Editing Razer switch

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{{TODO photo|more=true|reason=chroma, and detailed shots including switch disassembly}}

{{Infobox dswitch
| image name        = Razer switch -- infobox.jpg
| manufacturer      = [[Kaihua]], [[Greetech]]
| inventor          = 
| switch type       = Clicky; tactile; linear
| sense method      = [[Metal leaf]]
| product code      = 
| family            = 
| keycap mount      = [[Cherry MX mount]]
| switch mount      = [[Plate mount]]
| lifetime          = 60 M (Kailh), 80 M (Greetech)
| introduced        = 2014
| force graph       = 
| peak force        = 
| website           = http://www.razerzone.com/razer-mechanical-switches
}}

'''Razer switches''' are [[Razer]]-branded [[Cherry MX clone|clones of Cherry MX]] switches from multiple manufacturers. They are used in Razer's [[Razer BlackWidow|BlackWidow]] and [[Razer Orbweaver|Orbweaver]] mechanical gaming keyboards.

==History==
Prior to the 2014 BlackWidow editions, Razer used [[Cherry MX]] switches. According to a Razer representative, the main motivation behind developing a new switch was that they expected that Cherry would have problems meeting future demand for Cherry MX switches.<ref name="findecanor_talk">Conversation between [[user:Findecanor]] and [[Razer]] representative at ''Dustin Expo 2014'', Stockholm, 2014-03-29</ref>

==Variants==
Both monochrome LED and RGB LED versions exist. The "Chroma" RGB versions support [[full-colour backlighting]] through the use of special RGB LEDs with all four legs inline across the switch, and a wide slit in the switch in place of the regular circular LED recess.

The original variants were orange and green and took monochrome LEDs. This has now been supplemented by the Chroma RGB switches and by a new yellow variant, which is Razer's equivalent of [[Cherry MX Speed Silver]] and [[Cherry MX Speed RGB Silver]].<ref name="th-with-yellow" />

{| class="wikitable variants-table"
! !! Name !! OEM !! Type !! LED support !! Cherry MX equivalent !! Pretravel !! Total travel
|-
| [[File:Razer Green KH.jpg|175px]]         || Razer Green         || Kailh    || Clicky  || Monochrome || [[Cherry MX Blue]]         || 1.9±0.4 mm || 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|175px]]          || Razer Green         || Greetech || Clicky  || Monochrome || [[Cherry MX Blue]]         ||            || 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|175px]]          || Razer Chroma Green  || Kailh    || Clicky  || RGB        || None                       || 1.9±0.4 mm || 
|-
| [[File:Razer Chroma Green GT.jpg|175px]]  || Razer Chroma Green  || Greetech || Clicky  || RGB        || None                       ||            || 
|-
| [[File:Razer Orange KH.jpg|175px]]        || Razer Orange        || Kailh    || Tactile || Monochrome || [[Cherry MX Brown]]        || 1.9±0.4 mm || 
|-
| [[File:Razer Orange GT.jpg|175px]]        || Razer Orange        || Greetech || Tactile || Monochrome || None                       ||            || 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|175px]]          || Razer Chroma Orange || Kailh    || Tactile || RGB        || None                       || 1.9±0.4 mm || 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|175px]]          || Razer Chroma Orange || Greetech || Tactile || RGB        || [[Cherry MX Brown]]        ||            || 
|-
| [[File:Razer yellow razerzone.png|175px]] || Razer Yellow        || Kailh    || Linear  || Monochrome || [[Cherry MX Speed Silver]] || 1.2±0.4 mm || 3.5 mm
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|175px]]          || Razer Yellow        || Greetech || Linear  || Monochrome || [[Cherry MX Speed Silver]] ||            || 
|-
| [[File:No photograph.svg|175px]]          || Razer Chroma Yellow || Kailh    || Linear  || RGB        || None                       || 1.2±0.4 mm || 3.5 mm
|-
| [[File:Razer Chroma Yellow GT.jpg|175px]] || Razer Chroma Yellow || Greetech || Linear  || RGB        || None                       ||            || 
|}

==Manufacturers==
Razer was unwilling to divulge who their manufacturing partners were, but [[Kaihua]] (Kailh) and [[Greetech]] have been confirmed.

