Gateron Oil Kings Full Review and Switch Comparison

Here is my full review of one of the most popular switch this year, the Gateron Oil Kings!
In this review, I will also compare it to my other favorite linear switches.
Enjoy and hope you find this useful.
-ThockeyDocKey
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Time Stamp
0:00 Intro
0:55 switch specification
2:08 what i love about them
3:34 sound test vs other linears
4:13 stock vs lubed
4:53 comparison with my other favorite linears
10:30 summary and conclusion
11:14 final sound test

[@esra_erimez]

I switched M's and N's on the keyboards in my office. Some of my coworkers say that I'm monster but others say I'm nomster.

[@2b2c1d2]

Lol

[@Drizzt573]

Amazing comment.

[@replaq8332]

You mean nonster?

[@BritishEggz]

Dude some one is doing that at my place And it’s a small detail and you laugh it off the first time 😂 Then the second time you start feeling hollow inside

[@markhedspeth-mn6yx]

I'm subbing just for the fact ot appears you took the time to reply to anyone who had a question.

[@ThockyDocKey]

Thanks for the sub :)

[@markhedspeth-mn6yx]

@ThockyDocKey no problem! I'm buying a mammoth 75, and my options for switched from the seller are oil kings, tungsten, and silent alpacas. What do you think would be the best option for thock?

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@markhedspeth-mn6yx not a fan of silents. Mammoth might be muted due to the flex cuts. Might go with tungstens if you want it to be a bit lively. Just lube them OKs are good too

[@jammies701]

Nice vid Would recommend using same conditions for the sound test at the end… your stock is on a deskmat, but the “lubed” is in the wood table, which will make a lot of things deeper

[@guachito33]

true, there are a lot of variables, keeping everything the same is very important

[@sarius2388]

exact thing i said when he brought it out the second time lol

[@ghost-type]

I have these arriving on Friday for me. I'll be sure changing out the Tecsee Purple switches on my iced Rama works Kara for these. I'll be repurposing my Purples for my work keyboard which is also a Kara but in purple. These switches sound great. I'll just have to be sure to spend a few hours lubing them before hand.

[@jaychristianabesamis9084]

That spacebar sound... 😍

[@jonathansallows836]

Thanks for ranking smoothness non-lubed, not every reviewer does that. I don’t lube anymore because certain stock switches are so good now.

[@meowspark9]

I use milky pros and I impulse bought oil kings to match my setup lol. I'm new to the hobby so I wanna use this as practice to remove excess lube and apply more where it's needed, so I'm really excited for them to all come in the mail!

[@jessicaho19]

How do you like the oil kings? I have Gat Pro Milky Yellows that I hand-lubed and they sound amazing. Not sure if I should buy more milky yellows for my next build or venture out and get oil kings.

[@awoekdnd]

Not op but just bought oil kings to “upgrade” from milky yellow pros and I ended up sticking with the milky yellow pros. The bottom out is deeper but the upstroke is surprisingly loud and high pitched. But I do like the slightly snappier feel of the oil kings.

[@jessicaho19]

@@awoekdnd I’ve noticed that oil kings look snappier too (at least from what I’ve seen/heard in videos). I really want to try them but they’re a bit expensive and I don’t want to get them and end up but liking them

[@awoekdnd]

I would say that it depends on your sound and feel preferences. I personally like the sound of the milky yellow pros more but I like the feel of the oil kings more. If you’re worried about the cost then I would say stay with the milky yellow pros, while they feel slightly less responsive I just love their sound profile.

[@vincejet]

Thanks for the in-depth video doc! I was planning on upgrading from the milky yellow pros to the oil kings. I find that there's not much difference between the two based on sound alone.

[@ThockyDocKey]

Milky yellow pro is special. I love those even as ive tried higher end switches Vs the milky the advantage of OK are - louder sound - compatibility with north facing + cherry caps Otherwise if you want deep thoccs na a bit muted, milky would still be a good choice. Really good even at stock

[@vincejet]

@@ThockyDocKey thanks for the reply doc. Ohh didn't know it was compatible with a northfacing+cherry profile setup. This might be the game-changer. Is this because of the longer stem? I'm currently using stock OEM keycaps and I'm planning on replacing soon. Just can't find an oem/xda design I like. All the good designs come in cherry profiles. I might just switch to the oil kings instead (that is if I can justify the price to my wife 😅)

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@vincejet the top housing design :) pababa slope nya :)

[@vincejet]

@@ThockyDocKey oh i see. Hope more manufacturers adopt similar designs. Thanks again doc! Looking forward to your next videos :)

[@HoangNguyen-oz4fj]

@@vincejet the spring on the oil king are longer so the typing feel is "snappier" if you're into it that is

[@fabian3112]

Thanks for your Video. I now ordered a Keychron Q2 and Some oil kings.

