Gateron Magnetic Jade family, compared

The family at a glance

Force figures are vendor-typical; ±10% batch variance is normal (same disclaimer as the switch database). "N-down" = N-pole faces the PCB, per Gateron product pages.

Jade (Gaming) vs Jade Pro — the usual question

Both are 3.5 mm linears in the same force class with the full adjustable-actuation + rapid-trigger toolkit, and both fit the same generic HE boards. The differences are in the details:

• Stem: Jade (Gaming) uses a walled/box-style stem — extremely tight keycap skirts can bind slightly. Jade Pro's standard MX-style stem is friendlier to thick SA/MT3 walls.
• Factory lube: the Pro is smoother out of the box; the original runs slightly scratchier until lubed.
• Sound: the Pro is generally the cleaner, higher-fi clack; the Gaming variant sits a touch deeper but rougher.

If you are buying one switch for a Keychron/Madlions-class HE board, buy the Pro. The Gaming variant mainly matters if you are matching what shipped with the board.

The specialist variants

• Jade Silent — the office/night pick, and notable for being specified to work on both HE and TMR boards (see TMR vs Hall Effect). Same actuation/RT behaviour, damped sound.
• Jade Ultra — Gateron's modular "dual-drive" flagship, in a 30–40 gf range. Buy it if you chase the top-spec variant; otherwise the Pro does the same job.
• Jade Emerald — the tactile option. HE boards are dominated by linears; Emerald exists for typists who want a bump while keeping adjustable actuation.
• Low Profile Magnetic Jade — for low-profile HE boards only: needs LP keycap sets and an LP HE PCB. It will not fit standard-height sockets (see low-profile switches explained).
• Magnetic White KS-20 — the odd one out: compatibility notes describe its magnet polarity as reversed relative to the Jade family, and boards tuned for Jades may reject it. Check your board's listing.

Compatibility rules that apply to the whole family

1. Socket first. Generic HE hot-swap boards (Keychron K/Q HE, Madlions, DrunkDeer class) take the Jade family. Wooting boards take Lekker only. No Jade fits a normal mechanical PCB — there is no Hall sensor under the socket.
2. Polarity second. Gateron builds Jades N-pole-down; boards are tuned for that. A reversed switch can actuate inverted, ghost-trigger or not be detected at all — see the polarity column in the checker's board table.
3. Flux range third. Boards calibrate to a magnetic flux window; after any swap, set actuation points and re-calibrate in the board's driver.

Which one should you buy?

Typing + gaming on a generic HE board: Jade Pro. Shared office / night sessions: Jade Silent. Chasing the flagship: Jade Ultra. Tactile preference: Jade Emerald. Low-profile HE board: Low Profile Magnetic Jade + LP caps. Replacing a Keychron stock switch: match polarity — if it shipped with KS-20 Whites, stay KS-20 or verify your board accepts N-down Jades.

Run your exact switch × keycap × layout through the checker — it now flags polarity alongside sockets.