Looking for a near-silent, lightweight keyboard switch

[ithehappy]

Gents,

I am here after researching about keyboards for the past two months or so. I seek suggestion. Presently I am using a Corsair K70 LUX keyboard with Cherry Reds. I purchased it back in 2016 just because I wanted to try mechanical switches. So I retired my old Logi G15 and hoped everything will be much better and it will be a new experience. But, except the fact that the switches were indeed better feeling, everything else was bad, namely the extremely heavy spring weight (and 45g is supposed to be light among keyboard enthusiasts I read), the mount Everest like travel distance of keys and above all, the noise- I might already have grown a tumour in my brain I am unaware of. My speed with old membrane was somewhere around 70-72 WPM (yes that's my limit, don't judge), but since switching to the Corsair it reduced to 60-62 WPM, and the fatigue on my fingers is unspeakably high. Especially when I am an e-Sports player (CSGO), I get exhausted, my gameplay has become notably worse. I thought with time I will be able to get used with these stiff type switches, but no, here I am after five years, still typing much slower than I would on a membrane/laptop keyboard, and with tremendous amount of pressure!

I am from India, a place which doesn't have 90% of the products you all have in the western world. So my choice is limited. But I may have the option of having something imported from the US, if the product is worth it. So according to my needs, which keyboard should I go for? I repeat, I need switches which must not be more than 45g (if something is there around 30g or whatever I would prefer that), I need a switch which will be deadly silent, and I also need them to have lower travel. My budget is 150 USD, no more. From all the research I have done, I see that no pre-built exists which will satisfy my needs, so which custom should I go for (TKL sized, or that 96 type found on Leopolds) and which switches to go with it? Please understand, I have no time (and even less interest) to lube this or that, so factory lubed products will be my preference.

[Maledicted]

MX red seems stiffer to you than the domes in that old Logitech board? I have used various older Logitech boards and I can't say I have encountered any I would consider to not be much stiffer than MX red. Could it be that you're bottoming out the reds really hard and that's causing discomfort? That's apparently a thing, I have always smashed keys like they owe me money and it hasn't ever bothered me.

MX red actuates relatively high in its travel, you really don't need to move them much at all in order to register a press. I accidentally register presses just resting my fingers on reds. Between being concerned about overall travel and somehow having discomfort from typing on light linears by comparison, could you maybe benefit from going back to tactile switches of some kind?

Dampening typically reduces overall travel, and may also resolve whatever discomfort you may be experiencing. That's potentially two birds with one stone since you want something quieter as well. I'm no expert on linears, or dampened switches, but box silent pinks are both lighter than MX red and dampened, with a slightly higher point of actuation (if that even proves relevant). Much smoother out of the box to my perception as well without bothering with lubrication. You could also swap springs in switches you otherwise prefer to something lighter than the usual linear MX or clone.

When you say pre-built, what do you mean, exactly? Could you get loose switches and a cheap hot swap board?

If you need something quieter than undampened MX red and more comfortable in accordance with your subjective needs and something even lighter than MX red (if linear and/or MX) for a relatively low cost without the benefits of domestic U.S. shipping ... is it out of the question to just go back to the G15?

Finally, and most importantly, anybody who cares whether or not your WPM meets some arbitrary threshold is a tool. I'm not going to mince words on that. I don't think anybody really rolls that way here.

I feel like we're jumping the gun here. There is no universally perfect switch based on the limited parameters you've provided.

[ithehappy]

MX red seems stiffer to you than the domes in that old Logitech board? I have used various older Logitech boards and I can't say I have encountered any I would consider to not be much stiffer than MX red. Could it be that you're bottoming out the reds really hard and that's causing discomfort? That's apparently a thing, I have always smashed keys like they owe me money and it hasn't ever bothered me.


MX red actuates relatively high in its travel, you really don't need to move them much at all in order to register a press. I accidentally register presses just resting my fingers on reds. Between being concerned about overall travel and somehow having discomfort from typing on light linears by comparison, could you maybe benefit from going back to tactile switches of some kind?

I forgot to mention it in the main post, but yes, you assumed totally right. I bottom out hard, I am a bottom out typist. I tried not to do that, just type lightly, but I have failed. So the nutshell is I will always remain a bottom out typist.

Dampening typically reduces overall travel, and may also resolve whatever discomfort you may be experiencing. That's potentially two birds with one stone since you want something quieter as well. I'm no expert on linears, or dampened switches, but box silent pinks are both lighter than MX red and dampened, with a slightly higher point of actuation (if that even proves relevant). Much smoother out of the box to my perception as well without bothering with lubrication. You could also swap springs in switches you otherwise prefer to something lighter than the usual linear MX or clone.

Thank you. I have been suggested this particular switch before, on another forum, so I will consider them. I actually had a false belief that only Cherry switches are best in quality, and all those which made clones are inferior. But I have repeatedly been pointed out that I am wrong.

When you say pre-built, what do you mean, exactly? Could you get loose switches and a cheap hot swap board?

By pre-built I meant a keyboard which will come with all the necessary prerequisites which leads to an overall quiet acoustics. Now I am not at all knowledgeable regarding the terminologies, but I believe that gasket mount is one of them, so is having factory installed foam dampener, and also factory lubed stabilisers? I mean a keyboard which takes care of all of these, so that I don't have to do that.
Yes, I can get loose switches, and I can get some cheapo hot swappable boards like some Royal Kludge. If I had the budget I would simply go for the GMMK Pro, but that thing barebone is costing more than my total budget. Then there's Ducky One 3, I have heard good things about Ducky products. Are those chinese companies like Royal Kludge and all, durable/reliable at all? I don't want a keyboard which may die on me any time.

If you need something quieter than undampened MX red and more comfortable in accordance with your subjective needs and something even lighter than MX red (if linear and/or MX) for a relatively low cost without the benefits of domestic U.S. shipping ... is it out of the question to just go back to the G15?

Nah, that ship has sailed. As much as I hate the elements that's mentioned in OP, I simply don't want to go back to mushy membranes.

Finally, and most importantly, anybody who cares whether or not your WPM meets some arbitrary threshold is a tool. I'm not going to mince words on that. I don't think anybody really rolls that way here.

Thanks. While I was watching some modding video on Youtube I noticed how many of them comment that, hey bruh you are too slow..... and that's against typing speed of above 80 WPM.

I feel like we're jumping the gun here. There is no universally perfect switch based on the limited parameters you've provided.

Well, you have already advised the box pinks, so I will look into them. For example, I would like my keyboard to be something like this found on the following videos:

or

or

I see that all of these either use Gazzew Bobagums or Silent Alapacas, now I can get them switches, but problem is everything else on these setup are modded heavily, from stabilisers to springs to other things as well, all which I won't be able to do, due to my lack of time and also inexperience.

[Sup]

There are good prebuilt keyboard with silent switch options like Leopold, But with out lubing you won't get the same effect like the videos you linked. The lube helps muting any friction sound.