Gateron Ink Black V2 vs NovelKeys NK Cream
The Gateron Ink Black V2 arrives lubed and the NovelKeys NK Cream does not, which is an evening of work standing between two switches that otherwise look close. Our full switch library puts these two on each other's shortlist, and the player below is the fastest way to settle it: match the volumes, then work down through the 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 | Gateron Ink Black V2 | NovelKeys NK Cream |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g (our estimate) | 70 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 |
Gateron and NovelKeys both advertise an actuation force, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure for the Gateron Ink Black V2, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How that derivation works .
Verdict
The Gateron Ink Black V2 and the NovelKeys NK Cream are both linears, so nothing separates them at the fingertip until you look at springs and acoustics. Only the Gateron Ink Black V2 arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. The Gateron Ink Black V2 is the firmer of the two at actuation, 60 g to 55 g, though 5 g is not much to choose between. Where we land: the NovelKeys NK Cream for gaming, the Gateron Ink Black V2 for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- NovelKeys NK Cream
- 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.
NovelKeys NK Cream
Gateron Ink Black V2 or NovelKeys NK Cream: 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 Gateron Ink Black V2 alone. Budget the extra time if you pick the NovelKeys NK Cream and want it at its best.
The specs are the smaller half of this pair, but they are not nothing. At actuation they sit 5 g apart, 60 g against 55 g, close enough that lube and housing will decide the feel before the spring does. Both are linears either way, so nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. Distance is not the difference: both register at 2.0 mm and stop at 4.0 mm. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
The ears usually get the last word here. The Gateron Ink Black V2 sits at signature deep-yet-clacky Ink voice; smooth and resonant; the NovelKeys NK Cream answers with unique rounded POM clack-thock, deep and resonant. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
The picks split by use. Take the NovelKeys NK Cream if games come first, because the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. Take the Gateron Ink Black V2 if the board is mostly a writing tool, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. Take the Gateron Ink Black V2 if other people have to sit near it, as it makes the least fuss of the pair in a shared space. Do the listening first. It costs nothing and it changes minds more often than a spec table does.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Gateron Ink Black V2 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
Is the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the NovelKeys NK Cream the better gaming switch?
We pick the NovelKeys NK Cream for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Gateron Ink Black V2 or NovelKeys NK Cream: which one is quieter?
Neither is dampened, so volume comes down to your board and your typing force. The one audible difference on the spec sheet is lube: the Gateron Ink Black V2 is lubed at the factory, which takes out spring ping and scratch rather than loudness.
Is the Gateron Ink Black V2 heavier than the NovelKeys NK Cream?
The Gateron Ink Black V2 is heavier: 60 g against 55 g, both measured at actuation, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
Do the Gateron Ink Black V2 and the NovelKeys NK Cream need lubing?
The Gateron Ink Black V2 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.
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