Teardown - Cherry MX switches

Today we look at the famous, omnipresent Cherry MX switches!
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[@andrewdias478]

I think they're a very nice design for linear switches. Simple and reliable and can be very smooth. But Cherry insists on making their sliders out of gravel.

[@ActaNova]

Exactly why ive been using gateron linears for the last 2 years

[@FletcherCat]

My cherry reds feel super smooth lmao

[@flamestoyershadowkill6400]

@@FletcherCat probably the switches are lubed

[@joshuayue854]

Flamestoyer and retooled

[@BauliusTorvoltos]

@@FletcherCat Same with my blues

[@andljoy]

When you listed the components of genuine cherry MX switches you forgot the sand :P

[@Chyrosran22]

Damn, I KNEW I had forgotten something!

[@hungvhoang]

haha, genuinely cracked me up

[@worldhello1234]

The good thing about Cherry MX is that due to their omnipresence, it is easier to get keycaps for clone switches. \O/ I found pretty nifty double shot translucent PBT keycap set for a standard layout. :) BTW I enjoy your content. ;)

[@andljoy]

Red Phoenix Thats why the novatouch was so awesome , topre switches , MX sliders however , there is a solution www.tomshardware.co.uk/xmit-hall-effect-keyboard-massdrop,news-54266.html Your welcome :)

[@GuacamoleKun]

Thank you, this series is exactly what I was looking for!!!

[@Steve-eh2rp]

Really glad I found your channel, you're the reason I ordered a Unicomp Model M (black one you reviewed) which came this morning. great stuff bud!

[@Chyrosran22]

Thanks mate :) .

[@animegamingdude]

Awesome choice! You won't regret it. I got one for Christmas, and it feels incredible to type on. Much better than any rubber dome keyboard I've tried.

[@reeeeeAAAHH]

The white jacket actually doesn't hit the bottom housing to produce the click sound, but rather the two catches of the blue stem that hold the jacket and stem together. Try shaking the blue stem/white jacket combination by itself. The rattle you hear is the click sound

[@vantamang1308]

thank you! Best disassembly video!

[@reeeeeAAAHH]

You forgot to say "hello and welcome"!!!

[@Chyrosran22]

I only say that for my reviews ;) . Got a bit of a theme going there :) .

[@waldensun9818]

Have you tried jailhouse blues? I think you will like them a bit, i heard that they are quite similar to matias quiet click!

[@hlogo2720]

Cross bottom is so popular. Even Topre changed its new RGB keyboard' switches, from volcanic to cross.

[@ing-tangtawan]

What makes the Gateron switches (especially linear one) much more smoother than genuine Cherry MX?

[@Chyrosran22]

I will show exactly that in a later Teardown video ;) .

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Take a look at this, it answered exactly what you've asked. geekhack.org/index.php?topic=74836.0

[@spxn5753]

Hey could you do something on the silent switches? I wanna see if there’s anyway I can take out the bit that makes them so quiet

[@IIIJFRIII]

Cherry mx blues! :) . Still want a blue alps keyboard to no end how ever.

[@Chyrosran22]

Cindy's got a KB-101AS recently, I think she'g going to sell it for around $200 or something.

[@EonLimey]

Could you please do a teardown of a model F buckling spring?

[@yogalD]

I still have no idea what exactly causes the click jacket to fire downwards

[@ColinJWiens]

the metal on these is really easy to bend out of shape when taking them apart

[@LumenateTV]

Thanks for this video you've saved me from not having a space key.

[@rich1051414]

What about clears? I always prefered clears to browns but I don't know the fundamental difference in the switch. Other than the tactility, the nonlinear clear encourages not bottoming out keys, which is less fatiguing. Actually, these days, I prefer Zealios Purples, 65g.

[@xander1052]

clear switches have a heavier spring than the MX Brown(65g vs brown's 45g), Zealios, as you probably know, has a larger notch too on top of the heavier weight.

