mechanical keyboards | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:41:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png mechanical keyboards | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Corsair is acquiring Drop to further expand peripheral business https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/corsair-is-acquiring-drop-to-further-expand-peripheral-business/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/corsair-is-acquiring-drop-to-further-expand-peripheral-business/#respond Mon, 17 Jul 2023 15:30:58 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=623495 Corsair has made a number of key acquisitions in recent years, greatly expanding its product portfolio. This week, Corsair announced the acquisition of another company – Drop, a custom peripherals retailer.  Drop is perhaps best known for its line-up of mechanical keyboards, along with accessories like custom keycaps. However, the company also deals in many …

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Corsair has made a number of key acquisitions in recent years, greatly expanding its product portfolio. This week, Corsair announced the acquisition of another company – Drop, a custom peripherals retailer. 

Drop is perhaps best known for its line-up of mechanical keyboards, along with accessories like custom keycaps. However, the company also deals in many other forms of peripherals, including high-end headphones. Most recently, Drop had a big collaboration with Middle-Earth Enterprises to put out new Lord of the Rings-themed keyboards and custom keycaps.

As announced by Drop CEO, Jef Holove, the company is now owned by Corsair. It would seem that Corsair is indeed primarily interested in the custom keyboard business that Drop has developed over the years which could lead to even more personalised peripherals and custom options from Corsair down the line.

One of the big benefits of this acquisition is greater availability. Under Corsair, Drop will now be able to expand to a worldwide footprint, bringing customised tech gear to many more parts of the world.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Since 2018, Corsair has acquired Elgato to break into the live streaming and creator space, Scuf Gaming to offer personalised and high-end game controllers and even Origin PC, which builds custom gaming PCs for the US market. Now, we can add Drop (formerly Massdrop) to that list. 

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The KitGuru guide to mechanical keyboard switches https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/keyboards/matthew-wilson/the-kitguru-guide-to-mechanical-keyboard-switches/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/keyboards/matthew-wilson/the-kitguru-guide-to-mechanical-keyboard-switches/#respond Wed, 04 Jul 2018 14:46:57 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378538 Mechanical keyboards are a staple for many serious PC gaming set ups. These switches offer more tactile feedback, faster actuation and longer life spans. However, with so many different kinds of switches floating around, it can be confusing to decide which one to go with. Today we'll be going over the different mechanical switches currently on the market, explaining what each of them do differently.

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Mechanical keyboards are a staple for many serious PC gaming set ups. These switches offer more tactile feedback, faster actuation and longer life spans when compared to cheaper membrane/rubber dome boards. However, with so many different kinds of switches floating around, it can be confusing to decide which one to go with. Today we'll be going over the different mechanical switches currently on the market, explaining what each of them do differently.

Before we dive into the different switch makers and their many offerings, let's break down what a mechanical switch does. Rubber dome switches are fairly simple, utilising piece of plastic under the key that depresses the rubber dome and makes contact with the underlying circuit board. Mechanical switches have more going on under the hood and offer many benefits, ranging from different levels of actuation and force required to register a keypress, to different levels of feedback (tactile or linear).

Individual mechanical switches use a spring mechanism in each key and metal contacts to register a key press without having to necessarily push a key all the way down to the bottom of the keyboard. Below you'll find an image that shows how tactile, linear and clicky switches work under the hood.

Tactile switches include a small ‘bump' that you will feel while typing. Many typists prefer tactile switches due to this level of tactile feedback. Tactile switches can be broken down further into clicky and non-clicky switches. In gaming circles, linear switches tend to be more popular.

A linear switch removes the ‘bump' element inside of the key switch, which results in less noise and a smoother key press from top to bottom. This also allows for quicker actuation and lower necessary force for each key press, but it differs quite a bit between different switch types- which we'll begin diving into below.

Cherry MX

Cherry is often viewed as the gold standard for keyboard switches. The first Cherry MX switch appeared in 1983, and while there has been much more competition over the last few years, Cherry is still fairly dominant in the mechanical keyboard space.

There are four main Cherry MX switches you are likely to come across as a PC gamer: Red, Blue, Brown and Speed. However, Cherry also has a few other variants, including Cherry MX Black, White and Green. Almost all of Cherry's switches have an actuation distance of 2mm and a total travel distance of 4mm. There is just one switch that differs in this area, which we'll get into below.

