DCX vs DCD vs DCL - Drop’s Keycap Profiles Explained
We’ve covered the basics of keycap profiles before—spherical/cylindrical, sculpted/uniform, etc. One thing that has come up more and more over the years as we’ve expanded our portfolio of offerings here at Drop is the distinction between some of our similar profiles. Specifically, what is the actual difference between DCX, DCD, and DCL? Cylindrical Profiles To recap the previous article on the topic, one of the most basic ways to separate various keycap profiles is by shape (cylindrical, spherical, or flat). DCX, DCD, and DCL are all cylindrical profiles. The most famous cylindrical profile is Cherry profile, as defined by the original manufacturer of the keycaps—Cherry. GMK now owns those tools, and as such, only they can technically claim to produce “Cherry” profile keycaps. Similar keycap profiles are often called Cherry profile colloquially, but are in actuality slightly different. For the sake of not splitting hairs, all of the cylindrical profiles discussed here are...
Apr 9, 2024
While there are many keyboard components to look into to find the perfect fit for you, I will be personally biased in saying that I think the switches are most important. For some takes on the other bits and pieces of mechanical keyboards out there, you should check out some of the articles that the other awesome writers at Drop have put out about them here. As to why I think that switches are the first component to consider in any mechanical keyboard build, here are top three reasons laid out:
As you may have guessed by the fact that we stock so many switches, each one can produce different feelings and sounds with each press of a key. While I cover some of the marketing terms and switch slang in this article that helps you understand what separates one switch from another (Coming Soon!), you’ll have to trust me for now that the options are near endless. Switch weights ranging from 30g to over 100g in force, with three different types, and hundreds of different color schemes all make for an incredible set of options for your perfect keyboard. Did I even mention that you can further customize your switches on your own after you buy them?
With that brief introduction as to why switches are such an important decision for you to make when picking your first or even fifteenth keyboard, I hope I was able to convince you to look a bit further into the details that sets switches like Holy Pandas and Gateron Yellows apart! My personal recommendation for next steps would be to look into the three main types of switches , though I won’t stop you if you want to jump right into trying some out for yourself. Before you do that, though, you may want to check out different marketing terms which you’ll often see with switches. Mod Edit: Fixed some formatting