Mechanical Keyboard Pit Guide Chapter 16: See which ones you have played丨Cherry 70th Anniversary Switch Body and Keyboard Structure Inventory

Before you know it, it’s 2023. Recently, the most popular topic in the key circle is the 70th anniversary of Cherry. As an axis factory + keyboard factory that has survived to the present in ancient times, whether you like it or not, you will respectfully call it "" original factory".

As an old player who has played with peripherals for many years, this article will talk to you about the Cherry switches and keyboards that I have played with myself, and share the basic knowledge and my personal opinions for novice friends who plan to enter the pit. Lizi has a new understanding, a friendly reminder, there are many actual pictures in this article, it is recommended to use WiFi network to watch.

Since Cherry is a manufacturer that ships switches and finished keyboards at the same time, it puts the switch in the front. The traditional color distinction is no longer applicable to the current switch classification. According to the current popular classification method, Cherry has the following five types of switches. .

1️⃣ Standard shaft

The mass-produced switches normally refer to the traditional red, black and green tea. They are also the four switches with the largest shipment volume of Cherry. They are widely used in the mass-produced keyboards of various brand manufacturers. There are enough so that it is planned into the standard axis body. Most of the conventional axis bodies of friends also use the color naming scheme. In fact, the current players will classify the axis bodies in the form of triggers.

The structure of the Cherry shaft is normally composed of the upper cover, the bottom case, the shaft, the shaft foot and the spring. Among them, the shaft and the spring have a greater impact on the hand feel. Of course, the sound section and the large section have separate designs, so that The structure of Cherry is collectively called MX axis, which is also used by friends to this day.

Red axis (regular linear) It is the shaft body that manufacturers have chosen the most over the years. As a linear shaft body, it has a straight up and down feel. At the same time, 45±15cN pressure grams and 2.0±0.6mm trigger travel are also the industry benchmark for linear shafts. Other linear shafts will be pulled out. Compare with the red axis.

The red switch is the switch with the largest purchase volume of almost all manufacturers who use Cherry switches. After all, few people will hate the red switch. I personally recommend this switch for beginners. It can be used as a reference for better understanding + comparison The difference in the feel of different axes.

Black axis (large gram weight linear) Like the red axis, it belongs to the same type of linear axis, but the pressure is much larger. The pressure is 60±20cN, and the trigger key stroke is 2.0±0.6mm. The most obvious difference is that it needs a larger pressing force to trigger. For users with relatively large strength, they can experience the thrill of vigorous input.

I liked the black switch very much when I bought a mechanical keyboard N years ago. After all, young people would prefer the feeling of typing vigorously. However, middle-aged and elderly users like us with muscle weakness are more tired after using it. It may be because of the current users typing. Due to the large quantity, few manufacturers now make large-gram weight linear shafts, and the 60g of conventional black shafts is considered to be the upper limit.

Green axis (sound paragraph) In the early years, it was divided into the paragraph shaft type like the tea shaft. After several years of continuous publicity by friends, it has now become a separate shaft called audible paragraph. The pressure of the paragraph is 50±15cN. The number is 60±15cN, and the trigger key stroke is 2.2±0.6mm. Because the internal structure has a separate sound-generating design, it will have a unique crisp sound when pressed, and it is jokingly called the artifact of the dormitory.

Friends who pay attention to e-sports competitions should know that many e-sports players will choose green switches as their competition equipment. The reason is that the trigger weight of the green switches is the same as that of the red switches, which is relatively light. At the same time, when the stroke reaches the trigger point, there will be very obvious Paragraph sense, this kind of paragraph sense combined with the sound unit can give the input user very strong feedback, which is very important for users such as gamers who need clear input.

Tea shaft (large paragraph) It is of the same type as the green switch, but it does not have a separate sound unit, and the feel is also heavy. The pressure of the step is 55±25cN, the pressure at the bottom is 60±15cN, and the trigger stroke is 2.2±0.6mm.

There are two differences between the two major types of shafts, green shafts and tea shafts:

The first tea switch does not have a separate sound unit, so there will be no loud sound during pressing and rebounding.

The pressure weight of the second tea switch is very large, and the trigger weight of the green switch is relatively small, and it will feel light when used. The brown switch is as suitable for the Dali King Kong finger as the black switch.

