Let me start by saying, I’m not your typical mechanical keyboard enthusiast. I don’t splurge on high-end switches, stabilisers, custom boards, and the like.

For the past few years, I was more than happy with my Razer Huntsman Elite, which came with optical tactile switches. However, due to the software limitations of Razer’s Synapse 3 (it offers zero support for macOS), I eventually hit a breaking point. Sure, third-party apps exist, but they don't offer all the features that Synapse 3 provides. To make matters worse, the multimedia scroll wheel on my keyboard was constantly malfunctioning. Typing more vigorously would trigger it, causing the volume to adjust up and down randomly. This was an issue I had on my previous BlackWidow Elite, which persisted on my warranty replacement (the Huntsman Elite). After all of this, I had finally had enough of overpriced keyboards. However, I was certain I’d never go back to a standard membrane keyboard.

Then, I stumbled upon an eBay auction for the Keychron K10 Pro with what I believe were the Keychron brown switches, for around £90 including postage. Curious, I decided to give it a try. I'd come across Keychron before, so it wasn't a blind purchase. I liked their design, and I figured it couldn’t be worse than my Razer setup. In all honesty, when I made the purchase, I had no idea the keyboard featured hot-swappable switches (awesome!) or QMK/VIA support (awesome x2!).

Fast forward about a year: the keyboard is still going strong, but I started to get bored with the stock brown switches. I wasn’t really into clicky or tactile switches - those always reminded me of the Razer experience - so I began exploring Reddit and YouTube for switch reviews. That’s when I discovered the concept of “thock” and “thocky” sounding switches. I knew I had to make my Keychron sound at least a little bit like that!

After several hours of research, I decided to go with the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro switches. They were inexpensive, and they could be delivered the next day via Prime in the UK. Once I installed them, I was in love with the sound! My keyboard had never sounded better. However, I soon realised these switches were much heavier than any others I’d used before. I spend over 10 hours a day typing and programming, so my hands would get tired by the end of the day. Maybe I was just falling into the trap of mechanical keyboard modding!

After more research, I decided to try the LEOBOG Graywood V3 switches, which were a bit more expensive but still reasonably priced. An hour after they arrived, I installed them. The sound was still enjoyable - though I felt they were a bit more “clicky” than the Milky Yellow Pros - but the springs were way too sensitive. The actuation force was so light that I kept accidentally triggering nearby keys. I spent a month adjusting my typing style to compensate for this sensitivity, but I knew these weren’t the right fit for me.

That’s when I came across the Vertex One switches. I’d seen and heard them mentioned in several YouTube videos, often referred to as the “thock kings,” so I decided to give them a try. However, I quickly learned that they weren’t shine-through, and they didn’t feature any RGB LED passthrough. This was a bummer, as I often work at night, and having RGB backlighting is really handy - even if I don’t need to constantly look at my keyboard.

After doing some more research (i.e., browsing AliExpress), I discovered the Vertex v1.2 switches (Nate Gentile x Vertex edition). There weren’t many videos or reviews about them, but I figured these were the v1.2 version of the very popular v1 switches. The main differences seemed to be improved RGB passthrough and a change in actuation point, so I thought, “What could go wrong?” I ordered them from AliExpress, and 10 days later, they arrived in the UK. These switches were double the price of the previous ones I’d bought, so I was hoping for a premium experience.

And I was not disappointed!

Right off the bat, these switches felt sturdier (though the Milky Yellows were also quite solid), with excellent RGB diffusion. They came pre-lubed (like the other switches), and overall, they felt high-quality. But the sound - wow. These have the creamiest, thockiest sound I’ve ever experienced with my K10 Pro. Most importantly, they’re not too soft, and not too heavy. I no longer make accidental typos; they feel just right.

Below is a quick sound comparison between my two most recent switches (K10 Pro, no mods):

I’m very pleased with my purchase, but it’s worth noting that these switches cost about double what the Milky Yellow Pros or Graywood V3 switches cost. To me, though, the extra expense was totally worth it.

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LINKS:

GATERON Milky Yellow Pro: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BBQ5QBBK

EPOMAKER LEOBOG Graywood V3: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BNL9DHBP

Vertex v1 (1.2): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008690919955.html