Reddit reviews Team Wolf ZhuQue [Storm Buy] [CIY] [ Swappable Switch ] [ Customize Switches ] Mechanical Keyboard, Mix Color Led Backlit, 7 Light Modes 87 Keys Wired Gaming or Office Keyboard-Blue Switch

Gmmk full https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-customized

Gmmk tkl https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-tkl-tenkeyless-customized

, gk64,https://kbdfans.cn/products/gk64-mechanical-keyboard-64key

gk84, https://kprepublic.com/products/gk64-gk84-mechanical-keyboard-64-key-84-key-dye-sub-keycaps-wooden-custom-light-rgb-cherry-profile-keycap-starry-night-dhl

igk68, http://www.epathbuy.com/product-category/igk68-hot-swap-keyboard/

team wolf zhuque https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8

Kananic 82
http://s.aliexpress.com/RFNZjeQf?fromSns=Copy to clipboard

That same keyboard is $50 on Amazon, or you can get an even cheaper MechanicalEagle one that's also hot-swappable (though I'm pretty sure these ones only work with Outemu switches)

Just buy the keyboard on Amazon, unless you're fine waiting several months just to save $10. Don't ever use Massdrop to get anything that can be bought somewhere else, especially keyboards. I only recommend Massdrop for keycap sets that you can't get elsewhere. That listed MSRP is absolute bullshit.

Here are a few popular keyboards with hot-swappable switches:

GMMK

Team Wolf ZhuQue

E-Element Z-77 and Z-88

The Team Wolf Zhuque is probably the least expensive option at just under $50.

Look for "Team Wolf" or Zhuque. Like this one. Full size board has RGB, TKL has different color LED for different rows, I believe. Also available from China through AliExpress (easy) or TaoBao (more complicated).

Wut...

Thank you for sharing, I cancelled my order. I guess the Team Wolf CIY board is still the cheapest hot-swappable option.

https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8

for those who don't feel like waiting.

Keep in mind that the leds are not rgb. Each row has a fixed none changeable color.

This is probably the cheapest you can get I think. https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8

Magicforce are usually regarded as pretty good for the price so that one is likely no exception.

That isn't a TKL board though, it's a "75%" keyboard. It's a good layout but it will be difficult to replace the keycaps in the future because it has a non-standard bottom row and shift key.

For $60 it's a great price. My only alternative is this Team Wolf Zhuque which is quite ugly but is a true TKL and has a hot-swap switch ability.

I could be wrong, but I think it's this keyboard.

Rantopad and James Donkey make some.

>Or else, is it better for me to get TKL keyboard with swappable switches?

The only one that works with the majority of switch types is the Zhuque Team Wolf (or the upcoming TKL GMMK).

Ganss for $93.

Team Wolf Zhuque and 120 SMD Gateron Greens for $95.

MK's Cherry Green and Gateron Green.

So a KBP V60 with Gateron Greens looks to be the cheapest option, followed by the Ganss.

https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8

I use this as my daily driver. the hot swap feature works well and its a nice keyboard overall. Quite ugly though.

It does exist. It's called the Zhuque Create it Yourself, known as the CIY and is on Amazon US here

This keyboard is the same price as ordering Hotlites for a keyboard. And it comes with a hotswappable ability. Buy it, try everything you want! :)

Zhuque/TeamWolf TKL. I use this one as a 'switch tester'.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8

If you want a good inexpensive intro board with metal case, I really like my Teamwolf Zhuque TKL. It comes with decent Outemu switches but they're hot-swappable so you can throw in a huge variety of switches without soldering. (I put Zealios in mine and absolutely love it.)

