When choosing a mechanical keyboard, one important consideration is the LED orientation on the PCB. This significantly impacts the RGB lighting effects and keycap compatibility. Understanding the differences between North-facing LED and South-facing LED will help you make an informed decision based on your preferences.

North-Facing LED: Brighter RGB but Limited Keycap Compatibility

North-facing LED places the LED above the switch, allowing it to shine through the top of translucent keycaps. This design provides vibrant RGB effects, especially for keycaps with top-facing legends. Most dedicated gaming mechanical keyboards are also equipped with shine-through legends on top left corner. Therefore, most conventional mass-produced gaming keyboards often utilize this setup due to its bright lighting effects. This is also the mainstream trending for a long time before the hobby of custom mechanical keyboard rises.

However, North-facing LED can create compatibility issues with thicker or low profile keycaps, such as those with Cherry profiles or Akko’s ASA-Low profiles. These keycaps can block the light or interfere with the keycap’s fit on the switch, leading to a less than ideal typing experience or diminished RGB effects. While the lighting is more vibrant, North-facing LED may not offer the best compatibility with all keycap profiles.

Meanwhile, many keycap factories have started to slightly adapt their cherry profile keycap sets so that it would not cause interference. So you will continuously see keycaps claimed to cause no interference. 

It’s worth noting that, in addition to keycaps, the switches can also cause compatibility issues. For example, switches with Diffuser may contribute to the issues mentioned above.

South-facing LED: Ideal for Custom Keyboards and Better Keycap Compatibility

South-facing LED positions the LED below the switch, shining upward through the keycap. This setup is often favored for custom mechanical keyboards due to its improved compatibility with various keycap profiles, especially thicker or sculpted keycaps. South-facing LED reduce the risk of interference between the switch stem and keycap, ensuring a better fit and reducing typing issues.

While the RGB effect may not be as intense as with North-facing LED, the South-facing LED offers greater flexibility and compatibility with a broader range of keycap designs. It’s an excellent choice for DIY keyboard builds and users who value keycap variety.

In recent years, keycap manufacturers have also released sets that could provide top notch RGB experiences for south-facing LED keyboards such as side-printed keycaps.

Choosing Between North-facing LED and South-facing LED for Your Mechanical Keyboard

When choosing between North-facing LED and South-facing LED, consider what matters most to you:

• North-facing LED offer brighter RGB lighting and work well with keycaps with top-facing legends. It may not be compatible with your Cherry Profile keycaps.
• South-facing LED provide better compatibility with a wider variety of keycap profiles and are ideal for custom mechanical keyboards.

Understanding the impact of LED orientation on the PCB will help you create the perfect balance between RGB performance and keycap compatibility for your keyboard setup.