I didn’t know anything about keyboard 3 months ago but kept trying new boards until I landed with this one. Kudos to the forum for all the great advice.

Hey everyone! Pretty new to the sub and looking to buy my very first mechanical keyboard.

I wfh 5 days a week and do some light gaming on the side. I’ve personally tested the NuPhy Halo75 and absolutely loved the premium, heavy build quality and how it sounded and felt (raspberry switches).

However, on this sub, I've noticed NuPhy and Keychron get a fair bit of criticism, which has me second-guessing myself.

I’m looking for alternative recommendations that fit this criteria:

Layout: 75% normal profile, prebuilt. Gasket mounted.

Sound/Feel: Thocky or deeper sound profile with smooth, pre-lubed switches (definitely want to avoid anything overly loud, harsh or clacky).

Build Quality: Premium, hefty, and solid feel (similar to or better than the Halo75).

Quality of life and common sense features are a must. For example, I want to avoid quirks like the Rainy75's power switch hidden underneath the keycaps. I also don't care whether it has a knob or not.

Would love to hear your suggestions! Thanks in advance!!

Edit: forgot to mention preferably linear switches.

Or Wallhack but Bigly?

A bit of a silly fun one here.

A while back someone asked about the existance of a board that had a similar look to the Wallhack K0001 and whilst I couldn't think of one I did suggest sticking the Wallhack switches on something and since it had north facing LEDS I thought the Mix87 might work.

Of course that got my brain ticking over so I decided to just go ahead and try myself.

The results are mixed: It's close but there is some light spillage, most of which actually seems to be reflection from the underside of the keycaps and getting the Mix87 to give a more white light is an issue, even at 0,0,0 RGB its LEDs are very blue.

The KS-TR light switches are nice with a creamy pop and a bit quieter than the Mount Tais but they do have a bit more stem wobble. On reflection I think I should have gone with the KS-TR mediums but the light still does the job.

Sound tests:

As factory with Mount Tais:

https://youtu.be/J4qWNcQA5Ck

With the KS-TR lights fitted:

https://youtu.be/yBQt50PoLps

This keyboard is for gaming “cs2, valorant, fps games”

Heard some people talking about everglide having issues with the usb c port.

Which one would be best regarding software, performance, build quality, reliability?

Would get yaoguang for the ever glide and for the ev63 id get x ultra switches I assume

Why there is not keyboard with the stream controller on the left side? am i the only one will prefer it like that? its always placed on the right side in all the models i find.

I am looking to buy a thocky/creamy 60% prebuilt. My budget is around $150 preferably on the lower side of that. Maybe an aluminum case. Anyone have any suggestions?

Looking for a reliable keyboard that is in the $100-$150 range, is cute/aesthetically pleasing, bluetooth, and will last more than 2 years minimum.

I had the epomaker TH80X wired/wireless and it was horrible, would disconnect all the time, couldn’t get bluetooth working after and wouldn’t get recognized on my laptop.

Hi guys, as the title says my logitech g915 is out of the door, and i need a replacement. I really like watching these custom keyboard videos and hearing the sound tests, and as you called it "thocky".

Budget: 100$, i want something clean but that sounds thocky, and creamy.

Style: Preferably black with white/pink accents.

Size: 80%, i require the arrow keys.

Please leave you recommendations down below as i am desperate.

Anyone know if any other low profile keycaps would fit it as a replacement? I don't know how to check.

Here's a photo of it, I don't think they sell it anymore lol.

I have a Lucky65 v2 keyboard, but I am having an issue with its RGB lighting.

Only the RGB on the spacebar lights up, while the other keys do not light up at all. I have never disassembled this keyboard; it is completely stock, just like when I first bought it.

I have tried changing it using shortcut keys, the VIA app, and even resetting the keyboard, but none of it works.

Is there any other solution? Or has anyone else experienced this before?

Thank you!

Been in the custom mechanical scene for a while but never really sought out a HE keyboard. However, I'm back into competitive FPS games so I thought why not?

The things I care about most are aesthetics and acoustics, I know it's hard to make a magnetic keyboard sound great but I've heard a few that actually sound decent.

