Gateron Switches: Mechanical VS Optical! (Sound Test)

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0:00 Introduction
0:12 How Switches Work
0:50 Switch Structure
2:25 How Optical Switches Work
2:53 Switch Specs
3:44 Preface to Sound Test
3:57 Gateron Optical Blue Sound Test
4:29 Gateron Optical Brown Sound Test
5:01 Gateron Optical Black Sound Test
5:32 Gateron Optical Black Lubed Sound Test
6:03 Pricing
6:14 Conclusion
#gateron #optical #soundtest

[@Romsicle]

I can't believe I didn't put this in the video (well I did, but I guess it wasn't too clear): OPTICAL AND MECHANICAL SWITCHES DO NOT MIX. They are exclusive to their respective boards. Optical keyboard? ONLY optical switches. Mechanical keyboard? ONLY mechanical switches. End of sentence. No BUTS. Cheers, mates!

[@justinc8157]

Do you know if Gateron has a patent on these PCBs that accept their switches? Is it possible more switch manufacturers could make compatible switches or is this a Gateron switch only kind of thing?

[@Romsicle]

@@justinc8157 Not sure if it's patented, but Kailh has optical switches with a base that will fit a Gat optical board.

[@saveme443]

@@Romsicle wait what, optical blues and optical browns are the same?

[@shungrite3784]

I made a standard outemu blue optical because I was bored. You can take off the pins and cut off the stub that makes space for the bottom of the stem. This is rather dumb but it does actually work, with the click actually being in tune with the actuation. Wouldn’t work with box switches i think though.

[@aimasteryhub1]

but but

[@brianginn1993]

Never understood this topic until you told me so clearly. Great content.

[@geronimo5537]

he left out the part where if the mechanical switch fails you simply exchange it for a new switch. if the laser fails, you exchange it for a new keyboard.

[@Falsh125]

Thank you! I have never come across such a comprehensive, satisfying, and cheery video on mechanical/optical switches, and I have been looking! It's like you typed all that information right into my grey matter at a gentle yet fast 100wpm!

[@mauriciodasilva6732]

I have watched dozens of videos about the differences between mechanical keyboards, and yours was the most rigorous regarding the concepts and most thorough regarding demonstration. Thank you very much!

[@Romsicle]

Keyboard Used: SK68 with DSA PBT keycaps (review coming soon) P.S. I hate typing on DSA keycaps. Note: I couldn't find the bottom out force for the Optical Silvers anywhere on the internet, so I just used the 15g increase found in most of the other switches. But regardless of the switch springs, they don't feel any heavier bottoming out than your typical Gateron switch.

[@edentochhong4009]

Which one is good optical or mechanical in your expirience

[@aryanb5749]

Im honestly very sorry for necroing but is the sk68 better than the hk61 in your opinion?

[@Romsicle]

@@aryanb5749 In terms of performance, the SK series are better. But for flexibility, the GK series would be better, ie. trying different switches.

[@jameszhang6974]

Excellent comparision. I don't usually comment but the depth and breadth you went into really made the differences between the switches clear to me. keep up the good work and stunning videos!

[@SmellyCat808]

Thank you! I just learned about mechanical keyboards 2 weeks ago and now am trying to make a decision on which to get for my first setup. This was a huge help!

[@ArifGhostwriter]

[From the UK, September 2022] This has got to be the best summary & examination of keyboard switch tech on the Internet, full stop! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@nicholashritcu7236]

This was really helpful you need more fame thanks for the help! definitely going to subscribe~

[@iitzfizz]

I just picked up an Epomaker SK61 with Gateron Optical Brown switches and I love it, the switches are absolutely perfect for me. I just had a board with reds but found they were too light and couldnt really get used to them after moving from blues so I ordered one with Gateron Optical Browns, they're really nice to type on very smooth and sounds great

[@EscCharacter]

I like the way you explain and compare switches. So keep it up. For me, I learn something new today from you that my Keychron K8 is an optical switch keyboard. At first I pulled the switch out to see if its 3 or 5 pins so I can by the right one to replace them (for fun). Turn out it has no pin and I was like... what is going on here. Do some research and come to your video and enlightened. Everything is clear to me now. Thanks.

