Editing Gateron KS-3 series

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{{Infobox dswitch
| image name        = 
| manufacturer      = [[Gateron]]
| inventor          = 
| switch type       = Clicky; tactile; linear
| contact mechanism = [[Contact mechanism#Metal leaf|Metal leaf]]
| product code      = 
| family            = 
| keycap mount      = [[Keycap mount#Cherry MX mount|Cherry MX]]
| switch mount      = [[Switch mount#Plate mount|Plate]] and [[PCB mount|PCB]] mount
| lifetime          = 50 M
| force graph       = 
| peak force        = 
| website           = 
}}

'''Gateron KS-3 series''' of keyswitches are [[Cherry MX clone|clones]] of [[Cherry MX]] keyswitches.
Unlike its successors: the [[Gateron KS-8 series|KS-8]] and [[Gateron KS-9 series|KS-9]] series, it supports only two-pin LEDs.

==Description==
The outer shapes and internals are virtually indistinguishable from [[Cherry MX]] except that the top is branded "[[Gateron]]" in an italic font.
All parts should be interchangeable except for the leaf springs that perform the electric switching. Cherry leaf springs fit inside Gateron housings but Gateron leaf springs are slightly thicker and do not fit into Cherry MX bottom housings. The copper leaf springs have gold-plated cross-points.<ref name="hwood34" /> The cross-points were rotated 90° from MX internals on early revisions, but are oriented the same as Cherry MX on later revisions.

KS-3 housings can be black or translucent white.
The translucent shell switches are always sold as PCB mount, while the single black shell variant found to date is plate mount.
The fixing pins (for PCB-mounting) are somewhat wider than Cherry MX, giving a tighter fit.

The circle-shaped immersion that allows for LED mounting is slightly larger than compared to Cherry MX switches, which allows mounting standard 3 mm LEDs without having to sand off the flange

==Variants==
===Regular variants===
{| class="wikitable variants-table"
!
! Part number<ref name="gateron" />
! Shell colour
! Stem colour
! Actuation weight<ref name="massdrop" />
! Type
! Switch mount
! Cherry equivalent
! Notes
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Clear -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Colourless
| 35 gf
| Linear
| PCB
| none
| 
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Red -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Red
| 45 gf
| Linear
| PCB
| [[Cherry MX Red]]
| 
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Black -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Black
| 50 gf
| Linear
| PCB
| [[Cherry MX Black]]
| 
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Blue -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Blue
| 55 gf
| Clicky
| PCB
| [[Cherry MX Blue]]
| 
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Brown -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Brown
| 45 gf
| Tactile
| PCB
| [[Cherry MX Brown]]
| 
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Yellow -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Yellow
| 50 gf
| Linear
| PCB
| none
| 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|125px]]
| 
| Translucent
| Green
| 80 gf
| Clicky
| PCB
| [[Cherry MX Green]]
| 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|125px]]
| 
| Black
| Colourless
| 
| Linear
| 
| 
| 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|125px]]
| 
| Black
| Red
| 
| Linear
| 
| 
| 
|-
| [[File:Gateron KS-3 Black-Black -- infobox.jpg|125px]]
| 
| Black
| Black
| 
| Linear
| Plate
| 
| 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|125px]]
| KS-3C10B060NN-2
| Black
| Blue
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|125px]]
| 
| Black
| Brown
| 
| 
| 
| 
|}

Switches with white sliders are very light and linear, with no Cherry MX equivalent. Cherry's similar-looking switches are instead [[Cherry MX Clear|tactile]] or [[Cherry MX White|clicky]] (older type).

Gateron's clicky switches lack the small pin on the top of the slider beside the cruciform mount that clicky varieties of [[Cherry MX]] and many [[:Category:Clones of Cherry MX switches|clones]] have.
This makes clicky Gaterons fit [[Damping#Silencing clips|silencing clips]] whereas the others do not.

=== Custom switches===
; Zealio
: The [[Zealio]] family of switches from [[Zeal PC]]. Some switches have been sold in translucent shells but most variants have had transparent shells similar to [[Gateron KS-8 series]]. The tactile variants have custom sliders, exclusive to Zeal PC. They have [[lubrication]] and gold-plated springs.
; Linjär
: Switches with linear (Swe:"Linjär", pron:"linnyair") feel, in the colours of the Swedish flag, with lubrication and gold-plated springs. Group run by Swedish enthusiasts in early 2019.
{{-}}

==Key feel==
The tactile/actuation point is slightly higher up than on the corresponding Cherry MX switch. The switches have been described as having smoother action than new Cherry MX but not as smooth action as vintage/broken-in Cherry MX.

The springs are slightly lighter than the corresponding Cherry MX, especially in starting force. The tactile bumps of tactile switches can feel slightly sharper, probably because of them being higher up in the stroke, the starting force from the springs being lighter and the leaf spring being slightly stiffer.

==Availability==
Packs of KS-3, as well as [[Gateron KS-8 series|KS-8]] and [[Gateron KS-9 series|KS-9]] are now available from multiple [[:Category:Enthusiast_vendors|enthusiast stores]].

Switches can come pre-installed in keyboards from:
* [[Varmilo]]

Group orders for switches have been conducted on [[Massdrop]] and [[Geekhack]]. Various switches have also been for sale on Asian merchant forums, such as Taobao.
Transparent housings have also been available separately for modding.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:Gateron KS-3 Red -- fixing pins.jpg         | Fixing pins are present on all translucent-shell switches
File:Gateron KS-3 Black-Black -- plate mount.jpg | Black shell switch has been found with a plate-mount shell
</gallery>

==References==
<references>
<ref name="massdrop">Massdrop — [https://www.massdrop.com/buy/gateron-switches?mode=guest_open Gateron Switches group buy]. Retrieved 2015-07-27</ref>
<ref name="hwood34">Geekhack — [https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=68113.0 Gateron Teardown]. Dated 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-07-27</ref>
<ref name="gateron">Specifications and other information received from Gateron, 2017-08-04</ref>
</references>

==See also==
* [[Gateron KS-8 series]]: Similar but have transparent tops which accepts 4-pin LEDs.
* [[Gateron KS-9 series]]: Similar but have bottoms that fit SMD LEDs.
* [[Gateron KS-1 series]]: A predecessor with square sliders, not interchangeable with [[Cherry MX]].

[[Category:Gateron switches]]
[[Category:Clones of Cherry MX switches]]
[[Category:Clicky switches]]
[[Category:Tactile switches]]
[[Category:Linear switches]]
[[Category:Illuminable switches]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:Production switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]