Mechanical Keyboards - Worthy gaming pc upgrade?

I've recently purchased a CM Storm Trigger mechanical keyboard.  The one I bought has the Cherry MX Blue switches.  The reason I bought it is simply because I've been using a Sidewinder X8 keyboard for a long time and just needed something new.  I had to choose between a normal membrane keyboard or a mechanical keyboard.  Firstly, the price difference is big.  I was torn between the Roccat ISKU keyboard and pretty much any mechanical keyboard.  As I mostly only play FPS titles, I thought that I wouldn't be able to get my monies' worth with the ISKU as I've little use for macro keys and the like (as I didn't actually use it on the X8 either).  It was for this reason that I decided to get a mechanical keyboard.  That and the fact that pretty much all gamers swear by this technology.

The Storm Trigger is great.  It has all the essentials of pretty much any gaming keyboard ie. it's fully back-lit (red only though), has 6-key rollover, macro keys, a 1000 Hz driver-less polling rate, a detachable wrist rest and blah blah blah...  It sports a non-slip rubber coating which feels anything but cheap.  Two usb ports are located on the top right edge of the keyboard.  The USB ports can draw power from an external 5V DC power source via the socket provided.  I didn't like the fact that keyboard doesn't come with a 5V adapter.  Though if you do connect an external power source, you get 2 extra brightness levels for the back light.  The layout is a standard one.  No frills, no fuss which is what I've come to expect from mechanical keyboards and it's something that I quite like.

After using the keyboard for about two weeks, something got to me.  The noise.  It is simply obnoxious.  I did some research and found that it's not the click that's the problem, but rather the sound of the key "bottoming out".  It's essentially where the key travels all the way down and collides with the housing.  The thump you hear, combined with the click, makes for one loud typing experience, so don't be surprised if you're partner can't fall asleep as you're not quite done being noob on BF3...  After scouring the net a bit, I found a simple solution to the problem in the form of rubber o-rings.  The ones I had purchased can be found at www.wasdkeyboards.com.  They sell custom mechanical keyboards and accessories.  Although the o-rings weren't cheap (I paid $18), they're definitely worth it.  It took a couple of hours to manually place the o-rings on each key, but once I'd completed the mod, what a difference.  I'll definitely be keeping this keyboard for a long time.

So, is a mechanical keyboard a worthy gaming PC upgrade?  Yes, but it comes way down the list.  I'd say after a good mouse mat.  If you use your PC for more than just gaming ie. you actually type a lot, then it's a great investment and would probably be more important than the CPU you're using.  If you only use your PC for playing COD or BF3, then the story changes.  If you can afford it, go for it.  Some gamers are still gaming on dual-core CPU's with GPU's that are 2-3 years old and to those gamers I'd say upgrade those bits first and worry about the keyboard later.  I guess at the end of the day, you're paying for something that feels great, and nothing more.  You won't suddenly be typing faster or getting more kills in your favourite game just because you're using a mechanical keyboard.  No, I firmly believe, that what you're getting is something that feels great and is ultimately a joy to use.  For many gamers, THAT, is what makes this a worthy upgrade.

Till next time,

Cheers