Disassembly

Given we have hot-swappable switches, what better way to begin the disassembly page than by taking one of the switches apart? The Gateron Yellow is a relatively new switch, and Gateron has made improvements to the switch mold to where they claim a higher rated lifetime and smoother travel. It's hard to tell from even this macro photo, and would really take an optical microscope to discern any physical changes, but expect nothing other than a smoother contact surface where applicable for stem travel on the housing. The metal leaf contact seems to be the same, and thus actuation is no different from other linear mechanical switches, wherein the stem pushes the two metal leaf contacts together as it travels down. This completion of the electric circuit is a signal deciphered by the USB microcontroller on the keyboard PCB, and passed on to your display as a keystroke.


The whole point of getting a keyboard kit is for assembly, which became more obvious as I attempted to disassemble this keyboard. Eight Phillips head screws hold the plate in place, and you need to remove some keycaps to access these as seen above. It's at this point that you realize the PCB is separately screwed into the case for some reason, meaning you will have to either remove all the switches or pull the whole plate/switch assembly off the hot-swap sockets in the PCB like a monster. Of course, I did the latter and am proud to say not a single pin was bent during disassembly or re-assembly. Regardless, I highly recommend not bothering with the disassembly unless you want to mod in more foam, but more on that later.


There is a pre-cut foam sheet between the plate and PCB, which helps dampen downstrokes. Take it off and you will see more screws that have to be removed to access the PCB by itself. Flip it over to disconnect the internal cable going from the 3000 mAh Li-ion battery glued into a recess in the case to the PCB to now add foam between the PCB and case should you want. We also see standoffs that keep the shell and bottom plate screwed together, and the enterprising modder can now separate the two for further customization as needed. This also allows Ajazz to release some limited edition SKUs mixing and matching colors should it want to.


The PCB is red and clearly machine assembled given the clean soldering work throughout, including for the 64 Kailh hot-swap switch sockets here. I was expecting a Gateron version given the switches and stabilizers, but positive experiences to date have personally left me with a soft spot for the Kailh ones. The switch cover was still on when I removed the PCB, and it's a fairly snug fit to where you don't have to worry about it coming loose anytime soon. Powering the keyboard is a SinoWealth SH68F90 multi-performance microcontroller capable of wired and wireless connectivity, although details on how it does this are woefully lacking. All the website tells us is that it has 4 KB of RAM and 64 KB ROM, neither of which is class-leading in any way. As such, expect to see simple backlighting patterns and minimal customization. As is the norm these days, the PCB has multiple layers.

Before we move on, be advised that disassembly may void the warranty and that TechPowerUp is not liable for any damages incurred if you decide to go ahead and do so anyway.