stabilizer dry and bent will make it rattle and sound awful.
I put O rings on my space bar, return & enter buttons, they helped to reduce the clang/chatter noise 👍
One good thing that’s happened recently was that I’ve recovered well enough from my ACL reconstruction surgery to get back to doing field surveys for work! So glad to be back at work!
I love content like this. It's so funny watching people who aren't in the hobby die at the 300-dollar price when there are keyboards like the cyberboard coasting way more. Once you go custom with lubed switches. It is hard to go back.
Imagine if he got his hands on a key cult or a tgr jane or a unikorn
I AM EXTREMELY happy with nuphy keyboards. Ordering direct from them. Wisteria switches and Air 96 is a dream to type on
Yep, gonna stick to buying prebuilds. Not feeling like lubing 100+ switches. Maybe as a side project where I will be lubing one switch a day.
Now you can get insane full metal hotswapable “custom” keyboards that come prebuilt for around $100. The Leobog HI75, the Chilkey ND75, and the Bridge 75 stick out as insane value 75% boards. Its insane how much better the budget options have gotten in just a year!
Yoooo great idea for a video series let’s gooooo
Oh a Austin Evans video. Simply put: yes!
Im currently using the moonlander ergo keyboard, its expensive but not custom keyboard expensive, hotswappable keyswitches, ortholinear layout and most importantly ergonomicl which is awesome to prevent rsi
I wanna see this video again but with going to amazon for the DIY keyboard stuff because on there you can build some pretty solid stuff that runs circles around pre-builts for like half the cost
I have a halo75 and absolutely love it. But Austin's build was really good (just needs good stabs)
Honestly Keyboard community on TH-cam is alive and thriving. So if any of you guys want to get into this a quick glance would do. But like any other niche hobby the prices can be unforgiving
Okay, this is too cursed.
My inner keyboard hobbyist is dying
💀💀💀
Enthusiast here, there are alot of parts like the gmk67 kit and akko switches that are cheap and sound good. If you spend even just 100 on parts and mod with tape and foam and lube all the conponents you can make something even just 100 sound better than ANY prebuilt on the market
"Oh yea its creamy I like it"
"It's the first time I've heard that"
14:48
Hipyo tech and Austin’s evans collab 😱yessss
The fun thing about building custom keyboards imho is actually assembling the case. Hope Austin goes all the way down in this rabbit hole >:)
The best keyboards for mitigating arthritis pain are ortholinear, but my fave switches, 67g tactile Zilent v2, aren't an option for any purchasable keyboard, so for me, the best keyboard is buying a Moonlander and replacing the switches.
That's pretty expensive though, and they have a good selection of switches to choose from so most people won't need to spend $600 on it.
the evga z15 is hot swappable and not terrible looking for $50, comes with usable kailh switches too, just needs new caps
A big thing to note is when buying the razer keyboard ur buying clickily loud switches. You can easily find keyboard parts at a low price and build a better keyboard than a prebuild razer one.
it's great when ken is like I'm going to judge your apparel, and forgets the weird things he himself be into lol
I got huntsman v2 tkl for 85$ on sale and swtched the keycaps with hyperx white doubleshot pudding for 25$ and razer white keycap + coiled cable bundle for $25 as well and used that sets cable, now my keyboard looks like an expensive modded keyboard (subjective) which feels like one of the best keyboard out there and getting attention from everyone about how good my KB looks for just a bit over $100
Best keybaord purchase ever made ... so far...
yay austin evans video!
I would sooner build but since I've moved to a split keyboard, it's impossible to find the base.
Ok Austin listen, I watch all your videos, and I am italian. I'm pretty sure i've heard "Che catso é quel coso!?!hahah" at 9.35. is it correct?! hahahah
I ordered a epomaker 60% with Gateron reds, hot swap pcb. Then I took it apart, built a wood case out of mahogany, got some Panda switches and new stabs, lubed them put some good quality foam under the pcb then replaced the plate with a carbon fibre one. Ordered some SA caps. Final cost was $250 the case I made was free wood so just the keycaps, switches, plate, and stabs is what cost me most the original kb was only like $60. Oh and I bought a coiled cable too.
It is better to build yourself. You know you what you put into it no questions about it.
