Mechanical keyboards not only help improve the overall computing experience, but they also protect your long-term health and well-being by being significantly more ergonomic and comfortable than regular membrane keyboards. However, this level of comfort and enjoyable typing experience comes at a cost. Most brand name mechanical keyboards are more expensive than the ubiquitous Logitech or Microsoft membrane keyboards.
To make matters worse, cheap membrane keyboards are virtually indestructible due to their simple design and lack of moving parts. Mechanical keyboards, however, contain switches with many tiny components and metal contacts prone to mechanical failure. In fact, it is not uncommon for some mechanical switches to fail prematurely, even though their MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) ranges from 10 million to 50 million actuations.
The chances of encountering premature switch failure are not uncommon considering that the average mechanical keyboard has 101 switches. This is also more likely to happen outside of the typical one-year warranty. Without warranty coverage, even a non-functional key could render your entire keyboard virtually useless. However, you don't have to give up your expensive out-of-warranty mechanical keyboard for recycling. Follow this guide to learn how to replace faulty switches yourself.
Contrary to what was obvious in our mouse repair guide, disassembling a mechanical keyboard is quite easy. But first we need to stock up on all the necessary tools and supplies before embarking on this intrepid journey of self-repair.
Just like the mouse guide, our recommended soldering tools come in at well over $100, but you can opt for this entry-level soldering kit that only costs $17. If you're going for the cheapest soldering kit, feel free to skip items 7-10. Replacement switches are easy to find once you check the keyboard's spec sheet to determine which type you have. need.
1. Clear the work area and keep a Phillips screwdriver handy and a magnetic tray to hold the screws. You don't want to lose them.
Non-standard keycaps such as these media keys can be removed with a small flathead screwdriver or, more preferably, a plastic spudger/pry tool.
4. In this particular keyboard, all the screws are on the side of the integrated keyboard plate. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove them all. Other keyboards may have screws on the bottom of the chassis, some of which are hidden under rubber feet and compliance labels. However, a quick YouTube search should bring up a helpful teardown video regarding your particular mechanical keyboard model.
5. We're not done yet. Corsair slyly hid a screw just behind the company logo. That brings us to this rule of thumb:if the keyboard chassis seems too difficult to open, there might be a hidden screw standing in your way, waiting for you to apply enough force to break things apart.
This is a way of discouraging self-healing. However, it is quite easy to locate these hidden screws. They are usually located in the general area where the chassis refuses to come apart.
6. Once the last hidden screw is removed, the Corsair K65 Lux RGB keyboard disassembles quite easily.
7. This particular keyboard has a faulty spacebar switch. Be sure to clean the solder joints of each switch you intend to replace with isopropyl alcohol applied with lint-free wipes. Wait a few minutes for the alcohol to evaporate completely. This is especially true if you use lower concentrations of alcohol; generally, avoid using less than 90 percent isopropyl alcohol.
8. Applying solder flux to solder joints is necessary to remove existing oxidation or contaminants from the surface. This not only cleans the joints, but also speeds up the desoldering process by allowing the solder joints to melt faster.
9. Set the soldering iron to heat up to 350 degrees Celsius or about 660 degrees Fahrenheit. Wait until it reaches at least 300°C. The tip of the iron must be properly tinned before you can proceed. Please refer to step 14 of our mouse repair guide, where this process has been explained in detail.
The whole tinning process has also been illustrated in the images below for easy reference.
10. Desolder faulty switches. Refer to steps 15-20 of the mouse repair guide for a detailed breakdown of the process.
11. Repeat this process for any faulty switches that need to be replaced.
12. This was the hardest part. Soldering new switches to the PCB is relatively much easier. Orient the replacement switch to the correct position that you hopefully noted beforehand and press into place. The switch will snap securely into the plate.
13. Flip the PCB over to the other side where you can see the replacement switch legs sticking out. Clean the switch pad and legs with isopropyl alcohol, as you did before desoldering the faulty switches. Apply the flux to the pad and legs once the alcohol has evaporated.
14. As previously explained, it is important to keep your soldering iron tip tinned before soldering each joint. The secret to a good solder joint is to make sure the tip of the iron touches both the PCB pad and the switch leg simultaneously.
This is when you introduce solder between the joint and the tip of the iron. The molten solder should flow effortlessly into the joint. Run enough solder to form a concave solder fillet on the joint. Remove the tip of the iron by gently sliding it upwards. It's easier to add more solder later than to pump out the excess and re-seal.
15. What you see here is the perfect seam, where the fillet is concave and shiny. A convex fillet with excess solder bulging is either a sign of excessive solder or a cold joint. If you only get that, just unsolder the joint and solder it again until you nail it.
16. That's all you need to do to replace faulty keyboard switches. Follow steps 6-1 in reverse to reassemble the keyboard. You can then use a handy utility like Switch Batter to check if the replacement switches are functional again.
