While this guide focuses mainly on the Cherry MX style switch, they are not the only switch in the game.

The force required to press a Blue switch is 65grams, with an actuation distance of 2mm and total travel of 4mm. When it comes to prebuilt mechanical keyboards, manufacturers often offer you a choice of three switches: Red, Blue, and Brown. Nearly every major switch manufacturer has their version of these switches, based on the original Cherry MX models. ColorSMD lights, on the other hand, come in two flavors: one type sits on top of the PCB, and requires a large cutout in the bottom housing of any switch to be supported.

Stem Scratchiness – Sure, a switch can feel scratchy, but it can sound scratchy too. When a judging the sound of your switches, the sound of a scratchy stem may make your switch seem worse than it really is. You may be able to to hear the sound of plastic rubbing on plastic even if a switch feels smooth. Box switches are an innovation from Kailh, and can boast being the first and only IP56 rated mechanical switch lineup on the market.If you wish to modify the sound and feel of your switches, two modifications are the Bearing Mod and the Trampoline Mod. Tactility can be described by bump shape, bump size, bump length, bump position, bump sharpness, and bump strength. Big thank you to the following people who have either helped me along the way switch collecting or in pushing my lazy ass to complete this writeup: Switch Collecting Community: Thank you for all the support and help in making me realize how far I still have to go to truly fill out my collection.

I’ve typed on 30+ tactile switches at this point, and there are a few factors you need to look for when choosing a switch: Today, brands likeAce Pad,Wooting’s LekkerandSteelseries’ Omnipointhave adopted Hall Effect technology into their own keyswitches, even allowing you to adjust the point of actuation. So what makes a tactile bump? In subjective terms there is how big or strong the bump feels, or maybe how sharp, and sometimes described in shapes like D or P.UHMWPE is known for its toughness, resistance to abrasion, and low coefficient of friction, making it comparable to Teflon and PTFE in smoothness. How wobbly is the stem? A stem with significant wobble is typically caused by relaxed tolerances in the top housing or stem rails, or the stem itself.