So far I have my eyes on the Lofree Hyzen and the Wallhack k001 but I prefer having an F key row.

Any suggestions for premium HE or TMR keyboards would be helpful.

- Full Aluminum

- Knob preferably

- 75% or TKL (will consider a 65% if the board really wows me)

- Obtainable in the US

- Barebones kits are okay as well.

Budget: $400

so on my old keyboard my usbc plug in spot got loose and it would constantly disconnect. i just got the aula f75 and was wondering if that was common and how i should avoid letting this happen again. i just want to keep it in good condition so any help would be great. thank you

Hello!
I'm an accountant but when I take off the Work and got to my home and enjoy a sweet time on my Main PC (No the laptop keyboard haha); The one thing I most use is my keyboard

Right now I have a VSG Quasar it had Outemu Blue Switches but I hated at the end of my day the action force for those switches and the sound, then I bought on Aliexpress a bunch of Outemu Silvers and are my Switches until this day

My keyboard has ABS Keycaps that honestly, looks and feels BAD, the paint is washed off, the light greasy sensation even if you clean it, and I'm not a fan of the layout is a TKL lik the ones that have the Arrow Keys on another place, I'm not a fan of it haha I kinda want my arrow key more closer (I'm used to the layout of my Older Laptop on that case)

Now I'm working so a little self gift is okay but I think my worries are a 140$+ Keyboard and the shipment lost it haha so I think if is below 140$ I'm okay with it

Aesthethics are a bit tricky haha I think I want to go for a darker keyboard, my brother had a Razer Keyboard before and it was HUGE but the feeling was so nice but he keep it dirty haha later he bought a Redragon one I think it was the Draconic or something like that I was more a fan of the razer he had before

Think I want:
Thocky I think? I like more this type of sound more not too much but like on that place like more thock but a bit creamy I don't know how to say this like something that sound well but

my most important thing is the feeling on my fingers haha like a good spacebar, a good alt and tab, a good arrows

Layout something like this?
I think is 70% or 75% I don't have a problem with smaller sizes only is the FN Shortcuts are there, but as I work as an accountat I like my F row

And thank you so much for taking time of your day to give a recommendation, i hope you are having a nice day

Emmm I know this might sound like a rant, but I genuinely wanan know why the industry is like this. Also, I need a new numpad 98% keyboard, so I'm stuck in a dilemma.

Newbie here, so please bear with me. Idk much about specs or drivers or tuning stuff like that, but I’ve been seeing some crazy desk setups lately and really wanna upgrade my keebs.

I found Gravastar online. Since I needa numpad for work and I mostly play OW and Marvel Rivals, the K98 Pro caught my eye. Yeah, the design is insane.

I was about to pull the trigger, but I found so much hate on it online. A lot of negative stuff including QC, customer service, and shipping issues.

Hmmm... this is making me hesitate. Nobody wants a beautifully bricked keyboard lol. And I started looking at the usual recommendations here like Aula, Keychron, Wooting etc. Ngl, they look boring, rectangular, and tofu-like. It feels like most brands are playing it too safe. Maybe throwing on a knob, tiny screen，material，switch, cap or little trinkets, and keeping the overall shape completely standard. I've also seen some cool designs from custom group buys, but those are too expensive and not mass-produced.

Btw, I have two questions:

Why do most manufacturers stick to these boring, "safe" designs? Is it just manufacturing costs? Are there any other refreshing brands I should look at for a ~$250 budget mechanical keyboard with a numpad? Or should I just risk buying the K98 Pro from Amazon so I can easily return it if it arrives as a brick lmao

I currently have irok nd63 pro. I've had it for around 2 years. It's a pretty good keyboard, but I miss my function keys so I want to buy a 75% keyboard.

My budget is 80€
Here are the keyboards I have found so far:
Akko Tac75 HE Glare Switches - 54€ (from amazon)
Akko Tac75 Pro HE Hakutaku Switches - 63€ (from aliexpress)
Aula F75 HE Black King/Emperor Switches - 70€ (+2 year warranty)
MCHOSE Jet75 HE Kailh Magnetic God Switches - 80€ (+2 year warranty)

You can also recommend me a keyboard that's in budget and has free delivery to Europe

I’m looking for a low profile HE keyboard and I’m currently stuck between the two.

