Introduction
Do expensive keyboards really justify their price with better performance? This is a question that gamers, typists, and tech enthusiasts have been debating for years. To settle the argument, I decided to put some of the most popular mechanical keyboards to the Keyboard Speed Test, including high-end models and a random budget option, to see if the difference in speed is as significant as the price tags suggest.
Keyboards like the Wooting 80HE, Keychron K2HE, and MAD 68HE are often praised for their advanced features, such as high polling rates and hall effect (HE) switches, which promise faster input recognition. But how do they stack up against a budget mechanical keyboard with no special performance claims? Can the $500 investment in a premium HE keyboard really outperform a $50 budget option in a meaningful way?
In this test, I’ll measure the delay from the moment a key is pressed to the first frame of reaction on the screen. Using consistent equipment and methodology, I aim to answer the question: Is there any real-world performance difference, or is it all just clever marketing? Let’s find out!
What Are We Testing?
The Goal
The primary objective of this Keyboard Speed Test is to measure the delay between the start of a keypress and the moment the reaction becomes visible on the monitor. By focusing on this specific aspect, we can evaluate whether high-end mechanical keyboards with advanced features, such as high polling rates and hall effect switches, offer any real-world speed advantage over a budget option.
Keyboards Tested
For this comparison, I selected four keyboards, including both high-end models and a budget option:
- Wooting 80HE: Equipped with an 8Hz polling rate and hailed as the fastest gaming keyboard.
- Keychron K2HE: A versatile mechanical keyboard with a solid 1kHz polling rate.
- MAD 68HE: Featuring an impressive 8kHz polling rate, it’s a strong contender in the high-performance segment.
- Random Budget Non-HE Keyboard: A standard mechanical keyboard with no advertised speed-boosting features and an unknown polling rate.
Equipment and Setup
To ensure a fair and consistent testing environment, I used the following setup:
- Gaming PC: Corsair Vengeance i7400 for high processing reliability.
- Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U4025QW 40″ running at 120Hz, ensuring a steady refresh rate for testing.
- Camera: Canon EOS R6 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera, recording at 119.9 FPS to capture precise timing differences.
- Software: Adobe Premiere Pro for analyzing frame-by-frame delays.
Consistency was key throughout the test. Each keyboard was connected via USB-C directly to the PC, and all measurements were taken under the same lighting, environmental conditions, and monitor refresh rate (120Hz). These precautions eliminated variables that could skew the results, making the findings as accurate and reliable as possible.
Keyboard Speed Test Methodology
Procedure
To evaluate the speed of each keyboard, I conducted a keypress reaction test using consistent equipment and controlled conditions. Here’s how the test was performed:
- Keypress Reaction Test:
Each keyboard was tested by pressing a key and recording the reaction time from the start of the keypress to the first visible frame on the monitor. - Monitor and Camera Setup:
- The monitor operated at 120Hz, ensuring a refresh rate consistent across all tests.
- A Canon EOS R6 camera recorded at 119.9 FPS, capturing precise frame-by-frame timing.
- Actuation Points for HE Keyboards:
To explore the impact of actuation distance on speed, I tested three points for each hall effect (HE) keyboard:- 0.1mm (or 0.2mm): Near-instant activation for maximum sensitivity.
- 0.4mm: A mid-range actuation point.
- 4.0mm (or 3.8mm): Full key travel for deliberate activation.
- Budget Keyboard Actuation:
The random budget keyboard lacked adjustable actuation points, so I used its default 2mm actuation distance, typical for standard mechanical switches.
Calculations
To interpret the results, I relied on consistent frame counting and conversion factors:
- Frame Duration:
Since the camera records at 119.9 FPS, the duration of a single frame is approximately:
This means each frame captured by the camera represents roughly 8ms of real-world time.
- Accurate Measurements:
By analyzing the recorded footage frame-by-frame in Adobe Premiere Pro, I counted the number of frames from the start of the keypress to the first visible reaction on the monitor. This ensured precise and repeatable measurements for all keyboards.
