Prebuilt keyboards have become fiercely competitive lately, and as someone into custom keyboards, I honestly have mixed feelings about it. A few years ago, if you wanted a full-aluminum CNC board with a gasket mount and every feature maxed out, you basically had to spend several thousand yuan and wait on a custom group buy. Now I'm seeing reviews saying that for 1,499 yuan you can buy a mass-produced keyboard that comes close to the high-end custom experience — the QK100 MK2. At first I didn't believe it, but after looking at the photos I'm a bit tempted.
The QK100 MK2 uses a compact 1800 layout, keeping the F-row, arrow keys and a full numpad, and the “0” key in the number cluster isn't squeezed down to 1U either. It has a full-aluminum body with a layered, curved design, an LED light bar and a touchpad in the top right, and a screen next to the numpad that can show GIFs and run a little typing game. What got me most is that nearly all of these “decorative” parts are interactive — not a single one is just for show.
The feel and sound are true custom-keyboard territory too: a gasket mount plus six layers of sound-dampening foam, no stabilizer rattle on the big keys, and a deeper, lower sound that suits the office better than the mainstream “mahjong clack.” The keycaps are Owlab doubleshot, ABS and PBT, and that keycap set alone would cost over a thousand yuan on the custom market.
To put it plainly, QK is chipping away at the barrier to entry for custom keyboards, bit by bit. 1,499 yuan gets you more than 90% of the high-end keyboard experience, and the only trade-off is a bit less freedom to mix and match. For people like me who want to tinker but hate the hassle, that might be a good thing.
Source: 雷科技 (Lei Technology)
Igor's Lab has tested the QwertyKeys Neo75 Cu, a modular 75% custom keyboard with an aluminum case and a solid bottom made of brass (copper as an alternative). The kit is sold as a barebone and costs around 240 euros, with switches and keycaps on top of that. The test build used an aluminum plate, Gateron Type R Red switches and GMK Mictlan keycaps.
What I find most interesting is the construction. The case uses a tool-free ball-catch connection, and there are two mounting options, gasket mount and isolated bottom mount. Plate materials to choose from are PP, aluminum, POM, carbon fiber and FR4. The board weighs between 2.0 and 2.7 kilograms depending on the configuration, has a fixed 7-degree angle and is VIA-compatible. PCBs come in solder, hot-swap and tri-mode versions (USB-C, Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz), but there is no per-key RGB.
For the measurements, the average end-to-end latency came out at 11.8 ms, measured over 25 runs with NVIDIA LDAT 2.26 (minimum 6.0 ms, maximum 18.4 ms). In the browser test, the board scored 97.9 points with 100 percent key coverage, and no chatter or ghosting was found. The author points out that this latency reflects the entire signal chain, not just USB or controller latency.
I like that the review follows the build step by step, from unboxing through assembly and software to a sound recording. Anyone planning a custom board gets a good sense of what a heavy metal bottom and the choice of mounting actually mean in practice.
Source: Igor's Lab
I read in an AKIBA PC Hotline! article that several key switches have arrived. The stock comes through Yusha Koubou, and for people who tinker with custom keyboards it is welcome news.
The first thing that caught my eye was Kailh's Spring Mini and Winter Mini. These low-profile switches are themed on spring and winter, and both sell for 88 yen in store. Spring Mini is a 40±10gf linear, Winter Mini is a 50±10gf tactile, both use the Choc V2 spec, and both the bottom housing and the stem are POM. Switches themed on the seasons are playful, and I am personally curious about them.
Kailh's Crystal is also worth a look. It has a fully clear polycarbonate housing and stem, and it is a low-profile linear switch (43±10gf, Choc V2, 88 yen). The RGB LED backlight should shine through it beautifully.
HMX's Saru V2 (66 yen) is a tactile switch aiming for the smoothness of a linear. It is 48±5gf, Cherry MX compatible, with a PA12 nylon top housing, a PA2 nylon bottom, and an improved POM stem. Gateron's magnetic switch Magnetic Black Lotus (132 yen) is a linear with 4 mm travel and a cylindrical stem that gives a solid bottom-out feel. Its bottom-out force is 45gf and it follows the KS-20 spec.
Since the price per switch is low, buying a few to test them against each other seems like a good approach. Each of these switches should widen the fun of building a keyboard exactly to your taste.
Source: AKIBA PC Hotline!
Framework has announced the Framework Wireless Touchpad Keyboard among its new products, and I have to admit it is a very curious proposal. The company itself describes it as a wireless keyboard with a built-in touchpad that you finally won't hate, aimed at people who run a living-room PC or a mini PC such as a Raspberry Pi.
