Overview
Mechanical Keyboard Switches to Know About in 2024:
| HMX Cheese |
| Akko V3 Silver Pro |
| MMD Vivian |
| TTC Venus |
| Wuque WS Light Tactile |
| Cherry MX2A |
| Sarokeys Strawberry Wine V2 |
| Durock Ice King |
| Wuque WS POM+ |
| Gateron EF Curry |
HMX Cheese (or any HMX Switch)
Product Details
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|
| Name | HMX Cheese |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | PA12 |
| Bottom Housing Material | PA2 |
| Stem Material | LY |
| Actuation Force | 43g |
| Bottom Force | 46g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0±0.3mm |
| Total Travel | 3.5±0.3mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
HMX Cheese feels incredibly smooth in stock form. Just like other HMX switches, the HMX Cheese comes with consistent factory lube. It also has minimal stem wobble in comparison to other switches which allows for a smooth typing experience. It allows for an even typing feel regardless where the keycap is pressed. The tight tolerances for HMX Cheese also translates to a clean and clacky sound.
Switch Sound
HMX Cheese has a very bright and bold sound signature. HMX switches are typically higher pitched, but the HMX Cheese stands out even among the HMX switches.
Here are some sound tests of the HMX Cheese:
Akko V3 Silver Pro (or any Akko Switch)
Product Details
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|
| Name | Akko v3 Silver Pro |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | PC |
| Bottom Housing Material | PA |
| Stem Material | POM |
| Actuation Force | 40g |
| Bottom Force | 45g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 1.0±0.5mm |
| Total Travel | 3.3mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
As the Akko V3 Silver Pro comes with lubed railings and an unlubed spring in its stock form, it provides a very smooth typing experience. The Akko V3 Silver Pro exhibits no scratch and negligible stem wobble. The Akko V3 Silver Pro provides a comfortable typing experience straight out of the box.
Switch Sound
The Akko V3 Silver Pro leans toward the "clacky" high pitched and brighter sound profile mostly due to its long pole stem and housing materials. There is some slight spring ping in the Akko V3 Silver Pro due to the springs coming unlubed from the factory, but it is unnoticeable during regular typing sessions. As a result of the even shorter travel distance, the Akko V3 Silver Pro sounds clean and crispy. The Akko V3 Silver Pro has a loud and solid bottom out due to the short travel distance and long pole stem and a softer top out due to the light spring weight.
Here are some sound tests of the Akko V3 Silver Pro:
MMD Vivan (or any MMD Switch)
Product Details
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|
| Name | MMD Vivian |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | PA12 |
| Bottom Housing Material | Modified PUM |
| Stem Material | Modified UPE |
| Actuation Force | 43g / 53g |
| Bottom Force | 48g / 60g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0mm |
| Total Travel | 3.6mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
The MMD Vivian feels as thocky as it sounds. The MMD Vivian is a great option for those who enjoy the feeling of thoroughly lubed switches. Its creamy typing feel could be due to the modified UPE stem material because of its softness. The modified UPE stem material provides a thocky and soft feeling typing experience.
Switch Sound
The MMD Vivian stands out as a thocky switch. It has a hard and creamy bottom out and a soft and dampened top out. The PUM bottom housing material helps create a deep tone but also a hard plastic-y sound profile. Overall, the combination of the PUM bottom housing and the soft modified UPE stem material produces a soft and thocky sound signature.
Here is a sound test of the MMD Vivian:
TTC Venus (or TTC Neptune)
Product Details
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|
| Name | TTC Venus |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | POM |
| Bottom Housing Material | PC |
| Stem Material | POM |
| Actuation Force | 45g |
| Bottom Force | 52g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 1.8mm |
| Total Travel | 3.8mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
Without any gaps between the rails in the housing and with longer rails on the stem, the TTC Neptune and the TTC Venus feel incredibly slick and smooth to type on.
Switch Sound
The TTC Venus sounds clean and crisp without any unnecessary noises from spring ping, leaf chatter, or scratch. The combination of materials and design aspects make these switches sound creamy.
The TTC Venus has a solid bottom out that has the potential to sound both clacky or thocky depending on how the keyboard is configured. While the top out sound has a soft and poppy sound signature.
Here is a sound test of the TTC Venus:
Wuque WS Light Tactile
Product Details
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|
| Name | Wuque WS Light Tactile |
| Switch Type | Tactile |
| Top Housing Material | PC |
| Bottom Housing Material | Nylon |
| Stem Material | POM |
| Actuation Force | 35g |
| Bottom Force | 55g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Total Travel | 3.9mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
The Wuque WS Light Tactile feels incredibly smooth with its factory lube, espcially for a tactile switch. It feels smooth and also poppy at the same time due to its light but snappy tactile bump. Due to its tight housing tolerances and minimal stem wobble, the majority of the typing experience of the Wuque WS Light Tactile comes from its tactility. This smoothness and snappy responsiveness make the Wuque WS Light Tactile a great choice for a comfortable typing experience.
