Romer-G vs Cherry MX Switches: Which One Is Better for you?
Brand Updates
Posted by: carson-rutz
Aug 4, 2022
Mechanical keyboards offer us many choices such as Romer-G vs Cherry MX switches. Picking one among them is not an easy task at all.
Both Romer-G from Logitech and Cherry MX are well-deserved representatives for the mechanical keyboard market as they both stand behind the upturn of the mechanical keyboard. While Cherry MX is the one who comes up first with the idea that different types of switches go with different represented colors and many more, Logitech leaves its marks in revamping the mechanical keyboards for professional gamers.
Ducky One 2 Horizon Mechanical Keyboard
Then, the question is – what to choose right now?
Well, in order to help you with that, we have right here a thorough comparison between Romer-G vs Cherry MX. Now, let’s find out, between the two, which one is better?
Table of Contents
Our Recommendations
Before getting the final answer, we have a list of exceptional gaming keyboards worth considering. Here are our recommended 6 mechanical keyboards using Cherry MX vs Romer-G switches.
Number 1 – Logitech G513 Carbon
G513 Carbon Mechanical Keyboard
Special features:
Logitech GX Blue mechanical switches
Customizable 16.8 million RGB effects
Aircraft-grade aluminum alloy body
Full-function keys
Number 2 – Logitech G Pro Gaming Romer-G
Logitech-G Pro Gaming Keyboard
Special features:
Romer-G keyswitches
Tenkeyless layout
Compact and portable design
RGB lighting program with Logitech HUB G
Detachable USB cache
Number 3 – HyperX Alloy Elite
Hyper X Alloy Elite Mechanical Keyboard
Special features:
Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red switches
Long-last steel frame
Programmable lighting effects and macros with HyperX NGenuity
You might wonder why those keyboards are called mechanical keyboards and also what makes them successful tech products for both professional and non-professional users. To satisfy your curiosity, we have here an article ‘The Secret of Mechanical Keyboard Switches’ for you to dig deeper into.
Before getting to compare Romer-G vs Cherry switches, we will take a quick look at both candidates first. The first one will be the Cherry MX switches.
An Overview of Cherry MX Switches
Cherry’s MX switches | The Gaming Setup
Cherry MX is the legendary switch that started everything. Despite the fact that many brands have released an uncountable number of switch clones, Cherry MX still stands strong in the first place thanks to its outstanding quality. In terms of durability and speed, Cherry MX is surely the top of all.
Different Cherry MX Switches for you to choose
Cherry MX has a wide range of different switches for you to pick from. Whatever your preferences are – heavy or light actuation weight, tactile or linear typing response, loud or quiet sound, it’s not hard to get the right switches that feel like your custom-made ones.
To learn more about the Cherry MX switches as well as their variants, we suggest you take a look at this article ‘Cherry MX Switches: A Complete Color Review’. It covers almost any famous variant from the Cherry MX lines in detail, from specs to our suggestions of who will like them.
Now, let’s discover the three most popular Cherry MX.
Cherry MX Brown
Cherry MX Brown Switch (Source: Reichelt)
The Cherry MX Brown switch is a tactile switch with a lightweight feeling. When you type on those switches, you can feelclear bumpy feedback from them. In addition, the key travel distance is in a short range like most switches from Cherry MX, from 2 mm to 4 mm. This results in a fast response time when activating the key.
Besides, the Cherry MX Brown releases a slightly low sound when typing, unlike other tactile switches. Therefore, it’s a good type of switch for people who prefers not to be noisy.
Cherry MX Blue switch is a special clicky switch for people who enjoy the bumpy feedback with a clear loud ‘clicky’ sound. Moreover, it has a heavy actuation weight which is usual for this type of switch. This means you need to use more force from your fingers to activate the key compared to the above tactile Brown. Therefore, you are able to know whether you successfully type the keypress, and also, you will know exactly where your fingers are. That is why beginners are recommended to go with the Blue switches first.
A lot of heavy-hand typists love this Cherry MX Black switch. The actuation force is 60gf, which is on the quite heavy side. Hence, you can have a clear feeling of typing on those key switches. Moreover, it is a linear switch that is promised to have a buttery smooth typing experience. Combined with its quiet typing sound, those who love playing games can go as hard as they want without any obstructions from the keypresses.
However, we think first-time users of the mechanical keyboard should not start with the Black switches. The smooth feeling from linear feedback which is pros will reverse to cons for beginners because it’s easier to make mistakes when there is no notice from the keypresses.
