Here’s a new brand we’re testing at Overclocking. Today we’re featuring Drop and its Holy Panda X switches. Drop offers many different switches , some more sensitive than others. Just as some make a clicky noise on activation, others are silent. In short, there’s something for everyone!
For the sake of this test, we’ll place the Holy Panda X on Corsair’s latest keyboard, the K65 Plus Wireless, unveiled on February 20.
Presentation:
Holy Panda X switches are part of the Drop range of switches . They are designed by Drop and produced by Gateron. Drop offers linear (10), tactile (16) and clicky (2) models. Here, we’re dealing with tactile switches specially designed for editorial use. Drop offers two different models of the Holy Panda X, a first pack in 3 pin and a second in 5 pin. The choice depends on the type of keyboard you have. In our case, with Corsair’s K65 Plus Wireless, we opted for 5 pins. Like the Glorious Raptor switches, our switches du jour are pre-lubricated from the factory.
A quick word about the features of the switches we’re testing today. In use, they are tactile and silent. To activate them, you’ll need to apply a force of 60 g to the key, while the activation point is 2 mm away on a total stroke of 3.4 mm.
As with Glorious switches , the stem is made of POM (Polyoxymethylene). The rest of the switch is made of polycarbonate and nylon.
Finally, let’s talk about the price of these Drop switches . Here, for 5-pin models, you’ll have to pay $35 for a pack of 35 switches ($1 for the switch itself). For a 104-key keyboard, you’ll need 3 boxes, for a total of $105. Overall, we’re talking about a similar price to the Glorious Raptor we tested. Please note that 3-pin versions are also available at the same price.