[@timlim21]

Wow. Very helpful and insightful video. I'm ready for my first keyboard. Thank you, Romsicle!

[@neerkoli]

Holy shit man I learned so much about mechanical keyboards from this one video! Thanks for making it. Your channel is really under appreciated.

[@Rovou7]

Amazing straight to the point video, and super helpful! Subbed subbed!

[@mrf8358]

Wow, a keyboard reviewer and a touch typist! Youre the best! Subbed!

[@j9ke3r]

the black luped switches sound great, will get them for my keychron, thanks for the vid

[@ekatho.]

Bro ily keep up the great work you are so underrated only 6k subs?!? get this man to at least 30k by the end of the year

[@Romsicle]

Bless LOL gotta get the word out

[@andieluke1366]

Came across this video researching Keychron's low profile optical vs Gateron's. Subbed!

[@zakkhan6054]

literally same lol

[@tsoukis.g]

best 8 min vid on youtube no cap!! Even helpful today thank you!!

[@zubayrshariff4358]

Explanation was too good! Loved it Romiscle bro

[@hellogm94]

This was so well explained! Thank you! Great content

[@sgjbnvbeusyhahbj]

thanks so much for the info. I'm considering about modding my Apex 9 Mini, and this gave me some insight on switches. thanks again!

[@danielsilveriogil]

definitivamente el video que buscaba. gracias campeon

[@gavlatennis2824]

Excellent video. Good explanatory info. Very useful thanks 👍

[@IgorEnot]

Excellent comparison. Thank you!

[@1qta339]

Thank you I was getting second thoughts about getting a optical keyboard THANK YOU!!!!!!!

[@deesevrin8570]

It's probably too late but he failed to mention that there is no practical or perceptual advantage gained. The performance gap will be changed much more by choosing a lighter spring. We're taking fractions of fractions and fractions of milliseconds of input advantage. It's cool tech but that's about it.

[@jannisberg8977]

Thanks for the vid! Perfect for my buying decision.

[@TheRentora]

You deserve more subs :) great video !

[@bsky6525]

Thank you so much! Answered all my questions :D

[@toiminot2115]

very nice video, very clear explanation and testing. Thank you! :)

[@numberonemorbiusfan9325]

What are your opinions on the lubed gat optical blacks? Do they sound nice? Good typing experience?

[@arthuryt8177]

Love the video man , keep it up

[@778paolo]

i have optical blacks on my KB and they have crazy amount of wobble , without the extra pins + the build tolerances you will not have as consistent a feel and sound vs pinned switches. i noticed after modding my switches they do not fit as snug on the PCB prior to being pulled out.

[@arbiantosetiawan]

Nice presentatuon man! Appreciate it. Keep on posting.

[@s328169347]

OMG every since I bought a GK61 and it came with optical switches I had no idea what they were!! Thanks for this video :D

[@Ryeric1]

Omg, I just got a GK61 yesterday. Was wondering the same thing!

[@j.uliekim6411]

@@Ryeric1 my gk61 is coming in the mail! how is it so far ? i got the gateron optical reds

[@Ryeric1]

@@j.uliekim6411 Nice! It’s awesome. Love how compact it is on my desk because it gives me more mouse space and it makes for an aesthetically pleasing setup. The RGB looks great with the white one and the keycaps feel pretty good. I got the optical blue switches :)

[@Hanisbooknook]

thank you so much for this video I didn’t know that there were different switches when I got my keyboard I want to customize it because I really dislike the sound of the optical blues and I was so confused why there were switches with pins while mine don’t have pins . This just saved me a lot of frustration by buying the right switches right away

[@Hanisbooknook]

my switches arrived and they fit perfectly! thank you so much again for this video !!

[@sodacand]

Thank you SOO much! I went round and round on the web and couldn't get a solid answer. I went with the optical switches (red) to replace the Optical Blue that came on the board. I will only be swapping the keys needed for gaming to the Red and leaving the rest of the keyboard (60%) on the typing keys. . .

[@marchestral]

Great video. I learned something today!

