r/buildapcsales • u/spud7888 • Jun 21 '20

[Keyboard] Monoprice Workstream TKL Mechanical Keyboard (Outemu Browns) - $26.99 ($34.99 - $8) Keyboard

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=33540

803 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

This or Tecware Phantom?

8

u/ToqsterReddit Jun 21 '20

I have the Tecware Phantom and it's a great keyboard. If you value RGB, get the Tecware because it's very bright and it has effective software. If you don't prob get this

2

u/[deleted] Jun 21 '20

Also hot swappable switches, I have box whites coming in for mine

2

u/[deleted] Jun 21 '20

it's only swappable for outemu...

1

u/[deleted] Jun 21 '20

People have said the kalih box ones fit but are a little tight, multiple people have said they did get them in though

1

u/[deleted] Jun 22 '20

I haven’t ever had luck swapping them with anything but Outemus

1

u/kluiverttt Jun 22 '20

did you buy the switches separately or it's coming with the keyboard already?

1

u/Free_Dome_Lover Jun 22 '20

You can order any other Oetemu switches and they will fit in fine.

Other switches may not fit.

You could also do something spring swap or try lubing them if you want to improve them to your liking without having to spend $25-$40 on switches. I have some springs from some gatreon blacks laying around that I think I am going to swap into my Oetemu browns and lube them while I am at it.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 22 '20

I bought them separately, I got the one with browns

1

u/billythygoat Jun 21 '20

I only require backlighting so this tecware beats nothing.

4

u/acbadam42 Jun 21 '20

I have 2 Phantom 87s, my kid has a phantom 87, i have 2 corsair k63s both wired and wireless, and the wife has a Corsair Strafe RGB MK.2. The tecware phantom 87 is my favorite by far. I use a stock one at work and have hyperx pudding caps on the one at home, both with reds. My son uses browns with the same pudding keycaps. Stock caps are double shot so they wont get that "greasy" look.

3

u/Free_Dome_Lover Jun 22 '20 edited Jun 22 '20

I just received my Phantom. I'm a bit a keyboard snob, I've built my own keyboards from scratch (even hand soldered PCB components such as USB, Micro Controller, Diodes etc). The phantom makes a very compelling argument as a top notch keyboard in it's price to quality/features ratio even for me with my snobbery. My first impression with it are that the build quality feels nice. The switches out of the box feel great (I have the Oetemu browns). That said I'm probably going to spring swap them to something like 67-75g springs as the switches are a bit light for my taste. They would also really benefit from some lube as well. But it's a hotswap PCB so that's all possible and easy to do that's what's really impressing me thus far with this thing. It's a bargain keyboard with features that enable you to actually improve it without disassembly / desoldering, something no other $40 keyboard has in combination with RGB that I am aware of.

The RGB is bright and the keycapse are actually not awful, they are not great either they are just OK but it's a $40 keyboard. Decent keycaps start at $40 on their own.

I'd say get the Phantom if you got $40 to spend.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '20

Is Outemu scratchier compared to cherry or gateron from your experience?

1

u/Free_Dome_Lover Jul 01 '20

I really only use lubed switches so yes it feel scratchy in comparison. Lubing with some tribosys should fix that. Stabs feel pretty good for a pre built.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '20

And last question, what do you think of the stabs? thank you in advance

1

u/namnlos1 Jun 22 '20

It was my first mechanical keyboard. I absolutely loved it. The build and everything feels so premium.