Fake GMK vs Real GMK… Are they Worth It? 

i was sure that number 1 was the real gmk and liked that the most, suprised to find out it was the clone

when listening to the sound I actually decided I liked 1 and 3 and was not a fan of 2. Surprised to see that 2 was GMK, guess it's all down to preference

There's no arguing GMK has the sharpest legends by far and the designs are cool, but I'm yet to find a real convincing argument to justify their insane price range and piss poor packaging, especially given the amount of competition that's out there right now. At the end of the day, their thickness is not uncommon, the "rough" texture isn't unique in any way (and it's gonna fade out sooner than any decent PBT set) so I'd say they're only good if you want to support the designers, or if you care about the specific sound signature. All fair if you're balls deep into the hobby, but I'd never suggest anyone on a budget to save up for GMK, since for a daily driver in-stock PBT is most certainly gonna be the more appealing option for most people. Just my two cents though, good vid regardless (P.S: how do these GMK knockoffs sound so good??)

Based on this video, I'm even more convinced that GMK is not worth it if just for the feel and sound. The difference in feel and sound does not equate to the sharp difference in price for me. However, buying GMK as a collector or trader (like collecting rare Pokemon cards) is another thing altogether. For a normal mech keyboard user, don't think the price is worth it.

The real problem with GMK is the seemingly "monopoly" on designers. There are just by FAR more designers working with GMK than any other manu, which is understandable because GMK has proven track record of quality. And GMK knows this very well. So they have absolutely no problem taking everyone's money and taking on GB orders and sticking them at the end of a 2-year backlog because "mah shortages". I'm not denying GMK quality. I have several GMK sets. But many other manus, barring inevitable qc woes, really are quite great for their price. The "gmk tax" is imo not worth the boost in quality/qc. It's in large part an engineered premium due to the monopoly on GBs.

This convinced me that GMKs are more overpriced than I thought they were.

I actually like number 1 over 2 and 3. Practically, without considering the moral aspects of purchasing clones (as designers of premium sets get shit on by clone manufacturers), clones would be a better buy. If we're gonna talk future financial value, then fine they may be worth it. But if you're gonna slap them on a keyboard and you prefer sound over aesthetics (especially the intricacies of stuff like how well the print is), clones are probably better. If you have the money though then fine no one's gonna stop you buy all the GMKs you want.

"Thick ABS plastic has no warping" Cries in warped gmk spacebars

That's funny, but in the blind test real GMK had worst sound imo😅

i actually thought gmk sounded the worst from listening to the blind sound tests xd

I feel bad for the designers but I like to buy clones because 1) I just want the colorway ok I don't wanna pay a lot of money AND wait 9 months for a GB and 2) I'm gonna be using it, it's a part of my build not a long term investment

It’s about Lewis vids it’s about Lewis he has the best vids

Thanks for making this video. It was extremely balanced & really helps clarify the pros and cons of GMK, especially for someone who wouldn't be able to try them first without putting down $150-170 USD for a set.

Lol. That segway to cablemod. I'm susbscribing just to see more of that. "They told me to show their cables so I did" Lmao

honestly, i liked the akko caps the most for the soundtest! though to be honest the sound difference between it and the real GMKs arent all too different. imo the price is just a little ridiculous since its just so similar to existing products at a fraction of the price, and tbh as someone who daily drives a PBT set [less than 50 sgd for a full set & accessory keys],, i think they work just as well

I honestly liked the sounds of Option 1 and 3, but didn't like Option 2 that much. I was honestly surprised with the results! I already knew I wasn't getting authentic GMK caps, but it was interesting to have your point of view on this! Keep up the vids!

