Durock T1 vs Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)
The Durock T1 arrives lubed and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) does not, which is an evening of work standing between two switches that otherwise look close. 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 T1 | Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | 55 g | 60 g |
| Bottom-out force | 67 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 | varies |
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
This is a tactile versus tactile contest: the Durock T1 and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. Only the Durock T1 arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. Their springs sit close together, just 5 g apart at actuation, with the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) the marginally firmer press. The Durock T1 comes out ahead of the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) for gaming and for typing, and it is the safer of the two in a shared room, so this comparison has one answer instead of a set of them.
- Overall pick
- Durock T1
This pair does not split by use case: the Durock T1 comes out ahead of the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) on all three, so there is one pick here rather than three.
Force curves
Durock T1
Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)
Durock T1 or Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch): the long answer
Start with what you will have to do to them, not with how they feel. Both are premium priced. Factory lube is on the Durock T1 alone. Budget the extra time if you pick the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) and want it at its best.
That leaves the stroke itself. Spring weight barely separates them, 5 g at actuation with the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) on the firmer side, which most fingers will not register. Both are tactiles either way, so both give a finger something to aim at on the way down. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. Same family of stroke, so read the detail rather than the headline.
What the table cannot tell you is how either one lands in a room. Played back to back, the Durock T1 is deep thocky tap with a big D-shaped bump against deep rounded thock with a snappy tactile knock from the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch). The usual caveat applies. Nothing here is a studio recording; both packs are synthesized from published specs, and the players say so.
Who buys which, then? One switch takes every axis we score: the Durock T1 is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. 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 Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. Before you order either, match the volume trims above and hear them back to back.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Durock T1 page and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Durock T1 or the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)?
We pick the Durock T1 for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Durock T1 or Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch): which one is quieter?
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 T1 leans toward deep thocky tap with a big D-shaped bump, while the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) is deep rounded thock with a snappy tactile knock.
Is the Durock T1 heavier than the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)?
The Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) is heavier: 60 g against 55 g, both measured at actuation, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
Do the Durock T1 and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) need lubing?
The Durock T1 arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) 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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