I wanted to jump through the screen and help so many times. Just hit us up next time Austin and we will show you the custom keyboard ropes! lmao
The ending was epic 😂
combine temu-tery tech with a diy mechanical keyboard. I did it and I got a decent keyboard for right around $100, if not less. I got a nice case, grabbed some hotswappable switches, and put on some pudding caps, I love them, and I have a nice keyboard for half the price of some of those other prebuilts
blud just ordered random switches and keycaps with the kit
there are a lot of budget kits ,switches , keycaps that are really good
My old keyboard was 120$. 70 switches at 50$, 50$ for the keybaord gammakay67 and 20$ for the pit keycaps. I loved it for a long time and then I found out about the prebuilt cidoo v75; all aluminum, bt, 2.4hz, and wired. All for about the same price. AND ITS GASKET MOUNTED!
love my keychron Q6 with Gateron G Pro 2.0 Black switches, also have some Alpaca v2's that i need to lube
Im completely happy with my anne pro 2. Got it on sale on amazon, wireless 60% keyboard
Love the concept, but need to do maybe a little more research. Something Like a keychron would be a drastically different comparison based on Budget. This series could be a good way to collaborate with other content creators. You buy, they build. Switch and Click would have been a good partner for this or Taeha Types.
YASSSSS. Heck, even Glarses or Keybored.
I bought, but with what I know now I think I should have built. At least ordered the kit rather than the assembled board. A custom order of an NZXT Function Full Size is a bit overpriced, especially assembled. I absolutely love the thing but I spent way more than I should have for what I got.
Anyone know where I could find good shine through PBT keycaps that work well with south facing leds? It's a long story but I need good shine through legends. I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks...
It depends. I prefer to buy a good keyboard and maybe mod it if it needs it.
For keyboards... it's not even a question... for what decent brands charge for a decent gaming one, you can build a custom , one of a king one with your own preferences... Or even get a prebuilt custom keyboard like the ones Dareu offered with the exact keys and switches you want
Austin here is a tip, put spacebar foam on the underside of the spacebar and it will make the spacebar sound a lot better.
Tbh, Razor actually does have really good switches for everyday use. I think they're opticals? And each one has it's own stabilizer without somehow rattling a bunch. So if you're just getting into keyboards, not too bad of a start.
However, even custom keyboards can be less that $200. You can get some really nice base kits for like $80-ish, and Gateron Yellows are always the budget kings. Keycaps are really the only expensive thing. If you get cheapo ones, you'll really feel it. Just feels gross to type on everyday.
I skipped to the typing test, when I heard your spacebar I got physically angry just so you know. Nice video!
I think a better comparison for this would be like a wooting60he vs any actual custom that isn't from drop.
Looked like he was going for something bigger though. 60% boards aren't really everyone's cuppa, especially for work situations.
At the start of the video he said gaming enthusiast keyboards. I personally don't use 60% keyboards either was just thinking of what is considered the best for gaming.
At least he actually got a switch opener - I build mine recently and even though I opened each switch manually, it was satisfying - I did to be fair wanted specific things so spent more than him probably , still very happy with my build! There are a lot you can get from just amazon as well with standard customs as well. His spacebar sounds awful tho - need that GREASE on the stabs
I think a better comparison would be to compare your keyboard to the SteelSeries Apex Pros since it is one of the fastest and most popular gaming keyboards. good video though.
Let’s go new upload!
In a word Akko, easy diy keyboards, and very affordable
Austin here is a tip, put spacebar foam on the underside of the spacebar, it will make it sound a lot better.
there are some surprisingly well made mechanical and optomechanical keyboards in the 50-80$ range, just no bells and whistles.
Bro makes top quality content for us
The thing here is not "what is the most cost effective " it seems to be "what's in stock".
There are lots of pre built kbs that you can customize way cheaper.
On a budget ive stuck with royal kludge keyboards & im happy with that choice.
Cant wait for the Build your GPU episode ^^
I would say just buy a hot-swappable mechanical keyboard that fits your budget and call it a day. Being hot-swappable is very important cause when it breaks u can salvage most of its parts and transfer it to a "barebones" keyboard kit. Its what i did from a regular tkl i upgraded to a gasket mounted 75key with a knob. saved quite a bit of money considering most pre-buit gasket mounted keebs are really expensive
Just so you know, Kyle shut down his bitwit channel and his website so you advertised his merch a little late since you can't even go to the website on the box. Lol
now he posts on his personal channel @iamkylehansen (previously wrkhrs3) and his new podcast @SuperSpecialPod
Aww I'm kinda sad he shut his store down. Didn't realize that was part of his plan
it should be nearly impossible to build your own keyboard as keyboard manufacturers will get parts cheap in bulk
A quick asterisk on the portion of the video where Austin says that you can easily switch out key caps is only true for everything but the bottom row and some modifiers which are a weird sizing and attachment points are proprietary to Razer
I'm sad I can't get one of those Squirtle caps cause I got a Romer G Keyboard and almost nobody makes caps for those.
