Gateron Yellow vs JWICK (JWK) Black V2
The Gateron Yellow and the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 are separated mostly by spring weight, 8 g of it at actuation, with the Gateron Yellow the firmer press and the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 the easier one to hold down. 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 Yellow | JWICK (JWK) Black V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | 50 g | 42 g |
| Bottom-out force | not published | 58.5 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Gateron advertises an actuation force for the Gateron Yellow and JWICK (JWK) a bottom-out force for the JWICK (JWK) Black V2, so the two headline numbers are not measured at the same point. Compare row by row, not brand claim to brand claim.
Verdict
Gateron and JWICK (JWK) are selling the same stroke here, so the Gateron Yellow and the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 separate on spring, distance and voice instead. Weight separates them clearly: measured at actuation, the Gateron Yellow is 8 g heavier than the JWICK (JWK) Black V2, which changes both fatigue and sound. One of them is ready out of the bag: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 is lubed at the factory and the other is not. We land on the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 for every use we score, and it is the one that carries less across a room, so the Gateron Yellow makes sense only if you preferred its voice in the player above.
- Overall pick
- JWICK (JWK) Black V2
This pair does not split by use case: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 comes out ahead of the Gateron Yellow on all three, so there is one pick here rather than three.
Force curves
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.
JWICK (JWK) Black V2
Gateron Yellow or JWICK (JWK) Black V2: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. Springs split them by 8 g at actuation: 50 g for the Gateron Yellow, 42 g for the JWICK (JWK) Black V2. The stroke itself is shared: both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Played back to back, the Gateron Yellow is smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money against clean smooth clack, Alpaca-adjacent on a budget from the JWICK (JWK) Black V2. The usual caveat applies. Nothing here is a studio recording; both packs are synthesized from published specs, and the players say so.
On cost and convenience, both are budget friendly. One of them has already been lubed for you and one has not, which is worth more than the price gap if you were not planning to open 70 switches.
That leaves an unusually simple answer, because one switch wins on all three counts: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. On typing feel, its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. On noise, it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. That leaves the Gateron Yellow to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. Before you order either, match the volume trims above and hear them back to back.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Gateron Yellow page and the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Gateron Yellow or the JWICK (JWK) Black V2?
We pick the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 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 Yellow or the JWICK (JWK) Black 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 has the heavier spring, the Gateron Yellow or the JWICK (JWK) Black V2?
The Gateron Yellow is heavier: 50 g against 42 g, both measured at actuation, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
Do the Gateron Yellow and the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 need lubing?
The JWICK (JWK) Black V2 arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Gateron Yellow 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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