Rantopad MXX is what I recommend for a lot of people. This one uses Gateron blues which a lot of people here like, some people moreso than Cherry brand. Or if you want hotswappable switches to add Cherry switches down the road, then the Zhuque is a good choice

That's what I figured. I didn't think that needing a keyboard that requires switches to be desoldered to remove them needed to be said as that's 99% of keyboards :P

But yea, there are cheaper options like TeamWolf Zhuque or the E-Element Z-88. There's also the K-Type on Massdrop, but that's above your budget. PC Gaming Race, who makes the GMMK, is working on a TKL version, though I'm not sure when that will be available.

One thing to note is that in a Massdrop Discussion for another E-Element keyboard, people are saying that it isn't compatible with other Cherry MX/clone switches. I don't know if this is the case with the Z-88 I linked above as well, but I'd be wary of that.

Sure is.

You could try picking up a cheap hotswap keyboard like this.

You will need to pick up some rubber feet because it only has 2 on the front so the back of the keyboard can slide out. With a hotswap board you can test out lots of different types of switches and when you have a bunch of them you can even pick up this or this to open them up and mix and match switch stems, springs and housings to create your own custom switches.

I have wrist tendinitis but do not really suffer from joint pain (yet). If you have joint pain, I think you need to identify what precisely causes the onset of pain and either buy or build a switch that discourages it. If I had to guess, I would think that the impact of bottoming out the keycap is rattling your joints and triggering the onset of pain, so you could start with switches like Halos, where the springs get stiffer the further you depress the key. This discourages bottoming out but I personally don't like them because the stiff springs make them fatiguing for me to type on. Over long periods of typing my wrist kind of clenches up and I get wrist pain. My preference is towards very light spring weights. I do bottom out but I am a very light handed typist so I don't feel my joints rattling (yet).

Another thing about living with chronic pain is adapting your typing technique to your keyboard as well as adapting your keyboard to your hands. So I try to avoid doing things with my wrist that aggravate my tendinitis - gripping, twisting, splaying and clenching can trigger the onset of pain within minutes and it can take up to a week to recover. I've lived with tendinitis for years so my body is pretty good at warning me when to stop or do something different. If you have lived with chronic joint pain for a while, I assume you have learned to listen to when your body is telling you to stop.

For joint pain, I think you want to avoid the impact of the keycap slamming into the switch plate. Mechanical key switches are designed to have a long travel distance. Cherry MX switches for example have 4mm of travel and they actuate at 2mm. So you only have to press them down to 2mm for a keystroke to register and the remaining key travel is a cushion to soften or completely avoid the bottom out.

You could try a tactile switch with a light spring weight such as MX Brown. If you need more of a tactile bump there are many tactile clone switches that give you more actuation feedback. Adjust your typing technique so you type only with as much force as necessary to actuate and not to bottom out. You can mix and match springs if you need more of a cushion. If heavier spring weights are fatiguing then don't worry, you have other options.

You can consider switches where the actuation point is higher up so the keystroke registers sooner and there is more key travel distance before the cap hits the switch plate. For example, Kailh Copper, which actuates at 1.1mm with 2.5mm of travel after the actuation point.

You may end up spending a lot of money on switches but if they don't work out for you personally, you can sell them on mechmarket and recoup most of your money.

Clears won't make a lick of difference for a macaw and a cockatoo... They'll just rip the stem clean off. I can't think of a single keyboard that they wouldn't be able to rip to shreds in a moment.

In this case, it might be better to go for something like the Team Wolf Swappable Switch board. Would save the annoyance or desoldering broken switches...

From the looks of it you might not be able too; cherry switches don't have smd led cutouts so the switch isn't going to sit properly. You can probably try gateron switches with smd cutouts, they usually have a white bottom and clear top. I looked up pictures of the bottom of the switch after I looked at the pbc and the pins looks smaller that regular switches so that might be a problem you run into.

https://static1.caseking.de/media/image/thumbnail/gata-753_gata_753_2g_800x800.jpg

The keyboard looks like the teamwolf one with the same concept of removable switches.

