NovelKeys NK Cream vs Zeal PC Tealios V2
The NovelKeys NK Cream and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 are separated mostly by spring weight, 3 g of it at bottom-out, with the NovelKeys NK Cream the firmer press and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 the easier one to hold down. Our full 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 | NovelKeys NK Cream | Zeal PC Tealios V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | 55 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g | 67 g |
| 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 | Premium | Premium |
| Street price | varies | ~$1.00 / switch |
NovelKeys advertises an actuation force for the NovelKeys NK Cream and Zeal PC a bottom-out force for the Zeal PC Tealios V2, so the two headline numbers are not measured at the same point. Compare row by row, not brand claim to brand claim.
Verdict
Both the NovelKeys NK Cream and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. The NovelKeys NK Cream is the firmer of the two at bottom-out, 70 g to 67 g, though 3 g is not much to choose between. With the numbers this close, the honest tiebreak is the voice: unique rounded POM clack-thock, deep and resonant on the NovelKeys NK Cream, bright, slightly hollow glassy clack on the Zeal PC Tealios V2. Nothing here separates by use case: the NovelKeys NK Cream is our pick for gaming and for typing, and it is the one that carries less across a room. Take the Zeal PC Tealios V2 only if you specifically want bright, slightly hollow glassy clack.
- Overall pick
- NovelKeys NK Cream
Gaming, typing and a shared office all point at the NovelKeys NK Cream, so printing the same name three times would tell you nothing. One pick it is.
Force curves
NovelKeys NK Cream
Zeal PC Tealios V2
NovelKeys NK Cream or Zeal PC Tealios V2: the long answer
Read the spec sheet once, carefully, and most of this decision makes itself. The stroke is the same shape on both: both give you spring resistance and nothing else. That leaves the spec sheet to separate them. Spring weight barely separates them, 3 g at bottom-out with the NovelKeys NK Cream on the firmer side, which most fingers will not register. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. 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. Through the A/B player above, the NovelKeys NK Cream comes through as unique rounded POM clack-thock, deep and resonant, while the Zeal PC Tealios V2 reads as bright, slightly hollow glassy clack. Worth repeating: the audio here is a simulation built from specs and community descriptions, not a recording of either switch.
On what they cost to fill a board, both are premium priced, with the Zeal PC Tealios V2 at roughly $1.00 per switch, about $70 for a typical 70 pack and no reliable street price for the NovelKeys NK Cream. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
That leaves an unusually simple answer, because one switch wins on all three counts: the NovelKeys NK Cream is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. On typing feel, nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. On noise, it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. That leaves the Zeal PC Tealios V2 to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. Match the trims above, play both, and trust whichever one you keep replaying.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated NovelKeys NK Cream page and the Zeal PC Tealios V2 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 NovelKeys NK Cream or the Zeal PC Tealios V2?
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.
NovelKeys NK Cream or Zeal PC Tealios V2: which one is quieter?
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 NovelKeys NK Cream reading as unique rounded POM clack-thock, deep and resonant against bright, slightly hollow glassy clack from the Zeal PC Tealios V2.
Which has the heavier spring, the NovelKeys NK Cream or the Zeal PC Tealios V2?
The NovelKeys NK Cream is heavier: 70 g against 67 g, both measured at bottom-out, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
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