===Kaihua===
The first generation, seen in 2014 was derived from the [[Kaihua PG1511 series]], and bears the word "Razer" and the Kailh emblem on top. The switch has Kaihua's characteristic top housing.
The switch is reported to have a larger area of gold on the contacts than Cherry switches, to extend the lifetime from 50 to 60 million keystrokes.
Razer are reported to have their own QA staff on the factory floor, to keep the switch variance low.<ref name="LinusTechTips" />

The switches have very slightly less actuation distance than [[Cherry MX]]. The clicky variant also has slightly less [[hysteresis]] but at the expense of a slightly sharper bump at the rebound before topping up.<ref name="LinusTechTips" /> The keys rattle less than Cherry MX, but are not noticeably less wobbly when pressed.

Switches have been reported to develop a creaky sound after a period of use, probably caused by the coiled spring.<ref name="GHCreakySound" />

<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:Razer switch branding (Kailh).jpg
</gallery>

===Greetech===
In 2015, it was reported that Kaihua was not the sole supplier of Razer switches.<ref name="th-razer-green-switches-not-kailh"/>.

In 2016, Razer opted to use Razer Chroma switches in keyboards with RGB backlighting and switch back to using [[Cherry MX]] in those with monochrome backlighting or none.
Razer claims that the Razer switches have been improved, are in essence manufactured in-house and that Razer practically owns the production line.<ref name="bittech16"/>

Razer-branded switches in 2015-edition keyboards have been found with a more [[Cherry MX]]-like top housing and the [[Greetech]] brand on the bottom. <ref name="th-razer-green-switches-kailh-exclusive"/>

<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:Razer Chroma Yellow GT -- dual branding.jpg | Dual Greetech/Razer–branded Chroma Yellow switch (2017)
</gallery>

==Keyboards==
*[[Razer BlackWidow 2014]] (green)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Chroma]] (green)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Stealth 2014]] (orange)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2014]] (green)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth 2014]] (orange)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition 2014]] (green)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition Chroma]] (orange?)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Tournament Stealth Edition 2014]] (orange)
*[[Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2]] (green, orange, yellow)

==References==
<references>
<ref name="LinusTechTips">YouTube — [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T5BVGCTY-g Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014] (review by LinusTechTips, 6 Mar 2014)</ref>
<ref name="GHCreakySound">Geekhack — [http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62819 Strange Kailh switch sound while *slowly* pushing down some keys - Ping?] Posted 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2015-08-01.</ref>
<ref name="th-razer-green-switches-not-kailh">Tom's Hardware — [http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/razer-green-switches-not-kailh,news-52032.html Razer Green Switches: Don't Call Them Kailh]. Dated 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2016-09-03</ref>
<ref name="th-razer-green-switches-kailh-exclusive">
Tom's Hardware: [http://www.tomshardware.com/news/razer-green-switches-kailh-exclusive,32142.html Razer Green Switches Now Made Exclusively By Kaihua (Update: Nope)]. Dated 2016-06-23. Retrieved 2016-12-22</ref>
<ref name="bittech16">Bit-tech: [http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/peripherals/2016/03/24/razer-blackwidow-x-keyboards/1 Razer reveals BlackWidow X, improved switches and Cherry MX models]. Dated 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-12-22.</ref>
<ref name="th-with-yellow">Tom's Hardware — [http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/razer-yellow-mechanical-keybord-switch,news-54678.html Razer Goes Linear With Yellow Mechanical Keyboard Switch]</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Razer switches]]
[[Category:Kailh switches]]
[[Category:Greetech switches]]
[[Category:Clones of Cherry MX switches]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:Clicky switches]]
[[Category:Tactile switches]]
[[Category:Linear switches]]
[[Category:Illuminable switches]]
[[Category:RGB switches]]
[[Category:Production switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]