An ideal mechanical switch is crucial for faster reaction in competitive games and with millions of players competing with each other, Cherry MX Red and MX Speed Silver come into play as the most successful mechanical switches that provide super fast register.
You must have seen a dozen key switches on the market and all of them claim to be better for gaming. Cherry MX, however, is very popular, and being a user of Cherry MX key switches, I can say that they are reliable and great for gaming. Both MX RED and SPEED are popular for their fast actuation and for those who are not yet aware of the Cherry MX switch types, then let me put some information here before continuing to the comparison.
The term “MX” refers to the full form of “Mechanical X-Point” technology and CHERRY offers the various types of such switches that might look similar to you if you are not having in-depth knowledge about them.
There are a total of six different types of switches that are available from CHERRY and each of them has different functionality and offers different features. They are:-
- CHERRY MX RED
- CHERRY MX BROWN
- CHERRY MX BLUE
- CHERRY MX BLACK
- CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER
Now, in this topic, we will be focusing on the difference between CHERRY MX RED and CHERRY MX SILVER mainly because these are considered among the best mechanical switches for gaming. We might make a topic on the rest later on.
CHERRY MX RED
CHERRY MX RED is quite popular among gamers and there are a few reasons for that. The main characteristics of CHERRY MX RED switches are as follows:
- Liner Switching characteristics
- 45 cN operating force
- 2.0 mm pre-travel
- 4.0 mm of total travel
- Lesser audible sound
The upper housing of the CHERRY MX RED switches comes with CAD high precision components that are made of plastic polymer and have a tolerance of less than 0.01mm and the component guides the switching slide precisely.
CHERRY MX RED’s linear feel along with the minimal spring force is an ideal option for fast typists and obviously gamers. The CHERRY MX RED switch’s travel path doesn’t have tactile feedback as these switches don’t need to reset past that bump to register a repeat press so it is much more beneficial to games as they can double or triple-tap keys without losing accuracy. Further, due to this smoothness of the process, the CHERRY MX RED switches make a lower sound than that of the tactile and click switches.
CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER
CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER was announced way later than the others. The CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER switches share quite a similar resemblance to that of the CHERRY MX RED ones but there are few noticeable differences. But before pointing out those differences, let us make ourselves familiar with them.
The main characteristics of CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER switches are as follows:
- Linear switching characteristics
- 45 cN operating force
- 1.2 mm pre-travel
- 3.4 mm of total travel
- Lesser audible sound
Hence we can already notice a few differences in the characteristics of the CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER switches. These switches offer a higher level of precession along with lower response times. They can be the best choice for those who are serious about FPS games like Counter-Strike Global Offensive, PUBG, Call of Duty, and many other games that are in need of fast-paced reaction time and accuracy.
So what exactly makes the difference? And the answer to that question lies within their characteristics. Both CHERRY MX RED and the CHERRY MX SPEED SILVER come with 45cN of force along with linear actuation than the other cousins of the CHERRY family. The only main and the big difference between these two siblings is the distance the key travels before it triggers a press.
The MX RED has an actuation point of 2mm along with a total travel distance of 4mm. But on the other hand, the MX SPEED SILVER comes with an actuation point of 1.2 mm, along with a total travel distance is 3.4 mm making it faster and more precise.
Specs Comparison
| Specs | Cherry MX Red | Cherry MX Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Operation Type | Linear | Linear |
| Force Required | 45cN | 45cN |
| Actuation Travel | 2.0mm | 1.2mm |
| Total Travel | 4.0mm | 3.4mm |
| Sound | Quiet | Quiet |
Conclusion
The MX RED and MX SPEED SILVER are both aimed at gamers and come with quite similar features. However, the MX SPEED SILVER comes with lower actuation points and lower travel distance making it more favored by the gamers who are quite serious or are using gaming as their occupation, and they tend to have such fast response as even a split fraction of a second can make a huge impact in gaming.
