Gazzew Boba U4 (68g)

Switch Specifications:

Switch Type:	Tactile (Silent)
Mount Type:	PCB Mount
Force:	68g Bottom-out
Price:	~£6 (10 pieces)

The Gazzew Boba U4 is high-end silent tactile switch by Gazzew and it is the first switch to bare the “Gazzew” switch nameplate. This switch comes in 4 common variants – A 62g and a 68g variant they and both come in RGB ready housings and the more common off-white opaque housing.

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Here’s the video review if you prefer watching content:

Smoothness: 7/10

On-centre keypresses are very smooth with almost no scratchiness on normal keypresses, but there is noticeable scratchiness when pressed very slowly.

Off-centre keypresses are similar enough, but again, they are noticeably scratchier when pressed slowly. Additionally, there is an unpleasant scratchiness feel when pressed all the way down to the bottom for some of the switches.

Overall, despite the scratchiness I felt during slow keypresses, these are still relatively smooth switches. Though, I’d much rather prefer the Boba U4T as those are slightly smoother.

Gazzew Boba U4 switch disassembled.

Weighting: 9/10

According to Gazzew, these switches have a bottom-out force of 68g. Although, as mentioned above, they also come in a 62g weighting.

Now, I can’t say anything about the 62g weighting. However, it has been stated that the U4 and the U4T feel very similar in weighting with the only difference being one is designed to be quiet and one isn’t.

As for the 68g version that I have; it feels 95% just like the 62g Boba U4T with these feeling slightly heavier . There isn’t a massive margin between the two, and I’ve no idea why they sold in different weightings – it doesn’t make any sense to me. I think a 55-58g and a 68g variant would’ve made a little more sense.

Additionally, just like the U4T, these do not have any pre-travel before the tactile event, and they don’t feel any shorter travel distance wise either.

Overall, I slightly prefer the weighting of the U4T, but these are a VERY close second. Still, I’d pick these over most switches if for whatever reason my U4Ts decide to go missing.

Sound: 7/10

As these are “silent switches” it’s obvious they’re very quiet, but that’s a big surprise given how tactile they are. You’d think they’d still be quite loud, but nope. Gazzew somehow managed to create a very quiet, actually tactile switch. It’s brilliant!

Now, I’m not a huge fan of silenced switches, so this isn’t my preferred sound signature, but I can at least say that these aren’t too bad. Additionally, the purpose of my build is to bring out switch sounds as much as possible, so this build isn’t ideal for these switches.

Overall, these switches deserve to be in an optimal build where quietness is highly prioritised as they’re very quiet whilst still being tactile.

Typing Performance: 7/10

In short and as mentioned above, these are essentially quiet U4Ts. They have a very similar tactile feel and travel. Plus, they’re also consistent in smoothness and weighting, so no issues here.

However, they do suffer in one area which is the bottom-out feel, there’s really no way you can “defeat” the hard, satisfying feel when a traditional mechanical switch bottoms out. The U4s, whilst better than most silent switches, still feel quite mushy when it bottoms out which I’m not a big fan of. Although, with that said, it’s not as mushy as I initially expected.

Moreover, to add to the mushiness factor, typing on these feels like walking on very thick carpeting which is also something I dislike the feel of.

Overall, despite its expected mushy nature, these are the BEST silent tactile switches I’ve ever typed on. It’ll be a while for another switch to overtake these. Just keep in mind that these are on the heavier side of things though, so it isn’t for everyone.

Gaming Performance: 8/10

In contrast to typing, gaming on these was a lot more comfortable for me especially during long hours as bottoming out was soft and mushy. This in turn made for a much more relaxed gaming experience.

Additionally, they were also very consistent in both smoothness and weighting just like the U4Ts, so this wasn’t an issue at all. These are switches you can use out of the box without any modifications, and most people would be pretty happy with them as they are.

Overall, the added mushiness was a bonus here making me prefer these for gaming compared to the U4Ts… didn’t think I’d be saying that. Anyway, if you’re looking for a silent tactile switch for gaming, here you go.

Final Score = 38/50 (76%)

 

Places to purchase this switch:

AliExpress | Daily Clack | KEYGEM

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