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ThrowawayLocal8622 t1_j9qmx54 wrote

Reply to comment by sartaingerous in My budget build, I call her Vapor Ice by sartaingerous

Really dumb question for a lurker who may be starting their first build soon, what is the cost of a "budget build" keyb?

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xxInsanex t1_j9r5zff wrote

Not an easy question to answer since budget is a broad term.

Most enthusiast look at sub $250 kits as budget from what ive seen but a budget build is really just whatever you can afford without breaking the bank.

How much are you looking to spend if you dont mind me asking?

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ThrowawayLocal8622 t1_j9rf8x5 wrote

I'm trying to understand before committing a budget to it. From what I'm reading, this isn't a hobby for me.

I was curious about some of the hackeyboard firmwares and was toying with the idea of a Commodore clone type thing for the kids to play the retro game on.

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LevanderFela t1_j9t295p wrote

150$ is a baseline for a build that will be noticeably better than a gaming keyboard - Keychron V series (100$ for fully prebuilt, and then modding), Akko, etc.

Keychron is probably one of the best entries, as their Q/V series have VIA and QMK support (proper remapping, layers, etc.), are easily moddable and prebuilt versions offer great value, giving switches + PBT keycaps for 20-30$.

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boyishly_ t1_j9r12ub wrote

I’m a lurker too because I can’t afford this hobby. People on here who talk about budget keyboards usually mean $150 for ‘budget’. However, this build is closer to $200. I kind of don’t know what fantasy world some of these rich people are living in

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yomikemo t1_j9r4yuq wrote

it’s more like “budget enthusiast”

where most enthusiast builds start around $500, and then you can pay as much as you want after that.

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pancrudo t1_j9sjiia wrote

Nothing like seeing a $500 board on budgetkeebs and then everyone getting mad because they use budget as an endless number....

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sartaingerous OP t1_j9rwcwq wrote

Someone else nailed it, somewhere around $250. Base kit was like $95 on clearance + tax, switches were around $70, caps were off Amazon and like $50. There is an artisan cap on there as well that was given to me, but that would prob add another $50-75.

Definitely still not cheap but it’s much less than my other boards.

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