[@HuyNguyen-mr9to]

Can i use Gateron oil king for upside down circuit board? like FL-CMK98

[@jaketristanvaldez5139]

Great review! What is they cord that you use for this keyboard.

[@ThockyDocKey]

it's a custom cable from escape cables

[@QoraxAudio]

Gateron Oil King vs Ink Black V2 Which one would you prefer?

[@axnlogix]

You were actually right about the bottom out. The described 80g was an error and they are actually 65g.

[@iamdiegoye]

doc, have u tried the version 2 of the gat milky pros? the top housing looks pretty much the same w the oil kings. if this is the case thatd mean gat milky pros v2 has no issues with interference i guess?

[@ThockyDocKey]

ohh wow really. i have not tried them. well to be honest it really still depend on the set up. on thicker keycaps, even the oil kings encounter interference, based on my experience

[@Chillector]

the name is good. its very catchy imma buy em & let s see if it can live by its name

[@Mustanggt505]

you think these are better than the akko cs piano ?

[@kevintjianbas5443]

Will i get alot of improvement in the typing feel if I switch from the milky yellow? I’m thinking of switching but still trying to justify the price. Haha. Thank you for the in depth review

[@ThockyDocKey]

Hmm typing feel in terms of smoothness, i personally think not thst much. The heavier feel of the springs of the OKings are good though, if you are into that.

[@ADreamingTraveler]

The milky yellows are honestly really good for how cheap they are. Cheapness doesn't always equal worse in every scenario.

[@75c19]

What is the keyboard at the beginning of the video?

[@ClackConnoisseur]

Hello, I very much agree with your opinion. I do find them to be louder. I prefer deeper sounds, Can I lube over the factory lube on oil kings? I intend to use Krytox 205 G0. I'd really appreciate it if you could confirm this for me.

[@ThockyDocKey]

Yes you can

[@ClackConnoisseur]

@@ThockyDocKey thank you sir. Was worried it might damage the switches.

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@ClackConnoisseur lubing per se will not, as long as you are using lube designed for keyboard switches. krytox 205g0 is fine

[@ahmetcansever712]

Hello sir, im using feker matchas right now. (İ bought them after your video and i love them) should i replace this siwtches with oil kings? i like deep and thock sounds and i trust your experience about this hobby. (My board is ID67 aluminum case with acrylic bottom)

[@ThockyDocKey]

hello there, oil kings are really good. i love the springs on the oil kings. both oil kings and matchas would lean on the deeper sound profile. not really sure if the difference is significant. best to try both. However, if you can afford, you cant go wrong with the oil kings. These are end game worthy switches

[@matteogancayco]

Bro where did you get the wooden keyb?

[@user-darkness0000]

Hii!!! A very nice review!!! I am trying to choose from oil king, boba LT, milky yellow pro, which one should i buy if i want a more thocky sound?

[@ThockyDocKey]

Have not tried boba LT BetweenOK and milky pro, milky pro more deep and muted

[@user-darkness0000]

@@ThockyDocKey ok thx

[@user-darkness0000]

@@ThockyDocKeyI want to ask which one has a smoother typing experience and a thockier sound after lubing? (between oil king and milky pro) Btw are oil king sounds and feel very different after lubing them? Thx bro!!!!

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@user-darkness0000 milky pro. but becomes a bit muted. so if you want louder thoccs the OKs are great

[@user-darkness0000]

@@ThockyDocKey thxx broo. Really fast reply!!!

[@muCephei_]

I don't care I'm still lubing mine, can't wait to get them!

[@ThockyDocKey]

Yeps. Lubed mine as well

[@dullohst]

my endgame linear switch oil kings, tactile akko ocean blue switch

[@shirouemiya6949]

What keyboard is this inside?

[@vlmilan24]

Doc what keyboard brand/model are you using here? Thanks in advance.

[@ThockyDocKey]

Freebird60

[@revandewaputra4239]

do you (or anyone) have a list of switches that work with cherry profile keycaps on north facing pcb?

[@ThockyDocKey]

it really depends sir on the keycaps you are using. best is to try if you already have the keycaps, simply get some keycaps from row 3. then insert them northfacing oriented and see if there is intereference

[@youandicandiy5794]

Hello Doc. How would you compare these with the Feker Matcha? Honestly, it was your review that made me buy those and I love them so much that I changed my Boba U4T switches with them. I love the sound and smoothness of the matcha factory lubed but I want to try some other linear switches with similar feel and sound. Just want to make sure that these are worth it before buying as these are not cheap and I am only new to the hobby. Hehe.

