Gateron Oil King vs NovelKeys NK Silk
The Gateron Oil King and the NovelKeys NK Silk are rated at different points on the force curve, which is the first thing this page has to sort out before it compares anything. Our switch library cross-links them because this matchup keeps coming up. Start with the A/B bursts below, then take the spec table and the picks in order.
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 Oil King | NovelKeys NK Silk |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 55 g | not published |
| Bottom-out force | 80 g | not published |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Premium |
| Street price | ~$0.65 / switch | varies |
Both makers rate these 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.
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Gateron Oil King and the NovelKeys NK Silk share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. Weight cannot be called at all, because NovelKeys publishes no force figure for the NovelKeys NK Silk. Budget also has a say, since the Gateron Oil King is mid priced and the NovelKeys NK Silk is premium priced. The scoring splits them: the NovelKeys NK Silk for gaming, the Gateron Oil King for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- NovelKeys NK Silk
- Typing pick
- Gateron Oil King
- Office pick
- Gateron Oil King
Force curves
Gateron Oil King
NovelKeys NK Silk
NovelKeys publishes no force figures for this switch, so the dashed curve is the shape a linear switch takes, not measured data. Travel is the only number here off a spec sheet.
Gateron Oil King or NovelKeys NK Silk: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. NovelKeys publishes no headline force for the NovelKeys NK Silk at all, so there is no honest number to hold against the 55 g actuation figure on the Gateron Oil King. Gateron and NovelKeys are both selling you linears here, so neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. Same family of stroke and no like-for-like force number between them, which pushes the answer onto sound and price.
The ears usually get the last word here. Two different voices: deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied on the Gateron Oil King, soft, well-lubed nylon linear; low and even on the NovelKeys NK Silk. Worth repeating: the audio here is a simulation built from specs and community descriptions, not a recording of either switch.
On the practical side, the Gateron Oil King is mid priced at roughly $0.65 per switch, about $46 for a typical 70 pack, while the NovelKeys NK Silk is premium priced. Both arrive lubed from the factory, which is one project you can skip either way.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the NovelKeys NK Silk, because the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. A long draft: the Gateron Oil King, since nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. A room with other people in it: the Gateron Oil King, 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.
For either one on its own terms, read the Gateron Oil King page and the NovelKeys NK Silk page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Gateron Oil King or the NovelKeys NK Silk?
We pick the NovelKeys NK Silk for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Which is quieter, the Gateron Oil King or the NovelKeys NK Silk?
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.
Gateron Oil King vs NovelKeys NK Silk: which one is the heavier press?
At least one of these switches has no published force figure, so an honest number-to-number answer is not possible. Use the type and travel specs in the table above, and your own fingers, as the guide.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Gateron Oil King or the NovelKeys NK Silk?
The Gateron Oil King sits in the mid priced bracket and the NovelKeys NK Silk in the premium priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
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