I wonder how the 30 G Topre compares to 35 G Niz. Those are back in stock in Canada.
I’ve always found both stock 45 G Topre and Niz to be more tactile than I need. I meant to try the 35 G Niz as it seems as if it would be just about perfect.
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I found that the Niz Domes (I call them Nopre) are less tactile compared to the stock Topre domes. I like the 55g dome sheets that they offer.
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Yes, it’s true. At first I thought it was going to be bad, but it was actually good. Niz is more MX-like. 45 G Niz is kind of like typing on U4 Bobas. So I could go a step below that.
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@Goguma @HungerMechanic for any of the Topre/Nopre boards discussed above: are the MX/Topre sliders safe for MX caps? do any brands of sliders have a reputation for cracking stems, or is this mostly with Box stems?
I haven’t had any problems with cracked stems. I tried GMK, Maxkey SA Hydro, and currently has this set. I do believe that there was a problem with the stems cracking but as far as I know it has been a few years since then.
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I don’t recall ever reading about Topre/Nopre boards of any sort cracking stems.
That was mostly caused by BOX switches and a run of Banana Splits.
The ABKO [Niz] I have is pretty easy to use MX keycaps with, except on stabilizer keys, which I never tried. Someone else who did says that they really had to fight with the stabilizers. I think it’s because they are Co-Star, and tuned to the unorthodox ABKO keycap profile. The stems themselves are fine with MX.
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What about aftermarket domes like BKE Lights? I’ve seen this discussed lately because I guess the supplier is back in action after a long period of inactivity/no contact. oop, just saw your post on this on a related thread:
are Ultra Lights similar to 30g Leopold Topre? is weight a different category different from tactility?
Ultra lights are different from 30g Topre. BKE’s tactility is sharp, which is uncharacteristic of the original Topre tactility. Topre domes are rounded in tactility. BKE’s also have a faster upstroke, which adds a little bit more sound as well.
Des-Domes are new to the market. I haven’t tried them yet but I have a set coming in (Pinks 42g and Purples 49g). I’ve heard these are an in-betweener, they’re not as sharp as Keyclack’s BKE Domes and has a more pronounced tactile bump. They offer more weight options as well, which is great.
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In Order
- Realforce RGB (55g + Deskeys RGB Silencing Rings + Lubed w/ 205g0) in Norbauer (Ghost of Future) Polycarbonate Housing. Keycaps are GMK Bento
- Realforce RGB (45g + Deskeys RGB Silencing Rings + Lubed w/ 205g0) in Norbauer Palm Desert Housing. Keycaps are Infinikey PBT Islander
- Novatouch (45g + Deskeys 2mm + Lubed w/ 205g0) in Norbauer Polycarbonate Housing. Keycaps are GMK Noel
- Fc660c Silent Version (45g + Factory Silenced + Lubed w/ 205g0) in Norbauer Polycarbonate Housing. Keycaps are KBDFans x Biip EC Extended 2048.
- HHKB (55g + Realforce Purple Sliders + Lubed w/ 205g0) Stock Housing. Keycaps are Idea23 marbeled Hi-Pro.
- Fc980c (BKE Ultralights + Deskeys 2mm + Lubed w/ 205g0) Stock Housing. Keycaps are KBDFans x Biip EC Extended 2048.
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Is it just me or was there significant play/flex when you were typing? Is it that HHKB ABS plate vs. steel Leo/RF plate difference you were talking about? The sound IRL to me sounds like a mix of Topre+SA caps (the only high profile cap I have reference to rn). Do the Idea23 caps have decent thickness/heft?
I definitely preferred most of the Norbauer-housed boards, especially the PC cases, for overall sound. The FC660C silent in Heavy-6 PC was my favorite, followed by the Novatouch in PC. The 980C definitely sounds crispier on the strokes; is that the BKE at play? I think it will retain a good snappiness once it’s in a Heavy-9, but it’s probably pretty loud in just the stock plastic housing alone.
TY for sharing the quick sound comparison, and what a lovely collection of Norbauer/RF/Leopolds you have! One day me too lol…!
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Regarding the BKE Ultra Lights, I’ve never used them. But everything I’ve ever read about them suggests that they are sharper and more tactile than their equivalent weight in stock Topre.
