Time to pit the NovelKeys Cream switches against the Gateron Ink Black switches
I’m a keyboard nerd who’s built dozens of boards and swapped switches more times than I can count.
I’ve put these things through the wringer for you (so you don’t have to).
This NovelKeys Cream vs Gateron Ink Black article breaks down their specs, performance, and whether they’re worth your hard-earned cash.
Stick around to see which one of these switches deserve a spot in your next build!
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Switch Snapshot
- Type: Linear
- Top Housing: POM
- Bottom Housing: POM
- Stem: POM
- Initial Force: Not Specified
- Actuation: 55g
- Bottom-Out: 70g
- Pre-Travel: 2.0mm
- Total Travel: 4.0mm
- Pins: 5-pin
- Lube: Unlubed
- Type: Linear
- Top Housing: Nylon
- Bottom Housing: Proprietary INK Blend
- Stem: POM
- Initial Force: Not Specified
- Actuation: 55g
- Bottom-Out: Not Specified
- Pre-Travel: 2.0mm
- Total Travel: 4.0mm
- Pins: 5-pin
- Lube: Pre-Lubricated
Curious how these switches stack up against the top-rated linears? Check out our guide to see our current favorites:
Hands On Breakdown
Gateron was founded in 2000 and is a manufacturer of mechanical keyboard switches and related components. The company has become a prominent player in the mechanical keyboard market and is known for producing high-quality switches.
NovelKeys was started in a garage in 2016 by a single founder. Unbeknownst to him, it would eventually transform into a familiar pillar within the keyboard community.
The NovelKeys Cream and Gateron Ink Black switches are two top-of-the-line products from their respective companies.
Check out the in-depth reviews with SOUND TESTS:
I tried these switches as they came from the factory using the following setup:
Keyboard: Neo Studio Neo65
- Case: Aluminum
- Plate: FR4
- Mount: Gasket
Keycaps: Wuque Studio BOW
- Material: PBT
- Printing: Double Shot
- Profile: Cherry
Note: Neo Studio Neo65 doesn’t have RGB. RGB was tested on a Keychron Q1.
Overwhelmed by the anatomy of keyboards? Check these links to learn all about them:
Colorway:
The switches have the following color scheme:
I tested these switches in both gaming and typing scenarios.
| NovelKeys Cream | Gateron Ink Black | |
| Stem | Cream | Black |
| Top Housing | Cream | Smokey |
| Bottom Housing | Cream | Smokey |
I’m not a fan of transparent housings, so the Creams look better to me. That said, the Ink Blacks actually don’t look too bad. The smokey transparency definitely looks better than clear transparency. But if I had to pick one, I’d go with the Creams.
I actually like how the Creams look. They kinda remind me of vanilla ice cream.
PERFORMANCE | Winner: NovelKeys Cream
Preferences:
The switches I’ve used the longest are the Gateron Oil Kings. So, you can consider them the baseline for what my preferences are.
I like to rest my fingers on the keys when I’m typing. This often leads to keys being inadvertently pressed.
I also type like I’m hammering nails. I bottom out pretty hard when I press the keys.
General:
These switches are very similar. Their main difference is in their housing materials.
They both bottom out at 70g and have a 4.0mm travel distance. With this weight, they’re definitely in the “heavy” category. Spoiler: I loved the way both of these switches performed.
They both felt very smooth.
The Creams have a slightly lighter initial force than the Ink Blacks. This slight difference actually feels huge to me. The Ink Blacks were much more comfortable to type on.
The separate, in-depth reviews for these switches go more into how they feel and also include force curve graphs. Check them out if you’re into the nerdy details.
I had to give the edge to the NK Creams here because I didn’t run into any binding issues at all with any of the sampled switches.
Gaming:
I played various Steam games while reviewing the switches.
My movements felt great with both switches, regardless of game. Everything was snappy and responsive.
Most of the games I played involved a lot of WASD action to move the character around. Various other keys were also used for character abilities.
Being linear switches, neither the Creams nor the Ink Blacks gave me any feedback when pressed. However, they both felt buttery smooth and made the gaming experience very pleasant.
I do have one thing to note, though – for whatever reason, I started to notice how heavy the spacebar started to feel after a while. I’d say this would be the closest I’ve every come to experiencing finger fatigue with any of my switches. That said, I still loved using the switches.
Typing:
Typing felt awesome.
Both switches had the perfect weight for me.
I love switches that are heavy enough for me to rest my lazy fingers on the keys without accidentally activating them.
