Which is better for keyboards: USB or PS/2?

[EastCoasthandle]

I haven't seen much about this but I wonder if current USB keyboards has anything over PS/2 type keyboards?
From things like:
-keystroke delay
-ghosting
-durability
-etc

 

[francis511]

Usb is better. I still buy ps2 keyboards to work with an old kvm switch , but that`s the only reason to go that way.

 

[cheesy999]

PS/2 keyboards have some cool features though, they can turn your PC on when its compleatly off, (where USB's just do it from standby/hibernate)

they also don't take up a USB port

I use PS/2 keyboards for compatibly with Old bios' and OS installs (also because i have no need to buy a new one)

 

[Drone]

I use ps/2. I see no reason to use usb if I have a ps/2 port

 

[kciaccio]

I use ps/2. I see no reason to use usb if I have a ps/2 port

Me too.

 

[hat]

Steelseries says:

We absolutely recommend using the PS/2 connector when possible. First,it will give you total freedom with no limit to the amount of simultaneous key presses. And, equally as important, using the PS/2 may just improve your overall gaming experience. The reason is that when you use a USB keyboard your computer is actually using CPU time polling your keyboard. The higher the polling rate the more CPU time is used to perform the polling. And because of the built-in debounce rate found on any quality keyboard, any polling rate above 200Hz is simply a waste of CPU time and really just a result of pointless marketing hype. Unlike USB keyboards a PS/2 keyboard isn’t polled at all. The keyboard simply sends a signal to the computer as key presses are made, which causes a hardware interrupt, forcing the CPU to register the signal.

I did have to turn my sensitivity down in some games after switching to a PS/2 keyboard, but that could also just have been a change in my own sensitivity level. It's pretty hard to measure that sort of thing.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

PS/2 always works. I've never met a PS/2 keyboard/computer (that had a PS/2 jack) that didn't work. I've had a lot of USB hiccups though--especially related to accessing the BIOS.

I used to use a PS/2 + VGA KVM but have moved to DVI + VGA + USB + Audio KVM. The KVM is the only reason why I switched to USB. I still often have to break out the PS/2 keyboards though for ornery computers (e.g. good luck getting USB to work on a Windows 95 computer).

 

[hat]

Yeah, I once ran into an error message from the BIOS telling me that there was an issue with my CPU's bus speed of 200MHz wasn't supported and it would run at a lower frequency of 266MHz at reduced speed (this was after doing a BSEL mod on a Celeron 430). This error appeared before USB initialized, so I couldn't press y to continue. Needed a PS/2 keyboard for that.

 

[jpierce55]

I doubt they do. FWIW I have a keyboard that is over 8 years old and PS/2. It still works great.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

PS/2 are awesome, because most PS/2 keyboards are mechanical!

 

[EastCoasthandle]

So PS/2 it is, thanks...

 

[Hayder_Master]

USB is the new shape connector, so if you like it or not PS2 become over soon like FDD.
Don't forget old dead shape connector for mouse and keyboard which was called serial,‎‏ ‏and the other one it was look like PS2 it was work untill last P3 but it's gone when P4 come.

 

[twilyth]

It's been years since I've had a problem with a USB keyboard - even the wireless variety and even over a KVM (which only emulates a basic keyboard - to get full functionality you need a KVM with DDM - dynamic device mapping).

But then I've been changing hardware pretty frequently the past several years given my crunching jones (honestly, it's worse than crank or smack). I think the bottom line is how often will you use it on hardware that is more than a few years old. I think that's going to be most people, even if maybe not most people on TPU. So from that point of view I would have to say PS/2, but ONLY for that reason.

 

[specks]

You really wont notice a difference in performance using the either PS/2 or USB. I Just stick to PS/2 because it was made for keyboards.

 

[AppleB]

Ps2

 

[EastCoasthandle]

For your information...The Das Model S has a 6 key roll over for usb and full key roll over using PS/2.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

By the way, PS/2's advantages (except being hardware interrupt-based) are pretty much lost on computers running (U)EFI.

 

[WhiteLotus]

Wait they still make PS/2 keyboards?

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Yes and no. Most will come with a usb to ps2 adapter. An adapter that I don't have fond memories of. Over time I've noticed that the weight of both pushing on the ps2 port itself (a few years back). I didn't even noticed anything until it would only plug in on a downsloping angle. This did take a while before it started happening but none the less I stopped using them.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Was using an asrock board the other day that wouldn't let me into the bios with a ps2.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

I found this thread very interesting. It discusses response times and how a slow controller might be queuing up the data and sending it out of order. That may explain where "teh" came from.
thread

Looks like this question was asked before (usb vs ps2)

 

[scaminatrix]

Another vote for PS/2. So much so, I'm actually quite angry at ASUS for only giving one PS/2 ports on some of it's mobo's. I use a PS/2 mouse aswell, and I was not happy at having to find a USB mouse or a converter just to use my rig.

 

[Goodman]

Wait they still make PS/2 keyboards?

Exactly! my thought...

It's been years since i see a PS2 Keyboard or mouse in stores around here (3+years) all you could buy was/is a USB to PS2 adapter...

I frankly don't care about PS2 port , they never hold quite right , always got loose after a while or get your feet to barely touch the wire than it moved a little & Keyboard doesn't work anymore & push it back in doesn't help you have to restart you PC in order for the PS2 to work again..

So yeah! USB is much better IMO

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I found this thread very interesting. It discusses response times and how a slow controller might be queuing up the data and sending it out of order. That may explain where "teh" came from.
thread

"Teh" is just a very common typo that has been happening since teh (haha, that was unintentional but I left it there just to demonstrate) invention of the QWERTY keyboard. I think it happens because the left hand does some 70% of typing so it is trained to respond quicker than the right hand. As such, it is faster to hit e than h so your brain thinks it hit h but, in fact, it already pressed e. I doubt it has anything to do with 5-pin DIN, PS/2, nor USB.


There's really no advantage for using PS/2 on mice. Most mice these days are USB with a PS/2 adapter and mice are useless in BIOS so, yeah, it's mostly keyboards where PS/2 is still relevant.

 

[cheesy999]

It's been years since i see a PS2 Keyboard or mouse in stores around here (3 years) all you could buy was/is a USB to PS2 adapter...

I frankly don't care about PS2 port , they never hold quite right , always got loose after a while or get your feet to barely touch the wire than it move a little & Keyboard doesn't work anymore & push it back in doesn't help you have to restart you PC in order for the PS2 to work again..

you must have a dodgy socket, i've never had problems with a loose connector?