What wristrest is that and where did you buy it? Thank you.
My honest opinion is that you can do whatever you want with your money. You can build or buy a keyboard. If you like to build keyboards, that's great! If you would rather buy a pre-built keyboard, that's perfectly fine. Its the same thing on building a PC vs buying a PC. I built my pc, and that's because I am interested in computers. It's all comes down to, do you want to do the research and do you want to spend the time.
tried lots of prebuilts in stores and found that the huntsman v2 was just perfect for me. i tried it and i loved everything about it. been using it since a year now and the only thing i dont like about it would be the non removable cable, otherwise i still love it.
could i have spend a lot of time to recreate the feel and sound of the huntsman v2? sure!
or i coulr just put the money on the table and walk away with it.
im not an enthusiast but i was curious about making one back then. after all these keyboard building videos ive seen from the tech youtubers i follow ive come to the conclusion that there isnt really an easy way. so i think ill stick with the prebuilts
Hell yeah Huntsman is the besst
It is actually pretty easy if you have a decently wide budget. Austin made it seem horrible but you could easily make a keyboard in less than an hour. Here’s a list of some parts that are really fast and easy to put together:
Bakeneko 65 cnc
Ktt strawberries
Any keycap set
Tx stabilizers
A paper towel to put in the case
And you have a keyboard that can be assembled in less than an hour and would sound and feel really good.
@@obsidianquill7949 without looking up all the parts you just mentioned (thank you btw) would the resulting keyboard be:
more silent then the huntsman v2 with the red switches?
would the actuation point be any higher than on the v2?
would it have the same or more dedicated media controls as the v2?
or if it wouldnt have any of those
would it be cheaper?
if it ticks all boxes above the price argument then i can see myself actually building one (the one you recommended)
if it doesnt have the same features or better features than the v2 and costs more i just dont see the point. doesnt matter if it d take 1hour to assemble or 5min.
im no keyboard enthusiast, the process of building a keyboard or making it my own doesnt provide me with any value or give me any excitement. other things do.
dont get me wrong if you like building your own keyboard, great for you! thats an awesome thing! just not my cup of tea
@@anuaanua5285 Answers to the questions:
1. There are silent linears/tactiles like literally silent than common linears/tactiles that u could hear when u press down.
2. I'm assuming u meant heavier but yeah.
3. Depending on a board if it has a software, u can just macro them (with enough research that is bc some board doesn't have them).
4. U can buy a barebones keyboard for as low as around $30 then it depends on the other parts like switches & keycaps, a custom keyboard doesn't have to be like $200. My custom keyboard only costs under $100 with all the desired parts I wanted to feel and sound.
Why not put good switches on the keys you use and cheap ones on the rest?
For me would be a late 80's apple keyboard. My first time using a computer
Building is a good if u want a challenge but just buying one with warranty is better as saves time, money,sweat and your sanity.
it doesnt save money to buy custom keyboards, because they also charge building and lubing switches.
@@NavaNoidGMD I believe he’s talking about buying a regular keyboard from a company not custom.
@@BayareaXotics hmm okay, but they are usually overpriced and kind of mediocre
@@NavaNoidGMDthe average person just wants a prebuilt. The huntsman in the video goes for $110 which is fine for someone who doesn't spend extra money or spend hours tinkering with stabs and lubing. I've noticed that recent Razer keyboards started to include foam in the case and also factory lube their switches and stabs so they aren't as trashy as in the past.
@@NavaNoidGMD oh trust me I would much rather go with a custom keyboard but for the average person they won’t want to spend lotta money to build a keyboard, they would just rather buy it complete!
living in Austria and using the ISO-DE layout, it is really hard to find custom keycaps
i was actually hoping it wont be keychron or gmmk pro, now i wish it was atleast a keychron or gmmk pro instead of drop ctrl
Kens outfit is so fire
Should i buy a ps4 pro or get a custom pc with like a gtx 1660 or 1080? The pc would cost alot more obviously but would it be worth it?
i think the custom keyboard hobby has alot of depth and its not always so expensive if you do a fair amount of research. buying all the parts off drop is probably why the price was so high.
You haven't lubed stabilizators for space, shift, enter, backspace.... ???
The answer is always to build your own in literally ever single scenario on life.
Tried building a Drop CTRL last summer, Drop sent me 3 separate PCBs, none of which worked, before I gave up and just bought the Syste76 launch.
I wouldn’t be surprised if all Austin content is so generated now
Where is the linus tech tips mouse pad ??
Gotta say, the user friendly interface for extra customization with razer is kind of another level of added value that needs to be taken into account