Gateron Black vs Gateron Yellow
The Gateron Black and the Gateron Yellow are separated mostly by spring weight, 10 g of it at actuation, with the Gateron Black the firmer press and the Gateron Yellow the easier one to hold down. Our switch library already points each of these at the other. Hear them back to back below with the trims matched before you read a single number.
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 | Gateron Black | Gateron Yellow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 50 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g (our estimate) | not published |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Gateron advertises an actuation force for both of these, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other. The figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure for the Gateron Black. How that derivation works .
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Gateron Black and the Gateron Yellow share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. There is a real weight gap too: 60 g against 50 g at actuation, so the Gateron Black asks noticeably more of your fingers over a long session. Their voices split them more than their specs: the Gateron Black sounds like firm, deeper clack with a planted landing, while the Gateron Yellow gives you smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money. The scoring splits them: the Gateron Yellow for gaming and typing, the Gateron Black for a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Gateron Yellow
- Typing pick
- Gateron Yellow
- Office pick
- Gateron Black
Force curves
Gateron Black
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 70 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Gateron Yellow
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the dashed end of the curve is an estimate, not a spec. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers.
Gateron Black or Gateron Yellow: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. The Gateron Black carries the heavier spring at actuation, 60 g to 50 g. That is a real 10 g without being a change of bracket. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. With the stroke shared, that spring gap does most of the deciding here.
The ears usually get the last word here. Two different voices: firm, deeper clack with a planted landing on the Gateron Black, smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money on the Gateron Yellow. 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 budget friendly. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
The Gateron Yellow is the default here: the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair for fast inputs, and it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last across a long session. Swap to the Gateron Black when the room is the constraint, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. Do the listening first. It costs nothing and it changes minds more often than a spec table does.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Gateron Black page and the Gateron Yellow page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Gateron Black or the Gateron Yellow the better gaming switch?
We pick the Gateron Yellow for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Is the Gateron Black quieter than the Gateron Yellow?
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 Gateron Black reading as firm, deeper clack with a planted landing against smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money from the Gateron Yellow.
Which has the heavier spring, the Gateron Black or the Gateron Yellow?
The Gateron Black. Both brands publish at actuation, which makes 60 g against 50 g an honest 10 g rather than two numbers from different rulers.
More comparisons
More vs Gateron Black
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.