What is the difference between plate mount and PCB mount stabilizer?

Introduction to Keyboard Stabilizers

Keyboard stabilizers are an important component in mechanical keyboards that help stabilize larger keys like the spacebar, enter, shift and backspace keys. Without stabilizers, these longer keys would feel loose, rattle around and not register key presses consistently.

There are two main types of keyboard stabilizers:

Plate Mounted Stabilizers

• Attaches to a keyboard plate
• Older style stabilizers
• Requires openings in plate for insertion
• More common on custom and enthusiast keyboards

PCB Mounted Stabilizers

• Mounts directly onto the PCB (Printed Circuit Board)
• Newer style stabilizers
• Easier to implement but less customizable
• More common on mass produced keyboards

The main difference comes down to how the stabilizers mount and attach to the keyboard. But there are also differences in feel, sound, customization options and ease of implementation.

What Do Keyboard Stabilizers Do?

Keyboard stabilizers serve two primary functions:

1. Stabilize Long Keys

Longer keys like Shift, Enter and Spacebar need stabilization to prevent them from feeling loose or wobbly when pressed off-center.

Stabilizers mount to the keyboard plate or PCB and connect to both ends of the longer keycap stabilizing it by reducing sideways movement. This helps register consistent key presses even when pressed on the edges.

2. Allow Smooth Vertical Key Travel

Properly installed stabilizers allow keys to move straight up and down smoothly when pressed without binding or getting stuck. This creates a better typing feel and prevents unintended key presses.

The stabilizer bar slides inside the insert housing allowing free vertical travel of the attached keycap while preventing lateral movement.

Difference in Mounting Mechanisms

The main difference between PCB and plate mount stabilizer is how they mount and attach to the keyboard:

Plate Mount Stabilizers

Plate mount stabilizers attach to openings in the keyboard’s metal mounting plate. Four plastic inserts clip through holes in the plate while housing clips grab and hold onto the edge of the holes.

[Diagram of plate mount stabilizer mounting]

This allows the stabilizer housing and bar to float precisely under the keycap while the inserts grab and hold it stably to the plate.

PCB Mount Stabilizers

PCB mount stabilizers attach directly to the surface of the keyboard PCB (printed circuit board) using solder or press-fit pins. The plastic housing has legs with pins that push through holes in the PCB and are then soldered or press-fit onto the back side.

[Diagram of PCB mount stabilizer mounting]

This anchors the stabilizer housings securely to the PCB surface allowing the stabilizer bars to align under longer keycaps.

Pros and Cons of Each Style

There are some key differences in usability between the two styles:

Plate Mount Stabilizers

Pros:

• Offer more customization options
• Easy to remove/swap without desoldering
• Reduced PCB flex so keys feel more stable
• Work better for hotswap keyboards

Cons:

• Need mounting plate with holes
• Can come loose if not properly secured
• Installation can be more difficult

PCB Mount Stabilizers

Pros:

• Securely held in place by solder
• Easier to implement in keyboard design
• Plate does not need holes/openings
• Clipped/screw-in stabilizers self-align

Cons:

• Requires desoldering to remove/replace
• Can tear PCB pad if hotswapped
• More prone to PCB flex in keyboards

So plate mount offers more customization and is common on enthusiast boards while PCB mount is easier to implement so more common on mass produced keyboards.

Difference In Feel and Sound

The different mounting methods and materials also impact the feel and sound of the stabilizers:

Plate Mount Feel

• Less PCB flex so keys feel more crisp and stable
• Snappier, responsive feel preferred for gaming
• Clackier, louder stabilized keys

PCB Mount Feel

• Somewhat mushier, soft feel due to PCB flex
• Keys require slightly more force for actuation
• Softer thock on stabilized keys

Plate mount offers a crisper feel with less keyboard flex while PCB mount feel is somewhat softer and mushier. Plate mount also produces a louder, clackier sound vs a softer thock on PCB mount stabilized keys.

Customization and Modding Ability

Plate and PCB mount stabilizers also differ in customization and modding ability:

Plate Mount Customization

Plate mount offer much more customization ability:

• Can easily be lubed without desoldering
• Aftermarket stabilizers can swap into plate holes
• No risk of tearing PCB pads during removal
• Can experiment with different housings and wires

This makes it easy to lube, clip, band-aid mod or swap to high quality aftermarket stabilizers to improve feel and sound.