The GMK rabbit hole is a hole I don't wanna go down, but here I am. 😂😂

Not a great take in my opinion. Acoustics are very subjective and I'd say majority of it actually boils down to the configuration of your board rather than the caps. The plate, case, switches, mounting type, foam, mods, etc all play a part to create the sound signature you enjoy, which is one of the exciting things in this hobby. Sure you get nicer prints and marginally thicker caps, but does that justify the insane prices and waiting times? Even if you ethically disagree with the thought of buying knockoffs, there are many alternatives nowadays such as PolyCaps and EnjoyPBT that are solving the problems of price and wait times by providing affordable in stock keycaps (or at least much shorter waiting time) while using the more durable PBT material that doesn't shine over time. I suppose a more interesting take would be to compare these alternatives and at least give viewers a chance to decide for themselves what caps they like. People who view your videos of whether GMK sets are worth it are probably those who just dipped their feet into the hobby, seen these insanely priced GMK sets everyone is talking about, and wonder if they are actually worth it. I personally find it kinda misleading that you'd highly recommend a GMK set and only compare it to budget/knockoff sets. It's kinda like saying "You should definitely save up and invest in a GUCCI bag instead of a cheaper one for your needs just because they have more resale value" I know some keyboard enthusiasts view GMK as the top tier option and snob on these alternatives, but I find that it doesn't really celebrate the variety in this hobby. People need to stop viewin GMK as the endgame of caps because it's not. If you explore other profiles or other alternatives, you can still build something you love and sound good without having to shell out maybe 3-5x the amount for a GMK set. Also, instead of just saying that GMK is thicker, have you tried actually measuring? There are alternative ABS and PBT caps that are just as thick as GMK but could cost less than half the price. Of course you are going to get the biggest difference if you compare the highest end GMK with the lowest end knock offs from Taobao.

#2 was my least favorite sounding. 1 and 3 sounded similar to me, but the modifiers sounded deeper on 3 than 1 or 2 which makes it my preference.

The sound test was surprisingly unconclusional for me. gmk didn't sound nearly as premium as I expected. Good vid tho, subbed

lewis looking like he's being held at gunpoint by gmk reps

imma be honest, the first option (fake gmks) had the nicest acoustics for me

All this did was cement my opinion that they are 100% not worth it lmao

Ah yes 98$ for a cable

Option 1 and 3 (and most Cherry profile PBT double shot keycaps) are made in the same factory so not surprising the two sets are similar

Something that you dont know also gmk keycaps can shine from long time is doesn't matter if the abs is the best I will recommend use IFK keycaps instead of gmk the print is similar to gmk and the shipping dont take long period then gmk

7:59 "out of the keyboard hobby" this guy is funny.

man i love your new opinion about gmk keycaps about value, because other keyboard enthusiast i watch only talk about print,exclusives and quality

imagine an ant walking around when showing off the cable

the long lead times on new GMK sets are just fking pissing me off. the only reason I stopped buying GMKs. I am a man, I have needs, I can't just spend 300$ every other night and get nothing in return.

got it on first sound, the fake one has rattle its clearly there and the hollow point was all over the place, the second was on point got it thats its the original one,was surprised the akko performed on sound similarly. both are crisp and sound was fuller on typing.

I liked 2 and 3, they sounded pretty close to me. I prefer the higher pitched or clackier sound

(The cable mod ad) i thought i watched a mcdonalds add lol😂

I think one of the biggest differences in sound can be the actual profile. I've started moving away from Cherry and others similar, to MDA, SA, and MT3 styles due to their height and sound possibilities.

For the first budget build, I would not recommend buying GMK. Fonts of slightly better quality don't cost 3-4x overpayment. As a material, PBT is still better than ABS (even thick), and clones from the previously mentioned AKKO are much more advantageous in terms of price-performance ratio

I honestly believe thick pbt keycaps are overall better in feel, sound, and durability (and price!) when compared to abs caps, even when the caps are made by GMK. At this point I see a GMK set moreso as an art piece or collector's item. I built my "endgame" board with a GMK set, took pictures and recorded a sound test, then swapped out the alphas and spacebar for a clone so that I can daily the keyboard without guilt or fear of "ruining" the nice GMK caps with wear and shine.

The video is a bit old, but can you maybe say how the brightness of the lettering compares in the dark with the keyboard light on? I have the Akko and apart from a couple of keys where the symbol on the key is directly above the LED, you can't see anything shine through even at maximum brightness. The light distributed to the sides of the key is not enough to shine through and the LEDs cannot be soldered through the board design, nor onto the side of the switch, where they would be directly below the symbol. Is it the same with the GMK keys, or do they let the light through better?

hahahaha, my mans said "out of the keyboard hobby" like that will ever happen... (help me please)

Im not even that into keyboards but I could easily tell option 2 were the premium keycaps and im surprised so many people in the comments didn’t know that

Had to stop working on my school activities just to watch my guy Lewis!!!!💙💙

I was actually able to tell the difference between the sounds. Got used to the higher pitched sound of the GMK ABS material.

