Gateron Red vs Kailh Speed Silver
These two cross over on force: one is firmer at actuation and the other at bottom-out, so "which is heavier" has two correct answers on this page. Our 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 Red | Kailh Speed Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 40 g |
| Bottom-out force | 55 g (our estimate) | 60 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 1.1 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Gateron and Kailh 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. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
The Gateron Red and the Kailh Speed Silver are both linears, so nothing separates them at the fingertip until you look at springs and acoustics. The springs cross over, so neither is simply the heavier switch: the Gateron Red leads at actuation, the Kailh Speed Silver leads at bottom-out, and which you feel depends on how far you press. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Distance to actuation splits them as well, 1.1 mm on the Kailh Speed Silver against 2.0 mm on the Gateron Red. Our picks: the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming, the Gateron Red for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh Speed Silver
- Typing pick
- Gateron Red
- 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.
Kailh Speed Silver
Kailh publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 60 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 Red or Kailh Speed Silver: the long answer
Take the mechanical side first, since that is where this pair separates. These springs cross over, which is why no sentence here calls either one the heavier switch: the Gateron Red is firmer at actuation, the Kailh Speed Silver at bottom-out, and how far you press decides which you feel. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Travel differs at both ends, with the Kailh Speed Silver registering first at 1.1 mm and the Gateron Red running deepest at 4.0 mm. Both are linears either way, so both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Nothing here is decisive on its own, which is why the sound comparison matters more than usual on this pair.
Sound decides more of these arguments than force curves do. The Gateron Red sits at smooth, light clack with minimal scratch; the Kailh Speed Silver answers with short, sharp clack that fires early. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
On price and practicality, the Gateron Red is budget friendly, while the Kailh Speed Silver is mid priced. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
Answer the use case and the switch follows. Games point at the Kailh Speed Silver, because it wins on a shorter distance to actuation. Writing points at the Gateron Red, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. A shared room points at the Gateron Red, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Gateron Red page and the Kailh Speed Silver page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Gateron Red or Kailh Speed Silver for gaming?
We pick the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming. The scoring gives it a shorter distance to actuation against the Gateron Red, and both of those show up in a fast game.
Which is quieter, the Gateron Red or the Kailh Speed Silver?
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 Red reading as smooth, light clack with minimal scratch against short, sharp clack that fires early from the Kailh Speed Silver.
Which switch is heavier, the Gateron Red or the Kailh Speed Silver?
That depends on where you measure, because these two cross over. The Gateron Red is the firmer press at actuation, 45 g against 40 g, but that reverses at bottom-out, where the Kailh Speed Silver is the heavier of the two at 60 g against 55 g. Both of these are advertised at actuation, so the actuation figures are the ones the makers stand behind. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Gateron Red or the Kailh Speed Silver?
The Gateron Red sits in the budget friendly bracket and the Kailh Speed Silver in the mid priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
More comparisons
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