Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca vs TTC Ace
These two cross over on force: one is firmer at actuation and the other at bottom-out, so "which is heavier" has two correct answers on this page. Our switch library puts these two on each other's shortlist, and the player below is the fastest way to settle it: match the volumes, then work down through the 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 | Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca | TTC Ace |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | actuation |
| Actuation force | 48 g | 53 g |
| Bottom-out force | 62 g | 60 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) advertises a bottom-out force for the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca and TTC an actuation force for the TTC Ace, so the two headline numbers are not measured at the same point. Compare row by row, not brand claim to brand claim.
Verdict
Both the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca and the TTC Ace are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. The springs cross over, so neither is simply the heavier switch: the TTC Ace leads at actuation, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca leads at bottom-out, and which you feel depends on how far you press. Price splits them too: the TTC Ace is the mid priced option while the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca sits in the premium priced bracket, which adds up across a 70 switch board. Nothing here separates by use case: the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca is our pick for gaming and for typing, and it is the safer of the two in a shared room. Take the TTC Ace only if you specifically want refined muted clack, condensed and clean.
- Overall pick
- Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca
Our three scores agree on this pair. The Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca takes all of them, which is why there is a single card above instead of three.
Force curves
Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca
TTC Ace
Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or TTC Ace: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. Weight refuses to pick a side: the TTC Ace is the firmer press at actuation by 5 g, and the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca is the heavier of the two at bottom-out by 2 g. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Distance is not the difference: both register at 2.0 mm and stop at 4.0 mm. None of these gaps is large. Stack them up and they still point somewhere, but gently.
The ears usually get the last word here. Put them through the player above and the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca lands as smooth clacky-bright bottom-out, benchmark clean where the TTC Ace lands as refined muted clack, condensed and clean. Both packs are synthesized rather than recorded, so read the comparison as a faithful sketch of each voice and not as a measurement of it.
On what they cost to fill a board, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca is premium priced, while the TTC Ace is mid priced. Both arrive lubed from the factory, which is one project you can skip either way.
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, the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. On typing feel, its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. On noise, it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. That leaves the TTC Ace 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.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca page and the TTC Ace page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or the TTC Ace?
We pick the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Is the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca quieter than the TTC Ace?
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 TTC Ace is refined muted clack, condensed and clean.
Which has the heavier spring, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or the TTC Ace?
That depends on where you measure, because these two cross over. The TTC Ace is the firmer press at actuation, 53 g against 48 g, but that reverses at bottom-out, where the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca is the heavier of the two at 62 g against 60 g. Which number matters depends on whether you press to actuation or all the way down, so weight is not a clean win for either.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca or the TTC Ace?
The TTC Ace sits in the mid priced bracket and the Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca in the premium priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
More comparisons
More vs Durock (JWK for PrimeKB) Alpaca
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.