Recommend 75% swappable keyboard

[silk186]

I've gone through a lot of keyboards because of a single failed switch so I'm looking to upgrade to a swappable keyboard.

My current keyboard is a Durgod Hades 68 RGB w/ Gateron Brown switches. The 'i' key was not registering consistently. I did manage to get it repaired at a cellphone repair shop in Beijing but after looking at new keyboards I have the upgrade itch.

Current keyboard - Durgod Hades 68 RGB


If I upgrade I want something nicer. I was recommended a Keychron Q2, and the looks are not bad but I feel it's more of a sidegrade.
I like the colour and the knob, but the fat bezel makes it larger than necessary and I'm guessing less comfortable to use. Also, are keys that let the light shine through worse for some reason? They seem less common.


Any suggestions for an upgrade to swappable that doesn't need a bunch of modding to be good?

[HungerMechanic]

So, these are 68-70% boards primarily that you're talking about.

If we're talking 75%, the AKKO PC75B, ACR75 V2, and ACR Pro 75 are said to be good. You can check the reviews on Youtube.

The ID80 is built different, sometimes acrylics, but probably okay for many.

I think I just saw a couple of 75% boards on AliExpress that are on sale presently. ABS and polycarb boards with hotswap.

Seriously, the AKKOs are heavily in-use.


Now, as for 68-70% boards, there's a wide range. The Keychrons are built very well, I'm told. If we're talking Q series. I'd buy one if it was within budget [and available in Canada] right now.

The Keychrons come with decent stabilizers, you can make them even better, and they have okay case harmonics and dampening. You can do the 'force-break' mod, although I hear some of the new Keychrons come with them now.

Shine-through keycaps are passe right now. Everyone wants to have 'Cherry-like' GMK-style keycaps or opaque high-profile. This is because many custom keyboards downplay RGB, using only PCB underglow. Long-term, keyboards benefit more from good mounting systems, quality double-shot keycaps, and good PCBs than they do from RGB lighting.

[High-end customs are influencing the market.]

If you're talking a 70% with no F-row, then the IKKI68 Aurora is great, comes with hotswap, some assembly required [inc'l stabilizers.] But it's not ready out-of-box like these others, it's a true custom. Something cheaper and ready is the AKKO ACR Pro 68. It has a lot of the features you are looking for. But the LEDs are north-facing, which may interfere with Cherry-profile keycaps on some switches.

[HungerMechanic]

Plus, if you want shine-through keycaps, you can always add them later for cheap:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005444371746.html

And there are many, many more to choose from.

[Leslieann]

Every board needs work to make the most of it.
A high end without work is only going to be minimally better than a mid range without work, remember the pcb and case are only part of the equation and switches and stabs are what usually need the most work to get the best results.

It's like anything high performance mechanical, everything needs to be fitted precisely to get the most from it. Engines get blueprinted, bicycles get properly fitted, clothing being tailored to fit...

[HungerMechanic]

Yeah, but there are many ready-to-go decent "good enough" boards now, at budget prices. Look at this guy:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004648147684.html

You could throw Gateron Browns [Gateron Pro X Browns or whatever would be better] right in there and call it a day. Polycarb plate, south-facing LEDs, decent stabilizers, gasket mount.

True, every single board improves with user-modding. But I find that some of the most austere boards [tray-mount with alum plates and plate-mount stabilizers, like an FC900R] may not improve as much as something with plate/dampening/mounting options, like a Keychron Q series, Aurora, Frog TKL. They are made for modding and can really be dialed up.

OP just wants something plug-and-play that won't feel like crap. That's what the Keychron Q series [it's versatile] and Akko 75% are for.

[Leslieann]

Yeah, but there are many ready-to-go decent "good enough" boards now, at budget prices. Look at this guy:

What I meant is that the chassis isn't where most of the work (usually) goes.

[silk186]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, it seems that I'm looking for a 68-70% board. I like RGB when I'm using the computer at night in low lighting.
The Keychron Q2 looks not bad but I heard that acoustics are not great. I don't mind ordering Shine-through keycaps if that is required.
Polycarb plate, south-facing LEDs, decent stabilizers, gasket mount - this is why I want prebuilt. Too many options and I don't want to research plate material, mounting type, RGB orientation, stabilizers etc.
I was going super small form factor because of limited space, now I have a huge desk it's less important but I still like the small footprint. so 68-75% is fine.

My budget is 300 USD, what are no-compromise options?
If I have to put it together I can, as I took the summer off. but less work is better.

[LavenderB]

If you're willing to sacrifice the gasket mount, I would recommend the keychron v series. It's a lot cheaper than the q series, has better stabilisers out of the box and it doesn't have any sound problems. Like the q series, it's also available in a lot of layouts and is qmk/via compatible.

[silk186]

In that case, I would rather go with the Q series and mod it as it would produce a better final product.
Are there not options that have everything?

[salgiza]

You might want to check the Qwertykeys QK75. Reviews were quite good and, although the GB was at the beginning of the year, vendors have just started shipping it, so there should be extras on sale soon (if some of them are not selling them already).

[silk186]

After checking, it seems I can only get some parts for the Qwertykeys QK75 on taobao and JD.
The Keychron Q2 is still a viable option but ... if I'm going to have to mod it anyways I figure I should just look into custom.

[GMKClassicRed]

Keychron Q1. The Keychron Q2 is a 65%.

[HungerMechanic]

Just a point about Keychron's V series... it's actually pretty good [entry-level].

They are ready-to-go, but you can force-break mod them and fill them with dampening if you want. The stabilizers are actually okay, but can be further modded if desired. Much cheaper than the Q series.

The Keychron V7 is a 70% board that is highly-regarded. You can see the reviews on Youtube. Often OOS, though.

You could actually ask a builder to order one, and have anything you want done to it for under $300. However, you are right that the Q series could be made into something fancier. Maybe it doesn't all have to be done at once. You could buy one, and then see what bugs you after a while. I think they even come with Gateron Browns or Pro Browns pre-installed. [Or something very much like it.]

For a period of time, the "GMMK Pro" was the goto 75% board for people who wanted a factory custom. Then the Q1 went after it, but it is pingy in stock form. Most likely, the most recent AKKO boards are desirable. You could just buy a Q-series on the assumption that it will need to have certain mods done to it [such as force-break, more dampening].

With the Q2, if that is your thing, you could probably ask an assembly service to implement the acoustic mods and better stabilizers, maybe for all around $300 total in the end.

[HungerMechanic]

You could probably max out a Q7 for just over $300 total at an assembly-service. It would blow away that Durgod thing.

[jcoffin1981]

I like the Drop keyboards-   ALT, Shift, and Ctrl.  They are hot swappable, and use QMK firmware and are configurable on the Drop website.  I enjoy the whole soldering process, but just swapping the switches is nice, especially if you like to experiment with different switches, lubes, springs, etc.  One of the reasons I use these is that they lay perfectly flat, which almost no boards do nowadays.  They can also be found on Ebay- new barebones kits for under 100 dollars.  I would not buy new from Drop website.  I believe the Ctrl is the 75% one that is essentially a TKL board.  I really have nothing bad to say about these, and I think they are built better than the Keychron boards.