Thoughts on Switches – Gateron Cap Yellow V1 switches

Gateron Cap switches have been around a while. In fact, I’ve had mine for a while but haven’t really used them much. They have never gained massive popularity but have consistently existed as a viable option for linear switches. They are different from Gateron’s typical switch designs but not in so much a revolutionary way but more of an evolutionary way. It does make them have some interesting traits compared to other linear switches and that is why I ended up getting them some time ago.

At first glance the Yellow Cap switches look the same as their Milky Yellow switches. Full milky housing, a pale-yellow stem, and available in both 3-pin and 5-pin variants. It’s looking at the bottom of the switch where the difference is much more apparent. The centre pin, where the stem and guide are located, has a hole in the bottom with the Cap switches. This is because the stem and guide are reversed in Cap switches. Rather than the switches themselves having a single, solid pole, they have a hollow guide that surrounds a larger pole in the bottom of the switch. At the top of that pole is a tiny hole that lets air empty from the pole cavity when you press the switch. According to Gateron marketing, this gives the Cap switches a smoother feel by reducing air resistance, but I think that’s more in the intangible than tangible side.

Not to say they aren’t smooth switches from the factory, but they aren’t tangibly smoother than most any other factory lubricated switches I’ve used. They’re very much in the middle of the pack, smoother than some but still not as smooth as the likes of, say, Novelkeys Silk switches. They also suffer from being more irregular than other switches I’ve used, with switches ranging from excellent to mildly scratchy. That was part of why I’ve never used them for long stints, because some keys end up being noticeably less smooth than their counterparts. I may end up manually lubricating them to attempt better uniformity, but I don’t fancy the idea of dealing with the stock lubrication, cleaning, then relubricating the switches. They end up with a miss here and it’s a pretty glaring miss and that’s really a shame.

That said, they are better than the Milky Yellow switches, overall, they are better switches. Gateron Yellow switches are terribly pingy switches in their stock form. The ping from the springs is grating to me after having used so many switches that don’t suffer from that. These construction differences result in the Cap Yellow switches have noticeably less ping to them than when using Milky Yellow switches. They are, despite uniformity issues, also smoother than Milky Yellow switches as well. They also carry a slightly deeper tone compared to the Milky Yellow switches, giving them a meatier sound that is less hollow. Related to the spring ping, they also feel less resonant than Milky Yellow switches as well, feeling less vibration through them. It’s subtle, but nice to notice. The milky housings that Gateron uses are well-liked for their properties and the Cap switches retain those properties of feel and sound. If you like Milky Yellow switches, then you’ll likely find the Cap Yellow switches as an improved version of those.

With construction, they’re pretty standard faire following the Milky switches they share much in common with. They feature a milky, translucent white housing for both top and bottom that is made of nylon. The stem itself is POM. The contacts are listed as a gold alloy, and they also feature a steel spring. This works to give them a 50g actuation force and 63g for bottoming out, also identical to Gateron’s other Yellow switch options. There is a slightly modified Golden Yellow Cap switch which eschews the milky housing for an opaque yellow and the contacts and spring are both gold-plated. With version 2 of the switches, they gain an RGB passthrough along with minor housing tweaks. I also imagine they may have more consistent lubrication as that has been something Gateron has been working on since first introducing factory lubricated switches. I only have V1 switches at my disposal, but I am curious to see how much they changed with the redesign. As such, I’m writing purely with regards to the V1 switches, and you should keep that in mind depending on how you’d be obtaining your own switches. From a second-hand source you’ll likely end up with V1 but buying new, especially direct from Gateron, will be V2 switches.

As far as the switch construction goes, they are also fairly standard for Gateron switches. The stem wobble is moderate, with north-south wobble being better managed than east-west wobble. They’re not as wobbly as, say, Gateron’s Ink Red switches but they do exhibit a fair bit of wobble compared to newer switch designs. They also have a softer housing with more flex in the top housing arms than other switches. That makes these prone to popping open, partially or even completely, when removing them from the hotswap sockets. I’ve not had switches do that to the extreme these exhibit that trait before and it was rather baffling to me how easily they would do that. That is another area I’d be curious to see if Gateron improved the switches with their second version.

They are still on the less expensive end of switches, only moderately more expensive than Gateron Milky Yellow switches. They’re sold either in sets of 35, which feature a clear polycarbonate case inside a cardboard outer box or in a large plastic tube of 110 switches. The kits of 35 are sold for $16, or roughly $0.46 a switch while the tube of 110 switches is sold for $34, or $0.31 a switch. The V1 were largely sold in the plastic tray kits which is why I have 3 of those. Gateron Milky Yellow switches are sold in tubes of 110 for $29 or about $0.26 a switch. Obviously, I’d suggest buying the tube of 110 switches over multiple sets of 35. As nice as the little polycarbonate cases are, I don’t think the $0.15 per switch premium is reasonable for them. They’re available from various sellers other than Gateron in different quantities as well, but I’m listing only the manufacturer availabilities for brevity.

They’re honestly good switches. Not great, but solid. I also happen to really enjoy the deeper sound they produce, a thockier and deeper sound. Paired with a keyboard that is also deeper makes for a very fun sound. They’re different from most other switches and if you like having switches for more unique design features then they would be a fun set to pick up. I see them as being a solid option for a more budget-minded build as well given their low price but good features at that price. As a middle of the pack linear weighting, they’re also comfortable to type on for most typists. A 50g actuation point is a good choice and is why Gateron Yellow switches became as popular as they did. Given the option between Yellow Cap or Milky Yellow switches I’d pay the $5 for the better switches, no question, especially with them being factory lubricated.