[@ThockyDocKey]

hello these would be a little bit louder than the feker matchas. and the sound would be a little higher pitched. but still considered to be on the thock side i suggest you try switches that are more clacky if you already have the feker matcha as the experience might be too similar with the matcha and the gateron oil kings. then again the OKs are amazing switches and you cant go wrong with them

[@youandicandiy5794]

@@ThockyDocKey Thank you very much for your reply. Could you suggest clacky switches that I can look into? 😁

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@youandicandiy5794 zakus, CJs, mmd creams

[@youandicandiy5794]

Thank you very much. I will look into those switches. 😁

[@zey9083]

what do you think sounds better/deeper the epsilons or oil king? epsilons have a long pole stem tho.

[@ThockyDocKey]

Epsilons for me

[@zey9083]

@@ThockyDocKey yes i feel like the long pole stem makes me like it more.

[@zey9083]

@@ThockyDocKey also what is ur favorite linear switch and how does epsilons compare?

[@intermsofreality]

Don't know why so many people don't like the name. It's meant to be prestigious, as oil tycoons are more or less the kings of the world with how much money they have.

[@ThockyDocKey]

Its just preference i guess :)

[@muCephei_]

It's not a bad name, but it's not cool like epsilon but i guess gateron have their own naming system

[@chrism6015]

thats what im saying, the name is fantastic

[@1700tt]

Are these heavier than the opblacks? And comparo to green snake switch?

[@ThockyDocKey]

Have not tried opblacks. Heavier slight than green snake. Sounds a litlle deeper than green snake

[@danieltee6989]

Hi im a newbie in the mechanical keybored world, i would like to ask if i should go for gateron milky yellow pro or gateron oil kings? im using akko pc75 plus. thank youu hoping for your response

[@ee1yd]

Whichever you can afford, you'll prob end up with both though lol

[@cardbored_]

Where did you get your cable? Did you make it?

[@ThockyDocKey]

Had it made by a local maker here in the Philippines

[@xavierong9794]

Hello! May I ask where did you buy this cable on the video? Salamat!

[@ThockyDocKey]

Escape cables

[@jenzimibra]

Anyone else hate it when reviewers take the thockiest switch and make it the lightest, clackiest thing possible (even kinetic labs is guilty of it)

[@TheGameDealer]

so you do prefer those more than aqua kings ? also how do they compare to black ink v2 ? are they better than those in your opinion ?

[@ThockyDocKey]

i have tried the aquakings and these are way better. i have not tried the black ink v2 but it think these will be smoother, louder with a heavier springs

[@0cns]

@@ThockyDocKey whats differences do the oil kings have that make them better than aqua kings?

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@0cns i find aquaking lubing inconsistent. Sound profile is not my taste as well Oilkings have longer springs and heavier which makes typing feel more “exciting” and overall better for me

[@kbkb4284]

I have ink blacks and oil king. Oil king definitely feels better in my opinion. They are thocky boys though, so if you like higher pitched switches they might not be for me. The stock oil king already feels heavily lubed, not that it is, but it feels that way.

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@kbkb4284 agree with your observations with the OKs

[@lefarein5596]

do you lube the oil king with 205g0 and 105g0?

[@ThockyDocKey]

Yep

[@teodycue]

Hi, care to share how you lubed the oil kings? Thanks!

[@ThockyDocKey]

simply lubed over the factory lube with krytox 205g0. GLP105 on springs. lube very lightly

[@teodycue]

@@ThockyDocKey Thank you! :)

[@mysticman9570]

Curious on if any rgb still shines through these switches? Or does it totally mute it?

[@ThockyDocKey]

Mutes it

[@tappistrt]

Almost entirely mutes it. I have a Q1 with south-facing RGB LEDs combined with standard PBT keycaps (no shine-thru), and I can only faintly see the RGB when looking at certain rows of keys at an angle. Though I do like these switches a lot I may switch them for something that has a clear top housing so I can see it better.

[@mysticman9570]

@@tappistrt yeah I used them for a while and they were very nice on my gmmk pro. I ended up switching them out for the milky yellow pros to have more rgb shine. I’ll go back to them again at some point I’m sure

[@tappistrt]

How do you like the yellow pros vs. the oil kings? Everything I was researching said the OK was a better switch overall. I have a set of Gateron North Pole switches arriving tomorrow so we'll see if they're an upgrade or not. Clear housing and switch so there shouldn't be any RGB muting at all with these!

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@tappistrt OK wins vs yellow pro. But yellow pro is an awesome Switch North pole okay also but some units are too tight for the plate. Harder to insert than the usual. I have a review on the north pole as well

[@matthewtrieu7871]

for the oil king, would u recommend I film it?

