Should I use o-rings? | Razer Insider

Should I use o-rings?

  • 19 April 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 505 views

I daily drive linear switches on a metal backplate. I've lubed the switches and stabilizers already, but when I bottom out, there's still this metal ping which I find annoying.

Still, I like the hard feel of bottoming out and don't want to make my keyboard feel mushy. Should I get o-rings, and would razer o-rings be too mushy?

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5 Replies

I just got a Blackwidow Elite with orange switches last week and I'm loving it except for the noise of the keys bottoming out. Unfortunately, it seems like one of the side effects of the new, more stable sidewall switches is that o-rings don't help much on bottom out noise anymore. They bottom out before the sidewall goes below the level of the switch housing, which is likely good for stability through the entire range of travel, but that means that nothing sitting above the top of the sidewall can affect the switch bottoming out.

If you have a mechanical keyboard that doesn't have switches that are MX box, Razer sidewall, or Razer optical switches, then o-rings will very likely help dampen the noise of your keys bottoming out. There are different sizes and hardness rating for o-rings that you can use. The most common size is 2mm thick (not inside or outside circumference, which are different measurements) and the most common hardness ratings I've seen used are from 40A (softer) to 100A (much harder).

What specific linear switches are on your keyboard?
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O rings will only dampen the sound of key bottoming, but with lineal switches it should work nicely.
Hi,

I just got my new Blackwidow Elite. Just like jasonmccurry said, the new razer switches with sidewalls are not compatible with standard o-rings.The o-rings would just sit on top of the switch. This has absolutely no effect on travel and dampening.

https://imgur.com/a/eSLzmLR
(New Razer switches at the top. Old Razer Switches at the bottom.

Has anyone a better idea on how to dampen and reduce the travel of the new switches?
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the_eiMer
Hi,

I just got my new Blackwidow Elite. Just like jasonmccurry said, the new razer switches with sidewalls are not compatible with standard o-rings.The o-rings would just sit on top of the switch. This has absolutely no effect on travel and dampening.

https://imgur.com/a/eSLzmLR
(New Razer switches at the top. Old Razer Switches at the bottom.

Has anyone a better idea on how to dampen and reduce the travel of the new switches?

You should still use the orings on the box switches, BUT don't apply them on the switch itself, but apply it under the keycap like this: https://i2.wp.com/mechanicalkeyboardinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/O-Ring-modified-switch.png
FiszPL
You should still use the orings on the box switches, BUT don't apply them on the switch itself, but apply it under the keycap like this: https://i2.wp.com/mechanicalkeyboardinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/O-Ring-modified-switch.png


Hi, my picture was just to show, that the O-Ring would not work. I put them on the key cap, exactly like in your picture. It just doesnt do anything.
But thanks anyway 🙂