Cherry MX RGB Ghetto Greens - is it possible?

[Commissariat]

Hi! Long-ish time lurker, first time poster here.

I've been interested in Cherry RGB keyboards since the first Corsair models appeared, but had held of on buying one because of Corsair's general "gamer" aesthetic, which doesn't really speak to me. Now, however, Ducky is coming out with its Shine 5, which has a much more subdued and minimalistic design (and, apparently, fixes the durability issues people have been having with the current RGB KBs), and so, since Cherry MX Greens are my favorite switch, I wanted to know:

Can you mod Cherry MX RGB Blues into Cherry MX RGB "Ghetto Greens"? Is it at all possible?

Thanks in advance to any and all who post in this thread, and thank you all for making this hobby a lot more accessible and interesting for enthusiasts like me and any other lurkers hiding out there.

[nickheller]

I think the only difference between blues and greens aside from the stem color is the spring, so you should be able to desolder all the switches and swap the springs out. Ducky makes the Shine 4 with greens so they may eventually do the same with the Shine 5, so I personally would wait for that.

[Commissariat]

Thanks for your reply!

AFAIK, yes, the only difference between blues and greens is the spring (and greens have the same string as MX blacks), but what I'm curious about is if RGB switches are sufficiently different in design that spring switching is impossible - I haven't been able to find a RGB switch disassembly online and I live in Brazil, a country that has little physical access to enthusiast hardware, so I also haven't been able to see one in person yet.

So, I think a more useful question would be: are RGB switches sufficiently like normal switches that the process involved in disassembling them is the same?

And as for RGB green switches, I would certainly rather wait for Ducky to release a keyboard that comes with them out of the box, but as far as I know, Cherry doesn't manufacture RGB greens yet. However, on second thought, if the only real difference between them is the stem color and spring, it shouldn't be too hard for them to make a special run for Ducky or any other manufacturer that wants to sell greens.

[nickheller]

I have not seen the inside (or seen an rgb switch taken apart) so I am unsure. I think part of the reason greens have not been made in rgb is that corsair has been the only manufacturer to use them, and I do not think they offer greens in any of their keyboards. I remember hearing that Cherry was having trouble making the rgb blues though, so that could also be why greens were not made. If you are ok with just red and blue lighting you could pick up a shine 4 with greens right now.

[Melvang]

The switch mechinism is the same in the RGB version, the only difference is the LED is SMD mount, and there is a diffuser instead of the holes where an LED would typically go.

And yes blues with springs from greens or blacks will give the exact same feel as greens.  Though if you want to try something cool, put in springs from clears.  Those are the only springs I don't feel the need to bottom out on.  They are also the only cherry spring with a steeper spring rate.

[ConscienceDrop]

should be a matter of just changing the springs

[Commissariat]

The switch mechinism is the same in the RGB version, the only difference is the LED is SMD mount, and there is a diffuser instead of the holes where an LED would typically go.

And yes blues with springs from greens or blacks will give the exact same feel as greens.  Though if you want to try something cool, put in springs from clears.  Those are the only springs I don't feel the need to bottom out on.  They are also the only cherry spring with a steeper spring rate.

Thanks! That answers my question, Melvang. And as for the MX Greens with clear springs mod, I'll make sure to check it out, I've got a switch tester here which should make it quite easy.

[Oobly]

Greens do NOT use Black springs (60cN actuation). They use the same springs as tactile and linear Greys (80cN actuation). MX Clear springs are somewhere in between and may well be worth a try. I still think Korean 62g (to bottom out) are the perfect spring weight for all MX types, though.

Some more info: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX

And here's a nice comparison of some spring types: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46449.0

[Commissariat]

Greens do NOT use Black springs (60cN actuation). They use the same springs as tactile and linear Greys (80cN actuation). MX Clear springs are somewhere in between and may well be worth a try. I still think Korean 62g (to bottom out) are the perfect spring weight for all MX types, though.

Some more info: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX

And here's a nice comparison of some spring types: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46449.0

Thank you for your correction regarding the springs actually used in the MX Greens, Oobly, as well as for linking that comparison of spring types, I found it quite useful/interesting. And, judging by that graph, I think I'll really have to try the "Cleans"/"Grears" sometime soon.

[whiskytango]

Greens do NOT use Black springs (60cN actuation). They use the same springs as tactile and linear Greys (80cN actuation). MX Clear springs are somewhere in between and may well be worth a try. I still think Korean 62g (to bottom out) are the perfect spring weight for all MX types, though.

Some more info: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX

And here's a nice comparison of some spring types: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46449.0

Your second link there says that greens and blacks DO use the same springs. And when you're talking about the rate of the spring by itself, actuation force has no meaning. However, the same spring in two different switch types will have two different actuation forces.

Typing on blues with black springs now, and in my limited experience comparing this to  real greens I think black and green springs must be the same or so close the difference is negligible. My $0.02 from a long time ghetto-green user.

