Gateron make some of the smoothest linear switches available and the yellows are famous for being one of their smoothest. They are also the cheapest Gateron switch, making them fantastic value for money. The Gateron Yellow is a slightly heavier version of the red (50g versus 45g activation force). The yellows are preferred over the black or reds due to their buttery smooth feel; however, they can be hard to find. They are my preferred linear key switch. They are improved even further if lubed, where they take on a Gateron Ink feel. Gateron have recently released a Pro Yellow switch that comes factory-lubed with a modified stem design to reduce wobble further.
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Summary
This is one of the smoothest and best value linear switches I have used. Note that the Gateron Yellow switches can be quite hard to find and are typically not available with pre-built keyboards. However, if you can hunt them down then they are a great investment if you are building your custom keyboard.
Criteria
- Very nice and smooth feel.
- Fantastic value.
- Improves even further after bring lubed.
- New Gateron Pro Yellow even smoother with less stem wobble.
- Not as smooth as Gateron Ink switches unless lubed.
Specifications
Key Switch Features | |
Switch Type | Linear |
Plate Mount Available - 3 Pin | Yes |
PCB Mount Available - 5 Pin | Yes |
Backlight Compatible | Yes |
Physical Specifications | |
Activation Force | 50g |
Bottom-out Force | 60g |
Activation | 2mm |
Travel | 4mm |