Cherry linear switches:

Cherry MX Red- the most popular mechanical switch. Red switches aren't clicky and don't offer tactile feedback, making them quieter than other alternatives. Red's are also very light, requiring just 0.45 N of force to actuate. This means that each key press activates faster and registering each press will be easier on your fingers.

Cherry MX Speed- Speed switches first debuted in 2016 on a Corsair keyboard. These were introduced to compete with other new switches hitting the market. Cherry MX Speed requires the same 0.45 N of actuation force as Cherry MX Reds, but the actuation point is found at just 1.2mm, meaning each key stroke is registered well before the key is close to bottoming out.

Cherry MX White- White switches are very rare and differ from Reds in one key area- actuation force. Cherry MX White switches require 0.55 N of force to actuate, making them slightly harder to press. It is far from being the heaviest linear switch in Cherry's lineup though.

Cherry MX Black- Black switches are more common than whites but still not widely used. These require 0.60 N of force to actuate. This results in the switch almost pushing back at you with each key press.

Cherry MX Linear Grey- Cherry MX Grey switches are also rare, but it is the only Cherry switch to come in both a tactile and linear variant. These require a whopping 0.80 N of force to actuate, making them the heaviest switch in the line-up by quite some margin.

Cherry tactile switches:

Cherry MX Brown- Brown switches are quieter than most on the list. It is a tactile switch, so you will physically feel the point of actuation with every key press. However, they aren't clicky, making them quieter than Cherry MX Blue switches. Browns require 0.45 N of force to actuate, just like Reds, but the tactile feedback kicks in after 0.55 N of force is applied.

Cherry MX Blue- My personal favourite switch but often overlooked due to their noisy nature. Cherry MX Blue switches are clicky, so typing at speed generates plenty of noise. The click adds an extra layer to the tactile feedback received with each key press. They are slightly heavier than Browns, requiring 0.60 N of force to get over the tactile bump.

Cherry MX Green- These are the heaviest tactile switch that you can feasibly get your hands on. They are rare to find, but are heavy and clicky. Cherry MX Greens require 0.70 N of force to actuate and 0.80 N of force to get over the tactile bump.

Kailh/Kaihua

Kailh, also known as Kaihua, first appeared in 1990 and is the closest rival to Cherry. Kailh switches are made in China and grew its presence by offering cheaper alternatives to Cherry MX. Since then, Kailh has gone on to strike manufacturing deals with other keyboard makers, including Razer. For this section though, we'll be focusing on Kailh's in-house designs.

If you ever see a keyboard being marketed with mechanical switches and no mention of Cherry, then chances are, Kailh is what is being used under the hood. Kailh has an alternative for each of Cherry's major switch types, they do feel slightly different, but in recent years the quality gap shrunk significantly.

Just like Cherry switches, every Kailh switch has a 2mm actuation distance and a total travel distance of 4mm. This is with the exception of Kailh's own ‘Speed' switches, which have an actuation distance of 1.3mm.

Kailh linear switches:

Kailh Red- Kailh's red switch type is ever so slightly heavier than the Cherry equivalent, requiring 0.50 N of force to actuate. Aside from that 0.05 N difference, the switch is essentially the same.

Kailh Black- Just like Cherry MX blacks, Kailh's alternatives require 0.60 N of force to actuate and feel heavier than Reds.

Kailh Speed Silver- This is Kailh's linear equivalent to Cherry MX Speed. The actuation distance is reduced to 1.3mm versus Cherry's 1.2mm, and force matches Kailh Red switches at 0.50 N.

Kailh tactile switches: 

Kailh Brown- Just like Cherry Browns, Kailh's alternative is tactile without the click. The switch actuates at 0.50 N of force, matching Kailh Reds but with added tactile feedback.

Kailh Blue- The blue switch is tactile and features the click. To actuate, Kailh Blues require 0.50 N of force, but the click kicks in after 0.60 N of force has been applied.

Kailh Speed Bronze- The tactile and clicky alternative to Kailh Speed Silver. It has the same actuation distance as Speed Silver and the same actuation force requirement.

Kailh Speed Copper- Another tactile ‘Speed' switch. This one removes the clicky element but other aspects remain the same. It is essentially a brown switch with a quicker actuation point (1.3mm versus 2mm).

Razer

Razer has been around for years, and used to utilise Cherry MX switches for its keyboards. That changed in 2014, when Razer designed its very own slate of mechanical switches and tapped Kailh to manufacture them. All of Razer's switches focus on gaming over anything else, and over the years, new flavours have been added to the line-up fairly consistently.

