Disassembly

Given the hot-swappable nature of the switches, it only made sense to take one of the Gateron Yellow switches apart. This 3-pin mechanical switch employs the Cherry MX stem design, so we have the usual construction with the top, a crosspoint stem/slider, spring, and housing that has the metal leaf for the actuation mechanism. The switch does not come pre-lubed, which is reason enough to take these apart and lube and even film them if that interests you. This is otherwise a standard linear switch with no bumps or protrusions along the path of the stem as it meets the metal contacts to initiate switch actuation.


At this point, I realized something was not quite as expected with the gasket mount this YUNZII Keynovo IF98 purports itself to be, which mostly had to do with some extra give at the top and bottom the gaskets weren't absorbing as well. Keyboard disassembly showed that this two-piece case is held together by just six tiny screws on the back, which means there are tiny gaps in the regions between screws, and it unfortunately affects the overall effectiveness of the gasket mount design. On the plus side, I was happy to see brass inserts for the screws to prevent them from stripping the threads that would have been in the plastic case. Removing all six screws means the various components are now separated for a closer examination.


The top panel has a cutout the foam badge fits into snugly, and it is a simple construction otherwise. The bottom case panel is still connected to the plate and PCB section via an internal ribbon cable, so carefully disconnect it as seen above. This reveals a daughter PCB for the Type-C port, and there's space for an additional foam sheet for enterprising modders. Note that YUNZII did not include another as it would prevent the LEDs from shining through for under-body lighting. Another venue for customization is the aluminium badge on the back.


Now we see the gasket mount structure in more detail, with several layers of silicone not only between the plate and PCB, but also smaller sections all around the periphery to support and absorb the exerted downward typing pressure and better distribute it. YUNZII says the individual pieces are 0.4 mm thick, as is the silicone sheet directly above the PCB, and there is a thicker 3.1 mm sound absorbing foam sheet between the various rows, too. The plate is steel with a finish in the keyboard color you chose. Admittedly, this finish is not very durable since it slowly came off when I used the switch remover that inevitably scratches the plate. Some of the extensions on the plate are also not aligned perfectly—these are the things that keep the Keynovo IF98 from truly being a premium offering.


The PCB is black and can be taken off the plate by taking off every single switch and keycap in addition to a few more screws, which provides access to the stabilizers should you want to re-lube or even replace them. Solder quality is generally very good, and the PCB is definitely machine-assembled. We also see CIY hot-swappable 5-pin switch sockets, which should be plenty adequate for the job while costing less than from the likes of Kailh or Gateron. There's not a lot more to see here with no dedicated hardware LED drivers and a currently unidentified USB microcontroller that seems to at least be a 32-bit processor. All the components, including the switch sockets, SMD RGB LEDs, and capacitors, are soldered to a multi-layered PCB.

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.