Alps SKCM Black vs Cherry MX Clear
The Alps SKCM Black and the Cherry MX Clear do not fit the same keyboard, so this comparison starts with what you already own rather than with how either one sounds. Our switch library already points each of these at the other. Hear them back to back below with the trims matched before you read a single number.
Hear them back to back
simulated from real specssound loads on your first tapShortcuts: press A or B anywhere outside a text box to fire that burst. Use the volume trims to loudness-match the pair before judging which sounds better.
Spec by spec
| Spec | Alps SKCM Black | Cherry MX Clear |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 70 g | 65 g |
| Bottom-out force | not published | 95 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.7 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.5 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | No | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both makers rate these at actuation, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis. The figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for the Cherry MX Clear. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
This is a tactile versus tactile contest: the Alps SKCM Black and the Cherry MX Clear share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. These are not drop-in alternatives to each other. The Alps SKCM Black needs a board built for it and will not take ordinary MX keycaps. Weight is nearly even at actuation: 70 g for the Alps SKCM Black against 65 g, a gap most fingers will barely register. By use case, then: the Alps SKCM Black for gaming and a shared office, the Cherry MX Clear for typing.
- Gaming pick
- Alps SKCM Black
- Typing pick
- Cherry MX Clear
- Office pick
- Alps SKCM Black
Force curves
Alps SKCM Black
Alps publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the dashed end of the curve is an estimate, not a spec. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers.
Cherry MX Clear
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 95 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Alps SKCM Black or Cherry MX Clear: the long answer
This pair has a fit problem to clear before feel or sound matter. The Alps SKCM Black does not use an MX style stem, so it will not drop into a standard hot-swap board or accept ordinary MX keycaps. The Alps SKCM Black is premium priced, while the Cherry MX Clear is mid priced. Neither ships lubed, so budget an evening with a brush if you want either at its best.
That leaves the stroke itself. On distance the Alps SKCM Black registers at 1.7 mm against 2.0 mm, and the full stroke runs 3.5 mm on the Alps SKCM Black against 4.0 mm on the Cherry MX Clear. At actuation they sit 5 g apart, 70 g against 65 g, close enough that lube and housing will decide the feel before the spring does. Type is not in play. Both are tactiles, and both give a finger something to aim at on the way down. Same family of stroke, so read the detail rather than the headline.
The ears usually get the last word here. The Alps SKCM Black sits at duller, softer vintage tap; the Cherry MX Clear answers with deep thud with a heavy, emphatic bottom-out. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
So who should buy which? For gaming we lean toward the Alps SKCM Black, because the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. For long typing sessions the Cherry MX Clear makes the stronger case, since nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. And if your keyboard shares a room with other people, the Alps SKCM Black is the one we would trust, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. Whichever way you land, listen to both above with the volume trims matched before you spend anything.
For either one on its own terms, read the Alps SKCM Black page and the Cherry MX Clear page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Alps SKCM Black or the Cherry MX Clear?
We pick the Alps SKCM Black for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Is the Alps SKCM Black quieter than the Cherry MX Clear?
They are close. Neither is a silent switch and neither clicks, so loudness depends mostly on how hard you bottom out and the board they sit in. Their character differs though: the Alps SKCM Black leans toward duller, softer vintage tap, while the Cherry MX Clear is deep thud with a heavy, emphatic bottom-out.
Which has the heavier spring, the Alps SKCM Black or the Cherry MX Clear?
The Alps SKCM Black. Both brands publish at actuation, which makes 70 g against 65 g an honest 5 g rather than two numbers from different rulers.
Can the Alps SKCM Black and the Cherry MX Clear go in the same keyboard?
No. The Alps SKCM Black does not use an MX style stem, so it needs a board built for it and will not take ordinary MX keycaps, while the Cherry MX Clear is a standard MX switch. Whichever you pick decides the keyboard, not the other way round.
More comparisons
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