Vortex Multix 87 Autumn TKL Hotswap Double Shot PBT Mechanical Keyboard

To add to my earlier review, I've replaced the Reds I'd swapped in with Gateron G Pro 2.0 factory-lubed silvers for a shorter travel and a more prominent sound, and I've replaced my alphas and some punctuation with the same Silvers. The rest of the keyboard is keeping the original Yellows, and I've added o-rings to the spacebar with the Cherry MX Silent Black to quiet it down still further. I'm finding that the middle riser setting is the most comfortable for me, although I'm trying variations on wristrests as well, mostly with the keyboard as flat as it can go. My wife likes this board enough that we're getting her one as well, although she's going for the Gateron G Pro 2.0 Silvers right out of the box instead of having a mix.

I've been trying to figure out my new keyboard as what I used to use is no longer available, and I've tried a variety of different boards so far. I thought I was going to like Topre-based keyboards the best and while they are very pleasant, they're not perfect. I was almost there with a Realforce R2 with a spacer, but while the spacer gave it almost the right feel, I tend to bottom out regularly and the bottom-out was squishy and strangely muffled, which wasn't ideal. Without the spacer the travel is a bit too long for my comfort. After researching a bunch of different switches and options, I landed on the Vortex Multix, 'autumn' version as the key caps are easy to read and have that classic look, with Gaterion G Pro 2.0 Yellow switches, 50g actuation, linear, lubed at the factory. The combination of these switches with the Vortex keyboard looks good, feels good, and sounds good. Keypresses feel solid without being overly heavy and I can type without fatigue. Better still, the keyboard is hotswap, so I was able to swap in a heavier switch (60g Cherry MX Silent Black) for my spacebar, and lighter switches (45g Gateron Silent Red) for keys I'll be holding down as I type other keys, like left shift, caps lock (control), tab, left alt. The main key on the board, the Gateron Yellows, are buttery smooth, have a consistent travel and sound, and while after researching I thought I'd like them, I didn't realize quite how much. The end result is silky and solid. While the Yellows aren't tactile switches, my best description is that you feel the actuation resistance immediately but then your key registers on the way down without excessive effort, leaving an impression of competence and authority. My only complaint is that the keyboard has three different paths for its USB cable, and the side paths don't grip tight enough to hold the cable in place. I'm not using the risers, so the keyboard is flat on my desk, and the cable is consequently staying in place, but anyone using the risers and wanting to have the USB cable come out one side or the other might end up needing a bit of tape to get it to stay. It's a truly minor complaint, but so far it's my only complaint, so it's worth noting. In addition to the keyboard itself, Vortex included both a good switch puller and a keycap puller nicer than anything I had before, so that was a bonus. There are also some nice accent keys (a dark teal? sea blue? unsure) if you want to spice up the otherwise very traditional looking ivory-and-tan layout.