Everglide Lightning Silver V3 vs. Akko V3 Silver Pro
An in-depth look at the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 and the Akko V3 Silver Pro switches—which one is the best fit for you?
Overview
When it comes to mechanical keyboard switches, the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 and the Akko V3 Silver Pro both offer unique features and advantages. The Lightning Silver V3 is known for its clacky and high-pitched sound signature, providing a seamless typing experience with a light diffuser that enhances RGB illumination. On the other hand, the Akko V3 Silver Pro switches are specially designed for gamers, offering effortless keystrokes with a pleasing bassy sound, light actuation force, and shortened travel distance for quick responsiveness. While these general descriptions provide a good starting point for choosing between the two switches, diving deeper into their specific characteristics will help determine the best switch for individual preferences and needs.
By the numbers
Technical specifications
Actuation force
48g
Actuation force
40g
Bottom-out force
60g
Bottom-out force
45g
Pre-travel
1.50 mm
Pre-travel
1.00 mm
Total travel
3.40 mm
Total travel
3.30 mm
Factory lubed
Yes
Factory lubed
Yes
Stem construction
Partial box
Stem construction
Partial box
Stem material
POM
Stem material
POM
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Bottom housing material
Polycarbonate
Bottom housing material
Nylon
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Spring
Lengthened gold-plated spring
Spring
13.8mm spring
Housing materials
When comparing the housing materials of the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 and the Akko V3 Silver Pro, both keyboards utilize polycarbonate in their top housing. This material choice results in a sharper, higher-pitched, and crisper sound profile for both keyboards. Additionally, the translucency of polycarbonate allows for RGB lighting to shine through, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the switches. However, the Akko V3 Silver Pro differs in its choice of material for the bottom housing, opting for nylon instead. This decision leads to a deeper and fuller sound profile compared to the Lightning Silver V3, as nylon is a softer plastic that absorbs more sound, creating a duller and rounder sound.
While both the Lightning Silver V3 and the Akko V3 Silver Pro benefit from the use of polycarbonate in their top housing for a clear and resonant sound profile, the different choice of material for the bottom housing sets them apart. The Everglide keyboard sticks with polycarbonate for its bottom housing, ensuring consistency in sound and feel throughout the keystroke. In contrast, the Akko keyboard's nylon bottom housing contributes to a deeper and fuller sound profile, offering a different typing experience for users. This difference highlights how the choice of housing material can have a significant impact on the overall sound and feel of a keyboard switch.
Ultimately, the choice between the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 and the Akko V3 Silver Pro will come down to personal preference for sound and typing feel. While both keyboards offer a sharp and clear sound profile with their polycarbonate top housing, the Akko V3 Silver Pro stands out with its nylon bottom housing, providing a deeper and fuller sound experience. Whether you prefer a crisper sound profile throughout or enjoy the variation between the top and bottom housings, both keyboards offer unique qualities that cater to different preferences in keyboard switches.
Weight
The Everglide Lightning Silver V3 linear switch has a slightly heavier actuation force of 48 grams compared to the Akko V3 Silver Pro linear switch, which has a lighter actuation force of 40 grams. The bottom out force of the Lightning Silver V3 is also heavier at 60 grams, while the V3 Silver Pro has a lighter bottom out force of 45 grams. This means that the Lightning Silver V3 will provide a slightly more substantial typing experience compared to the V3 Silver Pro. Those who prefer a lighter touch may find the V3 Silver Pro more suitable for longer typing sessions or gaming, while those who prefer a stronger push feel may opt for the Lightning Silver V3 for a more substantial typing experience. Overall, the actuation and bottom out forces of these switches cater to different preferences, allowing users to choose the one that best suits their typing style and needs.
Travel distance
The Everglide Lightning Silver V3 linear switch has a travel distance of 3.4 mm, while the Akko V3 Silver Pro linear switch has a travel distance of 3.3 mm. Both switches have a relatively short travel distance compared to the traditional 4.0 mm standard. Gamers looking for faster response times may prefer the Lightning Silver V3 with its slightly longer travel distance, while those who prefer a more abrupt keypress may opt for the Akko V3 Silver Pro. Ultimately, the difference in travel distance between the two switches is minimal and both will provide a similar typing experience in terms of key travel.
Price comparison
Which switch is more bang for your buck?
The Everglide Lightning Silver V3 has an MSRP of $5.55 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Lightning Silver V3 for $4.10.
The Akko V3 Silver Pro has an MSRP of $4.22 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the V3 Silver Pro for $3.10.
Here at Milktooth, we offer the best prices on switches (on average, 27% lower the competition). In addition, we offer free shipping on orders over $49.00. We also offer free returns and exchanges, so you can shop with guaranteed satisfaction.
That said, while price is an important piece of the puzzle, our opinion is that you should ultimately pick the option that most suits your unique preferences since you’ll be using these switches for years to come. In other words, finding something perfect for you is, in our view, the most important criteria.
Typing experience
In terms of sound, the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 switch is known for its clacky and high-pitched characteristics, providing a sharp and percussive sound when pressed. On the other hand, the Akko V3 Silver Pro switch also produces a high-pitched sound that is sharp and crisp, catering to those who prefer a brighter sound profile. The sound of both switches can be affected by the keyboard layout, keycaps, and overall setup.
Moving on to feel, the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 switch is described as silky, offering an exceptionally smooth typing experience with minimal resistance during key presses. In contrast, the Akko V3 Silver Pro switch is known for being easy-to-press, requiring gentle force for activation and reducing finger fatigue during long typing sessions. The Akko V3 Silver Pro switch is also described as creamy, feathery, and polished, emphasizing a smooth and low-impact typing feel that enhances overall comfort.
Taking all the available information into consideration, newcomers can expect a clacky, high-pitched sound profile from the Lightning Silver V3 switch by Everglide, while the Akko V3 Silver Pro switch offers a similar high-pitched sound but focuses on an easy-to-press and smooth typing feel that enhances typing comfort, especially for gaming purposes. Both switches provide unique characteristics tailored to different preferences, ultimately offering a satisfying typing experience for users seeking specific sound and feel qualities in their mechanical keyboards.
Conclusion
In closing, when considering whether to choose the Everglide Lightning Silver V3 linear switch or the Akko V3 Silver Pro linear switch, it all comes down to your personal preferences and use case scenarios. If you are looking for a keyboard switch that provides a clacky and high-pitched sound signature, along with a silky typing experience, the Lightning Silver V3 may be the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you are a gamer seeking switches engineered for quick and effortless keystrokes with a pleasing bassy sound, the V3 Silver Pro might be more suitable. Ultimately, both switches offer unique features and advantages, so it is important to consider what qualities are most important to you in a mechanical keyboard switch. Happy typing!
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