Can you put gateron stem in MX housing?



So would you say they're a good alternative?



I'm curious how these stand against heavy use. Is the leaf the same durability as cherry MX? Does it feature that cherry crosspoint tech?



Are these easy to buy or do you have to snag em when you see these things?



Check out the Gateron IC I purchased 15 Gateron Blues and 10 Gateron Blacks from Taobao recently to do some Cherry comparisons. If you want any other pictures or info, just ask!First off, everything about the smoothness was absolutely true. The blacks felt great, and the blues were soft. One thing to note though, as Zeal mentioned in his Gateron build thread, these are somewhat difficult to fit into the PCB, the problem seems to arise from the PCB mounting stabs being either too thick or too far apart, which can be solved by sanding them slightly. The plastic used in the housing seems to be more flexible than that used for Cherry switches; the clips on the tops were much easier to pry apart. Keycaps also fit very tightly to the Gateron stems, comparable to Alps switches.YepDepends on your preferences, but they certainly could be, and I'd say pretty much across the board yes for linears.since these are relatively new, no one really has any information on the long term durability of them, though most people seem to be wondering about the softer stem plastic. Gateron claims there switches are rated for 50m presses, like CherryIt seems that each seller (on Taobao) seems to keep a max of 200 switches in stock at any time, so you have to get them when you can find them.The Blues:The top is branded Gateron in place of Cherry, inscribed into the housing, the opposite of Cherry. Instead of an "A" next to the LED hole, there seems to be arbitrary (I'm not sure of the significance at the moment) letters on the left including "B,C,K,F,I, and A" and an "O" on the right.Use: The first thing one notices is the higher actuation point. The Gateron actuates almost a mm higher than the MX blue. The hysteresis is also worse, the stem needs to almost fully return to register again. The click is also more pronounced in the Gaterons.There are a few slight differences in the leaf, mostly in the shape.(Gateron left, MX right)(Gateron left, MX right)Again, there are a few differences in the shape of the stem, but for the most part they are the same. The clicking mechanism is shaped slightly differently. The Gateron stem also has a nib that fits into the clicking mechanism.Weight=60gBlues final verdict: The higher actuation point is certainly interesting, mostly opinion though as to if it's better or not. Same goes for the more pronounced click. The smooth stem is certainly a plus and acts to replace the smaller amount of lube.Blacks:(MX left, Gateron right)One thing I noticed about both the switches is that the little indent on the stem is on the opposite side, facing the top of the switch instead of the bottom. The Gateron stem extends slightly farther out than its MX counterpart. The smooth stem is most notable with the linear switch, stock Gaterons are comparable to lubed or vintage MX blacks.(MX left, Gateron right)The Gateron switch is slightly longer and seems to be made of a slightly different material or mix than the MX spring.Weight=60gFinal verdict: Gateron blacks feel incredibly smooth compared to MX, and slightly lighter.