Amazon:

Team Wolf [CIY] [ Swappable Switch ] [ Customize Switches ] Mechanical Keyboard, Mix Color Led Backlit, 7 Light Modes 87 Keys Wired Gaming or Office Keyboard--Blue Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AFBJQA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_x1prxbEJN693N

Massdrop:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/team-wolf-swappable-switch-mechanical-keyboard

It was sold on massdrop a few months ago and when it dropped they gave you the option to include smd gateron switches. For the reason that the cherry switches won't sit flush with the plate and might cause problems.

Hope this was helpful this was all speculation from looking at the Amazon link you provided so don't take my word on it.

Don't go buying that too fast, the Outemu hot swap system actually only works with Outemu and BSUN switches. They have thinner pins on the switches, and other brands won't fit into them.

You'll need a TeamWolf Zhuque, or a Glorious Modular Mechanical, if you want to use any MX switch.

It's easier to buy plate mount (3 pin) switches, but PCB mount switches just have 2 extra little pins on the bottom that you can cut off if you can't get your preferred switches as plate mount.

https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8 you could get something like this and try the reds and then if you need the clears you get SMD led clears from here: https://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=9SIA7AR5662611 then you don't need to solder to switch if needed.

This one?

The TeamWolf Zhuque Change-It-Yourself TKL makes switch swapping relatively painless though.

They have authorize distributor at USA. it is now available for sale at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AFBJQA8?keywords=teamwolf&qid=1456876977&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
check this out.
thanks

I think you're looking for this.

If you're looking for a cheap board with hot swappable switches check out Team Wolf.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AFBJQA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xoSVzb6GJXJR3

Yeah that board has a different hotswap pin in it so it works with a larger variety of switches. If you're looking for an option that will give you the same functionality, this one is a bit ugly but it uses the same tech as PCMR

That's what I would think, but the fact that this feature is usually found on cheap gamer brands like this one tell me otherwise. Surely I'm missing something.

There's amazon. Someone mentioned Redragon, it does not use brand Cherry switches. But you can get very good TeamWolf keyboard with swappable switches, so you can get yourself a set of brand new cherries or gateron switches and replace knockoff ones in the board later on. I'd get one myself but they don't ship to my country and I got another board.
Or just get brand new CM storm board which are cheap and use Cherry switches right off the bat.
On aliexpress you can find decent AULA boards, but tbh for that price I'd rather get Teamwolf.
Last, but not least, there is Massdrop. Ive never used it to buy stuff but it has quality content which is usually very well priced.

I hear ya. In that case, you could go for something like the Zhuque, and snag a pile of switches to swap out the stock ones. If you're willing to try out Gateron Greens, you could get enough to cover the board for ~$30. Dunno, just an idea.

NP I got u, US site

It's the white key caps tho

Honestly, aluminum is expensive to manufacture. This being said, you're best bet is sticking to 60%-ish keyboards or sandwich style cases. Some examples would be:

• 60-ish%:
  
  Vortex Pok3r
  
  TADA68/Saber68 with aluminum case
  
  Varmilo VA68M/VR68M
  
  Aftermarket cases: Lambo, Tex, or cheaper low profile cases
  
  
• TKL or larger
  
  iKBC MF108/MF87
  
  Varmilo VA87M/VB87M with aftermarket case
  
  Ducky Legend Fullsized keyboard
  
  Wellfare96 or YMD96 (sandwich)
  
  MK Fission might fit the bill for you?
  
  
• Edit:
  
  Forgot about the Zhuque by teamwolf. Not really aluminum full body, but kind of looks like it (however it is rose gold and not silver).
  
  
  

Not exactly what you're looking for, but Team Wolf ZhuQue fits your price range. Plus, Outemu Blue switches are included! It's a pre-built and it's not 70% (it's tenkeyless), but it has hot swappable switches!

Note: The Amazon Q&A indicates the hot swappable feature should be compatible with most (any?) mx-style switch, but the LEDs might not work with some switches.