PCB Mount Customization

PCB mount stabilizers offer very little customization ability:

• Requires desoldering stabilizers to lube or modify
• Pulling stabilizers can tear PCB circuit board pads
• Generally have to use stock stabilizers provided
• Not practical to swap aftermarket stabilizers

So PCB mount stabilizers are pretty much stuck how they come stock from the factory.

Ease of Keyboard Implementation

There are also differences in how easy each style is to implement in keyboard designs:

Plate Mount Design Considerations

Using plate mount stabilizers requires:

• Mounting plate to have rectangular cutouts
• Precise positioning to align stabilizers with keys
• Securing each stabilizer corner to plate openings
• Avoiding interference with switch opening

So using plate mount requires more complex mounting plates and getting stabilizer positioning exactly right.

PCB Mount Design Considerations

PCB mounting is much simpler to design:

• Just need holes in PCB for press-fit pins
• Self-aligning housings automatically position
• Takes care of stabilizer alignment and support
• Easier compatibility with hotswap sockets

This makes PCB mount stabilizers much easier for keyboard manufacturers to reliably use at scale.

PCB Mount vs Plate Mount Stabilizer Comparison Tables

Mounting Mechanism Summary

Metric	Plate Mount	PCB Mount
Mounting Method	Clips into plate holes	Press-fit or soldered to PCB
Attachment Point	Keyboard plate	Printed circuit board
Customization Ability	Easily modified	Little customization ability
Implementation Difficulty	Requires complex plates	Much simpler to implement
Security	Can come loose over time	Very secure when soldered

General Pros and Cons

Plate Mount Pros	Plate Mount Cons	PCB Mount Pros	PCB Mount Cons
Swappable without desoldering	Requires mounting plate holes	Easy to securely implement	Requires desoldering to swap
Less prone to PCB flex	Positioning can be tricky	Self-aligning housings	Pad tearing risk if pulling stabilizers
Easier compatibility with hotswap	Possible fitment issues	Much simpler keyboard design	Generally stuck with factory stabilizers
Crisp, snappy key feel	Can come loose over time	Secure soldered connection	Soft, mushy stabilized keys

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to some common frequently asked questions:

Q: Why do some keyboards use PCB-mount, and others use plate-mount stabilizers?

Plate-mount stabilizers tend to be more common in custom and enthusiast keyboards because they offer more tuning and customization options. PCB-mount stabilizers are much easier for mass production keyboards to implement reliably so most big brand keyboards use this style.

Q: Do plate-mount stabilizers feel better than PCB-mount?

Generally yes, plate-mount stabilizers offer a crisper, snappier key feel with less keyboard flex compared to PCB-mount stabilizers. The reduced flex makes keys feel more stable and solid. They also provide a louder, clackier sound.

Q: Can you convert a PCB-mount stabilizer to plate-mount?

Unfortunately no, the plastic housings are completely different shapes between PCB and plate mount stabilizers. The PCB mount housing incorporates the alignment tabs and fit onto PCB pins while plate mount inserts clip through holes. So you cannot physically change or swap just the plastic housings.

Q: Do all mechanical keyboard PCBs support both stabilizer types?

Not necessarily. Some PCBs are specifically designed for a certain stabilizer style and may only have the correct mounting holes or cutouts for one style. But many customs PCBs do support both with holes for PCB mount and openings for plate mount so builders can choose.

Q: Is there any functional difference between screw-in and snap-in stabilizers?

Functionally both work essentially the same way. The only difference is snap-in stabilizers use plastic clips to secure to openings while screw-in use metal screws in the inserts for a more rigid hold. Screw-in stabilizers are considered more secure since it’s impossible for them to pop out under pressure.

Both mounting styles have their pros and cons for performance, sound, feel, design implementation and customization ability. Plate mount stabilizers tend to be preferred by enthusiasts for the increased rigidity, stability and customization while PCB mount simplifies the manufacturing process so is more common on mass produced keyboards.