Annoying noise from typing or gaming with a loud keyboard is one of the most stressful things for anyone to cope with while using a computer.
In a room with silence, a standard keyboard or a mechanical keyboard can be rather noisy and disturbing for you and the people around you.
The solution now is to fix it or get a replacement (if possible). There are a few methods of exploring solutions and determining if they make a difference.
And here are 10 simple tips to make any mechanical keyboard quieter for you!
| Problem | Solution | Difficulty level |
| The type of table material affects noise; hard materials like wood or glass amplify sound, and key presses can create vibrations leading to unexpected noises | Place a desk mat or a large mouse pad under your keyboard | Easy |
| Loose keycap | Install rubber O-rings as dampers | Moderate |
| The switch types have their own sound. Clicky switches are the loudest and should not be lubricated, as it dampens their distinctive sound Tactile switches can be lubricated for a smoother feel, while linear switches benefit the most from lubrication to reduce friction and enhance performance | Lubricate your switches | Moderate to Difficult |
| Echoes can occur between the keyboard's PCB and bottom case, as well as between the plate and PCB. Sound traveling through these cavities reflects and amplifies, creating an echo effect | Add foam inside the keyboard | Moderate |
|
Modify your key stabilizers: Band-Aid, Clip, and Lube | Moderate to Difficult |
|
Replace your switches | Difficult |
| Keycap material and design impact a mechanical keyboard's noise level, with ABS keycaps being louder than PBT, while rubber keycaps are quieter. Thinner keycaps may be noisier due to less dampening; switch type also affects sound levels | Buy silent mechanical keyboard keys | Easy |
| Poor build quality | Use keyboard case and plate material | Moderate |
| The sound of a mechanical keyboard can be influenced by the plate's material and design, impacting the overall noise level during typing | Install gasket mount structure | Difficult |
Problems:
The noise generated by a keyboard can be influenced by both external and internal factors. Externally, the surface on which the keyboard is placed plays a significant role. Hard materials like wood or glass amplify sound and vibrations, making typing noticeably louder. About inner factors, pressing a key can produce vibrations that lead to unexpected sounds.
Solutions:
While these issues are not common, they can still occur. It is advisable to check the positioning of your keyboard on your desk and consider using a desk mat/large mouse pad to help minimize noise.
Problems:
Debris lodged in the keyboard or incorrect placement can lead to noise issues. When debris builds up, it can prevent keys from returning to their original position, resulting in repetitive sounds. Additionally, if debris obstructs the mechanism, keys may not register presses properly, causing clicking noises.
Solutions:
Here's a quick guide to make cleaning your keycaps easy and efficient.
Step 1: Gather your tools
- Warm soapy water
- A keycap puller
- A towel for drying
- A clean drying area
- A moist cloth for keyboard grime
Step 2: Document your keyboard layout
Before removing the keycaps, take a photo of your keyboard or find an online image for reference. This will help you when replacing the keys.
Step 3: Power down your keyboard
Unplug the keyboard or turn it off to avoid electrical issues. If it's an older model with a PS/2 connection, ensure your computer is shut down before disconnecting.
Step 4: Remove the keycaps
To clean thoroughly, start by removing the keycaps using the right tools. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions to prevent damage.
Step 5: Clean keycaps
Soak keycaps in warm, soapy water. Use a soft brush for tough stains, then rinse and dry them thoroughly.
Step 6: Clean the keyboard
Shake the keyboard upside down to remove debris or use canned air. Wipe the surface with a moist cloth or Q-tip.
Step 7: Reattach keycaps
Once dry, reattach keycaps using the reference photo, pressing until you hear a snap.
Step 8: Reconnect the keyboard
Reconnect the keyboard to your computer and turn it on. Your clean keyboard is ready to use!
With these steps, cleaning your keyboard will be a breeze!
Problems:
When keycaps are not securely fastened, they can cause noise while typing due to insufficient contact with the switch. This can lead to rattling or slight movement when pressed, resulting in unwanted sounds. Moreover, larger gaps between the switches and keycaps can increase the noise level during keystrokes.