The Wuque WS Light Tactile also feels comfortable to type on as it has a similar feeling bottom out as full travel switches. Some of the most popular tactile switches in the hobby, such as Gazzew Boba U4T and Invyr Holy Pandas, have a pronounced tactile bump at the initial keypress followed by a short linear post travel until bottoming out. Similarly, the Wuque WS Light Tactile has its tactile bump at the top of the keypress, but where it differentiates itself by having a slightly longer linear post travel. The extra linear post travel after the tactile bump could create a more comfortable typing experience as the bottom out doesn't happen as suddenly as other tactile switches. The Wuque WS Light Tactile would be an interesting tactile switch to try for typists who are used to the feeling of full travel switches.
Switch Sound
The Wuque WS Light Tactile has a neutral sound profile that is neither too thocky nor too clacky. The Wuque WS Light Tactile falls in the mid tones with a poppy bottom out and top out due to its light tactile bump. The bottom out has a soft and creamy sound profile (with its nylon bottom housing material), while the top out has a hard and poppy sound profile (with its PC top housing material). The Wuque WS Light Tactile also still retains a similar snappy tactile sound profile that exists in the Wuque WS Heavy Tactile and other larger-bumped tactile switches, despite its lighter tactile bump. The Wuque WS Light Tactile also feels and sounds closer to a full travel switch since it has a 3.9mm travel distance. The bottom out of the Wuque WS Light Tactile is affected less by the sharp stem pole bottom, that most other tactile switches possess, and is more affected by its tactile bump and its combination of materials. The Wuque WS Light Tactile would be a fun option to try for typists who enjoy the crisp and poppy sound of a tactile switch.
Here is a sound test of the Wuque WS Light Tactile:
Cherry MX2A
Product Details
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|
| Name | Cherry MX2A |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | Plastic Polymer |
| Bottom Housing Material | Plastic Polymer and Glass Fibre |
| Stem Material | Plastic Polymer |
| Operating Force | 60g |
| Mount | 3 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0mm |
| Total Travel | 4.0mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
The Cherry MX2A has an updated design with "high-precision ring lubrication," a new barrel spring, a new stem geometry, a radius convex socket dome bottom housing railing, and an optimized sliding surfaces on the top housing. Some of these updated designs make a slight difference in the feel of the Cherry MX2A. The ring lubrication helps to minimize the spring ping but mostly at the bottom of the compression while the top of the actuation remains similar to the usual Cherry switch. The radius socket dome on the bottom housing and the optimized sliding surfaces on the top housing have visible changes that were made to create tighter tolerances; and they do seem to make a difference between the Cherry MX2A and previous Cherry switches by allowing less stem wobble. The Cherry MX2A presents a familiar feeling Cherry switch experience with updated designs.
Switch Sound
The Cherry MX2A maintains the classic Cherry sound profile, while allowing for a slightly smoother sounding bottom out due to the ring lubrication. Their new design changes in their railings and their barrel spring also help to reduce the amount of spring ping to a slightly noticeable degree. With the new design updates, the Cherry MX2A aims to reproduce the Cherry sound profile and scratch, while removing some of the array of unnecessary sounds that might be present in each keypress and homing in on the Cherry specific sounds.
Here is a sound test of the Cherry MX2A:
Sarokeys Strawberry Wine V2
Product Details
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|
| Name | Sarokeys Strawberry Wine V2 |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | LY |
| Bottom Housing Material | Modified PA12 |
| Stem Material | Y3 |
| Actuation Force | 45g |
| Bottom Force | 52g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0mm |
| Total Travel | 3.6mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
The Sarokeys Strawberry Wine V2 feels very smooth and can compete with HMX switches for how smooth and little stem wobble they have. Possibly due to their new materials, the LY top housing and Y3 stem configuration may be the cause of the smoothness.
Switch Sound
The Sarokeys Strawberry Wine V2 has both a creamy yet clacky sound profile. There is an underlying bass when typing but a satisfying higher-pitched sound on the upstroke.
Durock Ice King (Linear/Tactile)
Product Details
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|
| Name | Durock Ice King |
| Switch Type | Linear / Tactile |
| Top Housing Material | Polymer Nylon |
| Bottom Housing Material | Polymer Nylon |
| Stem Material | Modified Nylon |
| Actuation Force | 52g (Linear) / 58g (Tactile) |
| Bottom Force | 62g (Linear) / 68g (Tactile) |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0mm |
| Total Travel | 3.5mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
Durock Ice King Linear
The Durock Ice King Linear feels smooth with no apparent scratchiness. The factory lubrication of the Durock Ice King Linear feels consistent and provides a comfortable typing experience without fatiguing your fingers. The comfortability of the Durock Ice King Linear makes it a great option for enthusiasts who type frequently at work or even for gamers who have long sessions of gaming.
