bad sector wrote:

The keyboard is DURGOD all-usb gaming one ...

https://www.newegg.com/Gaming-Keyboa...ID-198575-3523

That lists several models of Durgod. Since Newegg doesn't show a PS/2
filter for that list, looks like none of them can be moved to a PS/2
port on the computer.

They ship from China, not from Newegg (so you cannot choose Newegg as
the seller to deal with them for returns/refunds). Newegg estimates
shipping time from 10 to 32 days. Expect more like 45 days to get past
Chinese customs. Apparently the seller does not have regional
warehouses in which they stock their wares to have them on hand for
shipping in that region (and outside of China since they already went
through customs to the regional warehouses). They don't even need their
own warehouse. There are companies that provide warehousing service.
In fact, I think the City of Industry, CA is nothing but warehouses.
I've dealt with other sellers where some common city is used for
regional warehousing by multiple companies.

... that cost me about 5 times a cheapo and I would have been better
off with the cheapo. I can duplicate the problem at will and either
it or the mobo is a lemmon. The problem seems to be at its worse
early in the boot, like when I would wanna hit "Del" to get to the
bios, or very soon after that to arrow-key my way to a boot menu
entry. The problem ceases to exist if I launch with the cheapo and
then optionally swap in the DURGOD. There is NO BOUBT, for some
reason the cheapo does not have a detection issue the DURGOD does. It
could be a matter of the latter needing just a little more time to be
detected, beats me

When did you buy the gamer keyboard? Maybe it's short enough that you
can return it as nonfunctional (flaky on boot). Newegg often lists the
warranty on the products sold by or through them, but not for Durgod. I
went to durgod.com, but found nothing there about a warranty period.

When the mobo is booted, the CPU gets reset and also sends out a reset
to all the hardware. That is to initialize all hardware to a known good
state. When you cold boot (not warm boot) the computer, do the LEDs on
the keyboard blink to indicate it got the reset signal?

Presumably you have already tried a different USB port.

Try blasting canned air between the keys. Then turn over the keyboard
(so the keys are down), hold one end with one hand, and slap the other
end on the keys. Repeat with the other hand on the other end of the
turned-over keyboard to slap with your other hand. This is to shake out
any debris inside the keyboard which could prevent the keys from making
full strokes. For each key, press it slowly and release slowly. Make
sure each goes through a full stroke with no resistance other than the
mechanical latch that generates the click.

Since the cheap USB-only keyboard does not inflict you with the same
defects as the expensive USB-only gamer keyboard, well, you've narrowed
the problem source to the USB-only gamer keyboard. Go back to using the
cheap keyboard, and either return the gamer keyboard for a refund,
return it for warranty replacement, or use as an expensive doorstop.

cheap USB-only keyboard: no problem.
gamer USB-only keyboard: problem exists.

Problem resolved. The gamer keyboard is farked.