[@ThockyDocKey]

I think it is not needed

[@Typerist]

Hi doc, any suggestions na malapit sa price point ng milky yellow pro pero mas may pop ng onti. Natry ko na jwk black and jwk yellow. The blacks are too light for me meanwhile ok sana yung jwk yellow pero i find the milky pro more snappy kaso muted naman :(

[@ThockyDocKey]

Gateron yellow pro smd Ktt rose Just not sure sa spring weight

[@jaychristianabesamis9084]

The blacks are good but once lubed, you may want to change the springs to a 70g.

[@esra_erimez]

What is the point of oil kings if you have to lube them???

[@ThockyDocKey]

You dont have to. Perfectly fine stock. I lubed just for the sound preference

[@amveeeee]

3:34 it's the Milky pro for me, can't afford the Durock POMs. Budget wise, milky pro. Planning to replace my jelly whites with something smoother in the thoccy side without ripping my wallet xD

[@ThockyDocKey]

Try the feker matcha. Have a review on it

[@VieiraBBX]

4:54 there's a little fella on the microphone 😂😂

[@ThockyDocKey]

haha~! probably. a keyboard enthusiast as well

[@MSJChem]

How do they compare to baby racoons?

[@ThockyDocKey]

have not tried the baby racoons

[@benjaminjayolleta742]

Do you need to add film on this switch?

[@ThockyDocKey]

for me i don't see that much advantage. some claim though that it improves the sound a lot

[@benjaminjayolleta742]

@@ThockyDocKey Thank you.

[@kurtdecastro8197]

do these come pre lubed? ive seen other reviewers give negative reviews about the inconsistency of the factory lubing. on another note, if you had to choose between the two: epsilons or oil kings?

[@ThockyDocKey]

pre lubed yes. on the railings. pretty good for a prelubed switch for me honestly. i can use them stock if I want em louder, or lubed if i want them to sound deeper. my epsi reviews are next on the list. Quick answer: epsilons just because it's louder and the progressive springs are fun. With one big downside on the heavier springs of the epsis. Not for everyone. This being said, i would put the epsis on the same tier as the oil kings. both are good and would just boil down to preference

[@kurtdecastro8197]

@@ThockyDocKey thank you! been loving your videos! keep it up!

[@S0liD4CE]

these or jwk sotc?

[@ThockyDocKey]

Have not tried sotc

[@danielranleesoria9609]

Doc ano po mic and ung arm na gamit mo hehehe

[@ThockyDocKey]

maono au-ao4 :)

[@Sosiska-cs1zw]

I prefer a quieter and deeper sound, is it worth paying extra for a durock pom or is it still worth getting a milky yellow pro?

[@ThockyDocKey]

deeper sound milky yellow pro or fekker matcha or ktt strawberries durock pom is on the clackier side

[@Sosiska-cs1zw]

@@ThockyDocKey thank you very much for the answer! :)

[@AlterLynx]

Oil God

[@beesong2450]

I can finally put GMKs on my Tester68 lmao

[@ThockyDocKey]

That’s the plan! Hahaha

[@christianallenambi7557]

I do have the gateron oil king and they really feel good typing but the sounds are too clacky for me :< so I switched to gateron milky yellow pro.

[@zizz956]

clack? they are definitely on the thocky side of the spectrum, think there're other factors such as plate material, mounting style that affecting the sound profile

[@nebula2294]

@@zizz956 their china joy stem makes them slightly clackier than most others.

[@zizz956]

@@nebula2294 But we are talking about oil king here tho, I personally own both oil king and CJ, big difference in sound

[@aiden6705]

keyboard specs?

[@ThockyDocKey]

which keyboard?

[@aiden6705]

@@ThockyDocKey the one you used for the typing test.

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@aiden6705 kbdfans wooden keyboard.

[@ThockyDocKey]

@@aiden6705 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep7KqHSCg6aVn7c

[@fightROSHANfight]

We could just nickname them "Habibi switches".

[@pakorn9901]

Would you film this switch?

[@ThockyDocKey]

No need imho

[@maxtwentynine5968]

How about Oil Baron 😁

[@ThockyDocKey]

Couldve been better. Hahaha

[@etendard1114]

Oil king thock or clack ? Someone say clack

[@ThockyDocKey]

clock at most. stock is clock lubed is loud side of thocc but really, it depends on the boards and overall configuration. e.g. the gateron CJs are clacky AF but on some keyboards and after lubing the top housing, it can become deep and thocky

[@pengwu8836]

5:41 sus 😳