Cherry MX Low Profile Red vs Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33)
The Cherry MX Low Profile Red and the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) register at different depths, 0.5 mm apart, which is the kind of difference you feel in a game long before you notice it in a spec table. Our library of every switch we simulate 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 | Cherry MX Low Profile Red | Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 45 g |
| Bottom-out force | not published | not published |
| Pre-travel | 1.2 mm | 1.7 mm |
| Total travel | 3.2 mm | 3 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | 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.
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Cherry MX Low Profile Red and the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. The Cherry MX Low Profile Red also actuates earlier, 1.2 mm of pre-travel against 1.7 mm, which fast players tend to notice. Both are rated 45 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each, so the spec sheet will not settle weight. The scoring splits them: the Cherry MX Low Profile Red for gaming, the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Cherry MX Low Profile Red
- Typing pick
- Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33)
- Office pick
- Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33)
Force curves
Cherry MX Low Profile Red
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.
Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33)
Gateron 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 Low Profile Red or Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33): the long answer
Read the spec sheet once, carefully, and most of this decision makes itself. Neither the trigger point nor the depth matches: 1.2 mm to actuation on the Cherry MX Low Profile Red against 1.7 mm, and 3.0 mm of total travel on the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) against 3.2 mm. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press. Both come out at 45 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. None of these gaps is large. Stack them up and they still point somewhere, but gently.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Through the A/B player above, the Cherry MX Low Profile Red comes through as shallow, brighter clack with little body, while the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) reads as shallow, brighter clack; slim-board voice. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
On price and practicality, both are mid priced. Only the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) comes factory lubed, so the Cherry MX Low Profile Red asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
This one genuinely splits. The Cherry MX Low Profile Red for games, because it wins on a shorter distance to actuation. The Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) for writing, since its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. The Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) for an office, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. None of this beats hearing them yourself, which the player above lets you do in about a minute.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Cherry MX Low Profile Red page and the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Cherry MX Low Profile Red or the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33)?
We pick the Cherry MX Low Profile Red for gaming. Of the two it has the quicker, less intrusive stroke, winning on a shorter distance to actuation.
Which is quieter, the Cherry MX Low Profile Red or the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33)?
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 Low Profile Red leans toward shallow, brighter clack with little body, while the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) is shallow, brighter clack; slim-board voice.
Cherry MX Low Profile Red vs Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33): which one is the heavier press?
Neither, as far as the published numbers go: both are rated 45 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.
Do the Cherry MX Low Profile Red and the Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) need lubing?
The Gateron Low Profile Red (KS-33) arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Cherry MX Low Profile Red does not, and on a full board that is an evening of work if you want it at its smoothest. Plenty of people run unlubed switches happily; it is a question of whether a slightly drier stroke bothers you.
More comparisons
More vs Cherry MX Low Profile Red
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