If you wish to “tune” how the Boba U4 sounds, however, you can try a thin or compressible switch film. The more tactile a switch, the louder it usually is, until now. Enter Gazzew’s Boba U4, a surprisingly silent tactile switch. Given I had already honed down on my preferred key mapping for this 65% keyboard, I retained the same keycap choices as before, but did go with the traditional Esc key. I also wanted to try out the replacement space bar keycap to see if more of the lighter green would better balance out the others, and think it did just that. So the keycaps used above are ultimately my go-to choices for this particular setup and keyboard build, and I used the MARVODIY software drivers to re-map the top-right key from Tilde to Delete to complete the process.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to try a silent switch, or have been sleeping on Outemu’s latest offerings with Gazzew, the Boba U4 just might be the switch you’ve been waiting for. The Boba U4 is offered not only in 62g and 68g spring weights, but the housing is also provided in both milky-top and RGB-friendly clear-top options. Somewhere between those extremes lie most of the rest; Cherry, Gateron, JWK (who make the Shrimps). I’m honestly no fan of either Cherry or Gateron’s approach, and while JWK’s is similar, I think it’s better executed.

Where to buy

There are a few ways you can lube the Boba U4, including the traditional method of lubing the springs, housings, and stem with GPL105 and Tribosys 3203 or 3204.

Best thing is to buy some samples of some of the mentioned items right now, while they are somewhat discounted. The other important thing is chassis: some kits are quieter than others. IKKI68 Aurora is quiet, as is lubed Archon AK87/89. NCR-80 is not, unless you use all dampeners and even then Aurora is quieter. [Still okay, tho.] There is an ever so slight amount of ping in the spring of these switches that aren’t in Boba U4s, though I know from first hand experience that this disappears with a decent lubrication job. Scores and Statistics For general use, one of the most versatile switches in the Gazzew Boba lineup is the Boba U4T switch. Due to its offered various spring weights, the enthusiast-grade tactile switch can be used whenever and for whatever the typists’ use case is. This especially applies to enthusiasts that are part of the tactile gang, sharing a fondness for true tactility in mechanical keyboard switches. While the tactile bump is likely just the tiniest bit too light for tactile fans to truly enjoy, these firmly sit at a smooth, consistent, and firm feeling light silent tactile option unlike anything that had came before it. If it didn’t feature as prominent of a post-bump linear travel region nor as much of its characteristic leathery scratch, this score would be that much higher. WobbleIf you’re looking for a balance, JWK is probably the way to go right now - so in this vein I’d echo recommendations for the T1 Shrimps. I don’t think JWK has a light silent tactile at the moment, but that’s probably a matter of time. While the clear-top variety is commonly found through official vendors, pink tops can currently only be obtained directly from Gazzew, or by obtaining the pink “Bobagum” silent linear switches. Significantly greater stem wobble in both N/S and E/W directions compared to the Boba U4. Outemu Sky Silent Tactile (68g) Both Zilent V2s and Boba U4s have quite good tolerances with respect to stem wobble. That being said, the slight amount of N/S wobble and slightly larger E/W wobble in the Zilent V2 is significantly more noticeable when compared to the Boba U4. Gateron Silent Brown Peak Force” is the maximum amount of force required to press and actuate the switch. The peak force required for a tactile switch is typically higher than that of a linear switch with the same spring.

Reduced leaf ping due to metal composition and newly designed base along with factory lubed spring bottoms and leafs (the slide rails are not lubed); Very smooth feel, removing the need to lube the switch (if you insist, do try them without lube first); The Boba U4, designed by Gazzew in collaboration with Outemu, has been making waves in the mechanical keyboard communities over the past several months, but it is worth the hype? The housing is made from a soft proprietary plastic blend that makes it softer than Nylon-66, and helps to mute any metallic noise caused by the spring or leaf.

Tech specs

I treated myself with GMK think caps and during the waiting time I thought it would be nice if I'd give my board a worthy upgrade. The top housing wobble, as well, is nothing to scoff at in its own right. While there is absolutely no give to the top housing in any direction on all of the samples that I have tried, this is slightly less impressive given that Gazzew’s tops have been known for having this quality for some time. The consistency of the quality, though, is nearly as impressive as the leaps and bounds made in increasing the tolerances regarding the stem wobble in these switches. Other Surprisingly, the Zilent V2 tactile bump is only a hair stronger and more firm than the Boba U4 in a side by side comparison. The Keebwerk Tacit, for example, blows both of the water in terms of sheer tactility and is showing how much the tactile market has drifted over time.

The housing is a little difficult to open, however, and the switch itself feels a bit scratchy and mushy compared to regular tactile switches. This is to be expected from a silent switch, and the Boba U4 is actually quite smooth for being a silent tactile switch. With a large and robust tactile bump, impressive sound qualities, and extremely competitive pricing, the Boba U4 is arguably one of the best value switches for your money. The Boba U4, like most other mechanical switches in production today, are derived from Cherry MX housing designs.With only the minor gripe with the consistent, leathery ‘scratch’ noise present throughout the stroke of these switches, literally everything is silent. Hell, even the scratch noise itself is quiet by modern switch metrics for tactiles and linears alike. Context The Boba Pink’s housing is also made from the unique plastic mix, softer than Nylon 66 and melts in higher temperatures than polycarbonate plastic. The switch’s leaf also comes with pre-lube and is designed to deliver a smooth and silent typing experience for linear switches, excelling in both typing feel and sound profile. The unique switch rails and housing of the Bobagum Pink also eliminate the unnecessary pingy noises of the leaf and spring, thus creating a silent sound profile for the switch. So if you want to try Boba switches but are looking for silent linears instead of tactiles, Boba Pink is a noteworthy choice for your next build. Gazzew Boba Silver