| Switch Type: Linear | Mount: PCB Mount (5-pin) | Spring: Single Stage | Price: £13 (100pcs) on Akko |
| Top Housing: PC | Bottom Housing: PA12 | Stem: PC | Factory Lubed: Yes |
| Actuation Point (mm): | 1.0 | Actuation Point (mm): | 0.90 |
| Actuation Force (gf): | 35 ± 5 | Actuation Force (gf): | 35.8 |
| Total Travel (mm): | 3.6 ± 0.2 | Total Travel (mm): | 3.41 |
| Reset Point (mm): | 1.0 | Reset Point (mm): | 0.86 |
| Bottom-out Force (gf): | 50 | Bottom-out Force (gf): | 44.5 |
| Stem Length (mm): | 13.99 | ||
DISCLAIMER | Please Read:
These switches were sent by Akko for review and testing purposes. No one paid me to write this review, and impartiality will always be a top priority here at KeebWorks.
TL;DR
It’s a speed switch designed for competitive gaming. Although these are the most consistent I’ve ever tested! They’re roughly 5g lighter than the Cherry MX Silver at the start of their travel, but this increases to about 15g towards the end.
It’s a perfectly suitable switch for its purpose, but its main selling point is their price; they’re going for only £13 for 45 switches – that’s cheaper than some speed switches on the market.
Smoothness: 10/10
On-centre keypresses are ultra smooth, with zero scratchiness even at very slow keypresses.
Off-centre keypresses are also ultra smooth.
Overall, even though these are contact-based switches, they rival HE switches smoothness wise; these are mighty impressive!
Akko Crystal Silver U1 switch disassembled.
Weighting: 7/10
Now, according to Akko these switches have an actuation force of 35g at 1.0mm and a total travel of 3.6mm, bottoming-out at 50g.
Akko Crystal Silver U1 force curve.
As you can see from the force curve above, the Akko Crystal Silver U1 is on spec in all areas.
Akko Crystal Silver U1 consistency force curve.
As you can see above, the switches are ultra consistent with only very slight weighting variances between the 3 switches – I mean, Switch 1 (blue line) and Switch 3 (black line) are practically the same to where it doesn’t look like there is a blue line at all!
Akko Crystal Silver U1 vs. Cherry MX Red force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Akko Cystal Silver U1 and the Cherry MX Red. On the downstroke, the MX Red starts off a few grams lighter, but there is a crossover point at ~1.3mm where MX Red starts to become heavier than the Cystal Silver. When the Crystal Silver bottoms out, there is a ~5-6g difference in weighting and a ~0.6mm difference in travel.
Akko Crystal Silver U1 vs. Cherry MX Silver force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Akko Crystal Silver U1 and the Cherry MX RGB Silver. The Cherry switch starts off ~5g heavier and ends up being ~15g heavier towards the end of its travel. The Crystal Silver is lighter in weighting throughout, but they have roughly the same travel distance.
Overall, these are ultra consistent, lightly weighted linear switches with a high actuation point. They personally aren’t for me as I prefer heavier switches with a lower actuation point. But these are ideal switches for those looking for something more sensitive.
Sound: 8/10
They have a typical clacky signature on my case (like with most switches) which I really like! Plus, they don’t have any ‘scratchy’ noises as they’re properly lubed.
Overall, I think these could sound thockier on plastic case, but if ultra thock is what you’re looking for, skip these.
The Akko Crystal Silver U1 stem length is 13.99mm.
Typing Performance: 7/10
Firstly, these compete with hall-effect switches in terms of smoothness and consistency, which I did not expect at all!
Secondly, as they are ultra consistent, I didn’t manage to make a lot of typos even though their weighting isn’t to my preference, which is always a positive sign, and even more so given these have a high actuation point.
Overall, my wish right now is for Akko to make a heavier variant of this switch with a lower actuation point – I think those would be my dream linear switches. But these aren’t terrible either, and they’re an excellent alternative to the Cherry MX Silver.
Gaming Performance: 8/10
These performed very well in both fast and slow-paced games without a fuss – they were smooth and consistent throughout with no signs of scratchiness or hesitation.
However, I found myself accidentally holding down a key for a few seconds in many fast-paced situations, as I tend to lean on my keys very often, which isn’t ideal given these have a high actuation point.
Overall, these are top-tier gaming switches for those looking for a premium speed switch without the premium price tag that many come with.
Final Score = 40/50 (80%)