There are several key things to consider when purchasing a keyboard. These include type of use, portability, as well as plain personal preference. The kind of PC activity you’ll be doing should dictate what sort of keyboard you’ll be looking to buy. If you are a light user of your desktop or laptop, play more casual games, or are often moving around, a membrane keyboard may be more suitable. Are you a power user instead? Or are you looking for something special and unique to finish your fresh build with? A mechanical keyboard may be right for you. You may be looking for a keyboard that provides enhanced tactile feedback, or that allows you to customise the look at feel of the board. A mechanical keyboard may be the thing that elevates your gaming to the next level – that means no more missed spells in Dota, or enhancing your build speed in Fortnite. It also pays to consider the size keyboard you need. If you use your PC for a mixture of gaming and data entry, a full-size keyboard, with its ten keys to the right is suitable. But if you use your keyboard just to game, a tenkey-less design may be more suitable. Likewise, if space is at a premium, consider a smaller keyboard. Membrane keyboards typically are full-sized, whereas you can buy mechanical keyboards in both standard sizes.

Mechanical - Mechanical keyboards are notable for their distinct key-feel. A mechanical keyboard has spring-loaded switches instead. These register the key pressed – often with a distinct click, unique to mechanical keyboards. A unique element is their use of spring-loaded switches – these come in several different feels. Switches can be linear, where the keystroke is smooth; tactile, where a bump in the middle of travel provides feedback; or clicky, which provide a crisp aural feedback. Membrane - Membrane keyboards are the more common of the two. With membrane keyboards, a thin membrane presses on a circuit layer, that registers the key pressed. They are lighter, generally more portable, cheaper, and quieter than their mechanical counterparts. Hybrid - Hybrid-Mechanical is a loose term, referring to a combination of mechanical and non-mechanical parts on a keyboard. Like the non-term "mecha-membrane", it is often used for marketing of rubber dome keyboards to make them seem fancier than they really are. It usually means any of the following: Rubber dome-with-slider keyboards. A keyboard with mechanical and non-mechanical switches on different keys. The mechanical switches are usually in the WASD cluster. "Semi-mechanical" keyboard switches.

Full Sized Keyboard - Most modern mechanical keyboards are full sized. A full size uses 104 keys. Tenkeyless - Tenkeyless is a keyboard without the numberpad. There are 87 keys on a tenkeyless keyboard which makes it 80% of a full sized keyboard. The tenkeyless offers a lot of ergonomics in terms of shoulder separation and width (the distance between one elbow to another). 75% - A 75% keyboard is one without any gaps. All the keys are cluttered together. There is also 16 rows to add a few more of the keycaps from the right side of an 80% keyboard. Not all keys are used from the 80% keyboard. 60% - The 60% keyboard is very compact keyboard. Most 60% keyboards contain 61 keys. They contains no F row keys or the arrow cluster keys. There are only 5 rows and 15 units. Majority of the keys are used as a dual layer for functions. The 60% offers a lot of versatility in terms of weight and travel size.

Types of Switches: Cherry MX Red (Linear Switch) - Linear switches have the simplest operation. They move straight up and down without any tactile feedback or clicking noise. The smooth keystroke allows for more rapid actuation, making them the preferred switch for gamers. Cherry MX Brown (Tactile Switch) - Tactile switches provide tactile feedback. They provide a noticeable bump in the middle of travel to let you know that your key press has been registered. They are ideal for typing because you get a slight indication of a keypress without needing to bottom out your keys. Cherry MX Blue (Clicky Switch) - Clicky switches work the same way as tactile ones. But they offer a distinct “click” sound when the key is activated. They are great for those who want a distinct indication that of a keypress and for those who love the “clicky” sound. Let's understand the characteristics of a mechanical switch. Besides the keystroke feel, there are 5 technical characteristics of a switch. Depending on your typing technique and the general purpose of your keyboard, you would need certain values for each characteristic. Operation Force - It's how hard you have to press the key. Operating force is measured in centinewton (cN) or gram-force (gf). Activation Poin - It is the point where a keypress is recognized by the keyboard. This is measured in millimeters. It is also known as Actuation Point or Operating Position. Total Travel Distance - It’s the distance your keycap travels until it hits the upper housing of the switch. It’s basically the distance until you bottom out. This is also measured in millimeters. Tactile Position - Tactile position is where you feel the bump on tactile and clicky switches. On linear switches, there’s no tactile position. Reset Point - Reset position is the distance at which the key is deactivated when released