Switch Specifications:
Linear | 3.7mm | 45g actuation | Plate Mount | ~£0.80 per switch
A light and quiet switch from Cherry rivalling the now more common rubber dome keyboard. The switch retains the mechanical feel as expected, whilst not being too mushy. It’s 45g also weighting makes it a good candidate for a gaming switch, although adjusting to it may not be a comfortable process.
Here’s the video review if you prefer watching content:
Smoothness: 5/10
There is an inconsistent scratch between the switches, but it’s mostly unnoticeable, unless you really feel for it. At the end of the day, it’s a Cherry switch, so it’s almost expected that is isn’t going to be smooth. It’s not bad though, just make sure your expectations are reasonable.
Weighting: 6/10
It’s no surprise I lean towards heavier switches, but I am a fan of the weighting…for gaming anyway. The Cherry MX Brown in comparison didn’t fare well as that was marketed as a ‘hybrid’ switch for both ‘gaming and typing’. This switch is different. It is both light and quiet making it suitable for gaming, especially during the night.
Cherry MX Silent Red disassembled
Sound: 5/10
This is the interesting part. The image below shows dampeners on the side of the stem. They absorb sound produced from both the downstroke and upstroke. This is how it achieves its goal as a silent switch. Pretty neat.
They do still produce sound though. They’re not exactly “silent” as the name would suggest. However, this makes silent switches hard to grade as being quiet is the whole point. Still, it gets a 5 in this regard as they don’t sound terrible.
Cherry MX Silent Red (left) and TTC Gold V2 Red (right) stem
Typing Performance: 4/10
Definitely the weakest point of the switch. It usually takes me a few days to get used to a switch, but it took me a full week to finally stop mashing the keys like a madman and it’s because of the mushiness feel for every keystroke.
I struggled to really like this switch throughout my 2-week testing period, only really praising it for its gaming advantages, but if you’re just looking for a quiet switch for office use, this is a good choice.
Gaming Performance: 7/10
Do you find traditional linear switches to be too loud? Here’s the switch for you.
The switch has a 45g weighting, a shorter 3.7mm travel and it’s quiet! This essentially makes it a straight upgrade from the Cherry MX Red…for gaming anyway. Unlocking its full potential will require you to get used to it, which may or may not be a comfortable transition. That’s a big downside.
Final Score = 27/50 (54%)
Great Article, great review, great video! Like how you have dissected the key switches and showed the independent components that make up this red Cherry Mx switch. I personally am a fan of the blue switch.