It’s not a bad mod - quite feasable on many Topre boards. With ABKO/Niz it’s a problem. Because they’re designed a little different, and so alignment of the domes becomes very difficult during installation. So I don’t recommend putting BKE domes on a Niz, as it is too much effort to get right. Just put them on a Topre.
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There’s definitely more flex than the other boards that I have. That’s because of the ABS plastic as well as the top part of the case and the plate being one piece. In all of the other Topre boards that I own, the plate + PCB rest on the bottom of the board. The Idea23 caps are thick but they’re not very hefty. They don’t have that much weight. OG Topre hi-pros have a little more substance.
Yup! They’re really snappy!
TY friend. Looking to add another HHKB and 980c to the collection soon!
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I should clarify, since it’s been a while since I looked into it.
The BKE light and other domes tend to be sharper / more tactile.
However, the Ultra-Light may actually be lighter and less tactile than 45 G Topre. It’s distinctly made for that kind of experience. Otherwise, the BKE domes tend to be stronger.
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I can’t find a quick way to check on the Realforce website, but which models come with MX/Topre sliders? or do all of them need slider replacing if I wanted to mount MX caps? furthermore, is changing the sliders a destructive mod (read: do I need to drill?)
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The Realforce RGB & Novatouch are the only two official Topre boards that feature MX sliders AFAIK. I believe if you get one of those the housings of the stabilized keys have holes in them for the extra stems on MX keycaps. So you’ll need to swap the housings & sliders there. If you only get sliders then yes you will have to drill out the 2u stabilized key housings to accommodate MX caps.
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thank you, I have a ton of questions (see Norbauer announcing leftover Norbaforce MKIIs) and…gosh I’d really like a VHS one 
does the RGB model have 30 or 45g weight? if i understand correctly that model is “variable weight” (no idea what this means) and or 55g only.
so when the housing is drilled out, the extraneous MX stems can move freely when the key is pressed, but it wouldn’t theoretically hit the bottom…of the plate? hmm. is having just the one stem/attachment point enough to keep those longer caps mounted securely (they don’t tend to fly off do they?)
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Variable weighted Topre uses 45g for alphas, 30g for mods, & 55g for Esc & space I believe. As far I know when the housing is drilled out the extra stems do not interfere with switch operation & the caps stay securely mounted (Topre uses a weird stabilizer system on 2u keys that only requires the switch be attached by the middle stem). Although hopefully someone more versed than me in making Topre boards MX cap compatible can chime in. I have a good ideal of how it works since I’ve done the research thinking I was gonna make my 660C MX compatible, but I never actually got around to doing the mod myself. So don’t take my advice as 100% right.
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!
Realforce RGB
Fc660c with JTK stabilizers
Novatouch
I had to drill holes into the fc660c stabilizer housing when I switched over to JTK sliders. The alphas are Realforce RGB ones however.
The realforce RGB stabilizer keys won’t work with other OEM Topre boards because of the stabilizer set up. You’ll have to drill into the housing regardless. When I did it, it was fairly easy and this was back in 2017.
On Fujitsu’s website, they sell the 45g variant. I’m not sure if they sell variable weight or any other weights since I haven’t looked at the realforce RGB for a while.
I’m not sure if I’m understanding it correctly. But the stabilizer keys are a bit wobbly because the two out stems don’t have anything to connect to. However this isn’t too noticeable. Without the drilled holes, the two outer stems will hit the housings of the stabilized keys before being able to bottom out. .
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that’s pretty much what I couldn’t imagine. the pictures of the FC660C/JTK pretty much show where I think the outer stems would move when bottoming out.
This one I don’t understand. Sushi keys on Norbaforce PC is Realforce RGB, correct? So those two stems on either side would connect to an MX enter key, but in a Topre board they would just…not go up and down or just hit the bottom of the key? What’s an OEM Topre board?
OEM are fresh factory stock (no mods). What I meant by the RGB stabs not working with Topre is that you can’t pluck them out and put them in another Topre board (such as fc980c, 660c, RF). Unlike the Novatouch stabs where the housings can come out, the RGB stabs are 1u housings with stabilizers (like something that you’ll find in cherry mx style boards).
When you pull off one of the Topre stabilizers you’ll see that they’re are other stems but they’re nuch more recessed. But because the outer stems of mx style keycaps are the same size as the center one, you’ll hit the housings before bottoming out.
If you’re talking about putting Topre keycaps on Realforce RGB stems, they wont fit.
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