Outemu Cream Yellow vs Outemu Silent Lime V3
The Outemu Cream Yellow and the Outemu Silent Lime V3 are separated mostly by spring weight, 10 g of it at actuation, with the Outemu Cream Yellow the firmer press and the Outemu Silent Lime V3 the easier one to hold down. Our full switch library 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 | Outemu Cream Yellow | Outemu Silent Lime V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile (silent) | Tactile (silent) |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 35 g |
| Bottom-out force | 60 g (our estimate) | 45 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 1.8 mm |
| Total travel | 3.3 mm | 3.3 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | Yes | Yes |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Mid-range |
| 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. The figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Outemu publishes no bottom-out figure for the Outemu Cream Yellow. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
Outemu is on both sides of this one and both are tactiles, so the question is which of its own tactiles suits you. The springs are far apart, with the Outemu Cream Yellow at 45 g actuation versus 35 g for the Outemu Silent Lime V3, a gap you feel within a paragraph of typing. Budget also has a say, since the Outemu Cream Yellow is budget friendly and the Outemu Silent Lime V3 is mid priced. Our picks: the Outemu Silent Lime V3 for gaming and typing, the Outemu Cream Yellow for a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Outemu Silent Lime V3
- Typing pick
- Outemu Silent Lime V3
- Office pick
- Outemu Cream Yellow
Force curves
Outemu Cream Yellow
Outemu 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.
Outemu Silent Lime V3
Outemu Cream Yellow or Outemu Silent Lime V3: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. The springs are a long way apart: 45 g against 35 g at actuation, so the Outemu Cream Yellow asks noticeably more of your fingers across a long session. Both are tactiles either way, so both give a finger something to aim at on the way down. Same depth, different trigger point: 1.8 mm on the Outemu Silent Lime V3 against 2.0 mm on the Outemu Cream Yellow, both inside 3.3 mm. With the stroke shared, that spring gap does most of the deciding here.
Sound decides more of these arguments than force curves do. The Outemu Cream Yellow sits at dampened tactile tap, low and dry; the Outemu Silent Lime V3 answers with muted tactile patter, dampened both strokes. Dampening pads are on both, which puts the whole comparison inside a narrow band of volume and moves it onto tone. 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 Outemu Cream Yellow is budget friendly, while the Outemu Silent Lime V3 is mid priced. Both come factory lubed, so neither needs work out of the box.
The Outemu Silent Lime V3 is the default here: it wins on a lighter spring at actuation and a shorter distance to actuation for fast inputs, and nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch across a long session. Swap to the Outemu Cream Yellow when the room is the constraint, as its dampening keeps the sound from carrying across the room. Do the listening first. It costs nothing and it changes minds more often than a spec table does.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Outemu Cream Yellow page and the Outemu Silent Lime V3 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 Outemu Cream Yellow or the Outemu Silent Lime V3?
We pick the Outemu Silent Lime V3 for gaming. The scoring gives it a lighter spring at actuation and a shorter distance to actuation against the Outemu Cream Yellow, and both of those show up in a fast game.
Outemu Cream Yellow or Outemu Silent Lime V3: which one is quieter?
Neither, in any way you would hear across a room. Both carry dampening pads, so what is left of the noise comes from the case, the keycaps and your own typing force.
Outemu Cream Yellow vs Outemu Silent Lime V3: which one is the heavier press?
The Outemu Cream Yellow, by 10 g. Both figures are published at actuation, 45 g against 35 g, so they are measured at the same point and can be read straight.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Outemu Cream Yellow or the Outemu Silent Lime V3?
The Outemu Cream Yellow sits in the budget friendly bracket and the Outemu Silent Lime V3 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
More vs Outemu Cream Yellow
More vs Outemu Silent Lime V3
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.