Gateron Ink Black V2 vs Gateron Ink Yellow V2
0.8 mm separates the point these two count a press, and on a fast repeat that is the difference worth caring about between the Gateron Ink Black V2 and the Gateron Ink Yellow V2. 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 Ink Black V2 | Gateron Ink Yellow V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 60 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g (our estimate) | 67 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 1.2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 3.4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Premium |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both of these are rated at actuation, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure for either of these. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
Both the Gateron Ink Black V2 and the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. Travel favors the Gateron Ink Yellow V2: it registers at 1.2 mm where the Gateron Ink Black V2 needs 2.0 mm. The Gateron Ink Black V2 is the firmer of the two at bottom-out, 70 g to 67 g, though 3 g is not much to choose between. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure at all, so both of those are our estimates. Split by use: the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 for gaming, the Gateron Ink Black V2 for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Gateron Ink Yellow V2
- Typing pick
- Gateron Ink Black V2
- Office pick
- Gateron Ink Black V2
Force curves
Gateron Ink Black V2
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 Ink Yellow V2
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 67 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 Ink Black V2 or Gateron Ink Yellow V2: the long answer
Put the two side by side on paper before you trust your ears. Neither the trigger point nor the depth matches: 1.2 mm to actuation on the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 against 2.0 mm, and 3.4 mm of total travel on the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 against 4.0 mm. These are two Gateron linears, so both give you spring resistance and nothing else. The Gateron Ink Black V2 is nominally firmer at bottom-out, 70 g to 67 g, but 3 g is not a gap you buy a switch for. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure at all, so both of those are our estimates. Nothing here is decisive on its own, which is why the sound comparison matters more than usual on this pair.
What the table cannot tell you is how either one lands in a room. Put them through the player above and the Gateron Ink Black V2 lands as signature deep-yet-clacky Ink voice; smooth and resonant where the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 lands as the Ink voice on a compressed stroke; deep, crisp, quick to land. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
On cost and convenience, both are premium priced. Both come factory lubed, so neither needs work out of the box.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the Gateron Ink Yellow V2, because a lighter spring on the bottom-out numbers we list and a shorter distance to actuation go its way. A long draft: the Gateron Ink Black V2, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. A room with other people in it: the Gateron Ink Black V2, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. 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 Gateron Ink Black V2 page and the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the Gateron Ink Yellow V2?
We pick the Gateron Ink Yellow V2 for gaming. Of the two it has the quicker, less intrusive stroke, winning on a lighter spring on the bottom-out numbers we list and a shorter distance to actuation.
Is the Gateron Ink Black V2 quieter than the Gateron Ink Yellow V2?
Nothing in either one is built to reduce noise, so on raw volume this is a tie decided by your keyboard rather than your switch. What you will actually hear is a difference of pitch and texture, which the player above shows better than a sentence can.
Which switch is heavier, the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the Gateron Ink Yellow V2?
The Gateron Ink Black V2, on the numbers we have: 70 g against 67 g at bottom-out. Read that as a guide rather than a like-for-like manufacturer comparison, because Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure at all, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces it does publish.
More comparisons
More vs Gateron Ink Black V2
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.