Ok, here we go, let me share my experience with mechanical keyboard silent switches.
So, I’ve been using mechanical keyboards for years, right? Love the feel, the click, the whole thing. But lately, I’ve been doing more work from home, and my typing was driving my wife nuts. Seriously, she was ready to throw my keyboard out the window. I knew I had to do something.
That’s when I started looking into silent switches. I figured, hey, gotta keep the peace, right? I did a bunch of research online – watched some YouTube videos, read a ton of forum posts, the usual. There are so many options, it was kinda overwhelming at first.
Finally, I decided to go with the Gazzew Boba U4 silent tactile switches. I heard they were really quiet but still had a nice tactile bump. I ordered a batch of 68 switches (enough for my keyboard) from some online store. Took like a week to arrive, which felt like forever.
Once they got here, the fun began. I’d never actually swapped out keyboard switches before, so I was a little nervous. First, I had to pull all the keycaps off my old keyboard. I bought a keycap puller tool, made it easier. Then, I used a switch puller tool (also bought separately) to yank out the old switches. Man, some of those were really in there tight! I was worried I was gonna break something, but I managed to get them all out eventually.
Next up was installing the new Boba U4 switches. This was actually easier than removing the old ones. I just lined them up and pushed them into place. They snapped in with a satisfying little click. I did notice that a few of the switches were a little bent, the pins I mean, I had to straighten them out before I could get them in the keyboard properly, that took a while!
After all the new switches were in, I put the keycaps back on. This part was actually kinda satisfying. Seeing the keyboard all put back together with the new switches was a good feeling.
The moment of truth. I plugged the keyboard in and started typing. Wow! What a difference! The keys were so much quieter. Still had a nice tactile bump, but almost no noise. My wife actually came in and said, “Wow, that’s so much better!” Mission accomplished.
It wasn’t a perfect process. I bent a few pins, had to watch a few more YouTube tutorials when I got stuck, and definitely took longer than I expected. But overall, it was a really rewarding experience. Now I have a keyboard that feels great and doesn’t annoy everyone around me. Totally worth it.
- Research: Spend time looking at different switch types. YouTube is your friend.
- Tools: Get a keycap puller and a switch puller. Trust me, you’ll need them.
- Patience: Take your time and don’t force anything. You don’t want to break anything.
So, yeah, that’s my experience with silent switches. If you’re thinking about doing it, I say go for it. It’s a fun little project, and you’ll end up with a keyboard that’s perfect for your needs. Just don’t be surprised if you end up wanting to try out all sorts of different switches after this. It can be addictive!