Solutions:
If you are experiencing this problem mentioned above, try installing O-rings. The O-ring is another excellent option for reducing overall noise generation levels when typing on your keyboard.
To minimize overtones, O-rings made of rubber/silicone are typically placed around the drumhead. Then, they reduce noise generated by key presses on keyboards.
Furthermore, the O-ring lowers the sound of the noise produced by minimizing the travel distance between key presses.
Overall, installing an O-ring is an easy way to silence your keyboards. However, there may not be much difference if your keyboard includes a clicky switch, such as the Cherry Blue MX. And if this is the case, you should consider going with a quieter switch!
Problems:
Mechanical keyboard switches are classified into three types:
Tactile and linear switches should be lubricated to enhance their performance, while clicky switches require minimal lubrication to maintain their distinct sound and feel. The appropriate lubricants vary by switch type, with specific recommendations for each.
Solutions:
Lubricating your switches is the answer for how to make the keyboard quieter in this case. This process reduces friction, eliminating scratchiness and spring ping for a smoother typing experience. It also dampens noise from key presses, significantly lowering the overall sound level.
Here's a quick overview of the process:
The lubrication process typically takes about 2 hours and requires a switch opener, a small brush, and the best lube for keyboard switches.
Problems:
The echo can also be the reason as it occurs between the keyboard's PCB and the bottom case, as well as between the plate and the PCB. As sound travels through these cavities, it reflects and amplifies, creating an echo effect.
Solutions:
The solution for this problem is using materials like felt, sponge, foam, or silicone pads to fill the gaps between the PCB and the bottom case as well as between the PCB and the positioning plate. This approach helps eliminate cavity echo and reduces the resonance within the keyboard structure.
Or you can add additional cuts to the plate of the mechanical keyboard. By introducing cuts, you can reduce the overall noise generated by key presses. The cuts can help minimize the vibrations that contribute to sound, resulting in a quieter typing experience.
Problems:
The build quality of a mechanical keyboard significantly impacts its noise levels. Lower-quality keyboards might have rattling or wobbly keys, which can increase noise.
Besides, stabilizers may create distracting rattling sounds when keys are pressed. If they are not properly adjusted or lubricated, they can lead to a soft, mushy feel. Additionally, misalignment can cause inconsistent key presses, resulting in an uneven typing experience.
Solutions:
In this way, the changes have become a little more complex. These mods involve more time and effort, but they are well worth it.
The stabilizers are the parts that assist balance the bigger keys like the space bar and prevent them from shaking and rattling. Modding them is a great technique to gain a smoother and quieter sounding.
Modding the stabilizers consists of three steps: place band-aids, clip, and lube the stabilizers.
Step 1: Place band-aids
Placing a little band-aid to the point where the stabilizer contacts the PCB is ideal to reduce the noise level of the stabilizers. The band-aid effectively muffles the keystroke.
Step 2: Clips
Clipping the stabilizer's bottom feet off creates a more smooth and firm surface. This increases the stability of the stabilizer and lowers the rattling noise produced by each keystroke. Less rattling means less noise.
Step 3: Lubricant
This is a sure-fire method of reducing the sound level. When a stabilizer goes up and down, friction occurs, causing vibration and amplifying the sound output of your keyboard. The use of lubricant reduces friction and enhances acoustics.
Problems:
The type of switch you choose affects your keyboard's noise level. Clicky switches, like Cherry MX Blues, produce a loud click with each keystroke. Tactile switches, such as Cherry MX Browns, have a noticeable bump but create moderate noise, while linear switches, like Cherry MX Reds, are the quietest, offering smooth keystrokes without noise.
Springs within the switches also contribute to noise. Worn or rusty springs can produce a "rusty spring sound," and tangled springs may create additional noise. The material of the springs influences sound levels, with harder materials generating more noise than softer ones.
Solutions:
If you have a keyboard with noisy and clicky switches, purchasing quieter switches is the best choice now.
Clicky switches were designed to be audible (even extremely noisy). Now, the only solution is to replace them with quieter models.
