Clicky MX Advice

[mcgiggles99]

I am planning on trying super super light springs in clicky switches just for fun. Maybe as low as like 30g. I would like to know what clicky mx switches have the lightest reset that are not some ridiculous zeal price or something.

Also I would like to know more generally about clicky mx switches. I don't really know anything about them. With linears the main concern is smoothness, tactile the tactility, but I really don't know what differentiates clicky switches other than spring weight.

I've heard that some people really prefer the click bar thing that Kailh uses.

[CountNoctua]

It's the click mechanism (like the click bar) that differentiates clicky switches from tactile switches. It provides auditory feedback to (hopefully) match/sync with the "bump" of a tactile switch, or can be the same mechanism that provides the tactile bump, which is what you see with BOX switches and their click bar.

If you are looking at MX type clicky, most start around 50g actuation force. Linears like Gateron Clears go down to 35g, but offhand I don't know of any clickies that are that light. If you are just doing a spring swap, pretty much any normal "blue" MX compatible would be good, but I would probably go with Kailh or Gateron for smoother than Cherry stock. Or maybe Greetech, but I haven't played around with any of their switches myself.

[Findecanor]

On Cherry MX-style switches, the weaker the main spring, the more significant the tactile feel will be.
Tactile MX switches traditionally have tactility as a bump in the travel that is overcome, and this bump will be felt both on the way down and on the way up (if your finger is still on the key). There could also be noise from when the switch resets after a tactile bump.
One thing to note is that with a large tactile bump and a very light spring, the switch may not return properly: this has been observed when trying 35g springs in Cherry MX Clear.

The traditional sliding collar mechanism has a small bump, but the tactility is sharper because the collar is accelerated to the bottom faster than you press the key. The use of a sliding collar also provides hysteresis.

I think that the ideal switch to use would be a genuine Cherry MX Blue switch that is vintage and worn-in. It should be tactile enough on a press, and provide the least bump on the way up. Maybe even lubrication would help.
Some clone switches with sliding collar (such as Gateron Blue) are more tactile on press, but that means that they are also more tactile on the way up.

The Kailh switches with click bar are more tactile, but they click also on the rebound, as as loud (or louder) than the first click - which should disqualify them as clicky switches IMHO. The click bar is not part of the actuation mechanism: there is no hysteresis in the actuation, but there is in the click bar: the second click and a small tactile event comes higher up than when the switch had broken.

[CountNoctua]

It's the click mechanism (like the click bar) that differentiates clicky switches from tactile switches. It provides auditory feedback to (hopefully) match/sync with the "bump" of a tactile switch, or can be the same mechanism that provides the tactile bump, which is what you see with BOX switches and their click bar.

If you are looking at MX type clicky, most start around 50g actuation force. Linears like Gateron Clears go down to 35g, but offhand I don't know of any clickies that are that light. If you are just doing a spring swap, pretty much any normal "blue" MX compatible would be good, but I would probably go with Kailh or Gateron for smoother than Cherry stock. Or maybe Greetech, but I haven't played around with any of their switches myself.

Okay, maybe not Gateron Blue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyt5DtgzYxI

[Findecanor]

Hrmpf. I just found that 30g Gateron springs don't fit in Kailh BOX switches. The BOX switches come with springs with smaller diameter, apparently.

Kailh has some non-box switches with click bars though.

[Ilostmytoeinvietnam]

Please please PLEASE don’t buy mx, gateron, Kailh, or greetech green or blue for the base switch. These all have the same common problem, and instead go with kailh box navy, jade, white, or pink for the base switch. As far as it goes for the spring, some clear and speed switches go down to 30g of force, and you could locally source your own springs as well. However, “blue style” (that hurt to type) has down to 40g springs, and as long as you don’t spring swap with a cherry switch you will be fine. Gateron would be the best option probably. For linears, people always spring swap with gateron red, yellow, or black, depending on what their preferred weighting is and their typing style. And those are the cheep variants. So yeah, choose gateron springs.

[Ilostmytoeinvietnam]

Also the thing that makes some click switches better is the same reason that makes tactile switches better. The type of tactility. Some people like a light tactility, and some people like bone crushing tactility, but the thing that most people can agree on is that the sharper the tactility, or the less rounded (like in rubber domes) the better. Click switches do this amazingly, unless it uses a click jacket of course. Alps skcm amber is the sharpest switch basically ever, and it isn’t that incredibly hard to find. However, for people who don’t like this sharp tactility, you could consider topre, scorpios dome with slider, or btc dome with slider. These are all rubber dome, but they are better then most modern tactile switches anyway. There aren’t many clicks switches with a super rounded tactility, and the ones that do all feel and sound like shit anyway. So your better off with something like the kailh box switches that have that sharper tactility. I hope that cleared up some things.