Razer's switches differ from Cherry and Kailh in terms of default actuation point. Razer's switches actuate at 1.9mm rather than 2mm. This is with the exception of the Razer Yellow switch, which is the ‘Speed' equivalent. Razer Yellow switches have an actuation point of 1.2mm. The other thing setting Razer's switches apart is life span- Razer switches were developed to be longer lasting, with each switch being rated for 80 million keystrokes.

Razer linear switches:

Razer Yellow- This is Razer's only linear mechanical switch to date. It features an actuation point of 1.2mm, matching Cherry MX Speed. It also has a lower travel distance compared to every other mechanical switch on this list so far, bottoming out at 3.5mm rather than 4mm. Razer Yellow switches require 0.45 N to actuate, making them lighter and swifter than most other switches available today.

Razer tactile switches:

Razer Green- This is Razer's equivalent to Blue switches. It is tactile and clicky, with an actuation force of 0.55 N.

Razer Orange- This is Razer's equivalent to Brown switches, featuring a tactile bump but without the click. It has the same actuation force of 0.55 N, making the lack of audible click the only major difference.

Razer Opto-Mechanical- This is Razer's latest switch design, combining an optical laser with a mechanical switch. Most mechanical switches actuate via metal contact points. However, Razer's Opto-Mechanical switch replaces metal contacts with an infrared laser. It has an actuation point of 1.5mm and an actuation force of 0.45 N, making it light and almost as swift as the Razer Yellow. These switches are currently only available on Razer's brand new Huntsman keyboards.

Logitech

Shortly after Razer debuted its first in-house mechanical switch designs, Logitech made a similar move. Logitech's Romer-G switches can be found on many of the company's own keyboards at this point. These switches are built in partnership with Omron from Japan, making them fairly robust with a lifespan of 70 million keystrokes per key.

The Romer-G switch hasn't expanded to match Razer, Cherry or Kailh levels of options, but there are three distinct versions available with different traits.

Logitech linear switches:

Romer-G Linear- This is Logitech's only linear switch. It has a 1.5mm actuation distance and a total travel distance of 3.2mm. In terms of actuation force, it is a very light switch, requiring just 0.45 N.

Logitech tactile switches:

Romer-G Tactile- This is the same as the Romer-G linear, with a 0.45 N actuation force, 1.5mm actuation distance and a total travel distance of 3.2mm. The only difference is the addition of a tactile bump, which is silent, just like Brown switches.

GX Blue- This is Logitech's Cherry MX Blue equivalent. It has tactile feedback, an audible click and a 0.50 N actuation force. The actuation distance on this switch is higher, sitting at 1.9mm.

Roccat

At Computex this year, Roccat joined the party with a mechanical switch design of its own. Roccat's Titan switches are designed in-house, but we currently don't know who handles the manufacturing.

For the first Titan switch, Roccat opted for a non-clicky tactile design, similar to Cherry MX Browns. However, the Titan differs in actuation point and travel distance. While Cherry MX Browns actuate at 2mm and bottom out at 4mm, the Roccat Titan has an actuation distance of 1.8mm and bottoms out at 3.6mm.

Roccat's switch also focuses on being sturdy, with a reinforced housing, which also aims to eliminate any key wobble while aggressively pressing switches or bottoming them out. The first Titan switch based keyboard has yet to land in the hands of reviewers, so it could be a while before we fully understand its pros and cons. We should learn more about this later in the year though.

Conclusion

There is no true ‘best switch' on the market when it comes to mechanical keyboards and each person will have their own personal preference. If you are a hardcore multiplayer gamer and want the fastest switch possible, then Cherry MX Speed, Razer Yellow, or Kailh Speed switches will help but don't expect it to be close to a night/day difference.

Linear switches are generally quieter, but tactile switches offer pleasing feedback, which is always going to be great if you spend a lot of time typing. This guide lays out all of the different variations of some of the most prominent switches on the market, but you'll only truly know which switch is right for you by trying out different options. Personally I like blue switches, but many people I know prefer reds. Hopefully this guide helps when it comes to figuring out which switch is best for you.

For fans of RGB, it is worth noting that every switch on this list either supports RGB right out of the gate, or features an RGB variant.

KitGuru Says: This guide will be updated over time as new switches come to the market. Currently, this focuses on the most prominent switches available, but as the market expands with new options, so will this list. 