For a silent keyboard, you can consider Cherry MX Silent switches, Gateron Silent switches, and Kailh Silent switches.
Silent switches include little rubber cushioning on the stem of the switch that reduces the sound produced when a keystroke is pressed. They are truly I deal for quiet typing.
However, only one minus point is that quiet switches have a rubbery feel to them, making them seem mushy and weird (just a little bit). Indeed, there is undoubtedly a trade-off to using quiet switches.
Wanna know other quiet switches? So, here is our list of the Best Quiet Switches for your Keyboard.
Problems:
Keycap material and design greatly affect a mechanical keyboard's noise level. ABS keycaps tend to produce a higher-pitched sound compared to PBT keycaps. Rubber keycaps provide a quieter typing experience due to their impact-absorbing material, reducing the typical "clack" of mechanical keyboards.
In contrast, resin artisan keycaps produce a more pronounced sound, influenced by their design and the switches used. Additionally, thinner keycaps may create more noise due to their lesser sound-dampening qualities. Last but not least, the switch type also significantly affects the sound.
Solutions:
For a quieter typing experience, choose a mechanical keyboard with PBT keycaps over ABS, as they are denser and produce a deeper sound.
Related Articles:
Problems:
The sound level produced by your keyboard is affected by the plate used on the keyboard switch. Poor build quality can result in unwanted noise during use.
Solutions:
To fix the "plate" problem, you not only add foam inside the keyboard, but you can also upgrade to a higher-quality keyboard case and plate. Cases and plates made from aluminum alloy or stainless steel offer improved rigidity and sound absorption. Additionally, some bottom covers are equipped with sound insulation layers and shock-absorbing materials, further enhancing noise reduction.
Problems:
A gasket mount is a keyboard design that uses soft, rubbery gaskets between the keyboard plate and case, allowing the plate to float and reducing vibrations. The gasket mount and plate mount differ in keyboard design and typing feel.
A gasket mount uses soft rubber gaskets between the plate and case, allowing the plate to float, which reduces vibrations and provides a cushioned, quieter typing experience. Conversely, a plate mount secures the plate to the case with screws, resulting in a solid structure. This leads to a firmer typing feel, preferred by some, but produces a louder sound due to less vibration absorption.
So, the sound generated by a mechanical keyboard can be significantly affected by the material and design of the plate, which may amplify noise and create a noisier typing experience.
Solutions:
This design uses gasket materials to cushion the plate, minimizing vibration and noise. Consider selecting or upgrading to a gasket mount keyboard for better performance.
If your main goal is to minimize typing noise, gasket mounts are more effective than foam or plate-mounted setups. They absorb vibrations better, leading to a softer and quieter sound than foam and plate.
After putting in all the effort to make your mechanical keyboard quieter, the next step is to keep it quiet for good.
Keyboards can easily retain dirt, dust, food crumbs, bacteria, and others. It is hard to maintain a keyboard; however, doing routine cleaning can greatly assist.
One piece of food trapped under a key is all it takes to make it much louder than before.
For fast cleanups, have some basic cleaning items on hand at all times. You can read this post: How to deep clean your keycaps and mechanical keyboard safely and easily? to know how to clean your keyboard properly.
Things won't go too terrible as long as a little maintenance is done throughout the week.
Dealing with a loud keyboard is irritating for everyone. Luckily, with these 7 tips to make any mechanical keyboard quieter, you can easily solve this problem.
Quiet keyboards can benefit not just people who use them, but also others who surround them. Put in your time and effort to find out a solution, and you'll spare yourself hours of frustration later.
Some keyboard companies utilize electrostatic positive key mechanisms. It produces a much more subtle sound than the audible click. Additionally, it is also more of a "thonk" or "thud" sound, which is not only quieter but also more pleasant overall.
It can't be quiet by itself until you put some hacks to remove the noise from it (use a desk mat, place O-rings, add foam, etc)
This is uncertain because the keyboard is easily dirty due to external factors such as dirt, dust, food crumbs, bacteria, etc. All of these will make your keyboard even louder.
We recommend you should clean your keyboard regularly to keep it quiet over time.
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