[@TheRyanator36910]

amazing exactly what i was looking for and more for sure

[@ctbonny]

Thank you for making this I was wondering if I should get mechanical black or optical black for my gk61 and when you said optical a were thockier I decided on opticals tysm!

[@dmitriy_dokshin]

Great short explanation. Thanks a lot!

[@vanilla-vx3pd]

This video was very informative, thank you!

[@mallikarjun.ssidanna2420]

hey man i am soo glad that i found this vid, please can you tell me which are better for my first time and for both gaming and typing, i can not spend alot thats why i want to make the best decision please help

[@smssyedmohammedshah]

That was very well explained. I have a question though, can you switch the top housing of Gateron mechanical switches with Gateron optical switches? Like are they the same?Because you only get transparent tops on optical ones, and I want to switch them with opaque.

[@gradientO]

Excellent guide. Thanks!

[@naif277]

Great video, keep up the good work!

[@derickmoncado]

Amazing breakdown man. Exactly what I was looking for. (smashed the like btn)

[@BLASTIC0]

im confused AF. Ive got a keychron k6 pro... can I put opical switches in it or only regular mechanicals? It seems that a keyboard's PCB is designed for one or the other and not both?

[@skyhiis]

thank you, this was super helpful!!!

[@nyx0838]

Very informative video! Thank you!

[@Mr.nuggets_]

I'm not sure bc i don't understand all what yous say (i'm french ) so i bought the "ranked supernova" keyboard with gateron optical red and it sound to loud for me so i have to choice only between optical switches? So i can't take akko yellow creamy v3 for exemple?

[@amizan8653]

This video is too good. Had to turn off my adblock & refresh. Thank you for posting this!

[@AlemaxM]

Don't you make any mistakes when you use optical linear switches? In my case, I do a lot but I don't know what is the best without any clicky sound (maybe brown). Any recommendations?

[@edentochhong4009]

Which one is better gateron optical or gateron mechanical switch... sk64 or GK 64 ... i want to buy that keyboard but i confused both this two keyboard switch

[@jcruzz5613]

what would you guys say is the closest in sound and feel to the blues i had some in my first keyboard and i like the feel, and ive got browns in my old ducky one 2. i like the feeling when you click the key down and feel it click. l got blacks in my new gk61, will i be able to get that feel with opticals or only traditional mechanical

[@JerelTeh]

this is the video that ive been looking for

[@a-lo1567]

Do gateron blues sound and feel the same to the gateron optical blues? Btw great video 👍🏼

[@aqilthebro7042]

Can I use optical switches from different brands? Or is it just for Gateron?

[@user-yk2wb2zo8x]

Hello please I have keychron k7 optical low profile with clear switches But i want more faster switches than clear please

[@Brandysnap08]

This review was 10/10 thanks for the info bc I have optical now I know what to do now

[@ImperiaGin]

I bought some optical yellows by gateron and put them in my hotswappeble keyboard. And was seeing if they work and it didn't. I was slightly bumbed out

[@CleanReacts]

hey what gateron optical switches sound the most like omnipoint switches

[@Jove.VFX.]

hey could u pls tell me how long the stem od an gateron brown is ?

[@NazarethHill]

Thanks again for this video. And you made another subscriber

[@jacquesarangies8603]

If I want to build my own keyboard, where can I buy the Gateron Optical pc boards?

[@starofeden9277]

wow best video of detailed explaining thanks

[@Yuck46]

Informative. Thanks!

[@Moon-ut7fq]

This was genuinely a good video Thank you

[@cloxytr9144]

which is better gateron optical bleu or gateron mechanical bleu? Cuz many people say that the optical version feels a little cheaper than the mechanical version, is that treu?

[@Julian-ee3ov]

Is there a difference in lubing a gateron optical?

[@pilotsora]

Nicely presented!

[@Bloodysugar]

Passing by to know if optical black silent are as good as mechanical ones (i guess youtube hasn't much vids about it) just 2 cents on the way : top/stem already compatible with mechanical Gaterons will be compatible with optical bases. It wont be the exact same thing as a full mechanical combo as the base isn't the same as anything, but it should be pretty darn close.

