Gateron Red vs Gateron Yellow
The Gateron Red and the Gateron Yellow are separated mostly by spring weight, 5 g of it at actuation, with the Gateron Yellow the firmer press and the Gateron Red the easier one to hold down. Our library of every switch we simulate 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 Red | Gateron Yellow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 50 g |
| Bottom-out force | 55 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 |
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. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure for the Gateron Red, 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 Red and the Gateron Yellow are both linears, so nothing separates them at the fingertip until you look at springs and acoustics. Weight is nearly even at actuation: 50 g for the Gateron Yellow against 45 g, a gap most fingers will barely register. With the numbers this close, the honest tiebreak is the voice: smooth, light clack with minimal scratch on the Gateron Red, smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money on the Gateron Yellow. Split by use: the Gateron Red for gaming and a shared office, the Gateron Yellow for typing.
- Gaming pick
- Gateron Red
- Typing pick
- Gateron Yellow
- Office pick
- Gateron Red
Force curves
Gateron Red
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 55 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 Red or Gateron Yellow: the long answer
Specs first, since the feel gap is what you notice in the first minute of typing. At actuation the Gateron Yellow is the firmer press, 50 g against 45 g, a difference you notice after a paragraph rather than on the first keystroke. The stroke itself is shared: nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. The two stroke depths are identical, 2.0 mm to actuation inside 4.0 mm of total travel. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
What the table cannot tell you is how either one lands in a room. Two different voices: smooth, light clack with minimal scratch on the Gateron Red, smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money on the Gateron Yellow. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
On cost and convenience, both are budget friendly. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
Who buys which, then? Gaming goes to the Gateron Red, because the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. Writing goes to the Gateron Yellow, since its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. A shared room goes to the Gateron Red, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. Match the trims above, play both, and trust whichever one you keep replaying.
For either one on its own terms, read the Gateron Red page and the Gateron Yellow page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Gateron Red or the Gateron Yellow?
We pick the Gateron Red for gaming. This is close to a coin toss. The scoring hands it over by a margin you would not feel in a match.
Which is quieter, the Gateron Red or the Gateron Yellow?
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 Gateron Red leans toward smooth, light clack with minimal scratch, while the Gateron Yellow is smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money.
Which has the heavier spring, the Gateron Red or the Gateron Yellow?
The Gateron Yellow, and the comparison is clean: actuation on both sides, 50 g to 45 g.
More comparisons
More vs Gateron Red
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.