I thought for sure that GMK stood for German Made Keycaps hahaha 😅

Interestingly I liked the high pitch clack on Option 1 the best.

i actually have the akko knockoff lasers and ive been using them daily since December and ive only found 1 problem and its a crack in the stems, but this is only on 3 of the keys

The fake gmk non brand sounded the best lol

Imo its not about sound its about looks and feel. GMK feels nice while looking much better than anything else. I have epbt and I enjoy those for a deeper sound and feel, and gmk for a higher sound while feeling similar.

4:11 I like the GMK fake font way better than the original actually...

I was surprised that the fake was the one liked! It’s amazing

Wow I got the cap sounds right! The Akko ones were similar but I could hear that signature nice abs poppy sound!

The music over the cable mod section was awesome. nice camera angles

While all the points that you make of the hmm keycaps are indeed true, for most pc gamers who play a lot and use their keyboard intensively for long periods of time, the knockoff ones are actually better because of the pbt material

Dang I like the sound of #1 better. It sounds tighter. Option #2 has more echo to me. Option #3 has a very loud spacebar.

The reason for why akko and the gmklones are extremely similar is because they are from the same OEM.It is a chinese manufacturer known as OXD.

Was filled with accomplishment after easily guessing each sound test accurately. Then filled with immense depression from not touching grass….

The knockoffs sounded better imo. I also hate when keys start to have that smudginess on them, so I'll still to PBT knockoffs.

I see all these people saying they didn't like 2, but I could definitely tell they sounded way better on the modifiers. Idk what they hear.

I kinda wish that gmk would resort to using pbt as one of the materials bcs i don't really like the sound of abs tbh

I just looked at the Akko stuff and I'm seriously impressed. I think I just found my next keyboard. I assure you, it will be an upgrade on my 10 year old one.

I have a question. At 4.00 you say GMK is higher than like the Akko. Was this only for R4 as you showed in the video? Or also for every other row?

My understanding from the vid: GMK keycaps are really good and you're paying for quality made keycaps will most likely never lose it's value for a long time. So if you ever want to start a new build, you can use the GMKs you have from your previous one. If you're deep into the rabbit hole and have the funds to get them, go for it. If you're a low spender and still deep into the rabbit hole, saving up for legit GMKs is better than getting knock offs. But if you're really tight on cash and just want nice looking keycaps, go for the clones that you like.

My favorite GMK set is either GMK Jamon or GMK Crimson Cadet. I still cant find crimson cadet even on mechmarket. i used to own fake gmk jamons but now i use the real one

The first one sounded the best, I thought that was GMK lol!

what is the background song in the middle of the video?

The Akko sounds deeper and thockier, I would pick that over the expensive GMK especially since I do not like Cherry profile.

yeah , Lewis I have to say , seeing you progress as a youtuber is fun to watch , editing skills are getting better and the execution on this video was very nice . I didn't hear any difference in the sound test tho :D

You can get good quality keycaps that are not clones out there, they won't be cherry profile but that can be a good thing. Typing this this on an SA profile set from Domikey and the quality is very good and not a clone as far as I can tell.

I loved #1 and wasn't sure about the others, I am pretty surprised

yoooo blindfold test comparisons actually makes a lot of sense

Pro tip: buy gmk, sell for a higher price, buy akko’s (or any decent set). U got back the money from the gmk set and used the rest for another set. Free keycaps

The akko keycaps letters are worst for me because you can really hear the inconsistency, followed by the GMK, and the fake keycaps sounding the best.

I love the sounds of 1st and was shocked to find out what it was. 2nd was okay to me and the last one was ughhh

My favorite GMK set is the GMK Analog Dream and the GMK Light Olivia.

Is it bad that I instantly knew which keycaps were which? Like I instantly knew the first one didn't sound like Akko or GMK, so I had to assume it was GMFake, the second one was obviously GMK because I could tell the spacebar was a little more clacky and higher pitched, and the last one was Akko because Akko spacebars are usually thockier. Oh also, I liked number three the most, since I like a good, thocky spacebar (yes I know that the sound signature of a keyboard depends on what switches you use, and what board it is).

I think number 2 GMK. It just had a really consistent range and was more full in general. It didn't sound the best imo though. Number 1 probably the Akko.

Do older gmk keycaps just stop getting produced after a while? Just wondering bc can't get my hands on one yet but maybe in a few years.

