6 most popular types of mechanical keyboard switches in 2023

Switch is the important part that users are most interested in when buying a mechanical keyboard. So how should you choose a mechanical keyboard switch to suit your needs? Let's find out in the following article of TipsMake

What is a mechanical keyboard switch?

A mechanical keyboard switch is a switch-shaped part located below each key press. Each sswitch is made up of many moving parts, uses springs to create elasticity and has 2 (or more) metal contact pins.

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The role of switches on mechanical keyboards

Switch plays a very important role in a mechanical keyboard. Mechanical keyboard switches will help increase response and sensitivity compared to conventional keyboards. Therefore, users using mechanical keyboards will have faster typing speed and better usage experience.

Some terms related to switches

If you want to learn about mechanical keyboard switches, you should pay attention to some of the following terms: 

Some criteria to know about switches

If you are buying a mechanical keyboard for the first time, you need to pay attention to the type of switch that the keyboard uses. Here are some important criteria for evaluating mechanical keyboard switches that you should understand:

Classification of popular mechanical keyboard switches

Currently on the market there are many different types of mechanical keyboard switches according to user needs. The following are the most popular and popular types of switches: 

Blue switch

Blue switch has a pressing force of about 50g, stronger than the above two types of switches. The Blue switch has both a click and a click during the key stroke. This is the most popular type of switch today and is suitable for both typing text or playing games because it gives a clear keystroke feel. 

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However, if you need to play high-speed games, the blue switch is not the optimal choice because the clicking speed is quite slow. Instead, professional gamers will prefer to use red switch. Some popular types of mechanical keyboards using blue switches today are: G-Skill KM7, Ttesport Poseidon ZX,.

Red switch

Red switch is a type of switch that gives users an extremely light pressing feeling with a key pressing force of about 45g. The red switch's key travel is very smooth without tactile and even clicky sounds. 

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With high sensitivity and light pressing force, this type of switch is very suitable for gamers. However, if you want to buy a mechanical keyboard to type, this is not the right switch. Some typical mechanical keyboards using red switches include Steelseries M500, CM Masterkey Pro L, Ducky One,.

Brown switch

Brown switch is a type of switch with a light pressing force of about 45g. However, unlike the red switch, the brown switch has a button, so the feeling of pressing the key is quite clear. At the same time, this type of switch does not click when typing, so it does not make noise. 

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If you want to buy a mechanical keyboard to play games or type, you can choose this type of switch. Some popular keyboards that use brown switches include: Logitech G610, Leopold FC900R, Das Keyboard 4 Professional,.

Clear switch

Very similar to the Brown switch but weighs about 65g when pressed. There is no clicking sound when typing and there is a notch in the middle of the key travel tactile.

Black switches

Compared to most switches on the market today, the black switch has a much stronger pressing force and weighs about 60g. The key travel of this type of switch is quite similar to the red switch because there are no buttons or clicks. 

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The outstanding advantage of the blue switch is its high sensitivity, smoothness and clear clicking feeling. Therefore, this is the most suitable switch for professional gamers' mechanical keyboards. Among them, the most popular black switch today is the Leopold FC660M.

Silent switch

The silent switch is quite similar to the red switch with a pressing force of about 45g, without a click or click. However, in terms of quietness during use, the switch is superior when it does not make any noise.

That's why this will be the favorite type of switch for people who like to spam keys. The most famous silent switch today comes from the Corsair Strafe RGB Silent brand. 

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MX switch / MX silver

This is a specialized switch on Corsair's Rapidfire products. MX switches were launched in 2016 and offer shorter key travel compared to other switches. Specifically, the trigger point on conventional switches is about 2mm, but on MX-speed it is only 1.2mm.

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At the same time, this type of switch also has a very smooth key travel, a pressing force of about 45g, without any clicks or clicks. That's why MX switches are popular with professional gamers who often spam keys at fast speeds. Some current Corsair products that use this type of switch are K65 Rapidfire RGB, K70 Rapidfire RGB,.

Topre switch

This is a special type of round switch commonly found on RealForce and CM NovaTouch TKL products.

The key pressure is very light, only 30, 35, 45 or 55 grams, depending on the Topre switch line. In the middle of the key stroke there is a tactile notch and a slight clicky.

