Durock POM Linear vs Gateron Oil King
Weight is the real gap here: 7 g between the Gateron Oil King and the Durock POM Linear at actuation, which is enough to change how a long session ends. 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 | Durock POM Linear | Gateron Oil King |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | actuation |
| Actuation force | 48 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 63.5 g | 80 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.7 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | ~$0.65 / switch |
Durock advertises a bottom-out force for the Durock POM Linear and Gateron an actuation force for the Gateron Oil King, 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 POM Linear and the Gateron Oil King are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. Their springs sit close together, just 7 g apart at actuation, with the Gateron Oil King the marginally firmer press. The Gateron Oil King is the cheaper board to fill by a full bracket, mid priced against premium priced. The scoring splits them: the Durock POM Linear for gaming and a shared office, the Gateron Oil King for typing.
- Gaming pick
- Durock POM Linear
- Typing pick
- Gateron Oil King
- Office pick
- Durock POM Linear
Force curves
Durock POM Linear
Gateron Oil King
Durock POM Linear or Gateron Oil King: the long answer
Put the two side by side on paper before you trust your ears. The Gateron Oil King carries the heavier spring at actuation, 55 g to 48 g. That is a real 7 g without being a change of bracket. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Actuation lands at 2.0 mm on both, but the Durock POM Linear bottoms out 0.3 mm sooner, 3.7 mm against 4.0 mm. Nothing here is decisive on its own, which is why the sound comparison matters more than usual on this pair.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Two different voices: deep rounded POM knock on the Durock POM Linear, deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied on the Gateron Oil King. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
On cost and convenience, the Durock POM Linear is premium priced, while the Gateron Oil King is mid priced at roughly $0.65 per switch, about $46 for a typical 70 pack. Both arrive lubed from the factory, which is one project you can skip either way.
So who should buy which? For gaming we lean toward the Durock POM Linear, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. For long typing sessions the Gateron Oil King makes the stronger case, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. And if your keyboard shares a room with other people, the Durock POM Linear is the one we would trust, as it makes the least fuss of the pair in a shared space. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Durock POM Linear page and the Gateron Oil King page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Durock POM Linear or the Gateron Oil King the better gaming switch?
We pick the Durock POM Linear for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Which of the Durock POM Linear and the Gateron Oil King is quieter in a shared room?
Volume is roughly a wash: no dampening and no click mechanism on either, so your typing force and your case decide the level. The character is not a wash, with the Durock POM Linear reading as deep rounded POM knock against deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied from the Gateron Oil King.
Which has the heavier spring, the Durock POM Linear or the Gateron Oil King?
The Gateron Oil King, and the comparison is clean: actuation on both sides, 55 g to 48 g.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Durock POM Linear or the Gateron Oil King?
The Gateron Oil King sits in the mid priced bracket and the Durock POM Linear 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
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