How Loud Are Mechanical Keyboards?

This post will discuss in detail How Loud Are Mechanical Keyboards? And why do mechanical keyboards make loud noises?

Mechanical keyboards have different typing sounds depending on the type of switch used. How loud the sound produced by a mechanical keyboard depends on the type of switch used. There are 3 types of switches for mechanical keyboards, namely linear, tactile, and clicky switches.

How loud are mechanical keyboards? While mechanical keyboards that use linear switches generally produce the quietest sound, mechanical keyboards that use tactile switches produce a slightly louder sound, and mechanical keyboards that use clicky switches produce the loudest typing sound.

The switch is the most influential thing for the typing sound produced by the mechanical keyboard

The Mechanical Keyboard is one of the gaming gear that gamers want because it has a different feel for each switch. For those of you who don’t know, the switch in question is a switch under the keycaps (keys with letters/numbers) which functions to press input commands.

This mechanical keyboard switch has several characteristics / character switches that are often mentioned in forums and reviewers. But this time in this article, we only discuss 3 switch characters:

Linear

Linear switches are switches that are directly pressed without any feedback at all or can be said to be smooth when pressed. This switch is commonly used by gamers or e-sports athletes who like this switch. Because this switch provides a quick response, it is important for gamers who need a keyboard with a fast reaction without any feedback on the keyboard at all. The switch that has this character is the Red Switch.

Tactile

Tactile switches are switches that provide bump or protruding feedback. This switch is always the middle option if the user wants to use the mechanical keyboard for typing or playing games. Because the tactile switch has a switch character that is quite comfortable to use for typing, because it has feedback so that the user can know the button he has pressed has actually been pressed or not and the user also gets a responsive keyswitch response. The switch that has this character is the Brown Switch.

Clicky

Clicky switch is a switch that provides clicky feedback or makes a clicking sound when pressing it. Some people like this switch because this switch gives very clear feedback when we press it. So that the user can find out whether the button he presses has actually been pressed or not and this Clicky switch also gives an eargasm effect for some people because of the clicky sound earlier. The switch that has this character is the Blue Switch.

Mechanical Keyboard With Linear Switch

Produces the quietest typing sound

Mechanical keyboard using linear switches produces the quietest typing sound. Some of the most popular examples of linear switches are Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Black, Gateron Red, Kailh BOX Red, Kailh Red, and Outemu Red. Here are the sounds produced by a mechanical keyboard using linear switches:

Mechanical Keyboard With Tactile Switch

Produces The Slightly Loud typing sound

Mechanical keyboards that use tactile switches tend to produce a rather loud typing sound. But the resulting sound is rather quiet and not too loud. Some of the most popular tactile switches include Cherry MX Brown, Gateron Brown, Kalih BOX Brown, and Outemu Brown. Here is a sample of the typing sound produced by a mechanical keyboard with tactile switches:

Mechanical Keyboard With Clicky Switch

Produces The Loudest typing sound

It is common knowledge that a mechanical keyboard that uses a clicky switch can produce very loud typing sounds. Mechanical keyboard with clciky switch produces the loudest typing sound compared to linear and tactile switches. Some of the most popular clicky switches available today, such as Cherry MX Blue, Gateron Blue, and Outemu Blue, can produce similar, loud typing sounds. The following is a sample of the typing sound produced by a mechanical keyboard with a clicky switch:

Other Factors That Can Affect Typing Sounds on a Mechanical Keyboard

There are several factors that can affect the typing sound that a mechanical keyboard can produce. Here is the explanation:

• Mechanical Keyboard Case Design: A mechanical keyboard case can have a big impact on the typing sound that can be produced. The thicker the mechanical keyboard casing will provide a wider resonance space so that the mechanical keyboard can produce a louder typing sound.
• Unlubricated switches: The purpose of lubricating switches is to maintain and make the switch smoother and produce a quieter typing sound. Unlubricated switches generally produce a rather loud typing sound even on linear or tactile switches.
• Keycaps: The type of keycaps is also one of the factors that can determine how loud the typing sound is produced by a mechanical keyboard. Keycaps with thin designs such as cheap ABS keycaps can make mechanical keyboards produce a louder sound compared to quality PBT keycaps which have thick designs that can muffle typing sounds better.

How Loud Are Mechanical Keyboards?

The typing sound produced by a mechanical keyboard depends on the type of switch used. The following are the results of testing how loud the sound can be produced by each type of switch when used for typing:

So, How Loud Are Mechanical Keyboards?

Based on the loudest to quietest sound level on a mechanical keyboard, it is influenced by the type of switch used. The following is the order of the typefaces produced by the mechanical keyboard based on the type of switches used, starting from the loudest to the quietest:

• Mechanical Keyboard with Clicky Switches: Produces the loudest typing sound
• Mechanical Keyboard With Tactile Switches: Produces a slightly louder typing sound but no louder than a clicky switch. This type of switch is in the middle between linear and clicky switches.
• Mechanical Keyboard with Linear Switches: Produces the quietest and softest typing sound.