Types of switches ordered separately

Besides popular switches manufactured by big brands, you can also buy separate switches for each product line. Among them, the most famous types of custom switches are:

Steelseries QS1

This is a custom switch from manufacturer Kailh and can only be used on the Steelseries Apex M800 product. This type of switch has a smooth key travel with a pressing force of about 45g, without any clicks or clicks. The LED light integrated right in the middle of the switch brings eye-catching colors to the mechanical keyboard.

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Logitech Romer-G

Logitech Romer-G is a switch specifically ordered from manufacturer Omron for use on the Logitech G310, G810 and G910 product lines. This type of switch has a fairly light pressing force of about 45g, the key travel has a click but is not clicky.

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Razer Green switches

This is a type of switch that Razer ordered specifically from manufacturer Kailh to be equipped on the company's product lines for gamers such as BlackWidow Chroma, BlackWidow Gamer's activities. 

Specifically, the pressing force of the Razer Green switch has a pressing force of about 48-49g (1-2g lighter than the blue switch). The key stroke is outstandingly 'mechanical' and gives a clear feeling when both pressed and clicky when typing.

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Razer Orange switches

This is also a custom switch from Razer for use in product lines such as the BlackWidow Ultimate 2016. The Razer Orange switch is quite similar to the Green switch but has a slightly higher sensitivity. 

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Specifically, the key pressing force of the Orange switch is about 43-44g (1-2g lighter than the Red switch). The key travel has a click but is not clicky. So if you love silence, this is the type of switch you are looking for.  

Alpha-Zulu Linear Switch

Alpha-Zulu Linear Switch is a type of mechanical keyboard switch ordered specifically by Das Keyboard from manufacturer Cherry. This is a specialized switch for the company's mechanical gaming keyboard line such as Das Keyboard Division X40.

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The highlight of this type of switch is that the key travel is extremely smooth and supports key spamming very well. Light key press force of about 45g, no notch or clicky. Therefore, if you often spam keys but still want quiet, you should choose a mechanical keyboard using this type of switch.

Alpha-Zulu Tactile Switch

This is also a type of switch from Das Keyboard and manufactured by Cherry. The structure of this type of switch is quite similar to the Alpha-Zulu Linear Switch with a pressing force of about 45g and no clicky. However, the Alpha-Zulu Tactile Switch will have an additional click during the pressing stroke. This makes it easy for you to know when the keyboard receives a signal, thus minimizing the risk of mistyping keys. 

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Famous mechanical keyboard switch brands in the world

One of the criteria to consider when buying a mechanical keyboard switch is the manufacturer of this part. Among them, famous mechanical keyboard switch brands and trusted by many brands include:

1. Cherry MX (Red, Black, Brown, Blue, Speed)

Cherry MX is the oldest and most famous mechanical keyboard switch company in the world today. Cherry MX is a brand founded and developed by Cherry Corp - a pioneer company in the field of computer keyboard manufacturing.

Not only impressed by the influence of mechanical keyboard switches, Cherry MX is also a production model that many brands aim for. This mechanical keyboard switch company is famous for its strict production and testing processes. Therefore, when the products reach consumers, they are of the best quality.

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1. Outstanding advantages: Mechanical keyboard switches from Cherry MX are of good quality with a lifespan of up to 50 million clicks. Red, Brown, Speed ​​switches have very light and sensitive impact force. Meanwhile, Blue and Brown switches give good force feedback. 
2. Typical products: Some famous mechanical keyboard products that use switches manufactured by Cherry MX are Logitech G610, Corsair K70, Corsair K63,.

Currently, Cherry MX produces the following basic mechanical keyboard switches: 

You can refer to the intro video from this famous manufacturer:

2. Logitech (Romer G, GX Blue)

Next in the list of famous mechanical keyboard switches, we cannot ignore Logitech, a famous brand from Switzerland, specializing in providing components for computer lines. This brand has collaborated with Cherry MX to create quality mechanical keyboard switches. At the same time, this manufacturer also cooperated with Omron company (Japan) to produce its own line of switches under the Logitech brand.

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1. Outstanding advantages: The most outstanding feature of mechanical keyboard switches from Logitech is their long life. Logitech Switch can be used up to 70 million clicks, quite high compared to other types on the market. In addition, the button of this switch line is in a high position so it is quite suitable for gamers. 
2. Typical products: Some famous mechanical keyboard products that use switches manufactured by Logitech are Logitech G910, Logitech G Pro X, Logitech G512,.

The main types of switches manufactured by Logitech include:

Intro videos:

3. Steelseries (QX2 and variants)

A famous mechanical keyboard switch company that cannot be ignored is Steelseries. This is a manufacturer of quality electronic accessories and is trusted and cooperated by many famous game companies and e-sports tournaments. 

Steelseries once cooperated with KaiHua to create its own switch product line called QX2. This is considered an upgraded product line compared to the previous QX1 series.

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1. Outstanding advantages: The most outstanding feature of the QX2 line from manufacturer Steelseries is the very light impact force. At the same time, the key is located in a high position, giving users a clear key feel . The RGB light effect is very good and can be changed according to user needs.
2. Typical products: Some famous mechanical keyboard product lines that use switches manufactured by Steelseries include Steelseries Apex 7, Steelseries Apex M750,.

The main types of mechanical keyboard switches produced by Steelseries today are:

4. Roccat

Roccat is a new manufacturer of computer electronic accessories appearing on the market today. However, this German brand received a lot of attention from users when it produced a quite famous switch like the Titan switch. This type of switch has an impact force of about 45g, there is no clicking sound but there is force feedback.

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1. Outstanding advantages: Roccat's switch is considered to have a very light impact force with the click button in a very high position. Therefore, mechanical keyboards using this type of switch will have high sensitivity and clear key feeling for the user. Besides, the design of the Roccat switch leans toward luxury and high-end, creating a strong impression on users.
2. Typical products: The most famous mechanical keyboard product that uses switches manufactured by Roccat is Roccat Vulcan Aimo.
3. Product price: About 4 million VND.

Intro videos:

5. KaiHua (Red, Black, Brown, Blue)

KaiHua is a long-standing switch manufacturer from China. Besides its own switch line, this brand is also famous for combining with many other large companies such as Steelseries and Razer to jointly produce many separate switch lines. 

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1. Outstanding advantages: The most outstanding feature of the mechanical keyboard switch line from KaiHua is its low price and good quality. The lifespan of this switch line can be up to 50 million times. The features are quite similar to the switches from manufacturer Cherry MX. It can be said that KaiHua's switch is a cheaper version of Cherry MX.
2. Typical products: Some famous mechanical keyboard products that use switches manufactured by KaiHua are Havit, BlackWidow Chroma,.

Specifically, the current switch lines being produced by this brand are:

Intro videos:

Some tips when buying mechanical keyboard switches

Currently there are many types of mechanical keyboard switches on the market. Here are some tips that you need to keep in mind when buying a mechanical keyboard switch.

1. Choose the type of mechanical keyboard switch that suits your needs : Each type of switch will have a different structure (in terms of pressing force, sensitivity, feedback). Therefore, you should consider your needs before choosing a switch type for a mechanical keyboard. If you need to surf the web or type text, you will choose a different type of switch than if you need to play games or spam keys.
2. Determine your budget: In fact, mechanical keyboards that use genuine switches from quality manufacturers are often quite expensive (over 1 million VND). Therefore, you should determine how much your budget can afford to choose the appropriate type of mechanical keyboard switch.
3. See reviews from other users: If you don't have much experience choosing mechanical keyboard switches, you can refer to those who have used them. They will provide you with more useful information than you could find out on your own.
4. Do not use special switches: If you are not a reviewer or someone who likes to explore and experience, you should not choose special switches. They often encounter Double errors (for example, the Romer-G switch line) making you not know how to handle it.

What are frequently asked questions about mechanical keyboard switches?

Here are some frequently asked questions about mechanical keyboard switches that you may wonder during your research:

Which mechanical keyboard switch should I choose?

As mentioned above, you need to know what you are buying a mechanical keyboard switch for to be able to determine the appropriate type of switch. For example:
- If you often spam keys or often play games and love the 'clicking' sound when typing, you should choose switches like Black switch, Red switch or Mx - speed.
– If you are just an office worker and only use a mechanical keyboard for basic needs such as surfing the web or typing text, you should choose Brown switch or Blue switch.
– If you love absolute silence or do not want to affect those around you, you can choose Silent switch.

What are the differences between switch types?

Types of mechanical keyboard switches mainly differ in the following factors: Actuation force, click, click sound and feedback force. You need to rely on these factors to choose the appropriate switch type.

Epilogue

Above is all the information about the most common types of mechanical keyboard switches today. Hopefully through this article, you have chosen the type of switch that suits your needs and financial ability. If you have any questions during the process of choosing to buy a mechanical keyboard, you can immediately contact TipsMake for timely advice and answers. 

Lesley Montoya

Update 09 October 2023