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Review: Topre Realforce RGB Keyboard (Seasonic)
The Realforce RGB is Topre's first mainstream keyboard. For the uninitiated, Topre is both a company and a type of switch. Its pronounced toe-poo-reh, and is short for Tokyo Press Kogyo, a large Japanese company that makes a lot of other stuff besides keyboards.
Read the full review here.
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Humanoid_1
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#5420515 Posted on: 04/14/2017 02:00 PM
I really like some of the features of this KB, but it misses a point I have come to Really appreciate on my Logitech G19 - and that would be the liquid spill resistant design with drain holes include. Over the years this has saved my KB's life at least 3 times.
(that and my previous KB died to a glass of wine knocked over by our beloved cat Sisko)
Am going to need a new KB soon, or perhaps repair my G19 as it's USB cable is failing, causing intermittent connection issues.
Thanks for the review
BTW HH : the "informational video" you linked on page 6 is unavailable.
I really like some of the features of this KB, but it misses a point I have come to Really appreciate on my Logitech G19 - and that would be the liquid spill resistant design with drain holes include. Over the years this has saved my KB's life at least 3 times.
(that and my previous KB died to a glass of wine knocked over by our beloved cat Sisko)
Am going to need a new KB soon, or perhaps repair my G19 as it's USB cable is failing, causing intermittent connection issues.
Thanks for the review
BTW HH : the "informational video" you linked on page 6 is unavailable.
nhlkoho
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Posts: 7720
Joined: 2005-12-06
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Posts: 7720
Joined: 2005-12-06
#5420526 Posted on: 04/14/2017 02:21 PM
The light spilling in between the keys drives me nuts. If I'm going to buy a RGB keyboard then I just want the key to light up and that's it. Not the entire area around the key.
That's why I prefer the Logitech keyboards.
The light spilling in between the keys drives me nuts. If I'm going to buy a RGB keyboard then I just want the key to light up and that's it. Not the entire area around the key.
That's why I prefer the Logitech keyboards.
slyphnier
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Posts: 667
Joined: 2009-11-30
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Posts: 667
Joined: 2009-11-30
#5420549 Posted on: 04/14/2017 03:18 PM
u said topre better than cherry keyboard then said topre not that good
whats better than topre then ?
to me topre is the best keyboard
price wise its expensive, but most topre keyboard is MADE IN JAPAN
which nowdays pretty rare/uncommon
most electronics maker or anything all will open factory in china and mass produce it
also most topre keycaps is PBT not ABS
ABS is cheap and turn shinny fast and lazer marking (if not double-shot) will fade
PBT is more durable, and those burn-key-marking will last much longer than laser etched ABS
now it depends on the person is the topre quality is worth the price or not
to me it its
I honestly always preferred my Leopold Topre over any Cherry keyboard I've used. The problem with Topre has always been price and that doesn't seem rectified here. I don't know if I can justify another $100 on top of a cherry keyboard. Topre is good but not that good.
u said topre better than cherry keyboard then said topre not that good
whats better than topre then ?
to me topre is the best keyboard
price wise its expensive, but most topre keyboard is MADE IN JAPAN
which nowdays pretty rare/uncommon
most electronics maker or anything all will open factory in china and mass produce it
also most topre keycaps is PBT not ABS
ABS is cheap and turn shinny fast and lazer marking (if not double-shot) will fade
PBT is more durable, and those burn-key-marking will last much longer than laser etched ABS
now it depends on the person is the topre quality is worth the price or not
to me it its
Denial
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Posts: 12414
Joined: 2004-05-16
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Posts: 12414
Joined: 2004-05-16
#5420554 Posted on: 04/14/2017 03:23 PM
u said topre better than cherry keyboard then said topre not that good
whats better than topre then ?
to me topre is the best keyboard
price wise its expensive, but most topre keyboard is MADE IN JAPAN
which nowdays pretty rare/uncommon
most electronics maker or anything all will open factory in china and mass produce it
also most topre keycaps is PBT not ABS
ABS is cheap and turn shinny fast and lazer marking (if not double-shot) will fade
PBT is more durable, and those burn-key-marking will last much longer than laser etched ABS
now it depends on the person is the topre quality is worth the price or not
to me it its
I didn't say it wasn't good - I said it's good, even better than Cherry - but in my opinion it's not worth the ~$100 premium. It's like Nvidia Titans - they are awesome cards, but I'm not paying $600 more for 10% performance.
