Hi,
I need a reliable full-size mechanical keyboard. Previously on Epomaker RT100 the W key lost contact during long holds in games. Replacing the switch didn’t help permanently (hot-swap socket loosening issue).
My shortlist:
Ducky One 3 — $118
Keychron K10 Pro — $99
Montech MKey Freedom — $65
Endorfy Thock V2 — $61
Priorities:
Maximum hot-swap socket stability (to avoid W key problem)
Heavy and rigid build quality
Good PBT keycaps
Please recommend the best option for long-term reliability.
Also feel free to suggest other good 96%, 98% or 100% layouts if you think they are better.
Any experiences with similar contact/socket issues?
Thanks in advance!
This seems like a hot swap problem, possibly exacerbated by other issues, but I might be on the lookout for a board using sockets made by Gateron or one where the sockets are some color other than black, as IIRC, Kailh only introduced new colors with their v2 design.
I’ve had sockets get iffy after lots of swaps (or sometimes just come that way); it might be fixable with tweezers if it’s a contact issue.
There are little strips of metal in there that squeeze-in on the pins and they can widen over time. I’ve revived a few sockets by squeezing those contacts closer together again, or even by twisting a switch pin a little sideways so it makes more reliable contact.
As for the boards, I’ve tried both Ducky and Keychron and have had good experiences with both, though the last Ducky I used was a long time ago, before hotswap MX sockets even existed.
