| Switch Type: | Clicky |
| Mount Type: | Plate Mount |
| Travel Distance: | 2.2mm Actuation | 3.5mm Total |
| Force: | 37g Operating | 70g Bottom-out |
| Price: | $24.99 (45 pieces) on Akko £5.50 (10 pieces) on Mechboards |
The TTC Gold (or Golden) Blue is a silenced clicky switch. Yes, you read that right. A silenced clicky switch. It’s a weird one.
TL;DR
It may have quirky specs and even quirkier typing characteristics, but it isn’t too dissimilar from the Cherry MX Blue as these TTC switches use the same click jacket mechanism. However, the silencing feature, though pointless, does contribute to an intriguing sound produced by the switch. It made me chuckle for 5 minutes straight, so I guess there’s that.
Smoothness: 8/10
On-centre keypresses are very smooth with only minor scratchiness at very slow keypresses.
Off-centre keypresses are slightly scratchier and are definitely noticeable at slow keypresses, but they are not present in usual typing conditions.
Overall, they’re very smooth and highly consistent. I don’t have any major complaints about them.
TTC Gold Blue switch disassembled.
Weighting: 5/10
According to TTC switch, these switches have an actuation force of 37g at 2.2mm, a peak tactile force of 58g and a total travel of 3.5mm.
In terms of the real-world key feel, the shorter travel was the first thing I felt, and unlike other switches with a shorter travel, I never got used to these at all. It’s still a weird feeling.
Additionally, the switches have a very light weighting and have quite a lot of pre-travel before actuating, but does not provide a lot of overtravel after actuation which results in an unbalanced switch feel.
However, they were extremely consistent throughout my testing period and I didn’t encounter any inconsistencies regarding the weighting which was a pleasant sign.
Overall, they are extremely consistent switches, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the shorter travel nor the light weighting.
Sound: 4/10
They are click jacket switches, so I expected them to sound just like every other click jacket switch. However, they sound a slightly different as there is a dampening pad at the bottom of the bottom housing which reduces noise.
Unfortunately, they retain the ever-so-annoying high-pitched clicky sound that every other switch with click jackets make which is no good. I’d say they’re even more ear piercing than say, a Cherry MX Blue switch as there is minimal bottom-out sound to offset the clicky noise.
Overall, for click jacket switch enthusiasts, this is probably a holy grail switch. But I’m steering clear of this one.
Typing Performance: 6/10
Similar to the Weighting category, the shorter than usual travel is what I noticed first, then mushiness shortly after. Though I will admit that the mushiness isn’t as bad as fully dampened switches; it can be felt, but I quickly got used to it.
On a more positive note, the switches have a reasonably crisp feeling tactile bump unlike in most click jacket switches – not sure why this is, but I suspect it’s the sharper than usual bump drop-off before actuation.
Additionally, the overall consistency and smoothness were pretty much spot-on! I had zero issues with these aspects throughout my testing period. Then again, I’ve not had any major issues in both aspects with newer TTC switches. Hopefully they keep it up!
Now, onto a downside. The overall weighting. It was manageable and fairly usable for me, but it is on the light side which I don’t prefer. Accidental keypresses were common and sometimes proved to be a nuisance, but at 37g, I expected far worse. The fact that it’s a clicky switch probably saved it.
Overall, I consider these a slight upgrade from the MX Blue, though a real upgrade would be Kailh BOX White or Kailh BOX Pink switches. Still, they aren’t too bad.
Gaming Performance: 6/10
Unlike in the other categories, when it comes to gaming and only when it comes to gaming, I did not notice the shorter travel. I did however notice the light weighting which again, wasn’t bad, but not ideal for my preferences.
Also, the clicky sound wasn’t as present in louder and faster-paced games. Though, it does penetrate through in slower-paced games or in quieter scenes which is unfortunate, but this was expected.
But sound aside, the switches performed reasonably well in both fast and slow-paced games. They were smooth and consistent enough. The only real downside is the frequent mushiness feeling when you bottom-out (which happens often given the actuation is very close to the bottom-out).
Overall, I’ve yet to find a well-designed clicky switch for gaming. This isn’t one of those.
Final Score = 29/50 (58%)
Places to purchase this switch:
Amazon | Akko | Mechboards