If Corsair came out with a K70 RGB with Topre for like $150 I'd be all over that.
u said topre better than cherry keyboard then said topre not that good
whats better than topre then ?
to me topre is the best keyboard
price wise its expensive, but most topre keyboard is MADE IN JAPAN
which nowdays pretty rare/uncommon
most electronics maker or anything all will open factory in china and mass produce it
also most topre keycaps is PBT not ABS
ABS is cheap and turn shinny fast and lazer marking (if not double-shot) will fade
PBT is more durable, and those burn-key-marking will last much longer than laser etched ABS
now it depends on the person is the topre quality is worth the price or not
to me it its
I didn't say it wasn't good - I said it's good, even better than Cherry - but in my opinion it's not worth the ~$100 premium. It's like Nvidia Titans - they are awesome cards, but I'm not paying $600 more for 10% performance.
If Corsair came out with a K70 RGB with Topre for like $150 I'd be all over that.
TDurden
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Posts: 1980
Joined: 2005-12-16
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Posts: 1980
Joined: 2005-12-16
#5420658 Posted on: 04/14/2017 08:12 PM
Those sound samples sound like ASMR videos on youtube lol
Those sound samples sound like ASMR videos on youtube lol
RedSquirrel
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Posts: 84
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Posts: 84
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#5420682 Posted on: 04/14/2017 09:21 PM
I think Topre switches are vile sounding and ridiculously priced, not too fond of their feel either. They seem to be well north of £200 in the UK, which is just crazy, get that stuff made in China already. I'm thankful my ideal keyboard tends to be priced around £35 new
(cherry JK-0300GB) Never mind the old mechanical keyboards floating about for peanuts.
I think Topre switches are vile sounding and ridiculously priced, not too fond of their feel either. They seem to be well north of £200 in the UK, which is just crazy, get that stuff made in China already. I'm thankful my ideal keyboard tends to be priced around £35 new
(cherry JK-0300GB) Never mind the old mechanical keyboards floating about for peanuts.
drac
Senior Member
Posts: 1747
Joined: 2003-10-27
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Posts: 1747
Joined: 2003-10-27
#5420844 Posted on: 04/15/2017 07:57 AM
Is it possible to change all the keys to different Topre's, say all 35g instead of the installed 45g?
Is it possible to change all the keys to different Topre's, say all 35g instead of the installed 45g?
slyphnier
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Posts: 667
Joined: 2009-11-30
Senior Member
Posts: 667
Joined: 2009-11-30
#5420963 Posted on: 04/15/2017 06:07 PM
its understable for most people the price is just not worth
i mean get cheery keyboard and its nice already, build quality/durability-wise, even maybe not last as long topre, but as the price much cheaper, if it broken then we can simply buy new one...
like other said its more like titan series in gpu
for people type alot/professional typist/coder or proggramer, for them the price worth every penny
no and yes i guess
the original is varied force actuation depends finger 55g~35g
while the gaming series is more likely all 45g, only some have 35g
the force actuation in topre keyboard is used by spring
so if you can get 35g spring version, then all you need open the keyboard - rubber and swap the spring...
but AFAIK topre not selling their parts, aside keycaps
I think Topre switches are vile sounding and ridiculously priced, not too fond of their feel either. They seem to be well north of £200 in the UK, which is just crazy, get that stuff made in China already. I'm thankful my ideal keyboard tends to be priced around £35 new (cherry JK-0300GB) Never mind the old mechanical keyboards floating about for peanuts.
(cherry JK-0300GB) Never mind the old mechanical keyboards floating about for peanuts.its understable for most people the price is just not worth
i mean get cheery keyboard and its nice already, build quality/durability-wise, even maybe not last as long topre, but as the price much cheaper, if it broken then we can simply buy new one...
like other said its more like titan series in gpu
for people type alot/professional typist/coder or proggramer, for them the price worth every penny
Is it possible to change all the keys to different Topre's, say all 35g instead of the installed 45g?
no and yes i guess
the original is varied force actuation depends finger 55g~35g
while the gaming series is more likely all 45g, only some have 35g
the force actuation in topre keyboard is used by spring
so if you can get 35g spring version, then all you need open the keyboard - rubber and swap the spring...
