**scroll to the bottom if you wish to read a quick overview**

Introduction

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all well.

For the past few months, I've been using the Gamakay Pheonix silent switches as my daily drivers, and I feel like these switches really fly under the radar for some reason or another. As such, I've decided to write a review from the perspective of an amateur keyboard hobbyist with an affinity for switches.

In this review, I'll be going over why I bought them, my first impressions, problems I ran into while using them and my conclusions about the switches as a whole.

What's my use case?

I was searching for a silent switch to be used at the office. I happen to work in an open plan office, which unfortunately allows sounds to travel quite far, so silence was a must-have if I wanted to use a mech keeb at the office. Additionally, I also didn't want to entirely eviscerate my wallet to fill up an entire keyboard with switches. So, the search commenced...

First Impressions

When I encountered the Gamakay Pheonix, I had already done some research about silent switches, often realizing that the really silent ones break the bank and the cheaper ones aren't as silent as I would have liked them to be. That said, given that the Gamakays in question were only $0.37 per switch, I figured I'll take the risk and bought 2 boxes (sold in packs of 35 switches) and if I didn't like them I'll just toss them in a jar or use them in a future build.

Note: I am aware that these are not the cheapest switches, as something like the Haimu Heartbeat are far cheaper. However, at the time of purchase I was not aware of these switches.

Upon arrival, which took about 2 weeks to get to Europe (at the time of writing, there are some complaints on Gamakay's website stating that people have not received the switches), I was surprised by the quality I received for the price. When I opened the box and tested the switches in hand I was pleasantly welcomed by the sound, or lack thereof, that the switch made. It was a truly silent switch!

Build Quality

In terms of build quality, the switches feel pretty decent, with adequate factory lube and no semblance of stemrattle whatsoever. The plastic housing, however, does seem a little bit cheap when compared to other switches like the Gaetron Reds. That said, this is to be expected given that the switches were budget friendly, and the comparison made was to switches that cost roughly $0.12 more per switch.

The spring was also satisfying to type on, although for some it may be too light given that the actuation force is 40±10gf with a minimum triggering force of 35gf.

The Problem

My biggest issue with the switches were the metal pins. While 3-pins are usually considered to be the go-to switches due to not having to clip any pins, these switches made fitting them into my Keychron K2 (hot-swappable) a pain, as the metal pins are far too thin and flimsy. I found myself having to straighten out pins I've bent several times over the course of inserting 70 switches into my keyboard, all while hoping I don't break them off - an issue I've never had over the several times I've swapped out switches in the same keyboard.

Final remarks

Summing up my experience with the Gamakay Pheonix, I would say that it was an overall positive experience. In spite of the problems with the stems during installation, I am left with no buyer's remorse and I feel like the risk taken as a consumer ultimately reaped its reward. I would personally recommend the Gamakay Pheonix for a budget build that's to be used by someone needing a great typing experience without worrying about disturbing others while hacking away at their keys.

Overview

​