Through this methodology, I aimed to capture any differences in delay between the tested keyboards and assess whether high polling rates or advanced switches offer a measurable advantage.
The Keyboard Speed Test in Action
Wooting 80HE
Marketed as the ultimate gaming keyboard, the Wooting 80HE boasts an 8Hz polling rate and hall effect switches. These features position it as the “fastest” keyboard on the market. But does it live up to the hype? With its adjustable actuation points and advanced technology, expectations were high for the Wooting to set the standard in this test.
Keychron K2HE
The Keychron K2HE offers a balanced combination of performance and reliability, featuring a 1kHz polling rate and hall effect switches. Known for its sleek design and competitive pricing, it’s a solid option for gamers and typists alike. However, how does it perform in the Keyboard Speed Test with the high-end Wooting and the budget keyboard?
MAD 68HE
Dubbed the “dark lion,” the MAD 68HE enters the race with an impressive 8kHz polling rate, the highest in this lineup. On paper, it’s designed to outperform its competitors with its ultra-high-speed performance. But can it translate these specs into a tangible advantage, or is it just another marketing gimmick? Let’s do the Keyboard Speed Test!
Random Budget Keyboard
The wildcard in this lineup, the random budget keyboard, features standard mechanical switches and an unknown polling rate. With no fancy features or advanced technology, it serves as the benchmark to Keyboard Speed Test whether price and premium features truly correlate with real-world performance. Can this budget option hold its ground against the big players, or will it fall far behind?
Each keyboard faced the same rigorous testing, and their performance was analyzed frame-by-frame to see how they truly stack up against one another. The results might surprise you!
Mechanical Keyboard Speed Test Results
Delays Observed
After analyzing the results frame-by-frame, here’s how the keyboards performed in terms of delay between keypress and the first visible reaction on the monitor:
- Wooting 80HE: 32-48ms delay.
- Keychron K2HE: 32-48ms delay.
- MAD 68HE: 32-48ms delay.
- Random Budget Keyboard: 48-56ms delay.
Despite the varying polling rates and premium features among the HE keyboards, their performance in this Keyboard Speed Test was nearly identical. The budget keyboard showed a slightly higher delay but not enough to make a meaningful difference for most users.
Analysis
- Minimal Differences Between High-End HE Keyboards:
The Wooting 80HE, Keychron K2HE, and MAD 68HE all delivered very similar results despite significant differences in polling rates (8Hz, 1kHz, and 8kHz). This suggests that in real-world use, the ultra-high polling rates of premium HE keyboards don’t translate into a noticeable speed advantage. - Budget Keyboard Holds Its Own:
While the budget keyboard had a slightly higher delay (48-56ms), the difference is minimal in practical terms. For general typing or even casual gaming, this delay would be barely perceptible.
Conclusion
The Keyboard Speed Test results challenge the common belief that higher polling rates and advanced switch technologies significantly enhance speed. While high-end keyboards offer other benefits, such as build quality and customization, when it comes to pure speed, the differences are negligible, and even a budget keyboard can hold its ground.
Key Takeaways
Performance vs. Price
- High polling rates and hall effect switches: While these features sound impressive on paper and are heavily marketed as game-changing, the test results suggest that they don’t deliver noticeable speed gains in real-world scenarios. Whether it’s the Wooting 80HE with its advanced hall effect technology or the MAD 68HE boasting an 8kHz polling rate, their performance in terms of delay is indistinguishable from one another—and surprisingly close to the budget keyboard.
- The budget keyboard holds its own: Despite its lack of premium features, the budget keyboard performed admirably. Its slightly higher delay (48-56ms compared to 32-48ms for HE keyboards) is unlikely to impact the average user’s experience significantly, even in fast-paced gaming or typing scenarios.
Practical Implications
- For the average user, there is no meaningful advantage to spending hundreds of dollars on high-end HE keyboards if speed is the primary concern. The difference in delays is so minimal that it’s virtually imperceptible during use.