Personally, I don’t like to use brown switches. The reason is the same as the black switches above. After all, the stroke and grams are relatively large, and the input requires a relatively large force to trigger. It is also a type of switch that manufacturers are not very concerned about. King Kong means that what users like is not good.

Silver axis (small gram weight linear) It has become popular in recent years. It is a bit different from the above four switches that are mass-produced switches with high usage rate. They are small-weight linear switches. They were rare switches in the early days, and they have been used in many mass-produced keyboards now. Yes, the pressure in grams is 45±15cN, and the trigger stroke is 1.2±0.4mm, which are much smaller than the red axis.

I have also used the silver switch on my own customized kit stably for more than a year. Compared with the red switch, the pressure of the silver switch is very small. When typing, I feel that the trigger is faster. For our middle-aged and elderly users, it is a The main shaft is quite comfortable, but the user of Dali King Kong finger will feel that it is easy to accidentally touch it. This difference is also the reason why the main shaft must be diversified.

In addition to the above-mentioned well-known MX structural shafts, Cherry has a relatively large shipment volume. VIOLA shaft , Players are generally called V-axis, the main focus is dust-proof and durable, the purchase price of this axis is cheaper than the conventional MX axis, of course, the feel is indeed worse, and the dust-proof interface also has the problem of keycap incompatibility, I personally don't recommend getting started.

2️⃣ rare shaft

Gray axis (large gram weight linear) It is a model that I collect alone. After all, the bottoming pressure is exaggerated to 80cN, and the trigger key travel is 1.2mm, which is much heavier than the black switch. Therefore, it is usually used for large keys when customizing or changing the keyboard. It is rarely used as a main shaft. Except for this one in my hand, Cherry also has rare switches such as green switches, white switches, and milk switches, but I haven’t received them yet, embarrassing.

In addition, Cherry has recently launched a model that uses a special rare axis jade axis. As a segment axis modified by community players based on a white axis, the trigger pressure of the jade axis is 40 grams, the segment pressure is 55 grams, the trigger stroke is 2mm, and the total stroke is 4mm. It is more inclined to the tea shaft, and at the same time it has an excellent factory run, interested friends can pay attention to it.

3️⃣ silent shaft

Although the mute shaft is also an MX structure, it belongs to a separate series. Currently, it is better to buy Mute red switch , because the axis is pink, also known as the pink axis, the axis will be different from the normal version, and it is less noisy and smoother to use. Cherry's cooperative brands generally have (Corsair, Logitech) keyboards that use this axis. On sale, and have had my own custom kit for a long time.

4️⃣ RGB shaft

There is actually no difference in feel between the RGB switch and the normal version, the difference lies in the casing and light transmission ability:

The conventional shaft body is a black shell, and the reserved lamp position is suitable for the early lamp bead scheme. Now there are still many manufacturers that use this common shaft body.

The shell of the RGB axis body has higher light transmittance, and it will have a better light guide effect when paired with a patch lamp. It is the first choice for RGB fans.

5️⃣ Ultra-thin shaft

Cherry released last year ULP shaft The short shaft has been rolled to a new height, the industry’s shortest 3.5mm, and it can still maintain a clear paragraph feel under the premise of an extremely low height. This shaft can be said to represent the current technology of the shaft industry Peak, in the previous Corsair K100Air review, I also mentioned the shaft type of the short shaft.

The actual performance of this shaft body is really good, the trigger and bottoming of the paragraph are quite clear, but due to the complex structure, it is easy to dismantle the shaft and scrap it when dismantling, and it has not been cheap because of the good materials + complicated manufacturing process. Cherry will produce mass-produced keyboards using this switch body. Friends who are interested in ultra-thin keyboards can look forward to the performance of the original factory.

Compared with a wide variety of switches, Cherry's original keyboard is also a favorite of players. The well-known G80 series without steel structure and the MX8.x series with suspension structure, the molds of these two product lines have been in accordance with ergonomics. The direction is constantly iterating. This paragraph introduces the corresponding models that I personally recommend novices to try and the reasons for recommending them.

