I currently have an SK-2045 keyboard by Asus that came with my computer, it's a hearty keyboard that hasn't failed me yet, but the problem is that I can't reach the number keys above WASD comfortably and so have to click on the skills in games instead, which sucks. I'm not entirely sure if the keyboard is just too big or if my fingers are too short, but it just isn't working out, especially if I'm going to be sinking hundreds of hours into Guild Wars 2 soon.

Can anyone suggest me a cheap-but-good gaming keyboard that might solve my problem?

I like my Razor black widow. Don't know how much you can get one of those for.

It's old now so probably cheaper but I've been using my G15 since launch and have never had any issue. I would go for either a Logitech or Razer, I've been using their products exclusively and love them. Good luck!

Assuming your cut-off for "cheap" is under $50:

At this point, I don't really put Logitech or Razer in the cheap-but-good category. Logitech's cheap products aren't nearly as good as they used to be, and though they are usually quite good, Razer's products rarely fit a price point that low. My favorite entry in the cheap-but-good category are the hardware from Microsoft. Don't go wireless unless you have your heart set on it; just keep it simple.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/compare/keyboard/E6K-00001|3TJ-00001|ANB-00001

Have any big computer stores (Frys, etc) around? Go there and check out the keyboards and see if you can find one you like

It's not cheap, but I've had this sucker for years and I still love it.

IBM Model M. Best keyboard ever.

Black Widow is a great keyboard, but if you are not ready to shell out that much, I think the Microsoft wireless desktop 3000 is a pretty good keyboard. Looks good, feels good, just don't use the mouse.

I own a Zboard Merc Stealth (now produced by steelseries). This is the best keyboard that I have ever used. The gaming section of the keyboard is a lot more ergonomic for me when playing games, especially when I am trying to hit a number key, or holding Ctrl while using WASD.

Now some people will try telling you that a mechanical keyboard is the way to go. I might agree with that statement if you were a writer who spends 8hours a day typing, but for gaming, I like hitting a button and knowing that it was activated immediately, and I hate having a button not respond because I only pressed it down half-way.

@MonetaryDread said:

Horrific! Arrow keys are merged into the numpad and there aren't any Insert, Home, PG UP/DN, etc. keys in the spot they need to be in.

I wouldn't mind it if they had stuck with a standard keyboard and just added the gaming portion stuff to the end, but it is missing key buttons in the correct spot when the need to be productive arises. Also on the newer version the backspace/pipe key is not in the correct spot and is opposite to where it is supposed to be -- what a piece of shit.

@MonetaryDread said:

I own a Zboard Merc Stealth (now produced by steelseries). This is the best keyboard that I have ever used. The gaming section of the keyboard is a lot more ergonomic for me when playing games, especially when I am trying to hit a number key, or holding Ctrl while using WASD.

Now some people will try telling you that a mechanical keyboard is the way to go. I might agree with that statement if you were a writer who spends 8hours a day typing, but for gaming, I like hitting a button and knowing that it was activated immediately, and I hate having a button not respond because I only pressed it down half-way.

Urk, I tried that one for a couple of months and I hated it. I'm so used to the WASD setup that I constantly hit the wrong keys due to muscle memory.

@Aronman789: Simple, basic, mechanical keyboard all the way for me! The thing with a good mechanical keyboard is you actually get that instant input and there's a much better feeling (subjective) to the key strokes. They're also a fuckload more reliable than membrane/scissor switch/whatever crap. Just make sure you get a made-for-gaming keyboard, otherwise I can imagine the slow response time being an issue.

If you have an Ebay account you could always get a Qsenn DT-35. That's what all the Korean pro Starcraft players use. It's cheap, comfy to use, and is completely spill proof.  They're like $25. Or you could just get a Logitech K120, which should do just fine and is like $15 and can be bought literally anywhere. You don't need anything fancy, just don't go for that low profile crap, it's not good for playing games. My favourite super cheap keyboard has always been the Dell SK-8115 but it doesn't seem to be nearly as cheap anymore because they are out of production and were replaced with some low profile garbage keyboard.  For mechanical I don't know, I haven't paid attention to that market for a year or so. I use an older Rosewill RK-9000, which is great but apparently the newer ones have issues.
 
Just don't get Razer or Steelseries, they're both garbage and you can get better stuff than either of them put out for cheaper. Steelseries keyboards are very cheaply made and do not seem well put together (the keys in my old 6GV2 popped out frequently, and if I were to flip it upside down I would probably lose 50 or more keys. Mechanical keyboards should not do that).

I just use a Logitech £10 media keyboard thing. Worked fine for me so far. As long as keyboard has a numpad we all good.

@SoothsayerGB: Oh man, that's fuckin' sweet. The PS2 had so many great/dumb peripherals.

@Jrinswand said:

It's not cheap, but I've had this sucker for years and I still love it.

I got that last week(got it for $60 on amazon), and am loving everything about it. Solid, and feels great when typing.

Have been using the Steelseries Merc for about a year. I liked the game pad part of it.(moved to a nostromo) Worked good (other than the software being kinda crappy), but nice to be back to a keyboard that doesn't have all the keys merged into the numpad.

@SoothsayerGB said:

Does the Logitech key double as a Windows key?

Saitek Eclipse keyboards are cool, and the SealShield keyboards are AWESOME. Once you use a backlit keyboard, you'll never go back.

http://store.sealshield.com/seal-glow2-keyboard-black-p38.aspx

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175006

The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth. Pretty much the same as the standard Ultimate but less noisy if that's something that bothers your. Also it's so beefy you could use it to kill a man, something I look for in all my PC peripherals.

Look for one with Cherry switches, maybe something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129005.

I'm rockin a Black Widow. My first mechanical keyboard. It's pretty sweet.

ive been using a filco majestouch 2 with blue cherry switches for awhile now, its terrific, and everyone hates me for it when i go on a lan.

@mosdl said:

Have any big computer stores (Frys, etc) around? Go there and check out the keyboards and see if you can find one you like

This along with the other suggestions of course. For Fry's, it can be hit or miss, but sometimes they have great employees working who really know what they're talking about, and can give great feedback on hardware in most cases. On the other hand, don't ask them about external hard drives. They will look at each other and ask, "....do you mean a flash drive?" SMH

Also, don't even bother talking to anyone in the PC department. They're worse than a car dealership.