[@darklink2000]

Have you tried the newer cherry silent switches, if so what're your thoughts on them?

[@Chyrosran22]

Nope, haven't had a chance to try them yet. I'd like to try them, though.

[@deldarel]

I'm a little bit confused with the switches here. They seem to have a vcc and a signal, but no ground. Considering the construction of two metal plates close to eachother, wouldn't this make cherry switches into capacitors if the keyboard is plugged in, but the buttons aren't pressed? Is the charge just too low?

[@Chyrosran22]

There is no capacitive element, and not really a dielectric. I don't see how they could form capacitors to be honest.

[@rezganger]

Hello. Love the channel! I need to replace a switch or two on my corsair k70.But i cant find any red cherry mx with red led.Any ideas? Thanks.

[@flamestoyershadowkill6400]

Use kailh box reds

[@Acemans]

what are the best non cherry switches?

[@Coreteks]

Would have been nice to get an explanation of why genuine cherry switches feel scratchy, unlike some of the clones

[@Chyrosran22]

Cherry clones are for a different video entirely ;) .

[@BeeSawd]

Taiwan Jet Axis are closer to Alps clones then MX clones though, the only thing they share with MX switches is the exterior. Excluding that, great video as always, love your stuff!

[@Pete292323]

Are the Chinese copies interchangable with regular Cherry ones? Razer kailh switches from 2014 are notorious for failing, could somone with a Razer board from that year just replace all the switches on the board with Cherry ones?

[@Andy82]

yep, because they have the same pin-out!

[@0M9H4X_Neckbeard]

Have you ever tried Fosen switches? I ordered 60 because I think they sound much better than any other MX-compatible clicky switch, let's hope the same is true for the feel

[@Chyrosran22]

I tried to get some, but they got out of stock when I placed the order.

[@lolmaxwell2213]

+Chyrosran22 I think switchTop is restocking fosen aquamarine switches this Friday. They recently tweeted about it.

[@arkaninee]

What is your opinion on Kalih switches? How do they compare to the Cherry MX counterparts?

[@Chyrosran22]

I'd say they're quite close to the original, moreso than some other clones.

[@dhoffnun]

At least on my switch tester, Kailh's clicky switches are indeed similar to Cherry's, if seeming a tiny bit heavier by color. The linear ones *feel* very different, though. There is a definite "texture" to the key-press on Kailh linear switches - moreso than with Cherry counterparts. I didn't really care for any of the Kailh switches compared to the Cherry MX ones - except for the brown. I much preferred the Kailh brown switch - it seems more steady, less rattly than the Cherry MX brown. It could just be softer plastic dampening the rattle.

[@Peaveygang4lyfe]

Hey, Outemu has made a new switch with alps compatible mounts, any chance you could review a board with those in it? Also love the vids!

[@Chyrosran22]

Thank you :) . Those switches, to my knowledge, are basically the same, except they use a different keycap mount - the switches themselves should be pretty much the same. That said, I'm interested in what caps this bring to the Alps scene!

[@Peaveygang4lyfe]

Oh, interesting, well hopefully that means more alps clones and what not, or at least I hope.

[@Chyrosran22]

Alps clones there's no shortage of, really. Complicated Alps, that'd be a sight! Although I rate the chances of that pretty remote.

[@spotlessmlg6802]

So, how would I go about making a tactile switch like the brown's, into a linear switch like the red?

[@Chyrosran22]

Swap the sliders?

[@spotlessmlg6802]

What if I don't have any cherry mx red sliders though? Can I remove the slider, or break something off the slider?

[@Chyrosran22]

Jeez, not even MORE sand in these switches!?

[@greyareaRK1]

I don't suppose you could tell me how to open an outemu switch? They're different from cherry, and as I've never opened a switch, I'm at a loss. I'm attempting to lubricate them.

[@andrewdias478]

You might want to try using a sharper object to open them.