EDIT: Let me correct that. I am typing on blues with vintage black springs. To me there is a difference between vintage/old black springs and modern ones. I have ghetto greens set up using both types of black spring (new and old), and I prefer the vintage or old black springs in the blue switches because they are just a small amount softer in my experience. Haven't taken any measurements, that's just how they feel to me. I suppose keycaps, different keyboards, and other variables could contribute to that, but I like my RK9000 with vintage springs better than my QFR with modern black springs, both with blue switches and Tai Hao key caps.

2nd edit: rknize also noted in that thread you linked that he found a difference between vintage black springs and modern ones.

[berserkfan]

Hi! Long-ish time lurker, first time poster here.

I've been interested in Cherry RGB keyboards since the first Corsair models appeared, but had held of on buying one because of Corsair's general "gamer" aesthetic, which doesn't really speak to me. Now, however, Ducky is coming out with its Shine 5, which has a much more subdued and minimalistic design (and, apparently, fixes the durability issues people have been having with the current RGB KBs), and so, since Cherry MX Greens are my favorite switch, I wanted to know:

Can you mod Cherry MX RGB Blues into Cherry MX RGB "Ghetto Greens"? Is it at all possible?

Thanks in advance to any and all who post in this thread, and thank you all for making this hobby a lot more accessible and interesting for enthusiasts like me and any other lurkers hiding out there.

I think it is a seriously bad idea to desolder RGB leds. They have so many tiny leads. Best to wait until Ducky offers their Green MX keyboards, which they do so periodically.

[Melvang]

Hi! Long-ish time lurker, first time poster here.

I've been interested in Cherry RGB keyboards since the first Corsair models appeared, but had held of on buying one because of Corsair's general "gamer" aesthetic, which doesn't really speak to me. Now, however, Ducky is coming out with its Shine 5, which has a much more subdued and minimalistic design (and, apparently, fixes the durability issues people have been having with the current RGB KBs), and so, since Cherry MX Greens are my favorite switch, I wanted to know:

Can you mod Cherry MX RGB Blues into Cherry MX RGB "Ghetto Greens"? Is it at all possible?

Thanks in advance to any and all who post in this thread, and thank you all for making this hobby a lot more accessible and interesting for enthusiasts like me and any other lurkers hiding out there.

I think it is a seriously bad idea to desolder RGB leds. They have so many tiny leads. Best to wait until Ducky offers their Green MX keyboards, which they do so periodically.

The LEDs for these switches are smt with a solid diffusion lens instead of the holes for a traditional led.  They don't need to be desoldered to stem/spring swap.

[berserkfan]

Hi! Long-ish time lurker, first time poster here.

I've been interested in Cherry RGB keyboards since the first Corsair models appeared, but had held of on buying one because of Corsair's general "gamer" aesthetic, which doesn't really speak to me. Now, however, Ducky is coming out with its Shine 5, which has a much more subdued and minimalistic design (and, apparently, fixes the durability issues people have been having with the current RGB KBs), and so, since Cherry MX Greens are my favorite switch, I wanted to know:

Can you mod Cherry MX RGB Blues into Cherry MX RGB "Ghetto Greens"? Is it at all possible?

Thanks in advance to any and all who post in this thread, and thank you all for making this hobby a lot more accessible and interesting for enthusiasts like me and any other lurkers hiding out there.

I think it is a seriously bad idea to desolder RGB leds. They have so many tiny leads. Best to wait until Ducky offers their Green MX keyboards, which they do so periodically.

The LEDs for these switches are smt with a solid diffusion lens instead of the holes for a traditional led.  They don't need to be desoldered to stem/spring swap.

Melvang do you mean these guys have their own place on the PCB and are no longer mounted on top of the switch? That sounds really good. When desoldering backlit keyboards, no more struggling with small LED leads.

[Joey Quinn]

If you're playing with blue spring weights you should try 65g korean springs. IMO best/ most tactile weight for blues.

[Melvang]

Hi! Long-ish time lurker, first time poster here.

I've been interested in Cherry RGB keyboards since the first Corsair models appeared, but had held of on buying one because of Corsair's general "gamer" aesthetic, which doesn't really speak to me. Now, however, Ducky is coming out with its Shine 5, which has a much more subdued and minimalistic design (and, apparently, fixes the durability issues people have been having with the current RGB KBs), and so, since Cherry MX Greens are my favorite switch, I wanted to know:

Can you mod Cherry MX RGB Blues into Cherry MX RGB "Ghetto Greens"? Is it at all possible?

Thanks in advance to any and all who post in this thread, and thank you all for making this hobby a lot more accessible and interesting for enthusiasts like me and any other lurkers hiding out there.

I think it is a seriously bad idea to desolder RGB leds. They have so many tiny leads. Best to wait until Ducky offers their Green MX keyboards, which they do so periodically.

The LEDs for these switches are smt with a solid diffusion lens instead of the holes for a traditional led.  They don't need to be desoldered to stem/spring swap.

Melvang do you mean these guys have their own place on the PCB and are no longer mounted on top of the switch? That sounds really good. When desoldering backlit keyboards, no more struggling with small LED leads.

This is correct as far as I know.  But all the pics of the switch I have seen, there is just the diffuser on the top half.