- While premium keyboards often excel in other areas—such as build quality, customization options, and aesthetics—these benefits don’t necessarily translate to faster performance. If your goal is simply to achieve a responsive typing or gaming experience, a well-made budget keyboard can be just as effective.
Ultimately, these findings encourage users to evaluate their needs carefully before investing in expensive keyboards. For most people, performance differences won’t justify the price.
Discussion
Your Feedback
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this test! Are there any factors I might have overlooked or alternative methods you believe could yield more accurate results? Perhaps you have insights into how polling rates or switch technologies might influence performance in ways I didn’t account for. If you’ve conducted similar Keyboard Speed Test or have evidence of a significant performance difference between keyboards, feel free to share your findings. I’m always eager to learn from the community and improve my understanding.
Future Keyboard Speed Test
This test is just the beginning, and I’m open to refining my methodology based on your feedback. For example:
- Should I test a wider range of keyboards, including more budget options or different types of switches?
- Would testing under different conditions, such as varying refresh rates or USB configurations, offer additional insights?
- Should I expand the scope to include input latency in specific games or applications?
Your input will help shape future experiments as I continue to explore what truly matters in keyboard performance. Let me know what you’d like to see next!
Conclusion
Final Thoughts
After testing a range of keyboards—from high-end models like the Wooting 80HE, Keychron K2HE, and MAD 68HE to a random budget mechanical keyboard—the results were clear: there are minimal differences in speed between these keyboards, despite the significant price differences.
The high polling rates and advanced hall effect switches of premium keyboards may seem impressive on paper, but they don’t translate into a noticeable real-world advantage. Even the budget keyboard, with its standard mechanical switches and unknown polling rate, performed surprisingly well, with only a slightly higher delay. For most users, these differences are negligible and unlikely to impact everyday typing or gaming.
Call to Action
What’s your take on this? Have you experienced noticeable speed differences between keyboards in your own setup? If you’ve conducted similar tests or have unique insights into what impacts keyboard performance, I’d love to hear from you. Share your experiences or test results in the comments or reach out with suggestions for future experiments. Let’s keep exploring what really matters in keyboard performance!
FAQs
What is HE Technology?
HE (Hall Effect) technology uses magnetic sensors instead of traditional mechanical contacts to detect keypresses. These sensors measure the distance of a magnet within the switch, allowing for:
- Adjustable Actuation Points: You can customize how far a key needs to be pressed before it registers.
- Durability: With no physical contacts, HE switches are less prone to wear and tear over time.
While HE technology is marketed as faster and more reliable, our test results suggest that its speed advantages are negligible in real-world scenarios.
What are Polling Rates?
Polling rate refers to how often a keyboard reports its input to the computer. Measured in Hertz (Hz), common polling rates include:
- 1,000Hz (1ms): Standard for most gaming keyboards, meaning the keyboard updates the computer every millisecond.
- 8,000Hz (0.125ms): High-end keyboards promise faster updates, theoretically reducing input delay.
In practice, higher polling rates have minimal impact on perceived speed, as shown in our tests. Factors like display refresh rates and overall system latency play a more significant role.
Does a Higher Polling Rate Always Mean a Faster Keyboard?
Not necessarily. While a higher polling rate reduces the interval between updates, the real-world impact on speed is minimal due to other bottlenecks in the system (e.g., monitor refresh rates, input processing delays). For most users, the difference between a 1,000Hz and an 8,000Hz keyboard is imperceptible.
Should I Spend More on an HE Keyboard?
It depends on your priorities. HE keyboards offer benefits like adjustable actuation points and durability, but if your main concern is speed, a budget mechanical keyboard can perform almost as well, as our tests demonstrate.
What’s the Best Keyboard for Gaming or Typing?
The best keyboard for you depends on your preferences:
- For customization and features: Consider an HE keyboard like the Wooting 80HE or Keychron K2HE.
- For budget-conscious users: A standard mechanical keyboard can deliver excellent performance at a fraction of the cost.
Ultimately, choose the keyboard that offers the features you value most!