Quick Comparision chart
Specs
Cherry MX Brown
Cherry MX Blue
Cherry MX Black
Actuation Type
Tactile
Clicky
Linear
Actuation Force
40 gf
60 gf
60 gf
Key Travel Distance
2 mm – 4 mm
2 mm – 4 mm
2 mm – 4 mm
Sound
Low
Loud
Low
Typing/ Gaming/ Both
Both
Typing
Gaming
Let’s turn to the second candidate of our comparison between Romer-G mechanical switches vs Cherry – the Romer-G
An Overview of Logitech Romer-G Switches
Romer-G Switches On A Keyboard
Not choosing the same path as other brands in the market which is copying the cross-shaped stem of Cherry MX, Logitech decided to bring a new breath to the mechanical switches by creating their own stem-shape design. Well, some may doubt if this is just a marketing strategy. Yet, we believe the Romer-G from Logitech is one-of-a-kind.
Right now, there are two main lines of Logitech switches, Romer-G (or also called Omron) and GX. We will unfold what they are in the following part so keep reading.
Romer-G Tactile
Romer-G Tactile Switches
This is the best switch of all Logitech’s mechanical switches. It was first created to be paired with the G-series keyboards. You can get from its name what type of switches they are unlike the opponent – Cherry MX. Romer-G Tactile switch will create noticeable feedback when typing and moreover, that keyswitch from Logitech is pretty light, at about 45 gf actuation force.
The key advantage of the Tactile switch is its very short actuation point, at 1.5 mm. That is why a lot of users have responded that they were pleased with the super-fast response time. And besides, the Romer-G Tactile switch has a distinct ‘click’ sound but it is not loud or noisy. Therefore, playing FPS games with the Romer-G Tactile is enjoyable thanks to no disturbing noise.
Romer-G Linear
Romer-G Linear Switches
Romer-G Linear switch is unexpectedly smooth. Therefore, it is ideal to perform the double-click evenly without feeling like ‘something sticks there’ The key travel distance is exactly the same as the Tactile switch, so you can expect the response speed from the Linear will be similar rapid.
Furthermore, the Romer-G Linear switch is a lightweight type at 45 gf and has low sound released from typing. This makes it suitable for playing games like combat or role-playing.
Logitech GX Blue
Logitech GX Blue Switches
As an attempt at providing more choices for mechanical keyboard lovers, Logitech introduced the GX line and the very first product is Logitech GX Blue switch. This switch is a clicky type for those who are in love with the detectable sound and feedback. Therefore, you can expect it has a loud and clear sound. Moreover, the average weight force is 50gf. This is not exactly a heavy switch but you can not call it a light switch either. It’s somewhere between.
The thing is Logitech GX Blue has a higher actuation point than the Romer-G line, at 2.0 mm. It is still fast for sure but unable to compare with the Romer-G Tactile or Linear.
Quick Comparision chart
Specs
Romer-G Tactile
Romer-G Linear
Logitech GX Blue
Actuation Type
Tactile
Linear
Clicky
Actuation Force
45 gf
45 gf
50 gf
Key Travel Distance
1.5 mm – 3.2 mm
1.5 mm – 3.2 mm
2.0 mm – 4 mm
Sound
Low
Low
Loud
Typing/ Gaming/ Both
Both
Gaming
Typing
Romer-G Switches vs Cherry MX – Which one you should go for?
At first glance, between Romer-G vs Cherry switches, we believe that Logitech truly renovated and dealt with the problems within the old design of Cherry MX through Romer-G’s renovation.
First, they redesigned the switches entirely. They did not only change the stem shape from a cross to a puzzle/lego-like shape, but they also include a landing pad to increase the smoothness.
Inside Romer-G Linear Switch
Second, the life cycle of Romer-G switches is up to 70 million keystrokes, even the GX Blue clicky switches. This is nothing different than a durable warranty coming from the brand.
However, in general, between Romer-G switches and Cherry MX, who are superior, and who will be your best choice? We will get to the end of that questions soon.
Versatility
Romer-G vs Cherry MX: it will be Cherry MX’s win.
First, the variety of Cherry MX’s switches is more than double that of Romer-G. Second, thanks to the fact there are any dupes of Cherry MX, we can find a suitable substitute out there in the switch market. However, it’s hard to find one that shares the same puzzle-like stem as Romer-G, so you don’t have much choice if one day you feel bored with what they provide.