1️⃣ Steel-free structure丨Cherry G80-3000 LPCEU-0

Keyboard players who entered the pit in the early years should have a G80-3000. The biggest feature of this series is the steel-free structure. Cherry calls it "restore the feel of the shaft body to the greatest extent". This structure has a unique experience that can only be experienced after actual use. Wonderful feel, if you plan to enter the pit of mechanical keyboards, the G80-3000 without steel structure is one of the classic series that cannot be missed.

As the name of this structure says, the G80-3000 series does not use a positioning plate to fix the shaft body, but directly fixes the shaft body on the PCB. There are many manufacturers who can make this structure, and they are willing to take out the quantity There are not many products and sales. After all, if the production accuracy is not high, it is easy to deviate from the axis. Manufacturers with poor quality control of the production line will generally not touch it.

The special structure without steel structure means a special feel. There will be no blocking of the positioning plate when inputting. Continuous tapping can not only clearly feel the stroke change of the shaft body, but also have a little feedback force of rebound when touching the bottom. It is a little bit similar to the current mainstream Gasket, and it also has a mahjong-like input sound. The actual experience is quite amazing. Personally, I strongly recommend you to try it out.

In addition to the unique input feel, the G80-3000 series is also very comfortable to use. The concept of ergonomics was mentioned in the previous keyboard recommendation article. In human terms, it is not easy to get tired when using it, which is far better than the male model hull. The big chin makes it more comfortable to place the thumb, and the big forehead is also convenient for players to paint by themselves, so the G80-3000 series has always been a favorite of modders.

In addition to the above G80-3000, I have another recommendation for the model without steel structure, which is the just-released MX3.0S RGB player version. This Scott signature version is also the 70th anniversary edition of Cherry. The shaft body is mentioned above. The rare jade shaft, the structure is an aluminum alloy shell that takes into account both light weight and stability. The RGB version and the non-RGB version are each limited to 999 pieces, which can be flushed.

2️⃣ Suspension structure丨Cherry MX8.2

The floating structure keyboard rarely appeared in my previous recommendation list. However, the high-end models of mass-produced keyboard manufacturers use this structure most. Compared with the ordinary hull structure, the floating structure tests the design skills and production accuracy. Cherry as The industry benchmark, the top model MX8.2 ammunition box series is a typical case of careful design in all aspects.

The CNC anodized all-aluminum casing and the aluminum alloy ammunition box, which are relatively expensive to manufacture, will not be described in detail. The appearance is very recognizable. I believe no one can reject the high-value aluminum lump. MX8.2 does not use a conventional suspension structure. , instead of adding two layers of sound-absorbing pads to sandwich the PCB, the feel will be softer than the steel-free structure, and it can also effectively reduce cavity sound and other input noise.

Matching the structure is Cherry’s exclusive original height keycaps. Many players will be obsessed with the material of the keycaps. In fact, different heights have a great impact on the input feel. The original height will be shorter than the widely used OEM height. For users who continuously input time, it can effectively reduce fatigue. If there is a requirement for portability, MX8.2 is a good choice.

In addition to hardware design, as a three-mode keyboard, MX8.2 also has excellent self-developed wireless technology. The stability and delay of 2.4G connection can represent the strength of peripheral manufacturers. With the blessing of CAWT wireless technology, MX8.2 can not only It achieves an input delay of less than 1ms, and at the same time can quickly switch between multiple device connections, which is quite friendly to users with multiple devices.

At present, the keyboard industry is in a state of full bloom. Some newcomers will indeed think that Cherry is outdated and not worth playing. In fact, Cherry has always maintained its original industry status. Both the switch body and the finished keyboard have been iteratively developed. It is more inclined to the input experience rather than "technology based on skin replacement", and old players can feel the obvious optimization.

In addition, I also got some internal information. Cherry is researching a shaft (magnetic shaft) that subverts everyone's cognition. Through the chip and supporting drivers, the pressure can be adjusted in real time. Compared with the technological content of the ULP shaft mentioned above It is higher, but the cost has not been lowered yet, so it is not listed for use, and I am looking forward to the actual performance.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Cherry on its 70th anniversary. I hope that in the future, we can bring players more options and more interesting and practical products. This is what our players want most. Thank you for watching. This article is over.