Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca vs Zeal PC Tealios V2
One of these is ready out of the bag and one is a project: the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca comes factory lubed, the Zeal PC Tealios V2 does not. Our library of every switch we simulate cross-links them because this matchup keeps coming up. Start with the A/B bursts below, then take the spec table and the picks in order.
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 | Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca | Zeal PC Tealios V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | 48 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 62 g | 67 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Premium |
| Street price | varies | ~$1.00 / switch |
Both makers rate these at bottom-out, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis.
Verdict
Both the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. One of them is ready out of the bag: the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca is lubed at the factory and the other is not. The Zeal PC Tealios V2 is the firmer of the two at bottom-out, 67 g to 62 g, though 5 g is not much to choose between. We land on the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca for every use we score, and it is the one that carries less across a room, so the Zeal PC Tealios V2 makes sense only if you preferred its voice in the player above.
- Overall pick
- Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca
Gaming, typing and a shared office all point at the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca, so printing the same name three times would tell you nothing. One pick it is.
Force curves
Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca
Zeal PC Tealios V2
Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or Zeal PC Tealios V2: the long answer
Start with what you will have to do to them, not with how they feel. Both are premium priced, with the Zeal PC Tealios V2 at roughly $1.00 per switch, about $70 for a typical 70 pack and no reliable street price for the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca. Only the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca comes factory lubed, so the Zeal PC Tealios V2 asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
On to the mechanical side. At bottom-out they sit 5 g apart, 67 g against 62 g, close enough that lube and housing will decide the feel before the spring does. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. The two stroke depths are identical, 2.0 mm to actuation inside 4.0 mm of total travel. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Put them through the player above and the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca lands as smooth clacky-bright bottom-out, benchmark clean where the Zeal PC Tealios V2 lands as bright, slightly hollow glassy clack. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
Who buys which, then? One switch takes every axis we score: the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. On typing feel, it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. On noise, it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. That leaves the Zeal PC Tealios V2 to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca page and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or the Zeal PC Tealios V2 the better gaming switch?
We pick the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca for gaming. This is close to a coin toss. The scoring hands it over by a margin you would not feel in a match.
Which is quieter, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or the Zeal PC Tealios V2?
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 Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca leans toward smooth clacky-bright bottom-out, benchmark clean, while the Zeal PC Tealios V2 is bright, slightly hollow glassy clack.
Which switch is heavier, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or the Zeal PC Tealios V2?
The Zeal PC Tealios V2. Both brands publish at bottom-out, which makes 67 g against 62 g an honest 5 g rather than two numbers from different rulers.
Do the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 need lubing?
The Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Zeal PC Tealios V2 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.
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