Pricing
Cherry MX vs Romer-G: this time, Romer-G will be the winner
When we talk about price, it is no doubt that a lower price is better. While a pack of 10 Romer-G on Amazon is about 10 dollars, you need to pay about 7 dollars for two pieces of Cherry MX Blue on Walmart. That leads to between Romer-G mechanical switches vs Cherry, the former is more affordable.
Inside Romer-G Tactile Switch
Typing Performance
Cherry MX vs Romer-G: We think Romer-G wins by a small margin
Let us talk about the small problems with Romer-G first. With a completed new design, the feeling when you type on Romer-G is guaranteed to be different than typing on the Cherry MX or Cherry MX’s clones. Therefore, you will need time to get used to typing if you first switch to it.
Now, let us show you the pros.
First, Cherry MX switches do not design with RGB lighting effects in mind so basically, they are not as good as Romer-G. The lighting is not bright enough so sometimes, especially in the poor-light condition, you cannot see the characters on the keypresses well. The design of Romer-G takes care of this issue for sure.
Second, the puzzle-or-lego-like stem design helps the Romer-G keyswitches be stable. You will feel firm and sturdy when pressing on those keys, even when you mistype on the edges or the corners.
Gaming Performance
Logitech GX Blue On Logitech Keyboard
Cherry MX vs Romer-G: This is a hard case for us so we will let you decide.
Confused? Let us explain.
To compare the performance of playing games with those two, we think there are two significant things to be considered. First, we will compare the response speed, which relates to the key travel distance. Second, we need to care about the precision of key activation.
In general, Romer-G has a 20% faster response time than Cherry MX, 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm actuation points in turn. However, that is true if we exclude the GX line, which has the same 2.0 mm actuation point as Cherry switches. But, Cherry MX Silver Speed also has a very low 1.5 mm actuation point. Therefore, we cannot give you a certain conclusion here.
Talk about the precision, the Romer-G performs a little bit better. But, the difference is not that enormous to say Romer-G has an upper hand in the gaming performance criteria.
Also, we want to mention the gaming keyboard market. Keep in mind that this is not a problem within the switches but more like an outside factor. Currently, there are way more brands that use Cherry MX for their gaming keyboard whereas you mostly find Romer-G on keyboards from Logitech. Hence, this may add to the cons of the Romer-G.
Sound Test
Between Romer-G and Cherry MX switches, there is no winner and loser in terms of sound. They are just totally different. So, you may want to choose which one has the sound that is your favorite.
Here we have a video that compares the sounds from typing of Romer-G Linear and Tactile.
And here is the video that tests the sound from GX Blue switches.
Now is the turn to listen to the legendary Cherry MX. In this video, Keymouse has grouped switches into groups so can compare easily.
Uniqueness
Romer-G vs Cherry MX: Let’s give the throne to one who is brave enough to make a difference – Romer-G from Logitech
With many dupes of Cherry MX out there, you cannot feel that Cherry MX is something special or something one-of-a-kind. In contrast, from the stem design to the RGB lighting consideration, Romer-G is sure to make itself a distinct place in the mechanical switch market. Thus, if you are looking for something that is unrepeated, you know what you should look for.
Final Thoughts
Cherry MX Brown Switches (Source: Epomaker)
As we go this far together in the ‘Romer-G vs Cherry switches’ journey, we hope you have your own answer.
For us, we think Romer-G is worth a try. They are unique and special. They solve the problems of the Cherry MX and they truly bring something new to the old mechanical market.
But, of course, it is clear that they are new and moreover, they do not have many options like Cherry MX switches. If you want to play safe, Cherry MX may be more suitable for you.
To sum up, we think both Cherry MX vs Romer-G are trustworthy switches and they have deserved their places in the switch market.
FAQs
Are Romer-G switches equivalent to Cherry MX switches?
Romer-G Tactile is equivalent to the Cherry MX Brown switch and Romer-G Linear is similar to the Cherry MX Red switch. Note that we are talking about the specs. In terms of typing feel, Romer G is different and unique.
Which is more durable: Cherry MX vs Romer-G?
Overall, Cherry MX is more durable with 100 million keystrokes. However, while Cherry MX Blue clicky switch can last for 50 million, Romer-G clicky can be up 10 70 million keystrokes.
Can you change Romer-G switches with Cherry MX switches?
No, they are not. Romer-G switches have a different stem design so you can not exchange them with Cherry MX or vice versa.
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