It is a very thin keyboard, developed together with Lite-On, which already works with Framework on the keyboards for its laptops. The touchpad measures 68.8 x 85.6 mm and supports multitouch, and the keys have 1.5 mm of travel. It can be used wired, over Bluetooth, or with a USB-A adapter, and can be paired with up to four devices.
What interests me most is the open side. Inside is Nordic's nRF54L20 wireless SoC, with its 28 I/O pins exposed, and the firmware is ZMK, which is open source. That makes it possible to change what each key does, create complex macros, or define layers, for example so that each key launches a specific command while editing video.
Framework will also publish the CAD designs, with custom cases as an option, and the circuit board will be sold separately, in line with its focus on repairability. There is still no date or launch price. For anyone who enjoys modifying their keyboard, this kind of open approach is exactly what makes a launch like this exciting.
Source: Xataka
According to IT Home, VGN's Neon 75 Turbo magnetic-switch keyboard opened its first sale on JD.com at 8 p.m. on October 9, priced at 439 yuan. For anyone looking for a magnetic-switch keyboard, that price is quite attractive.
In terms of looks, the board measures 323×138×20 mm and comes in three colorways: pink gradient, pink-blue gradient, and black-gold frosted clear. The CNC-machined case has a neon ambient light strip, the bottom has two-stage feet, and an 8000 mAh battery is built in.
Structurally and in performance, it uses a gasket mount with the Zhanhun MVP V2 magnetic solution, offering 0.005 mm RT precision, 128K channel scan rate, and 0.1 ms latency. It supports dual 8KHz polling in both wired and 2.4 GHz modes. The keycaps are at stock height, and the switches are Tianba Turbo, with an initial force of 35±5 gf, a bottom-out force of 50±5 gf, and total travel of 3.5±0.2 mm.
Personally, I think it's notable that the gasket feel, adjustable magnetic triggering, and a low price all come together in one product. Configurations that were once mostly seen in high-end custom circles are now within reach of many more people.
Spec sheets are only a starting point. The real springiness of the gasket, whether the keycap height feels comfortable, and how polished the lighting and software are can only be judged after actual use. I will keep following reviews and user feedback.
Source: IT Home
Most custom keyboard projects try to make typing more comfortable. This one goes the other way on purpose. Google Japan has built a deliberately impractical keyboard in which the keys move and your fingers stay still.
It has four staggered rows. Each row is a 3D-printed chain that carries mechanical key switches, and a motor in the base drives the belts. A flexible PCB in each row keeps the wiring connected as the chain moves. The project is published with firmware, STL files and a build guide, so anyone with a printer could in theory try it.
The interesting question is how a key press gets off the moving belt and to the computer. According to the write-up, that part of the guide is still marked "TBD" and the source code looks incomplete. The author floats a few untested ideas: a small BLE microcontroller on each belt, RFID tags on each key with readers in the base, or LEDs on the flex PCB that flash each key's ASCII code past a sensor.
It follows Google Japan's earlier hat keyboard from 2023 and rotary-phone keyboard from 2025. Nobody will daily-drive this, but I enjoy how it pokes at the basic assumptions of the layout.
Source: Hackaday
HP has announced the launch in Portugal of the HyperX Origins 2 family, a new generation of gaming mechanical keyboards built around customization. For anyone who likes tinkering with their keyboard, the most interesting point is that you can swap both the switches and the keycaps.
There are two formats: the 65, with a minimalist design, and the 1800, which keeps every key in a more compact layout. Both have a raised profile, adjustable feet and an 8K polling rate. The switches come factory-lubed for a smoother, more consistent action, and hot-swap support covers 5-pin switches.
The brand also highlights the typing feel. The O-ring mounting system uses foam dampening and a silicone weight, which gives a softer touch and a more controlled sound. Translucent keycap and case options are available, and the HyperX NGENUITY software lets you set macros, profiles and RGB lighting.
According to the report, raised keyboards are often uncomfortable for typing, but this model wants to break that pattern. You only confirm that by using it, but I like the idea of a gaming keyboard that also thinks about people who type a lot.
In Portugal the prices are 99.99 euros for the 65 and 119.99 euros for the 1800.
Source: Tek Notícias (SAPO)
Keychron has added a special wooden edition of the K8 HE to its lineup. Gaming keyboards usually bring to mind RGB and sharp angular designs, so this one stands out from the competition. Personally, I really like it when manufacturers try something warmer and more natural.
