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Atdcoek keycap and switch puller | $3.99 at Amazon
You can spend hundreds on a new mechanical keyboard when your deck is looking a bit tired, or you can let me show you how to give it a new lease of life for under $5 this Prime Day.
I'm talking, of course, about mods. All praise the mods.
There are two nifty tricks in particular that keep costs particularly low: tape modding and o-rings. Both make your keyboard sound deeper and richer, with less of a clack to a hearty bottom-out. If you don't want to invest in a shiny new gasket-mounted keyboard this Prime Day, this is where you need to be looking.
These are the hacks I use even on some of the best gaming keyboards I keep in my regular roster. After all, mechanical decks can always sound just that little bit better.
Of course, cracking open your case will often void any warranty you still have on your keyboard, so proceed with caution.
Tape Mod
What it does:
Adding extra cushioning to the underside of your keyboard's PCB makes every keypress sound deeper and more robust. It's, essentially, a thoccier experience.
How to do it:
Remove all the keycaps and switches from your keyboard.
Unscrew your case and carefully take the PCB out (this will void your warranty if your keyboard includes one).
Flip over the PCB, ensuring you are not facing the side on which you place your switches.
Apply tape horizontally along the back of the board, lining each strip up with the previous to ensure there's as little overlap as possible. Take care to allow holding pins and screws to poke through the tape with every layer you apply.
Reassemble your case.
It's important to only apply as many layers as you can fit in the case; adding more will create a deeper sound, but you'll run into other problems if you go too far beyond five or six layers. I like to keep things to three or four.
O-Rings
What it does:
O-rings reduce chatter noise around your keypresses. While this is more helpful for a tactile switch than a linear model, it's a quick and easy addition to your keyboard that will come in handy if you hate how loud your regular bottom-out is. They can also make your switches feel a little less poppy.
How to do it:
Remove the keycaps on your keyboard (yep, you don't even need to pop your switches out for this one).
Place the O-ring on the inside of your keycap, so that it wraps around the bottom of the stem in the center.
Place your keycap back over your switches.
You can use multiple O-rings per switch for a softer sound and feel, though too many sometimes leads to sticking and a slower repeat-press feel. I generally stick to one.
More of today's best Prime Day deals
- View all Prime Day deals at Amazon
- PS5: games from $19.93
- Switch: accessories from $8.99
- Xbox: hard drives from $28.28
- SSDs: from $56.99
- Cables: HDMI 2.1 from $8.49
- Controllers: from $15.98
- Headsets: from $18.99
- Keyboards: from $29.99
- Mice: from $16.99
I'm also rounding up all the best wireless gaming keyboards and the best hot-swappable keyboards available right now. Or, take a look at the best membrane keyboards for a cheaper alternative.