but AFAIK topre not selling their parts, aside keycaps
drac
Senior Member
Posts: 1747
Joined: 2003-10-27
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Posts: 1747
Joined: 2003-10-27
#5421059 Posted on: 04/16/2017 12:40 AM
the force actuation in topre keyboard is used by spring
so if you can get 35g spring version, then all you need open the keyboard - rubber and swap the spring...
but AFAIK topre not selling their parts, aside keycaps
Bummer, they should really make that a feature. Or release an all 35g key version, as these are so light and heavenly, amazing to type on and use in general.
the force actuation in topre keyboard is used by spring
so if you can get 35g spring version, then all you need open the keyboard - rubber and swap the spring...
but AFAIK topre not selling their parts, aside keycaps
Bummer, they should really make that a feature. Or release an all 35g key version, as these are so light and heavenly, amazing to type on and use in general.
DarkMorty
Junior Member
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#5421717 Posted on: 04/18/2017 03:30 AM
I really like some of the features of this KB, but it misses a point I have come to Really appreciate on my Logitech G19 - and that would be the liquid spill resistant design with drain holes include. Over the years this has saved my KB's life at least 3 times.
(that and my previous KB died to a glass of wine knocked over by our beloved cat Sisko)
Am going to need a new KB soon, or perhaps repair my G19 as it's USB cable is failing, causing intermittent connection issues.
Thanks for the review
BTW HH : the "informational video" you linked on page 6 is unavailable.
First off - thanks for reading and checking that video. I totally forgot to set the permissions. It should be working now, if you dare.
The second thing, what are you doing drinking anywhere near your keyboard??? I kid, I kid. I do it too. I killed two Microsoft Natural keyboards with beer, and then decided to get a mechanical (some 10 years ago). My thinking was because mech keyboards are so expensive, I'll be really mindful of my hands and cats when drinks are close to the board. Thankfully, no spills in 10 years. Your cat may have been trying to tell you something
I didn't comment on the liquid resistance of the RGB, because it, and most keyboards, isn't spill resistant. Not to mention, really hard to test. You might get lucky with a thorough cleaning and drying, but most times, a spill spells doom for your keyboard, as you know.
Side notes - The RGB is all 45g key weighting. The key weights are primarily determined by the rubber sheet, not the springs. The springs are there for the capacitive sensing and contribute little to the key weight. Changing the rubber sheet that changes the key weight requires harvesting from another keyboard and transplanting it. Not worth it, in my opinion.
Topre do make cheaper versions, the TypeHeaven, which are produced in Taiwan. There are also a slew of clones from Plum, Royal Kludge, ABKO, and more, if you really want to take a risk. However, none of these keyboards will feel like a real Realforce. It makes me sick to type that sentence it's so cliche, but that's the truth.
Cost can be justified in a number of ways, and in the RGB's case it's just a lot of keyboard. I do think it's a little bit too expensive, but Topre have always been more expensive due to labor, materials, design, etc. The most valuable part in the RGB are the MX compatible sliders, which if the RGB were near the $200USD mark, you'd see rampant (and savage!) harvesting of the RGB's sliders for transplanting into regular Realforce boards. Shark fin soup, man. Thankfully, there are options, aliexpress, taobao, and JT make MX sliders for Realforce keyboards, but still aren't easy to buy yet.
The RGB is a refined, almost cerebral keyboard. There are boards that come close, the CoolerMaster MasterKeys comes to mind, but still don't quite have the refined feel of the Topre switch. The Topre switch is polarizing, some love it, some not so much. The only way to know if you'll like one is to try one.
Cheers!
I really like some of the features of this KB, but it misses a point I have come to Really appreciate on my Logitech G19 - and that would be the liquid spill resistant design with drain holes include. Over the years this has saved my KB's life at least 3 times.
(that and my previous KB died to a glass of wine knocked over by our beloved cat Sisko)
Am going to need a new KB soon, or perhaps repair my G19 as it's USB cable is failing, causing intermittent connection issues.
Thanks for the review
BTW HH : the "informational video" you linked on page 6 is unavailable.
First off - thanks for reading and checking that video. I totally forgot to set the permissions. It should be working now, if you dare.
