Oem vs Cherry Profile: Which Keycaps are Better?

Oem and Cherry Profile Keycaps

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OEM profile vs Cherry profile is a challenging contrast indeed, especially when every individual has a different take on the matter. Some people would swear on the efficiency of one while others would hail the price tag of the other. In any case, you must be subjective in your decision. All facts aside, you must look at your own needs and available resources before you can settle on one of these equally excellent keycap profiles.

Each profile has its own pros and cons, attracting some and repelling others. It all falls down on your personal preferences. So, before you decide on one of the two, I suggest you consider the features so that you can make a more informed decision. To make things easier for you, I have decided to prepare a guide for all you confused birds so that you wouldn’t have to scan multiple sites just to get a small piece of relevant information. So, keep on reading to know more!

Oem Profile Vs Cherry Profile

The OEM Profile

The typing experience on OEM Profile Keycaps.

If you own a mechanical keyboard, 99.9% chances are that it has a pre-installed OEM profile. The reason being, it is a lot less expensive than the cherry profile.

The OEM profile keycaps have an ergonomic design as they are magnificently sculpted. They also often come with keyboards designed for arthritis patients. This particular feature reduces stress and pressure that may befall on your hands and wrists after prolonged working hours. However, there is only one slight problem with this profile i.e. it may be lousy sometimes in taking commands from the user.

The Cherry Profile

The typing experience on Cherry Profile keycaps.

After discussing the OEM profile, the cherry profile is the second most spectacular choice. This profile is very similar to the OEM profile in terms of design and build. However, the only significant difference is that the keycaps in this profile are a little shorter than the OEM profile and are a little more sculpted, which makes it even more comfortable to use.

On the flip side, the cherry profile comes with a heftier price tag which is mainly the reason why most mechanical keyboards don’t feature this profile. You will have to purchase this keyset separately and get it installed yourself. In any case, this is definitely the better choice for compulsive gamers and hardworking typists.

FAQs

Both the cherry and OEM profiles are reasonable when compared. In fact, they are a lot similar in nature, shape, and design. The only difference is that the cherry profile is a little shorter and smaller than the OEM profile. Plus, most of the mechanical keyboards are composed of OEM rather than cherry, which means that most people have been using OEM all their lives. Cherry profiles are hard to come by when looking for keycaps.

OEM profile is definitely one of the best and most frequently used profiles presently available due to a number of factors. The most obvious reason is that it is primarily found in almost all of the regular use mechanical keyboards by default. So if you have a mechanical keyboard at home, chances are that it has an OEM profile. Apart from that, these profiles are ingenuously sculpted, resulting in a more comfortable and stress-free experience for all users.

A cherry profile is an excellent keycap design. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the OEM profile in terms of shape, height, and design. However, cherry keycaps are a little less tall than the OEM profile. Apart from that, the cherry profile is hard to find if you are looking for customized keycaps because most mechanical keyboards come preinstalled with an OEM profile.

No, the OEM profile is not so bad for regular use. In fact, most of the mechanical keyboards have preinstalled OEM profiles. It is cheap and spectacularly sculpted with the rows of keys fixed in descending order to reduce the stress and pressure likely to fall on the wrists and fingers when typing. However, it does have its cons; for instance, the keys aren’t very receptive and can be frustratingly lousy at times.

Yes, the cherry profile is beautifully sculpted, thus giving its users an extremely comfortable experience. The gradual fall in the height of the button rows is exquisite and highly effective in reducing the fatigue and stress that may befall on the hands of the user otherwise. This feature is extremely useful for compulsive gamers and typists. However, the one minor problem with the cherry profile is that they are a little noisier than the usual OEM profile.

There are many different types of keycap profiles available in the market, including DSA and MT3, etc. However, the most popular among all is the cherry and OEM profiles. Their popularity falls behind certain features relating to these two profiles. Both of these keycap profiles are aggressively sculpted and are very receptive. However, amongst the two, you are more likely to come across the OEM profile if you are out on a customized keycap hunt. The cherry keycaps are a lot harder to find.

Final Thoughts

If you have read the entire article, you are familiar with the differences between the OEM and Cherry profiles. Choosing the best among the two depends on you and your budget constraints. If you are running low on budget, the ideal choice would be to settle for the OEM profile. Plus, almost all mechanical keyboards come preinstalled with the OEM profile, so you will have to purchase the cherry profile set separately and install it into your keyboard yourself, which can prove to be a hectic job. But if you can manage the extra work and price, go for it!

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Hi, I am Richard, a computer enthusiast. I love exploring innovations in tech. I am primarily an expert in exploring laptops, keyboards, and mice. I love to share my experience with gadgets and help people to resolve issues regarding their daily laptop use. I spend a lot of time generating an authentic analysis.

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