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Review on πŸ’‘ Tecware Phantom 87-Key RGB LED Mechanical Keyboard with Outemu Blue Switch by Dave Butler

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Ideal for those looking for a cheap mechanical keyboard (Rating: 9/10)

This is a very reliable TKL, especially at such a low price. Compared to other keyboards in the same price range, this board seemed like a better choice. My board came with brown Outemu switches and I really like them. Build quality is very good overall, with the exception of the keycaps (more on that later). I would highly recommend this board to anyone looking for an affordable mechanical keyboard without spending hundreds of dollars on a custom build. I prefer brown Outemu switches over red because I like having a switch with a little tactile bump. I decided to lube my switches and since the board is hot swappable (switches are not soldered to the board) it made the process much faster/easier. I have used Tribosys 3203 grade 0 grease and am very happy with the results. Even though this is a very tedious work and will take several hours from start to finish, I still think it's worth it. Having owned the keyboard for just under 6 months I can confidently rate this board a 9/10. It's not a 10/10 due to the overall quality of the standard keycaps. I removed the caps from the buttons to lubricate the switches. After reinstalling them, I noticed that the 2 keycaps began to crack where the switch stem slides inward while the keycap was held in place. I also noticed that the spacebar was so bad that it had to be replaced immediately. This prompted me to purchase some PBT dual keycaps which are a great upgrade from the standard push buttoncaps. If you're thinking about buying a budget keyboard, this board is a great option at a very affordable price. While the keycaps should work for a while, I still consider this to be the keyboard's biggest weakness. I highly recommend getting a more durable set, especially if you plan on removing your keycaps for any reason. The stock set should last longer than mine if you never plan on removing your keycaps. If you remove and reinstall the keycaps a few times, the plastic will most likely crack, as has happened to me. I've attached a photo showing the difference between Razer's standard one-shot push caps and the upgraded PBT kit. You can see where the stem mount snapped.

Pros
  • Confident
Cons
  • Functionality