CHAPTER TWO
The Quest For The Switch That Did Not Suck
As a gamer, i would suggest that the best cherry switch (the only non-suck) is MX Clear, which is the same as Brown but with a stiffer spring and a heavier tactical bump.
There are other switches on the market though.
Most switches available today LOOK LIKE cherry mx, and the majority also FEEL LIKE mx. A few that look like mx do not feel like mx.
However it is not easy to just google+click buy, as some switches (like Zealios) do not come prebuilt into a board, but you must solder them in yourself.
The switches you can buy today, prebuilt, are:
1. Cherry
2. Cherry clones
3. Matias (ALPS clones)
4. Unicomp (IBM) buckling springs
5. Topre
6. Novelkeys
and then there is a whooooole long list of absolute garbage stuff that should not exist.
1. Of cherry, clears are the best. Vaguely tactile, the "ooh so-stiff" spring isnt stiff at all. These are good for everything - gaming, daily driver, typing. This is actually a very good gaming switch.
2. Of the many clones (pre-built) Gateron are probably the best, but since the just-so-slightly inferior Outemu can be had for $29 (BUY THAT BOARD NOW!!) i see no reason to fork out more.
3. Matias are EXCELLENT switches. They have tactile, clicky and linear, and while they only come in Matias boards, which are uglier than mortal sin, are well worth the $150 if you are looking for a endgame keyboard.
4. Unicomp makes 1:1 modernized clones of the old, legendary IBM model M keyboard with buckling spring switches, one of the best switches ever designed.
The switch is amazing.
It is also loud, and not quite suited to gaming, and the board is quite ugly.
5. Topre makes a fancy-pants version of your typical low end runber dome keyboard. They cost well over $200, the switch feel is weird - some people feel this is endgame stuff, and it's very well suited to typing, but imho not as daily driver OR gaming. The board build quality is amazing.
6. Novelkeys makes .. im not sure IF these come prebuilt, i think they do. They make very tactile, very clicky switches for people that like that 80s feeling.