Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) vs Cherry MX Linear Grey
The Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) and the Cherry MX Linear Grey are not the same kind of switch, so this comparison is settled by which stroke you want before a single number matters. Our switch library links the two to each other for that reason. Play the A/B bursts below to hear them back to back, match the volumes, then read the spec table and the verdict.
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 | Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) | Cherry MX Linear Grey |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 80 g | 80 g |
| Bottom-out force | 105 g (our estimate) | not published |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Cherry advertises an actuation force for both of these, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other. Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile), so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
Start with feel: the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) gives you a tactile stroke and the Cherry MX Linear Grey a linear one, and no amount of tuning changes that. Both are rated 80 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each, so the spec sheet will not settle weight. With the numbers this close, the honest tiebreak is the voice: deep, dense thud; heavyweight tactile landing on the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile), deep and heavy; a slow, weighty clack on the Cherry MX Linear Grey. By use case, then: the Cherry MX Linear Grey for gaming, the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Cherry MX Linear Grey
- Typing pick
- Cherry MX Grey (Tactile)
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Grey (Tactile)
Force curves
Cherry MX Grey (Tactile)
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 105 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.
Cherry MX Linear Grey
Cherry 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 Grey (Tactile) or Cherry MX Linear Grey: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. Feel splits them at the root: the Cherry MX Linear Grey runs smooth the whole way down while the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) raises a bump at the point it registers. Both come out at 80 g at actuation, and actuation is the only point with a figure for each of them, so the tie is on the spec sheet rather than proven in the hand. Distance is not the difference: both register at 2.0 mm and stop at 4.0 mm. Everything after this is a refinement of a choice you have already made by picking a type.
The ears usually get the last word here. Played back to back, the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) is deep, dense thud; heavyweight tactile landing against deep and heavy; a slow, weighty clack from the Cherry MX Linear Grey. The usual caveat applies. Nothing here is a studio recording; both packs are synthesized from published specs, and the players say so.
On cost and convenience, both are mid priced. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the Cherry MX Linear Grey, because nothing interrupts fast repeated presses on its linear stroke. A long draft: the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile), since the bump gives your fingers a landmark on every keystroke. A room with other people in it: the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile), as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. Do the listening first. It costs nothing and it changes minds more often than a spec table does.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) page and the Cherry MX Linear Grey page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) or the Cherry MX Linear Grey?
We pick the Cherry MX Linear Grey for gaming. Its linear stroke has no bump or click to interrupt fast repeated presses, which is exactly what rapid inputs reward.
Is the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) quieter than the Cherry MX Linear Grey?
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 Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) leans toward deep, dense thud; heavyweight tactile landing, while the Cherry MX Linear Grey is deep and heavy; a slow, weighty clack.
Which switch is heavier, the Cherry MX Grey (Tactile) or the Cherry MX Linear Grey?
Neither, as far as the published numbers go: both are rated 80 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each. Bottom-out is where two switches matched at actuation often diverge, but neither switch here has a published bottom-out figure at all. Treat this as a tie on the spec sheet rather than a proven match in the hand.
More comparisons
More vs Cherry MX Grey (Tactile)
More vs Cherry MX Linear Grey
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.