[@Chyrosran22]

You need to desolder them first. Then, pry off the side tabs with a toothpick or something.

[@greyareaRK1]

Desolder? That seems extreme, but it's the most definite direction I've found, so worth a try.

[@greyareaRK1]

I tried opening one with an X-acto knife, and nearly broke the switch, presumably because I have no idea what I'm doing.

[@Chyrosran22]

Not extreme, you'll need to do this with quite a few switch designs. One of the advantages of Alps is that they don't necessitate this, for example.

[@Antimonyish]

What are your thoughts on Romer G switches?

[@Chyrosran22]

I only have a few loose ones, so I cn't give particularly detailed info... But Jesus Christ could they have made them any LESS tactile?!

[@Antimonyish]

I actually find that feels better than Browns when typing. The 'bump' is right at the top and you can type much faster since all it takes is a small tap to actuate. They also feel a lot more sturdy due to the slider mechanism. I hope you get to try them on a keyboard for a bit.

[@lolmaxwell2213]

So what makes the difference between two tactile clicky switches? For example what makes the difference between blues greens and milky whites?

[@Chyrosran22]

MX green is the same as MX blue, except heavier. MX white makes a softer-sounding click.

[@lolmaxwell2213]

+Chyrosran22 Thanks for the response. Is the reason greens are heavier than blues due to the springs, contact points, sliders, or jackets?

[@dhoffnun]

Whites also apparently have a reputation for inconsistency. I nearly got a board full of them because I love the sound - but I saw lots of complaints. : /

[@lolmaxwell2213]

David Hoffnung I am aware of the sounding/ feeling differences. What I'm asking is what part of the switch makes them different from one another.

[@Chyrosran22]

The springs are stiffer.

[@ghost963cz]

Aren't aristotles different?

[@Chyrosran22]

The parts look slightly different, but they work the same.

[@davidainley2706]

hey man, you know what would be great? explaining key plastics + printings and whatnot. ABS, PBT, die sublimed.... I hear these things but they mean nothing!

[@davidainley2706]

and by "die" sublimed, I mean "dye" sublimed. im an idiot ignore me.

[@Chyrosran22]

I already did a video on exactly that! :) It's part of my QKT series, look up "QKT keycaps" :) .

[@davidainley2706]

oh awesome! thanks ill check it out

[@_forestbor_6187]

0:53 thats what she said!

[@matthewharse8626]

I find that the subtleness of browns bump is ideal if you lube them (smoother) and place wasd's red o rings (the smaller ones for less noise, but not mushy) in a cherry profile keycap (better feel/lower profile). With this setup you press through the very light bump and you get the light bottom out directly after. This leads to a very fast, focused, and accurate gaming/typing experience without a unnecessarily larger bump/click.

[@fred-ko6vy]

I like the intro

[@ziting5756]

I would actually be interested in the explanation of how these switches came to be. I know mx browns came from cow shit but like the history of the other switches might be interesting.

[@royalarchergaming3541]

idk, I kinda like the MX red switches

[@KingBarney]

They're a decent switch, nothing really bad to say, nothing really good to say

[@Spearra]

@@KingBarney Cherry MX is to "mechanical" switches as Dell is to rubber dome keyboards. They get the job done at a budget price.

[@KingBarney]

@@Spearra Only reason I'd agree to the budget part of your statement is because keyboards nowadays come with them installed. It's one of those things where I'd gladly pay extra money for a better experience, and once you try better switches you can't really go back. It's like going from 60hz to 144hz, sure, 60hz got the job done and they're cheap, but you can't argue against the superiority of 144hz monitors at all.

[@jinnyfizz3645]

Personally, I like the Cherry MX Blues. They're nice and click-y.

[@KabutoRyu]

this video doesn't show to us how to pry the switch #usehammer what kind of opener to open the switch #crowbar all just abracadabra OPEN SESAME

[@aidenmiles0307]

Do you think these shitty MXs will eventually die out ?