re: Mechanical keyboard recs

From my understanding, SteelSeries offers almost identical quality to Razer for less. With that being said, Razer has more models to choose from. I have played on a Razer Black Widow and Cooler Master Storm Quickfire and thought both were nice.

Keyboards with black switches were the original mechanical keyboards. The actuation and release points are the same and they are very smooth to press. They are one of the switches that require the most amount of force.

The red switches require very little tactile force to press a key, so mistakes are often made while playing or typing. Many consider them to be obsolete although I know they are in use still by professional gamers.

Blue switches require a little more force and are better for gaming. There is a small bump when you reach the activation point where the key is forced down by a spring mechanism. It can be difficult to double tap, so if you wanted to do multiple actions in a row, that could be challenging.

The Browns are a gaming/typing hybrid that are softer to press than the blues or blacks but harder than the reds. Double tapping on this keyboard is significantly easier than the blues.

I have played some Starcraft 2 on both Brown and Blue switches. I found that the Blues felt better while playing because you really knew when you hit a key, but my forearms began to feel sore after awhile. I imagine they just take some getting used to. The Browns did not feel as good, but my arms weren't sore so it's a wash.

If I was recommending a keyboard, I would say to get something with brown switches and probably the Cooler Master Storm Quickfire.