GGMK Pro & Akko v3 Cream Yellow
If you’re diving into the world of custom mechanical keyboards, the GMMK Pro is hard to miss. It’s become somewhat of a cult classic for beginners and intermediate enthusiasts alike. I recently built mine with Akko V3 Cream Yellow switches, and after a good amount of tweaking, I feel confident sharing my thoughts on the board.
🔧 Build & Mods
Out of the box, the GMMK Pro is built like a tank. The aluminum case has a premium weight and a clean, minimal aesthetic. However, as most of us know: stock doesn’t cut it.
Here’s what I changed:
- Switches: Akko V3 Cream Yellow (pre-lubed, linear)
- Stabilizers: Replaced stock stabs with Durock V2, clipped and lubed
- Foam: Added FoamWizard case foam for sound dampening
- Tape Mod: 3 layers of masking tape on the PCB (classic “tape mod”)
- PE Foam Mod: Thin foam between PCB and plate
- Lubing: Krytox 205g0 on switches & dielectric grease for stabilizers
🎧 Sound Profile
With the mods, the GMMK Pro delivers a deep, creamy “thock” that’s incredibly satisfying. The Akko Cream Yellows have a soft bottom-out and a buttery smoothness that pairs well with the tape and foam mods.
Before modding, the stock stabilizers were serviceable but nothing special. In fact, they were a little rattly and detracted from the overall sound profile. After swapping them for Durock V2 stabilizers, the difference was night and day — cleaner, tighter keystrokes and a far more refined acoustic experience.
🧠 Typing Feel
Typing on this board feels solid and cushioned. The combination of the gasket-mounted design and the foam layers produces minimal hollowness. There’s a pleasant softness to the keystrokes without feeling mushy. The Akko switches offer just the right amount of resistance for fast typing while still feeling satisfying.
⚙️ Software: VIA… kinda
One of the biggest downsides of the GMMK Pro is its incompatibility with standard VIA. While it does support QMK and a custom fork of VIA, it’s not plug-and-play like some other boards. You have to use Glorious’s VIA-compatible JSON file and manually load it into VIA every time you want to tweak your layout. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s far from ideal for people who love to experiment with layers and macros.
✅ Final Thoughts
All things considered, I’m super happy with how this build turned out. It’s a highly customizable board with a ton of potential — but you do need to put in some modding work to unlock its full capabilities.
If you’re looking for a board that can deliver a premium thocky experience, the GMMK Pro (with the right mods) will definitely deliver. Just be aware of the software limitations and factor in a stabilizer swap as part of the budget.
⭐️ TL;DR
- Sound: Deep, creamy, and refined (after mods)
- Feel: Solid, cushioned, and smooth
- Mods required? Yes — especially stabilizers and foam
- Software: Not fully VIA-compatible (QMK/VIA fork only)
- Would I recommend it? Absolutely — with mods.
Have you built your own GMMK Pro? Got a favorite switch/stab combo? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on LinkedIn!