The wood is only used for the case: the edges visible from above and the base. Inside, it still has aluminum panels, plastic keycaps and magnetic switches. Because natural material is used, no two of these keyboards are exactly alike, and the contrast between the matte keycaps and the glossy wood edges looks good. It is an 80% layout, which leaves more room for a mouse pad, and it weighs slightly over 1 kg.
Inside you get Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula magnetic switches. The author describes them as softer and quieter than mechanical switches, and their advantage is that they let you program up to four actions on a single key, depending on how far it is pressed. The switches are hot-swap, so they can be replaced.
The keyboard connects via Bluetooth 5.2, a 2.4 GHz dongle (1000 Hz) or a cable. Customization is done in the browser on a dedicated page, with no separate app needed. The package should include interchangeable keycap sets for Mac and Windows users.
It is available from the Keychron store, and the wooden version applies only to the 80% model. To me it is an interesting example of how the case material can change the character of the whole keyboard.
Source: CHIP.pl
Gateron has officially launched the Silent Low Profile 3.0 Black, the newest member of its Low Profile 3.0 family, which has already shown up in boards from brands like NuPhy and Chilkey. It is a linear switch aimed at noise-sensitive people and office-style environments, and I think it is a nice sign that low-profile builds are getting more attention from switch makers.
Like most silent switches, the Black uses silicone o-rings on the stem to cushion bottom-out and top-out. What caught my eye is that the o-rings do not eat into the travel: actuation is still 1.7 mm with 3.4 mm of total travel, the same as the non-silent versions. It is also the heaviest of Gateron's silent 3.0 lineup at 50 gf (plus or minus 15 gf), so it should feel a bit more deliberate than the lighter options.
On the construction side, the stem is full POM, the bottom housing is nylon and the top housing is clear PC, so backlighting should still shine through. The switches come factory lubricated for a smoother stroke.
The part I find most practical is the pin layout. Gateron's Low Profile 3.0 standard uses the same 5-pin layout and sockets as regular Cherry MX-style switches. In theory, a manufacturer can offer both a low-profile and a full-height version of one keyboard and only swap the plate. For anyone who likes to rebuild and experiment, that kind of flexibility is exactly what makes a standard interesting.
I will be curious to see which boards ship with these first and how they sound in a typed-out recording rather than on a spec sheet.
Source: TechPowerUp
GMK has introduced TriggerKey, a special keycap that lets you adjust the actuation point without replacing the mechanical switch underneath. The idea is interesting because a feature usually associated with Hall Effect keyboards is brought to ordinary mechanical switches.
Here is how it works: TriggerKey replaces the standard keycap and uses a lever mechanism to press the switch stem earlier. The actuation point can be set anywhere from 0 to 2 mm with a built-in screw. Each key can also be tilted up to 34 degrees, and there are three stem cap options with different heights, 0.7 mm, 1.2 mm and 1.7 mm, to change the character of the press.
For fans of particular switches, this is appealing. The tactile feedback, sound and spring character of the switch are kept, and only the travel distance is shortened. There are compatibility limits, though. GMK says TriggerKey fits MX-style housings, including Cherry MX and most Gateron switches, but does not support most Hall Effect switches or Kailh Box designs.
GMK positions it for gaming and does not recommend it for long typing sessions, because the lever mechanism makes the key feel different from a regular keycap. A set of four keys sells for US$55 and includes spare stem caps as well as tools for installation and adjustment.
I think the price is high for four keycaps, but the concept clearly targets mechanical keyboard enthusiasts who want to stay loyal to their favorite switches while chasing a faster response.
Source: Jagat Play
I've wanted to build my own mechanical keyboard for a long time, but I've shied away from the soldering. A guide from Mekaniskt Tangentbord (updated 29 September) shows that it works fine with hot-swap and Nordic ISO.
The setup is simple: a 75% barebone with å/ä/ö, three bags of switches and a Nordic keycap set. The example with the Glorious GMMK 3 PRO comes to 2,525 SEK at Proshop — 1,650 for the barebone, 711 for switches, 164 for keycaps. If you'd like to feel the format first, the Keychron V1 Ultra 75% is available pre-built for 1,690 SEK, still with hot-swap.
What I saved as a checklist: test the PCB in VIA before screwing the case together, straighten switch pins, support the hot-swap socket from underneath, and don't forget foam between plate and board. Count the slots — a 75% build needs about 108 switches, so three bags of 36.
My plan: start with the pre-built Keychron board for a few weeks, decide whether I care most about switch feel or gasket mount, and build a barebone later. Finally a Swedish-friendly way in without a soldering iron.
Source: Mekaniskt Tangentbord
