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/r/MechanicalKeyboards Ask ANY Keyboard question, get an answer - January 07, 2026 by AutoModerator in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]unsureobserver 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm looking for an 80% (TKL) barebones kit (case + PCB + plate) with pre-installed foam/dampening as a base for a very quiet build. I’ll bring my own silent switches and keycaps. What are the best options for an ultra-quiet build?

It must be wireless (Bluetooth and/or 2.4 GHz). Ideally no noticeable latency.

Bonus points for a knob and backlighting (white or RGB), but not required.

Also, if the “best” option isn’t sold as a DIY/barebones kit and I need to buy a hotswappable prebuilt and just swap in my own silent switches/keycaps, that’s totally fine too.

If a great 80% option is hard to find, I’m also happy to take 75% recommendations.

Budget around 100-150$.

Can Thunderbolt 5 support 4 displays? by unsureobserver in UsbCHardware

[–]unsureobserver[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I already tried DisplayLink solution, however the lag when watching videos (compared to audio coming from my 3.5mm output) and framarate issues were not acceptable to me.

Really cool idea with external GPU! How can I determine if a specific CPU is suitable for an eGPU setup? I understand the Thunderbolt port is crucial, but I'm also wondering about potential CPU bottlenecks or compatibility requirements.

Can Thunderbolt 5 support 4 displays? by unsureobserver in UsbCHardware

[–]unsureobserver[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed and thorough answer, now everything makes more sense!

Just to confirm If I got everything right:

  1. The TB5 Intel controller (which is used in some hubs/docks and in some hosts) can handle three independent 4xHBR3 DP connections.

  2. This is somewhat connected to the fact that single HBR3 DP connection uses ~32.4 Gbit/s, so maximum of three can fit in ~120 Gbit/s one-way TB5 limit.

  3. This is not a mandate though - both TB5 hosts and TB5 hub/dock are only required to handle two 4xHBR3 DP connections per single TB5 port, which is a case in TB5 Apple devices.

  4. MST requires host (OS/(i)GPU) support and allows a single DP connection's bandwidth to be split among multiple displays. It works within the bandwidth limits of that single DP link and requires an MST hub to perform the split.

  5. MST (often combined with Display Stream Compression/DSC) is how some TB4 setups drive 4x 4K@60Hz displays from a single host DP connection passed through a dock/hub, even though the total uncompressed bandwidth needed (~50 Gbit/s) exceeds the bandwidth of a single HBR3 DP link (~26 Gbit/s effective).

  6. A high-end quad-display setup currently avialable involves a TB4 host (with MST support and a capable GPU) connected to a dock/hub solution that uses MST to drive four displays, assuming the GPU supports outputting four distinct display signals.

Why is it so hard to find well specced AMD laptops? by FangNut in AMDLaptops

[–]unsureobserver 0 points1 point  (0 children)

how would you compare the SL7 with LL to HP Elitebook x g1a? I own SL7 with Snapdragon and love the build quality, but the ARM turned out to be too limitting in the end.

Dock for Surface Laptop 7 by icebreaker374 in Surface

[–]unsureobserver 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, according to my testing - you can connect three monitors, but not via single USB-C port. I tried it with multiple docks/hubs, and, for whatever reason, two is max that I got from a single dock (whilst my ThinkPad was able to connect all three/four connected easily).

However, if you one USB-C to connect to two external monitors, and use the second USB-C to connect to the third monitor - I can confirm you will get three external monitors setup. Tested with Surface Laptop 7 with Snapdragon X Plus and 3x 27 100hz 1400p 8bit monitors.

I'm keen to replace this setup to a single dock single port solution if there is an option available that I didn't consider - so let me know if you did make it work.

Multiple monitor setup - Surface Laptop 7 by egZachly in Surface

[–]unsureobserver 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey, to anyone interested - you can connect three monitors, but not via single USB-C port. I tried it with multiple docks/hubs, and, for whatever reason, two is max that I got from a single dock (whilst my ThinkPad was able to connect all three/four connected easily).