[@Talewavo]

is there any ISO Optical keyboard with hot swappable?

[@miguelmorales8560]

Can i use the Keychrone un a Nuphy keyboard?

[@sniperx2394]

Hello, so my sk64s is coming. And i have picked gateron optical yellows, and wondering if i can switch any switches with it?? Planning to change it to C³ Banana Splits.

[@Romsicle]

Absolutely will not work. If you wanted to use Banana Splits, you should have gotten the GK64S.

[@AnilSingh-mj6lj]

Informative video! 👍

[@lucasbraga4502]

Can i put optical gateron on a outemu optical keyboard?

[@ucNguyen-gt7be]

Great video, thanks man.

[@STEG_NO]

what keyboard are u using

[@huh1321]

and can we applied film on optical gateron?

[@cloxytr9144]

Which keyboard is better SK61 or GK61? And which rgb is lighter and better between the two?

[@forzone]

the best, thanks for the review.

[@destroyerspike3891]

Which is the 2nd clickiest switch beside blue

[@EileenTheCr0w]

Hmm.. I wish there was a metal case version of the optical epomaker boards. I think the SK68S would be perfect for me and the metal makes it look very retro/nintendo style which is pretty cool imo.

[@lasagneman5586]

You could probably just buy a 3rd party case

[@ctobe6822]

Thanks this really helped me out

[@mxngxchxngx]

Guys I have a problem and I need ur guys help. I recently purchased a MK61 with Optical Yellow switches. With no prior experience with hotswaps I tried to remove a switch out of curiosity and I pulled the switch from the wrong way. When I put the switch back in I got no response. Turns out the IR sensor was twisted since I grabbed the switch the wrong way with the puller, I twisted it back to its normal position and it seems to work temporarily, it randomly registers the key when a press another key near it. So I tried to twist the IR sensor more to its original position and it broke off, so now the key wouldn’t register at all. I put the IR sensor back in its original position and it seems to work the same as before, it randomly registers without me pressing it. I was wondering if there was something safe I can do to keep that sensor in place with out Sautering, i was wondering if something like glue was safe to use instead of sautering.

[@caycee-wn9tv]

helpful video thanks

[@ihatethepatriots226]

awesome video, helps a lot

[@AzVfL]

Is there a difference of battery life bc of the lasers?

[@dadabooey]

Great informative review!

[@schnibbean]

Can I put my keycaps from my old mechanical keyboard on it? Is that + the same and any keycaps fit? I traded some with my bf (he uses an anne Pro keyboard) and as I need a new keyboard because my space doesn't work anymore I saw these optical switches and now I am confused :c

[@huunhanle3809]

You can since both Optical and normal mechanical switches share the same Cherry MX stem style ( the cross shape ). Of course you will have to check the stabilizers of your keyboard too, if your keyboard use the Cherry style stabilizers then you can slap the keycaps between optical and normal mechanical keyboard without any problem.

[@imvisco]

I have an sk61 with gataron optical yellows lubed with nitecore sg7 and it feels sooooooo good

[@pino659]

Can the optical switches go on my rk61 ?

[@frezze1978]

what dose the letter under the switch mean

[@lightshadow3101]

This channel is very underrated

[@vamphighways]

i didnt realize this and gotta akko matcha greens for my gammakay mk 61 and i just figured out they dont ork

[@nicolemartinezkish2022]

Are EQUALZ Tangerine Linear 5 pin POM Material Newest V2 Mechanical Keyboard Switches (70 pcs, 67g) optical or non-optical?

[@Proxymated]

7:15 gateron switches? meaning regular mechanical or optical?

[@StrongSemps]

so i have a budget of about 75$ what keyboard do i get. mechanical tenkeyless or 60$

[@blondst7372]

thank you man, definitely getting that gk61 with optical brown switches, thanks for the help!

[@amuuusing6713]

I’m getting the sk64

[@blondst7372]

@@amuuusing6713 nicee

[@amuuusing6713]

@@blondst7372 thanks u too!

[@yaziyah4001]

IM getting the gk61 with the optical red switches. Or should I get brown. Does color even matter?

[@Ninjer]

@@yaziyah4001 bruh