The second thing, what are you doing drinking anywhere near your keyboard??? I kid, I kid. I do it too. I killed two Microsoft Natural keyboards with beer, and then decided to get a mechanical (some 10 years ago). My thinking was because mech keyboards are so expensive, I'll be really mindful of my hands and cats when drinks are close to the board. Thankfully, no spills in 10 years. Your cat may have been trying to tell you something
I didn't comment on the liquid resistance of the RGB, because it, and most keyboards, isn't spill resistant. Not to mention, really hard to test. You might get lucky with a thorough cleaning and drying, but most times, a spill spells doom for your keyboard, as you know.
Side notes - The RGB is all 45g key weighting. The key weights are primarily determined by the rubber sheet, not the springs. The springs are there for the capacitive sensing and contribute little to the key weight. Changing the rubber sheet that changes the key weight requires harvesting from another keyboard and transplanting it. Not worth it, in my opinion.
Topre do make cheaper versions, the TypeHeaven, which are produced in Taiwan. There are also a slew of clones from Plum, Royal Kludge, ABKO, and more, if you really want to take a risk. However, none of these keyboards will feel like a real Realforce. It makes me sick to type that sentence it's so cliche, but that's the truth.
Cost can be justified in a number of ways, and in the RGB's case it's just a lot of keyboard. I do think it's a little bit too expensive, but Topre have always been more expensive due to labor, materials, design, etc. The most valuable part in the RGB are the MX compatible sliders, which if the RGB were near the $200USD mark, you'd see rampant (and savage!) harvesting of the RGB's sliders for transplanting into regular Realforce boards. Shark fin soup, man. Thankfully, there are options, aliexpress, taobao, and JT make MX sliders for Realforce keyboards, but still aren't easy to buy yet.
The RGB is a refined, almost cerebral keyboard. There are boards that come close, the CoolerMaster MasterKeys comes to mind, but still don't quite have the refined feel of the Topre switch. The Topre switch is polarizing, some love it, some not so much. The only way to know if you'll like one is to try one.
Cheers!
MKVII
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#5422440 Posted on: 04/20/2017 12:46 AM
I bought an RK 104 Topre Clone nearly 2 years ago for under 150 bucks that is everything this Realforce is and about 10x more. Fully two tier 208 key programmable 55G Topre with silencers, RBG, on board memory media functions, nkey, report rate, and more. I could have bought two for nearly the price of 1 of these Realforce. This thing is overpriced and under featured in comparison.
RC930-104-electrostatic-capacitive-pro-full-mechanical-keyboard-topre-clone-55g-45g-switches-gaming-keyboard-RGB
I bought an RK 104 Topre Clone nearly 2 years ago for under 150 bucks that is everything this Realforce is and about 10x more. Fully two tier 208 key programmable 55G Topre with silencers, RBG, on board memory media functions, nkey, report rate, and more. I could have bought two for nearly the price of 1 of these Realforce. This thing is overpriced and under featured in comparison.
RC930-104-electrostatic-capacitive-pro-full-mechanical-keyboard-topre-clone-55g-45g-switches-gaming-keyboard-RGB
Xedde
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#5464566 Posted on: 08/19/2017 04:12 AM
You can pick this keyboard up used in like-new condition at Mechanicalkeyboards.com and under their warehouse deals. It is usually only $179 if they have any in stock.
I know this keyboard seems expensive to people who haven't tried it but Topre switches are something special. I have had so many different types of Cherry MX/ML and random mechanical keyboards like Logitech with Romer-G. I bought one of these keyboards just to try Topre and see what the hype was about, fully expecting to think that they were pretty good but then send it back. I ended up not only keeping it but also ordering one for my office at work.
I am sure there are people that don't like these switches and that's ok but I recommend everyone who is curious gives them a try.
You can pick this keyboard up used in like-new condition at Mechanicalkeyboards.com and under their warehouse deals. It is usually only $179 if they have any in stock.
I know this keyboard seems expensive to people who haven't tried it but Topre switches are something special. I have had so many different types of Cherry MX/ML and random mechanical keyboards like Logitech with Romer-G. I bought one of these keyboards just to try Topre and see what the hype was about, fully expecting to think that they were pretty good but then send it back. I ended up not only keeping it but also ordering one for my office at work.
I am sure there are people that don't like these switches and that's ok but I recommend everyone who is curious gives them a try.
Click here to post a comment for this news story on the message forum.
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I honestly always preferred my Leopold Topre over any Cherry keyboard I've used. The problem with Topre has always been price and that doesn't seem rectified here. I don't know if I can justify another $100 on top of a cherry keyboard. Topre is good but not that good.