The most sure-fire way to tell if your keyboard is mechanical is to take off one of the keycaps. Does it look like the image at the top of this article? If so, then press the stem down (the colored piece that looks like a cross). If it slides down by itself, it’s likely you found a mechanical keyboard and found yourself a bargain.

When trying to identify mechanical keyboard switches, first try to identify what kind of switch they are: linear, tactile, or clicky. From there, check what kind of stems they are using. Identifying the color of the stems can also help. And lastly, make sure to also check the engraved logo on the upper housing of the switches.