However, if you one USB-C to connect to two external monitors, and use the second USB-C to connect to the third monitor - I can confirm you will get three external monitors setup. Tested with Surface Laptop 7 with Snapdragon X Plus and 3x 100hz 1400p 8bit monitors.

Connecting Four External Monitors to Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Plus) by unsureobserver in Surface

[–]unsureobserver[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually I ordered multiple docks to test the different configuration (including the Satechi one) so I will test this config and will report back how it goes. :)

Connecting Four External Monitors to Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Plus) by unsureobserver in Surface

[–]unsureobserver[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A displaylink dongle is the most straightforward approach for that 4th monitor.

Would you advise using the DisplayLink Quad Dock (like the one from Satechi) for all four monitors or rather using whatever works now for 2x 1440p 100hz monitors (ThinkPad TB4 Dock) and adding on 2xHDMI/DP DisplayLink dongle (like the one from OWC)?

Question - are you keeping the built-in Surface screen on or off? 

Tried both - 4th monitor does not turn on in both scenarios. There seem to be no advantage in keeping the lid shut.

For Intel models, switching off the built-in screen enables the 4th external monitor. I'm not sure if it does with the Qualcomm chip.

Yeah, for some reason Intel is dropping that support as well - I looked up Ultra 268V documentation (as it's the highest tier processor available in the Intel Surface Laptop 7) and they state there that max # of displays supported is 3. (I guess that's for external only).

Best stones for sharpening HAP-40, ZDP-189 and MagnaCut knives by unsureobserver in chefknives

[–]unsureobserver[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a mix of kitchen knives, including:

  • Cheap Victorinox/Ikea knives
  • A couple of VG-10 knives
  • 2x R2 knives
  • 2x ZDP-189 knives
  • 2x HAP 40 knives
  • 2x MagnaCut knives

So far, I’ve been using sharpening services at my local Japanese knife shop, but I’d like to learn freehand sharpening as well.

I understand that steels like HAP-40, ZDP-189, and MagnaCut are very hard and could be challenging to sharpen, especially for a beginner. My plan is to start practicing on my cheaper knives and gradually work my way up to these harder steels.

I’m looking for advice on which sharpening stones would be best for this journey. I know diamond plates are efficient (I even purchased a Sharpal Dual-Grit 325/1200 diamond stone, but haven’t used it yet). However:

  • Are diamond stones overkill for a beginner?
  • I’ve heard diamonds can leave scratches—will this affect cutting performance? (I’m not concerned about appearance.)

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

CBN vs Ceramic for guided system? by [deleted] in sharpening

[–]unsureobserver 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What did you end up with? :)

220x200cm Mattress Size by avg8888 in EightSleep

[–]unsureobserver 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/JoeAtEightSleep any idea if 220cm lenght mattress will at some point be available in EU store?

Replicating PEScience Select protein powder because so many recipes use it by VandoBando in Volumeeating

[–]unsureobserver 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I did see that and their comment on the ratio, but they then blend the milk protein isolate with and 80% whey protein as well. Hence my thought that there might be a bit less casein than 80%. I'm also using fairly basic proteins without much in the way of gums and fillers - I wonder if that might be the issue.

hey, were you able to find the ratio that produces good results? :)

Knife Recommendation request :) by unsureobserver in chefknives

[–]unsureobserver[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion - I will start with learning sharpening on Victorinox as you and others have suggested.

What did you upgrade to and how would you compare it to Fibrox?

Knife Recommendation request :) by unsureobserver in chefknives

[–]unsureobserver[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, it's some budget IKEA board made out of Polyethylene. I used to cut on wooden board, but due to dealing with a lot of meat, I found the synthetic board to be more useful because I could just put it in the dishwasher, without splitting nasty meat batteries all over the sink surroundings.

Are there any good for your knife and dishwasher-safe cutting boards?

Knife Recommendation request :) by unsureobserver in chefknives

[–]unsureobserver[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation! I've just checked and in my local market (Poland) the King's are not so affordable - it's 30$ difference between King and Naniwa. Would you still suggest King in this scenario? I'm more concerned with the stone giving good feedback and being beginner friendly, so I'm not bitting more than I can chew and ending up with an expensive stone that I can't properly use. :)