New to custom keyboards?
Don't worry; we will get you up to speed pretty quickly.

Confused with all the parts and purpose of each component when building your mechanical keyboard?

You don't need to go anywhere; on this page, we will briefly explain the different elements that compose a mechanical keyboard, alongside some suggestions.

Custom mechanical keyboards offer a level of customisation and precision unmatched by "standard keyboards". From switch types to keycap sets to mounting styles, you can tailor your custom mechanical keyboard to suit your specific needs and preferences. Whether you're a programmer, content creator or want a more enjoyable typing experience, a custom mechanical keyboard will be your perfect partner. Embrace this new world and start exploring the endless possibilities for your ideal keyboard today.

Stabilizers

Stabilizers are designed to ensure that larger keys (such as the space bar, enter key, and shift keys) have a consistent and even feel when pressed.

They work by distributing the force of the key press across multiple points, preventing the key from wobbling or bottoming out too quickly.

This results in a smooth and satisfying typing experience.

Recommendations

There are a wide variety of stabilizers available, but we mainly recommend one of the two choices:

Cheap and good - Cherry Clip-In Stabilizers for most builds are a good compromise between quality vs price.
Top Performance - we recommend TX stabs if you are looking for the best performance. They are a bit expensive and they still require mods, so please take that into consideration.

Switches

Switches are the heart of mechanical keyboards, responsible for registering when a user presses each key and playing a big part in the typing experience.

Switches impact mainly the typing feel and sound and are offered in a wide range of configurations (i.e. materials, actuation force, lubing, etc.).

There are three main types of switches: linears offer a smooth typing experience, tactiles have a bump when being pressed down, and clickies make a clicking noise when pressed down.

Recommendation

Switch choices are mainly preference, and we personally recommend reading some of the reviews done by Theremingoat to learn more.

As a starting point, we recommend choosing Gateron Milky Top Yellow.

Keycaps

Keycaps are the removable plastic caps that cover the key switches of a mechanical keyboard. Custom mechanical keyboards offer a wide variety of keycap options, from materials like ABS plastic and PBT plastic to different profiles and designs.

Keycaps are a simple and effective way to add a touch of individuality to your custom mechanical keyboard.

Recommendation

Keycaps are a choice of preference.

As a starting point, we recommend choosing a Cherry profile, CRP keycaps on the budget side or, if your budget allows it, a GMK keyset.

Plates

Plates are a key component of custom mechanical keyboards, providing stability for the switches and keycaps.

Plates also play an essential role in the mounting style (more info here).

Custom mechanical keyboard plates come in various materials, such as steel, aluminium, polycarbonate (aka PC), polyoxymethylene (POM), or FR4. They can be used to fine-tune the keyboard's sound and typing experience.

Recommendation

There is no right choice regarding plate material. It depends massively on the rest of the keyboard, mounting style and desired feeling.

ClackX provides some custom keyboard-specific plates on FR4. Feel free to check our store.

PCBs

A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is the backbone of a mechanical keyboard, serving as the central component that connects all the other parts together. Custom mechanical keyboards often use custom PCBs, which offer a range of features and options not found in off-the-shelf options.

They usually use open-source firmware (e.g. QMK) that is very configurable via keyboard-agnostic and brand-agnostic software (e.g. VIA or VIAL).

ClackX develops all PCBs for ClackX's products and some customised PCBs for specific keyboards. You can check our store for available PCBs.

ClackX Products and Experience

We believe that custom mechanical keyboards offer an unmatched level of customization and personalization; our store is dedicated to providing the highest quality parts and components to help you create, build, personalize or even just tweak your mechanical keyboard.

If you have any doubts or questions about ClackX products or available products in our store, please feel free to send us an email to our support contact: hello@clackx.xyz