Razer Ornata Chroma Keyboard Review - Bridging the Gap

[ffronw]

Razer Ornata Chroma Keyboard Review - Bridging the Gap

Razer's newest gaming keyboard makes its home somewhere between mechanical and membrane, thanks to new switch technology.

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[CrankyStorming]

At what point did everyone decide that rubber dome keyboards were 'soft'? Have you just not used them for so long that you've forgotten what they really feel like? You have to apply full pressure on the keys just to make them register because they only actuate at the bottom of the travel. It tires your fingers after a while. I always thought the advantage of longer-travel keyboards was to avoid this.

 

[enginieri]

At what point did everyone decide that rubber dome keyboards were 'soft'? Have you just not used them for so long that you've forgotten what they really feel like? You have to apply full pressure on the keys just to make them register because they only actuate at the bottom of the travel. It tires your fingers after a while. I always thought the advantage of longer-travel keyboards was to avoid this.

Rubber dome varies a lot, from 30 (cheap or old kb) to 70 grams (dirty/old) of actuation force, with an estimated average of 60, similar to the average mechanical (that varies depending of type of switch from 45 to 70 with average of 50-55) so no one can say that rubber are "softer".. WAIT A SEC... the author says "softer feel", but is not clear with relation to WHAT type of keyboard..
PD: and says "softer ACTION", membrane stops at the bottom of the travel bouncing on rubber and not in the metal plate and many mechanicals have the tactile bump at the actuation point (and more friction parts en the key well) that makes a irregular speed of travel, maybe he is referring to that.

 

[enginieri]

And those hybrids are simply rubber domes with the guidance parts of the mechanical, so don't feel as wobbly as the domes but are spongy at the bottom and must reach the bottom to actuate.
A good rubber dome (some microsoft, some dell , logitech k120) has a tactile point (when the dome colapses) and register the key near that point and millimeters before bottom (dome nipple) so are good enough

 

[Kahani]

combine the clicky sound of a mechanical with the softer action of a membrane key... The switch sounds like a mechanical, even if it doesn't quite feel like one.

So it's a regular membrane keyboard that makes clicking noises. They seem to be going for the reverse Blade here - "All their weaknesses, none of their strengths". There are reasons some people like mechanical keyboards, and they're all about the action of the keys; making annoying noises is a side-effect, not the main selling point.

 

[ffronw]

So it's a regular membrane keyboard that makes clicking noises. They seem to be going for the reverse Blade here - "All their weaknesses, none of their strengths". There are reasons some people like mechanical keyboards, and they're all about the action of the keys; making annoying noises is a side-effect, not the main selling point.

Honestly, it's hard to put the feel into words. It doesn't have that positive bottom-out feel that a pure mechanical does, because of the rubber dome under the key. It still doesn't feel bad, just different. For typing, it's absolutely stellar.

 

[enginieri]

So is similar but inferior to a mechanical with rubber O-rings (DIY or Logitech 710+). Or some hybrid from the past (ex: spring+foam, I tried one, was not of my liking)

 

[nightowlc]

As much as I wish it was the opposite, I do a lot more typing than gaming. Thank you for the review. I think I'll give the green version of this a try.