Hi Lewis thank you for the video. Do you think it would be justifiable to buy GMK keycaps at scalper price?(e.g . GMK Alter for SGD500)

I've been in this hobby for a few years already, and i immediately knew option 2 was the real GMK. And I agree with many of your points in the video. Its just that recently with all the delays the wait times are getting longer and longer and its hard recommend someone new joining the hobby to buy GMK keycaps. Imo to each their own, I still join GMK group buys occassionally, but I have nothing against people that use clones, as not everyone is willing to wait or has the budget.

was considering getting gmks to just get a sense for the difference (having gotten some diff clones before) and i was v surprised that i didnt like the sound of the gmks at all. great video!

lewis what youtuber did you refer in the beginning wasn't clear to me at 1:15

Gmf sounds the deepest, real gmk is higher pitched and akko somewhere in the middle

Never though i'd be so hyped at a cable cinématic

I might be in a minority, but I prefer OEM over Cherry profile. I don’t like the super thin R3 caps. I’ve ordered a clone set of GMK Hammerhead so I’ll see what they’re like. I can’t see myself spending more than a keyboard for overpriced keycaps in a profile I don’t like. EDIT: the Hammerhead clone is pretty damn nice, IMO. For the price they are excellent. Personally, I think the GB setup and multi-year wait times aren't for me.

I knew that option 2 is the real gmk, however option 1 and 3 were difficult to tell whether akko or fake, however I prefered the akko keycaps over the fake ones. All very close though and Id probably by fine with any option. In terms of sound at least. I actually think my cerakeys are way nicer than even GMK keycaps and less expensive too! However thats personal preference and I know some people dont like ceramic keycaps, so yeah...

Thanks I think this might’ve just cleared up the idea of me going with some keycaps on Etsy better knock offs of the blue samurai because I don’t like what GMK did with the base model for some Adam spend over $200 just to get the base model that’s in the red

as long as they are double shot pbt Im ok with it

Want to point out that the sound preferences saying they prefer the sound of the not-GMK sets should take into account the PBT vs. ABS difference. I’m not saying you should go for GMK always, as I usually prefer the PBT sound to ABS. This isn’t a “GMK doesn’t even sound that good” situation. Also, different materials will sound different depending on the switches and case material too Nice vid

You HAVE to build a keyboard in a keyboard video XD amazing you got that right

I couldn’t choose between the fake ones and the Akko ones because they sounded good

I'll be honest, I preferred the 3rd option in the sound test, it was cleaner and a lot less "clacky" than the other two. I guess it's just personal preference, but I don't think GMK is worth it.

well i got the blind test right but it was a little difficult. option 1, no brainer, knew off the rip they were cheaper ones. The problem came with option 2 and 3. I heard option 2 and I was like oh wow this is super nice, I like this but I just want to hear option 3. So I did, and at first I was like wow this is nice as well, but ultimately I wanted option 2 because I knew off the rip that was some quality material used. Strong 2nd and was close for option 3 though. I wouldnt mind having akko

If the prices were better, I'd probably go for them. Sound, I liked 1 best, although I couldn't hear a lot of difference. At that price, they're not worth it for me.

I’m using the Akko neons. I like how the print looks better than on GMK. On the blind test I liked the first more, then the third and only then the GMKs

AKKO is the best market can offer when youre on a certain budget tho, not to mention the super premium packaging they offer, thick PBT, the only - is they shine quite fast

I liked the sound of the Akko the most. But I don't like cherry profile. I almost exclusively use Drop MT3 keycaps. I occasionally use SA caps too.

I like both 1 and 2 with 2 being 'poppier'. The 3rd was just 'no'. I think I prefer the sound of 1, which turned out to be the gmk clone apparently.

GMK: Basically most designer clothing brands where the branding makes the price +200% edit: at least their designs are fire

I'd probably go for GMFake as they're less poppy and sound more muted compared to the other 2 options.

Lewis, What if you make a calendar (I forgot what is called but each day it got chocolate in it) that each day you get a random keyboard-related item (switches, keycaps, coupons, cables. Just saying, it will be kinda cool. Ps: After searching for a bit, the calendar is called the advent calendar.

Chose "Option 2" didn't expect I got that real GMK. Option 1 has more clicky sound, Option 2&3 Is Thocky & Smoother sound, Lastly. Option 3 has a hollow spacebar sound, so I chose Option 2 over that.

I want you compare EPBT vs GMK keycaps