I've used the Glorious PC Gaming Race Modular Keyboard and it does the job well. The other popular hot-swappable keyboard is the Team Wolf ZHUQUE though the switches it comes with aren't as good as the Gateron switches in the GPCGR Modular Keyboard.

I have a cheap Teamwolf Zhuque+ (decided to be cautious with my first mech keyboard purchase).

Question: when I'm shopping for keycaps, what kind of descriptors should I be looking for to know that I'm buying the right size keycaps?

Thanks in advance!

I can't comment on the quality, but I've only found this.

EDIT: Some comments on quality: https://redd.it/446x6t, https://redd.it/3urwhn

For ten bucks more you can buy a board that lets you switch out the switches whenever you want. Want gateron blues? Last I checked a full set would run you $40. I wouldn't recommend that since it comes with chinese blues, but gateron browns etc. Cheaper than buying a new keyboard and you can buy gateron switches.

https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1536614179&sr=1-1&keywords=zhuque

In terms of Cherry MX switches for an absolute beginner -

For gaming you want a linear switch for faster click registration and easier key presses. (Cherry MX Red)

For typing you want a clicky, tactile switch so you can feel the key presses and possibly make less mistakes. (Cherry MX Blue)

Cherry MX Browns are usually the middle-ground and preference for people who don't like the loudness or the full tactility of the Blues, but still want some tactility over the linear Reds. It does well for both typing and gaming.

Different manufacturers (Cherry, Kailh, ALPS, Zealios, etc) will sometimes call their switches different colors but the consistent factors are usually tactile, linear, or clicky. It can seem kind of crazy at first with all the different names but as long as you can recognize the base type of switch that you want, everything else will follow pretty easily.

The second common factor is switch weight, this is very much subject to personal preference so I would highly suggest trying some sample switches first but even then it doesn't really compare to using a board full of them. For my own personal experience I've tried all different kinds of weights and while I like the feel of heavy switches a lot, I don't think that they hold up to extended periods of use unless you reaaally like heavy switches. They can be tiring on your fingers and it's not something I think most people would enjoy powering through. There's not really any benefit to going heavier other than your own personal enjoyment so if you feel like it would take getting used to, I would just go with the regular weight switches.

If you're wondering why Kailh in particular, the switches that they make are very similar to Cherry MX's but they're smoother and just feel so much better than their Cherry MX counterpart (Most Kailh switches are named the same as the Cherry MX versions). They also have a new-ish version of their switches called the BOX and all you really have to know about the BOX vs regular is that the BOX's just feel smoother than the already smoother regular Kailh switches.

If you're going to be gaming and typing I would go with the Kailh BOX Browns, it's the same thing as the Burnt Oranges just not so heavy. :
https://novelkeys.xyz/products/kailh-box-switches

Please also be aware that you can't hot-swap switches in the KBparadise V80 and if you get the Kailh's you either have to solder them into a board or buy a hot-swappable board.

This Team Wolf Zhuque board, although not the prettiest with the lights on, is really well built and the metal casing really makes a difference in how your keys feel. It is hot-swappable meaning you can just use the included tool or tweezer out the switches and swap them to whatever you want.

https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538166099&sr=8-1&keywords=team+wolf+zhuque

The only other hot-swap board on the market I'm aware of is the twice as expensive and half as built Glorious PC Gaming Race board. It looks nicer and it's full RGB but the plastic housing feels very cheap compared to the Zhuque.

To sum it up real quick, if you're going with KBparadise V80 go with Cherry MX Brown. If you're going with the Kailh BOX Browns get the Team Wolf Zhuque.

tldr; get an HHKB

If you can, I would reccomend buying a Team Wolf TKL. It has hot swappable switches, and comes with Outemu blues installed. Only downside is that it has SMD LEDs, and the colours are pretty crazy.

ninja edit: it's on amazon

If I trip with
this board, will all my switches fall out on the ground? Or do I still have to solder something there?