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Mechanical keyboards at the ‘next level’: r/MechanicalKeyboardsUK gallery showcase https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/keyboards/dominic-moass/mechanical-keyboards-at-the-next-level-rmechanicalkeyboardsuk-gallery-showcase/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/keyboards/dominic-moass/mechanical-keyboards-at-the-next-level-rmechanicalkeyboardsuk-gallery-showcase/#comments Mon, 14 Aug 2017 09:05:15 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=343372 Ever thought about spending thousands on a mechanical keyboard? Well, some people do!

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On Saturday, August 12th, I took a trip to Birmingham to investigate the wonderful world of mechanical keyboards. And when I say mechanical keyboards, I don't just mean a run of the mill Razer or Corsair gaming board that you bought from Amazon – I went to look at some seriously high-end stuff from a community where having a custom-built board is the standard and it is not uncommon to spend thousands of pounds on the hobby.

I'll admit, despite reviewing plenty of ‘off-the-shelf' mechanical keyboards for KitGuru these past few years, I've only recently begun to explore the realm of proper custom boards, and some of the things I saw at the r/MechanicalKeyboardsUK event were truly mind-blowing.

With that in mind, I set out to try and answer two questions – how do people get into this very niche market segment, and why are they not content with standard mechanical keyboards that are widely available online?

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To answer the first of these questions, I first spoke to a young chap named Ian from Greenwich. He told me his first mechanical keyboard (affectionately known as ‘keebs' in the community) was a Corsair K70 with MX Red switches, but he quickly decided to experiment with other switches. That, he says, is how he ‘fell down the rabbit hole' and started looking into custom keycaps, artisan caps and even replacing a keyboard's pre-installed switches. Ian tells me, over the past three years since he got into keebs, he has likely spent over a thousand pounds on the hobby.

And, in all honestly, that story is typical of how most folks got into the high-end mechanical keyboard segment. Many of those I spoke to started with a gaming board and began to tinker and wanted to customise the board to a level which off-the-shelf keebs simply don't allow. For that reason, those more ‘average' boards are referred to as ‘gateway drugs' as they act as entry points to the really high-end stuff.

The niche keyboard market isn't all about the most expensive components, however – though that is definitely part of it! I spoke with with Matt from Mechbox, an e-tailer which sells a variety of smaller ‘bits and bobs', like individual caps or switches for people to try out. Matt reckons his average order is only £12, and that includes multiple items, suggesting at least some of the niche keyboard market isn't all about the most high-end hardware, but more about having a truly personalised product.

That also goes some way to answering the second of my questions, as many punters I chatted with explained that buying custom keycap sets, as well as obscure mechanical switches from the likes of Zeal PC and Gateron, allows them to really create something very personal – a trait which is lacking when you buy an off-the-shelf Razer BlackWidow, for instance.

The reasons why people go for the high-end custom boards are a bit more varied than how these folks got into the market, though. As we've seen, creating something personal is one reason. However, many others told me how they are constantly looking to get the best ‘feeling' board, suggesting the hobby is also somewhat practical – even if that search for the ultimate switch/keycap/chassis combo ends up costing thousands of pounds. To illustrate this, I was shown a TX-87 board – a TKL keeb, it must've weighed at least 2KG due to the immaculate aluminium and steel construction. Part of a limited run, and manufactured by the esteemed Kin25, buyers would've had to stump up $300 for one, and those boards now fetch up to $900 in the used market.

Other than that, and most interesting for me, is the fact that some people simply collect artisan caps and custom boards as a hobby, like some folks might collect vintage action figures or model trains. From what I heard, this is where the megabucks are really spent – stories were shared of some folks being offered $300 for a single artisan cap which wouldn't even be used on a board – it is just for show.

In sum, the niche mechanical keyboard segment is a really interesting community to be a part of – new switches, cases and caps are constantly coming out designed to cater to one group or another, and the quest for the ultimate personalised board seems never-ending.

It is certainly an expensive business when you do ‘fall down the rabbit hole', but the folks I met admit that is just part-and-parcel of the hobby – if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind product, then you have to be prepared to pay. Personally speaking, I'm not too sure I'd ever want to spend hundreds of pounds on a mechanical keyboard – I'm perfectly happy with my Cooler MasterKeys Pro S – but now I certainly want to tinker a bit more, perhaps by getting in some custom caps or even de-soldering some switches. Maybe that'll be the beginning of my rabbit hole…

Discuss over on Facebook HERE.

Check out our gaming keyboard reviews over HERE.

KitGuru says: Have any of our readers ever built their own keyboard or taken steps to customise an off-the-shelf board? We want to hear your experiences, so leave them in the comments over on Facebook.

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