Thoughts on switches Part 5: Gateron CAP Yellow

These are another foray by Gateron into more premium switch designs. They’re sold in batches of 35 switches that are secured to an acrylic case within an outer cardboard storage box. There are two flavors of CAP switch, Yellow and Gold (Also, confusingly, called Milky and Yellow respectively though I shall refer to them using the other terms as those are what were used at Novelkeys where I purchased mine). I have the Yellow variant featuring Gateron’s milky housing. A set of 35 of these is $12, approximately $0.34 a switch while the Gold variant featuring opaque yellow housing comes in at $18 a set or roughly $0.51 a switch.

 

            Both switch types feature identical stats of 2mm actuation and 4mm bottom out depth and 50g actuation force and 63g bottom out force. They feature 5 pin mount and are a linear switch with the distinguishing features being the different housings and stems as well as the more expensive Gold variant features a gold-plated spring versus bare steel of the Yellow switches. In that regard they are, mechanically, distinct from each other. Eventually I would like to get the others as well to be able to do a direct comparison between the two but as of now I have but the Yellow switches to compare.

 

            With that, they remind me heavily of the Gateron Yellow switches with milky housing. If you don’t pay attention, they appear identical from cursory examination. Closer examination shows they feature tighter tolerance to standard Gateron switches and are slightly heavier with a 63g bottom out versus 60g of standard Yellow switches, a distinction that is difficult to tell without experience with both switches. The CAP Yellow switches also feel different from the standard Yellows. They are smoother and feature less stem wobble. I personally find them to be distinctly smoother compared to Gateron’s standard linear switches or Cherry’s line, but ever so slightly scratchier compared to Gateron’s Ink switches or C³ Tangerine switches. In usage the scratchy quality is less perceptible than most linear switches but if you are used to the smoother options already in the market it will be noticeable.

 

            As for sound they have a lovely poppy sound to them with a higher tone compared to Cream switches but still distinctly thocky and pleasant. I find them to almost sound like what they look like, popcorn. At least, with my keyboard they have almost the same sound to them as a popcorn maker my mother had when I was growing up and would hear the kernels pop against the plastic dome of the maker. In that regard it’s honestly a very pleasant sound when paired with my MT3 profile ABS keycaps. Just a very pleasant and gentle tack, tack, tack.

 

            When it comes down to it, however, there simply isn’t a huge distinction between them and other mid-tier linear switches. They feature a pleasant sound, for sure. And their smoothness is right where it ought to be considering the price point in the $0.30-50 per switch price bracket. Mechanically, if you’re keen to reading specification sheets and disassembling your switches to see how they tick, however, is where they are most interesting. As both the Yellow and Gold variants feature different designs that alone is enough to draw some curiosity for switch enthusiasts. Another feature is how the Yellow switches are somewhat inverse of typical designs when it comes to stem and housing.

 

            Rather than the stem featuring a thin, cylindrical column in the center and a hollow cylinder in the housing where said column is fitted, CAP Yellow switches are the opposite. They instead feature a large central column on the housing itself and the hollow cylinder is on the stem. Functionally, the switches behave virtually identically to any other linear MX switch design, but it does mean that they are engineered differently and that doing a stem swap would prove incompatible in either direction. In a hobby where Frankenswitches are increasingly popular this leads to some interesting changes to the ability to do that.

 

            Having said that, Gateron does appear to be making more switches with similar designs, such as a CAP Brown that is merely a recolor of the Gold. Now that they have the tooling for them, I fully expect to see more variants featuring similar designs. I imagine different weights might prove popular, especially if they produce another linear switch with a 40g actuation and 50g bottom out. Another would be to change the stem to produce tactile variants. I’m doubtful of a clicky variant but that’s also certainly possible with the right tooling but would likely be a click jacket design rather than the popular click-bar that has featured so prominently with Kailh’s switches as of late.

 

            Ultimately, I’ve found them to be pleasant to use with their reduced stem wobble compared to Gateron’s other switches, decent smoothness, and delightful sound profile. I don’t see them necessarily as my favorite linear design, but I certainly have found enjoyment in appreciating their unorthodox design and the characteristics that said design brings. With the relatively low price point and excellent storage that they come with which prevents most pin bending, they’re honestly a fun switch to have on hand. That said, the Gold variant is likely even more interesting to use, and it is on my (ever-growing) list of switches to try out.