Durock Ice King Tactile
The Durock Ice King Tactile feels silky smooth to type on with no noticeable scratchiness. The housing and stem tolerances are exceptional and provide a clean and precise typing experience. The tight housing tolerances and minimal stem wobble of the Durock Ice King Tactile also plays a role in having a typing experience that is unbothered by any inconsistent keypresses. The tolerances of the Durock Ice King are comparable to the tolerances of HMX switches and would provide a good alternative to those that enjoy the typing experience of HMX switches but would like to have a deeper sound profile.
The Durock Ice King Tactile has a very pronounced bump that is comparable to the large tactile bump of the Durock T1. The accentuated tactile bump creates a sharp tactility on the downstroke and a snappy return on the upstroke.
Switch Sound
Durock Ice King Linear
The Durock Ice King Linear creates a deep, thocky and slightly dampened bottom out sound and a soft creamy top out sound. The Durock Ice King Linear has an inoffensive sound signature that would be suitable for shared spaces. The Durock Ice King Linear also comes close to recreating the popular PE foam sound on its own without the need to use foam, making it a solid option for enthusiasts who enjoy a creamy and thocky sound profile.
Durock Ice King Tactile
The Durock Ice King Tactile stands out with a very deep and thocky sound profile that is slightly subdued in volume. It has a satisfying crisp sounding bottom out due to the large tactile bump with a soft soothing top out. The Durock Ice King Tactile would be a great fit for enthusiasts who are looking for the deepest and thockiest typing experience that is soft on the ears.
Here is a sound test of the Durock Ice King Tactile:
Wuque WS POM+
Product Details
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|
| Name | WS POM+ |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | POM |
| Bottom Housing Material | POM |
| Stem Material | POM |
| Actuation Force | 45g |
| Bottom Force | 55g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0mm |
| Total Travel | 3.6mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
The Wuque WS POM+ feels incredibly smooth and consistent especially with its evenly applied factory lube that covers all four faces of the switch stem. The Wuque WS POM+ feels similar to the Gateron Smoothie switches in terms of smoothness and competes with HMX switches in its factory lubrication. Wuque WS POM+ is one of the best choices for the smoothes in stock experience.
Switch Sound
The Wuque WS POM+ has a soft and high pitched bottom out with a thin and poppy top out. It leans towards a high pitch clacky sound signature but isn't as aggressively loud as something like a clacky HMX switch. There is a slight bit of a scratch sound on off centered presses but only noticeable at unnaturally slow keypresses. During normal typing sessions, the Wuque WS POM+ has a clean and clear clack without any unnecessary sounds like spring ping or leaf ping. Wuque WS POM+ is a solid option if you are looking for a less aggressive clacky sound profile.
Here is a sound test of the Wuque WS POM+:
Gateron EF Curry (or any Gateron EF switch)
Product Details
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|
| Name | Gateron EF Curry |
| Switch Type | Linear |
| Top Housing Material | PC |
| Bottom Housing Material | Nylon |
| Stem Material | POM |
| Operating Force | 50g |
| Mount | 5 pin |
| Pre Travel | 2.0mm |
| Total Travel | 4.0mm |
| Factory Lubed | Yes |
Switch Feel
The Gateron EF Curry comes slightly factory lubed on the rails of the stems and it feels silky smooth to type on with no noticeable scratch. It feels soft when bottoming out, due to the nylon bottom housing, and when topping out the return on each keypress feels responsive and poppy.
Switch Sound
The Gateron EF Curry has a soft and relatively muted bottom out with a solid and louder top out. Gateron EF Curry has a mixture of both deep thocky sounds and high clacky sounds. When bottoming out the Gateron EF Curry has a lower pitched sound signature, possibly due to the nylon bottom housing, and when topping out the Gateron EF Curry has a higher pitched sound signature, possibly due to the PC top housing.
Here is a sound test of the Gateron EF Curry:
Other Reading
How to Mod Your Mechanical Keyboard for Better Sound and Feel
How to Build Your First Mechanical Keyboards: A Step-by-Step Guide
Ultimate HMX Switch Showdown: Sound Test & Switch Review
Top Mechanical Keyboard Layouts: Which One is Right for You?
HMX Cheese Linear Switch Review
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How to Build Your First Mechanical Keyboard: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Mod Your Mechanical Keyboard for Better Sound and Feel