Mechanical Keyboard Checklist Yearly

Why I Revisit My Keyboard Every Year

I don't know about you, but I used to buy switches in bulk every six months, then stop for a year, then buy more without really thinking about what I needed. It was wasteful and I kept ending up with drawers full of switches I never installed. About three years ago I started doing an actual yearly checklist instead of just impulse buying, and it changed how I approach builds. The idea is simple enough. Once a year, you go through a systematic review of your current kit, what you've learned about yourself, and what you actually want to build next. Not a random shopping spree. A checklist. There are places online where people share their version of a Mechanical Keyboard Checklist Yearly, and I use one that I've basically written from scratch over the years. It works because it forces you to actually think about the problems you had last build before starting the next one.

Getting Started With Your Mechanical Keyboard Checklist Yearly

Here's the process. It takes me about twenty minutes if I'm quick, maybe forty-five if I'm really digging into notes from previous builds. Step one: pull up your old build notes. If you didn't keep notes, write down everything you remember about your last build right now. Switches, stabilizers, case material, keycap profile, plate material, modding you did. I learned this the hard way after I completely forgot that I'd lubed my stabilizers on my last build and ended up with dry, rattle-prone spacebars on two keyboards. Now I keep a running document. Step two: rate your current keyboard honestly. Not "it's good" or "it's bad." Pick specific things. How do the stabilizers feel? Any ping? Is the actuation force comfortable for how many hours I type? Are the keycaps wearing? This is where most people skip steps and move straight to shopping, which is the whole problem the checklist is supposed to fix.

Step three: inventory what you already own. This sounds basic and I know it, but I once spent two hundred dollars on switches I already had sitting in a bin from three separate orders. Check your switches, your cables, your keycaps, your mods, your tools. There is a non-trivial amount of stuff lying around that you've forgotten about. Step four: define what you're building this year. Is this a dedicated gaming keyboard? A typing machine? A portable board? A first build or an upgrade? The answer changes everything about what you need to check off. I used to try to build one keyboard that does everything well, which just means it does nothing well. Last year I built a dedicated hot-swap 65 percent for work and a separate gasket-mounted full size for evening typing. Totally different checklist items for each. Step five: check switch compatibility and plate layout. This is where the actual checklist matters. Pin configuration, stem type, whether your plate needs pre-lubed switches or standard ones, PCB compatibility. I made the mistake last year of ordering linear switches that required soldering when my board was only hot-swap compatible. Waste of money and time. Now I verify the switch form factor against the board spec before anything leaves the store.

Step six: stabilizer strategy. This is the part nobody talks about enough. Do you buy pre-lubed stabs, or are you lube-tuning them yourself? What method? Bandaid mod, glue mod, tape mod, or just proper lubing? If you're building for speed, pre-lubed KTT or Guanshi stabs will save you hours. If you want the best sound and feel, you're going to lube them yourself and budget the time for it. I lube my own now. Takes about fifteen minutes per set if you're competent. Step seven: keycap profile decision. OEM, Cherry, SA, MT3, XDA, MOA. Each profile feels different for different things. OEM is fine for gaming. Cherry is the standard for typing. MOA or MT3 if you want something flatter for longer sessions. I switched from Cherry to MOA last year and honestly don't know why I waited. My wrists thank me. This is a purely personal thing so there's no wrong answer here except ignoring your comfort entirely. Step eight: sound and feel mods. Foam, cases, tape, switch pads. How much foam goes in? Bottom out foam, plate foam, case foam? This is where you can dramatically change a board's sound without spending much money. I use a layered approach now: 3mm PU foam on the plate, 3mm EVA foam at the bottom, and a thin switch pad if the switches are clicky. Sounds significantly better than any of those individually. Takes about ten minutes to install.

Step nine: firmware and software. If you're using QMK or ZMK, decide whether you want to customize keymaps this year or stick with defaults. Layer management, macro programming, RGB control. This is a whole rabbit hole if you get into it, but even basic keymap adjustments can make a real difference for how a keyboard feels in daily use. I spend maybe an hour a year on this. Step ten: budget and timeline. Set a realistic number and a realistic timeline. I used to build in a weekend, rush through the checklist, and be unhappy with the result. Now I budget about two to three weekends per build and the quality is noticeably better. Budget includes switches, case, plate, PCB, stabilizers, keycaps, foam, cable, and any mods. Sometimes you need a new tool or two. Total varies wildly depending on how much you already own.

Things That Make This Checklist Actually Work

The reason this approach beats random purchases is that it creates feedback loops. Each year you get better at what you want because you're literally writing down what worked and what didn't. My checklist has grown from a piece of paper to a running Google Doc that I've annotated for four years. The notes from year one are still relevant. One thing I've learned that most people miss: the switch weight matters more than the brand. I went through a phase of buying expensive boutique switches and then realized that a $0.15 Perix switch in the same weight class did basically the same thing for my setup. Weight class is about how much force you need to actuate. If you're a light typer, heavy switches will fatigue you. If you're a heavy typer, light switches will cause accidental actuations. Pick the weight for your hands, not for the buzzwords on the box. Another counter-intuitive thing: more foam doesn't always mean better sound. I filled a case completely with foam once and it sounded dead and muffled, like typing into a pillow. The trick is strategic placement. Plate foam and bottom foam do most of the work. Case foam is optional and often unnecessary depending on the case material. Aluminum cases need less than plastic ones. I found this out after throwing away forty dollars worth of foam because I overdone it.

There are also things this checklist won't help you with. If you have a chronic typing issue or wrist pain, a checklist isn't going to solve that. Ergonomic keyboards, split layouts, and tenting are different conversations entirely. The checklist assumes you're building a conventional board. If you're going down the ergonomic route, you need different research before you start checking off items. I also should mention that buying used parts is risky unless you know exactly what you're looking for. Switches can wear out. PCBs can have bad solder joints. Keycaps can have defects. I've bought a few sketchy lots off forums and ended up with defective switches that ruined builds. The checklist helps you avoid this by making you verify condition and source before purchasing, but it can't completely eliminate the risk. Sometimes you just need to accept that and factor in a small replacement budget. The main bottleneck people hit with this process is analysis paralysis. Ten steps sounds like a lot when you're trying to build something. But if you already own most of the components, it goes fast. The real time sink is usually the foam and mod stage, which is also where most beginners mess up. I'd suggest doing one small mod at a time and testing before committing to a full rebuild. It's slower but you learn faster.

Once a year is the right cadence for most people. More often and you're just spinning wheels. Less often and you start building based on old assumptions. Two years out, you forget what you learned from the previous build. The yearly rhythm keeps it fresh without becoming a chore. I treat it like a maintenance window, similar to organizing your desk or updating your PC drivers. Not exciting, but it keeps everything running better. If you want a printable version, I keep mine as a Google Doc and share it in a couple of Discord servers I frequent. It's not polished but it's practical. Search for the usual keyboard communities and you'll find copies. Some people have made Notion templates and Notion is fine if you prefer that workflow, though it takes longer to fill out because of the extra features you don't need. Paper or a simple doc works just as well. The bottom line is that this yearly review process turned my hobby from a random spending habit into something I actually understand. I know what I like, what I don't, and what I can skip. That's the whole point. Build less, build better, and stop wasting money on stuff you already have or don't actually need.