Cherry MX Brown  Keyboard Switch Review

Reviewed Nov 06, 2023 at 12:55pm
Test bench update Oct 03, 2025 at 08:47am
Tested using Methodology v1.0.1 
Cherry MX Brown

Track

Track

 0

Our Verdict

Changelog

  1.  Updated Oct 03, 2025: Our 1.0.1 Test Bench Update adds clearer terminology and new measurements to our Keystrokes test with minor refinements to our Compatibility and Illumination tests. See the full changelog.
  2.  Updated Nov 06, 2023: Review published.

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Popular Keyboard Switch Comparisons

Kailh Box Brown V2

Track

Cherry MX Brown and Kailh Box Brown V2 are very similar, medium-weight, tactile switches. They have a fairly small but satisfying bump to overcome before actuation. The Cherry bump is in the middle of the keystroke, while the Box Brown switch bump comes earlier and feels a bit heavier. The Kail switches also have a box design, which means they're typically more stable and durable in the long run. However, there's also a bit of inconsistency in switch-to-switch performance as they're more mechanically complex.

Outemu Brown

Track

Cherry MX Brown and Outeumu Brown are very similar switches with a small tactile bump to overcome before actuation. The Outemu switches are a bit smoother out of the box and have a clear top housing, allowing for better RGB illumination.

Razer Orange Gen 3

Track

Cherry MX Brown and Razer Orange Gen 3 are tactile switches with a small bump to overcome during actuation. While the Cherry switches are suitable for typing and gaming, the Razer switches are designed specifically for gaming. They're considerably smoother feeling from the factory with slightly better latency performance. They're also a bit more lightweight, and while they have the same amount of pre-travel distance, the tactile bump happens much sooner during the Razer's keypress.

Cherry MX Silent Red

Track

Cherry MX Brown switches have a small tactile bump to overcome before actuation, while Cherry MX Silent Red switches are linear switches with smooth actuation throughout the keypress. The Silent Red switches are also noticeably quieter.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Sort:
RATINGS
Category:
All
Design
9.0
Compatibility
Cherry MX PCB Pinout
Yes
Pin Count
3
Keycap Mount
MX Style
5.0
Illumination
Upper Housing Color
Black
Upper Housing Finish
Opaque
Performance
Keystrokes
Feel
Tactile
Initial Force
39gf
Peak Tactile Force
55gf
Actuation Force
44gf
Bottom-Out Force
63gf
Actuation Distance (Pre-Travel)
2.1 mm
Bottom-Out Distance
4.0 mm
6.0
Factory Smoothness
Scratchy Factor
22.8
Mid Actuation Peak Noise
-59.6 dB
Mid Actuation Peak Frequency
2,542 Hz
7.2
Latency
Press Average
2.1 ms
Press Std Dev
±0.16 ms
Release Average
6.3 ms
Release Std Dev
±0.08 ms