Mechanical Keyboard Gateron Brown Switches – 70 Pack

Whether you’re smashing out code, enemy bots, or your face against that keyboard, you will certainly enjoy the high-speed comfort that the glorious Mechanical Keyboard has to offer. Over the past decade, Mechanical Keyboards have risen in popularity, especially among gamers, thanks to their superior responsive design and wide customisation. For us DIYers, that custom nature sparks even deeper interest and possibilities for 3D printing unique keyboard layouts and keycaps. Mechanical Keyboards make awesome projects for even first time Tinkerers to gain Electronics experience in soldering, building open-source projects and using microcontrollers, and end up with a truly brilliant keyboard! If you are looking to build your own Mechanical Keyboard, then you will need the core ingredient – high-quality Mechanical Switches like this pack of 70 Gateron Brown Switches.

Gateron Brown Switches are used in the making of many mechanical keyboards sold to gamers. While Cherry MX Switches are the golden premium for keyboards used by professional gamers, Gateron switches are an affordable and high-quality option for DIY Makers looking to delve into the delightful hobby of building custom mechanical keyboards. You have endless possibilities for your build like LED backlighting, ergonomic layouts, and sizes, but one of your first key decisions (excuse the pun) is choosing which switch key type is best for your personal comfort. This 70 pack of Gateron Brown Switches press down smoothly with a tactile bump and a soft click that will not disturb anyone around you as you type. Their mechanical characteristics mean fast responsiveness with a light press force which makes mechanical keyboards so comfortable and sought after.

Mechanical Keyboards vs Typical Office Keyboards

If you are a beginner Tinkerer or gamer, you might be wondering what all this hype around Mechanical Keyboards is about. How are they different? Well, besides the gorgeous aesthetic of mechanical keyboards, the biggest difference lies in the way each keyboard’s switches or keys actually work.

Typical keyboards use a rubber membrane between the key and the PCB underneath with disconnected circuits for each key. When you press a key down, you are flattening a rubber dome for the key to touch the board and complete the circuit’s connection thus typing the letter you need. These typical keyboards are cheap and simple, but the rubber membrane is prone to perishing and in comparison, are far slower and less comfortable than mechanical keyboards.

Mechanical keyboards, on the other hand, work on an entirely different principle. The keys are already connected to the PCB with a Mechanical Switch. Every keycap is fitted onto a switch inside which two metal circuit contacts are kept apart under tension. When you press a key down, the switch moves out of the way allowing the metal connections to snap together and type the letter you need. A spring jumps the key back up into place, separating the connection once more.

Many mechanical switch types don’t require you to press all the way down like a typical keyboard. Typing because significantly faster and lighter to the touch with less strain on your fingers. Of course, gamers in particular have gravitated to mechanical keyboards, saving precious seconds in reaction time, and decorating their superior keyboards with magical LED backlighting to match their PC setups. Mechanical keyboard builds are truly fun and rewarding projects for DIY Makers and Tinkerers.

Please Note: This package includes only the 70 Pack of Gateron Brown Switches. If you are looking for other packs of mechanical switches types and keyboard components, please be sure to check out our Mechanical Keyboards Range.

Additional Resources for Building Mechanical Keyboards:

• If this is your first time project or you’re looking for a nice refresher guide for your Mechanical Keyboard build, we recommend you checking out Tom Hardware’s Step-by-Step Guide How to Build a Custom Mechanical Keyboard.
• One of the first decisions you are faced with when planning your Mechanical Keyboard build is which Switch Key to use. Cherry MX Switches are the golden standard, but many options exist in their colour-coded types. While the best way to know is to try them out with a Cherry MX Switch Tester, we found WePC’s Cherry MX Switches Guide helpful to know what makes each colour unique and worth it for your personal comfort.

However, Cherry MX switches do come with a premium price tag, but luckily, they are not the only quality mechanical switches out there. Gateron Switches offer better affordability and make just as great Gamer Keyboards. We recommend you check out the Gateron Mechanical Switch Guide for the differences between Gateron’s coloured switch types to help you decide your best option.

• If the prospect of 3D Printing your very own Mechanical Keyboard excites you, we recommend checking out these sweet STLs for your Project:
  • Thing:4978541 – Lowest Mechanical Keyboard Case and Keycaps
  • Thing:3478494 – SiCK-68 Mechanical Keyboard
  • Thing:3019052 – Custom 68-Key Mechanical Keyboard Case
  • Thing:2783650 – KeyV2: Parametric Mechanical Keycap Library
  • Thing:1955421 – Customizable Cherry MX Keycaps
  • This Skeletyl Keyboard Build on GiftHub is complete with Fusion files and other resources to build an ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard.