Comments on: Hardware Review: Gigabyte Aivia Osmium Mechanical Keyboard

By: trixxter

trixxter — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:13:30 +0000

I love my Razer 2012 Blackwidow Ultimate, I’ve gotten used to mechanical keyboards now, everyone else here hates it due to the sound but tbh I think its just everyone trying to blame me for my Niece waking up.

By: cirok

cirok — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:48:49 +0000

rsoblivion, I might try to find something like that for my Corsair K60, its not too loud, but since im still use to standard keyboards i press the keys all the way down as it just feels natural to do so.

By: rsoblivion

rsoblivion — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 04:29:15 +0000

The clack is the key hitting the deck, not an additional click created by the key (like with Blue switches). You can get rubber grommets from hobby shops (2mm internal diameter) and place them on the key stems. This will remove the clack and reduce travel by about 1 to 1.5mm depending on the grommets. It also makes the keys heavier so with red keys it reduces actuation force to less than 45g (about 35-40g).

Personally I think red/black are the best keys as they don’t annoy the crap out of you like the Blue ones used in the Razer’s.

By: bronzed

bronzed — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 02:34:00 +0000

Tim Colwill: It is naturally completely silent if you only press down enough to actuate the switch, but I don’t really type like that!

That's pretty much it... the sound you are hearing is the key bottoming out then, ie: you are hitting it against the base plate of the keyboard. it's just somewhat odd because normally ppl who like quiet touch typing chooses red switches EXACTLY for that purpose... ie: because it has zero audio confirmation 'click' My housemate can type in his black switches keyboard with a very low audio signature at rapid rate, the red switches are even softer than the black switches. Black and red technically are similar, both have no 'click' and no tactile feedback... but red switches have lower pressure resistance.

By: makena

makena — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 02:16:40 +0000

Still not sold on getting a mechanical keyboard, I’m not sure I could stand the clickity clack.

That said, looks pertty nice, but I think the slightly cramped feeling you got, I might too, having quite long fingers.

Good review Tim!

By: Tim Colwill

Tim Colwill — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 02:04:31 +0000

I don’t know what to tell you Bronze, there’s a very audible clack-clack-clack when you type away on one of these things. It drove my wife crazy.

It is naturally completely silent if you only press down enough to actuate the switch, but I don’t really type like that!

This is really solid construction on Gigabyte’s part, I’d have no doubt that you could crack a skull with it if you tried hard enough. That’s probably not something I’d put on the box as a selling point, though.

By: bronzed

bronzed — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:53:27 +0000

Red switches???
wait.. red switches have no audible ‘click’…

the only sound it should make is the one it makes when it bottoms out, otherwise it should make no noise by itself, just like black switches.

so it’s about as heavy as the Steelseries 7G, with extra programmable keys etc.. and USB3.0 port instead of USB2.0, but about 50 bucks more expensive… since 7G prices have dropped to about 100 bucks now.

and by durable i assume this is at least 7G kind of durable? i mean literally bludgeoning tools kind of durable? Like the 7G ‘i bash someone’s head with it and crack his skull and put the keyboard back in place and continued typing’ kind of durable?

By: matty

matty — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:11:46 +0000

Heh, Question got ninjad.

By: matty

matty — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:10:17 +0000

What type of mechanical switch does the keyboard use (colour)? Or did I miss that bit? (it’s early :P)

By: Tim Colwill

Tim Colwill — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:57:25 +0000

Oh snap, you’re right! Yes, they are, I should have mentioned that. Edited.

By: wyld

wyld — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:43:35 +0000

Umm, you missed out what ‘type’ of mechanical switches are used in the keyboard. It’s sort of the most important point in a mechanical keyboard.

By the way, they’re red switches.