I did still notice a very slight bit of travel as I rested my fingers on the Creams. They would have been perfect for me if they just had a bit of a higher initial force.
Enter the Ink Blacks. These were the perfect initial force. My fingers rested comfortably on them.
Though I enjoyed the Ink Blacks much more, my typing was noticeably better with the Creams. I logged a faster speed and less mistakes while using them. Not sure why. It might have to do with the fact that the test sample with the Creams was shorter than with the Ink Blacks.
SOUND | Winner: Gateron Ink Black
Sound Signature:
This is one area where the switches differ.
The Creams are clacky. Despite the fact that I liked the way they felt, the sound kinda bothered me.
The Gateron Ink Blacks, on the other hand, sound amazing. Thock all day. I loved the way they sounded every time I pressed them.
Pinging:
Every single Cream that I sampled had pinging when I held them up to my ears. The pinging wasn’t overbearing, but you can definitely hear them.
The Ink Blacks also had some faint pinging but only on some of the switches. Not enough to even notice unless you listen really closely.
Scratchiness:
The creams had above average amount of scratchiness while the Ink Blacks had virtually no scratchiness.
Leaf Tick:
I wouldn’t consider leaf tick an issue on either switch.
Microphone Usage:
Neither of the switches had any issues on Discord. In the past, Discord would frequently pick up all the typing sounds. However, it seems the newer mic options in the mic are really good at suppressing keyboard sounds now.
QUALITY | Winner: Gateron Ink Black
Socket Fit:
Coming from Gateron and NovelKeys, it’s no surprise that these switches looked and felt premium.
They performed like premium switches too.
Both switches installed easily and securely. Neither of them really “clicked” into place. They both kinda felt squishy when seated into their sockets. This is of no concern, though, as there was virtually no wobble on any of the switches when prodded
Pins:
I poked around on a few of the switches and didn’t find anything of note with the pins. They felt very sturdy.
Errors:
Neither of the switches experienced any ghost-typing, which meant I didn’t have to reseat any of them during installation.
Lubrication:
I opened a handful of both switches. The NovelKeys, surprisingly, were bone dry. This would explain the excessive pinging from the springs.
The Ink Blacks had the thinnest coat of lube on them. I thought they would have had more, but they get the edge here.
The lube situation with both switches surprised me. I can only imagine how much better they would both perform when properly hand-lubed.
COMPATIBILITY | Winner: Gateron Ink Black
Pins:
Both switches use the 5-pin design and, as noted in the earlier section, seated very securely in the sockets.
Keycaps:
Keycaps installed on both switches without any issues and were very secure. The keycaps took the usual amount of force to snap onto the switches, but the Ink Blacks had a satisfying “click” to them.
There was no excessive wobbling of the keycaps.
Keycaps also came off of both switches without any issues.
RGB:
The Creams have the usual slit on the front of the housing for RGB to pass through. The opaque housing does block some light, but nothing more than the usual.
The Ink Blacks, though, let tons of light through. It’s a bit more muted than clear transparency, but it’s definitely more than the Creams.
VALUE | Winner: NovelKeys Cream
The NovelKey Creams sit at the low end of Premium pricing, while the Gateron Ink Blacks sit at the higher end of Premium pricing.
Being a budget shopper, I don’t like the price for either of these switches. Especially not the Ink Blacks.
However, both of these switches perform amazing and can definitely justify their more expensive pricing.
They both also periodically go on sale, so be sure to keep an eye on them and hit that checkout button when they drop to a price point you’re comfortable with.
VERDICT | Winner: Gateron Ink Black
There you have it. A quick comparison of the Gateron Oil Kings vs Ink Blacks.
I’m not surpise that they ended up in a tie. Both of these switches are highly regarded.
My Pick: Gateron Ink Black
This pick is mainly because of the way they sounded and their heavier initial force. I found myself really enjoying using them.
I liked the NovelKey Creams too, but they were just slightly edged out by the Ink Blacks for me.
My goal for this sum up was to give you a place to get info on a general comparison of the switches.
Otherwise, if you’re ready to jump in on these switches, grab a pack today!
Be sure to check out the in-depth reviews with SOUND TESTS:
How We Tested and Our Methodology
Keyboard Forge is a 100% independent publisher.
We purchased these switches with our own funds and were not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
We conducted numerous hours of hands-on testing with these switches in both gaming and typing environments. Majority of the gaming testing was done playing various Steam games. Majority of the typing testing was done writing articles for Keyboard Forge.
We hope this review helps you get a better understanding of these switches. Feel free to reach out to suggest switches to review in the future.
Thanks for the support!
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