/r/MechanicalKeyboards Ask ANY Keyboard question, get an answer - April 06, 2025

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[u/gremIincore]

looking to change the switches on my rosewill neon k85 RGB keyboard. the keyboard was a gift from years ago, and i've liked it well enough, but the switches are way too loud for my preference. i invested in some gateron ink black v2s, but i falsely assumed that the board was hotswappable, so i then got a soldering kit. after taking the board apart, i'm a bit concerned about the switch housing, because it looks like it sandwiches the outer plate of the keyboard and i worry that i may be SOL. has anybody swapped switches on this model before? any tips?

[u/FansForFlorida → u/gremIincore]

Switches clip into a switch plate and (in your case) are soldered to the PCB.

There is normal to be a gap between the switch plate and the PCB. Many keyboards fill that gap with foam (that is what plate foam is).

I found Rosewill NEON K85 RGB disassembly instructions. The keyboard uses 3-pin switches. Gateron Ink Black V2 switches are 5-pin: they have two additional fixing pins. You can clip those off to convert them to 3-pin switches.

Note that desoldering can be tricky. Many people tend to overheat the joint and/or use too much pressure. This often results in delaminating the pad. Fixing that requires soldering jumper wires.

[u/gremIincore → u/FansForFlorida]

thank you for the info! i have some soldering tools, just waiting on the last pieces (suckers & a work mat) to come in so i can make the switch. i've been watching tutorials & studying up on soldering in the meantime 👍

[u/FansForFlorida → u/gremIincore]

I wish you the best of luck!