![]() At the same time, it's quieter than linear switches because touch typists don't need to bottom out the keys. It enables faster typing because each key doesn't need to travel as far to actuate. This bump lines up with the actuation point, which happens before the key bottoms out. This is similar to a linear switch but there is a bump in the middle of its downward travel. The Cherry MX Red is a very common linear switch, so much so that gamers tend to refer to "red switches" as a shorthand for linear. While there are a number of brands that sell mechanical keyboards, Cherry is the best known. Gamers tend to prefer this kind of switch because it allows for fast and unambiguous control within a game when fractions of a second count. The key registers the stroke, or actuates, when it bottoms out at the end of its travel. Linear switchesĪ linear switch is the simplest mechanical switch because the stem travels up and down without being impeded in any way - hence the name. There are three types of mechanical switches, and these define the keyboard, as well as who will want to use it (and why). Some keys have an additional component - a "bump" or click midway through the key's travel, usually made possible by a springy metal clip that the stem needs to push past as it's depressed.įinally, the switch needs to complete an electrical circuit when actuated with metal contacts. Typical mechanical keyboard switches look like this, with the stem visibly protruding from the housing. The stem is supported by a spring, which is contained within the housing. The easily removable keycap snaps onto the stem, which, depending on its shape and height, determines the total distance it can travel and how far to its actuation distance - how far it must be pushed to register the keystroke. Rather than a rubber membrane that provides mushy resistance to your keystroke, a mechanical key feels precise because your finger is forcing a low-friction mechanism to slide down a shaft that's actively resisted by a spring.Įvery switch is composed of a few key components. How a mechanical keyboard switch worksĪ mechanical keyboard gets its name from the fact that there is a mechanical switch under the keycap. Here is what you need to know about mechanical keyboard switches. Mechanical keyboard switches are not all the same, though, and the kind of switch literally defines the style of keyboard and what it's best used for in the same way a car is defined by the kind of motor under the hood. Thanks to the mechanical switches hiding under the keycaps, these keyboards are more precise and allow you to type faster. While membrane keyboards are more common thanks to their low cost, touch typists and gamers will often opt to use a mechanical keyboard instead. ![]() Touch typists tend to prefer tactile switches because of the feedback.Linear switches are the smoothest and fastest, and are generally preferred by gamers. ![]()
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