Durock POM Linear vs NovelKeys NK Cream
The Durock POM Linear and the NovelKeys NK Cream are separated mostly by spring weight, 7 g of it at actuation, with the NovelKeys NK Cream the firmer press and the Durock POM Linear the easier one to hold down. Our library of every switch we simulate 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 | NovelKeys NK Cream |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | actuation |
| Actuation force | 48 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 63.5 g | 70 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.7 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Premium |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Durock advertises a bottom-out force for the Durock POM Linear and NovelKeys an actuation force for the NovelKeys NK Cream, so the two headline numbers are not measured at the same point. Compare row by row, not brand claim to brand claim.
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Durock POM Linear and the NovelKeys NK Cream share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. The NovelKeys NK Cream is the firmer of the two at actuation, 55 g to 48 g, though 7 g is not much to choose between. Only the Durock POM Linear arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. Our picks: the Durock POM Linear for gaming and a shared office, the NovelKeys NK Cream for typing.
- Gaming pick
- Durock POM Linear
- Typing pick
- NovelKeys NK Cream
- Office pick
- Durock POM Linear
Force curves
Durock POM Linear
NovelKeys NK Cream
Durock POM Linear or NovelKeys NK Cream: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. At actuation the NovelKeys NK Cream is the firmer press, 55 g against 48 g, a difference you notice after a paragraph rather than on the first keystroke. Durock and NovelKeys are both selling you linears here, so neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press. They register at the same 2.0 mm, then part company on depth: 4.0 mm on the NovelKeys NK Cream against 3.7 mm on the Durock POM Linear. Same family of stroke, so read the detail rather than the headline.
The ears usually get the last word here. Two different voices: deep rounded POM knock on the Durock POM Linear, unique rounded POM clack-thock, deep and resonant on the NovelKeys NK Cream. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
On the practical side, both are premium priced. One of them has already been lubed for you and one has not, which is worth more than the price gap if you were not planning to open 70 switches.
So who should buy which? For gaming we lean toward the Durock POM Linear, because the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. For long typing sessions the NovelKeys NK Cream 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 is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. Match the trims above, play both, and trust whichever one you keep replaying.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Durock POM Linear page and the NovelKeys NK Cream page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Durock POM Linear or the NovelKeys NK Cream?
We pick the Durock POM Linear 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 POM Linear or the NovelKeys NK Cream?
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 unique rounded POM clack-thock, deep and resonant from the NovelKeys NK Cream.
Durock POM Linear vs NovelKeys NK Cream: which one is the heavier press?
The NovelKeys NK Cream, by 7 g. Both figures are published at actuation, 55 g against 48 g, so they are measured at the same point and can be read straight.
Do the Durock POM Linear and the NovelKeys NK Cream need lubing?
The Durock POM Linear arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The NovelKeys NK Cream 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
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