I’m currently using the Keychron K1 SE and wanna try out a HE keyboard for the first time but also need one that’s still low profile and has its function keys.

Alternatives for other keyboards are also appreciated.

I don’t want a clicky/loud sounding keyboard because I don’t want to bother my roommates.

I play some non-competitive games but also touch some shooter games when my friends decide to hop on it.

so, I’ve had an Epomaker EP-84 for as long as I can remember, and I haven’t had any problems with it, however, recently I’ve grown annoyed with the loud, clicky sound of blue switches.
Can I swap them for something else?
Is it a difficult process?
What utensils do I need?
Also, do you recommend any (affordable) mechanical switches?
I’d like to switch to something creamier.

I’m posting this to share my experience with GravaStar because, at this point, I’m genuinely fed up with the whole situation.
I purchased a GravaStar Mercury V60 Pro Deluxe, expecting a premium keyboard given its price and how heavily it’s marketed.
Instead, I’ve now had TWO faulty keyboards, and this situation has dragged on for over a month.
First keyboard:
The TAB key would randomly activate without me pressing it.
I tried recalibrating the keyboard to fix the issue.
The calibration settings wouldn’t save properly.
Despite troubleshooting, the problem persisted.
Second keyboard (replacement):
The RGB lighting started flickering.
Certain keys displayed incorrect or inconsistent colours and the same key ghosting issues.
Essentially, another defective product straight out of the replacement process.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that these aren’t cheap keyboards. You’d expect a certain level of quality control, especially when you’re paying a premium.
I’ve already spent far more time than I should have trying to sort this out. Having one defective keyboard is unfortunate, but receiving a second defective keyboard and then spending over a month dealing with the situation is ridiculous.
At this point, I don’t want another replacement. I want my money back.
I’ve now sent GravaStar a formal complaint requesting a full refund, giving them seven days to provide a satisfactory response before I consider escalating the matter through the appropriate UK consumer protection channels, including Trading Standards and my payment provider.
I’m not posting this to attack anyone personally. I’m posting because I think other potential buyers deserve to know what my experience has been like.
The keyboards look fantastic, and that’s part of what attracted me to them in the first place. Unfortunately, appearance means very little when you can’t rely on the product to function correctly.
Has anyone else experienced similar problems with GravaStar keyboards, particularly the Mercury V60 Pro Deluxe?
I’d also be interested to hear whether anyone has successfully obtained a refund from GravaStar after receiving a faulty replacement.
TL;DR: Bought a premium GravaStar Mercury V60 Pro Deluxe. First keyboard had ghost key activations and calibration issues. Replacement arrived with RGB flickering and colour problems. Over a month later, I’m still trying to get the situation resolved and have requested a full refund. Extremely disappointing experience.

I’m curious what most enthusiasts consider the ideal spring weight for linear switches, especially for long typing sessions.

I’m currently looking at Keygeek Y2X switches, available in 32gf, 40gf, 48gf, and 53gf actuation variants, and I’m leaning toward 48gf.

Is there a generally accepted sweet spot for linears, or does it really come down to personal preference?

Also, how much does spring weight actually affect sound? Do lighter or heavier springs tend to produce a deeper, more “thocky” sound versus something sharper and more “clacky”? I know those terms are pretty subjective, but you get the idea.

Curious what weights you’ve settled on after experimenting and whether you noticed any meaningful differences in sound or typing feel.

I'd be looking for a keyboard and mouse set preferable wireless that lights up when you type

I would be using it for work and on my Xbox

I've been into custom keyboards for a while and own a few ATK boards. I work on SuperWEIRD, and we decided to see what its art would look like on a keyboard I'd want on my desk.

We used an Attack Shark X85 model from BlenderKit as the base. The white and mint keys have bits of our game's map on them, with socket eyes on the arrows and the Corruption skull on Esc. The little pig became a keychain.

These are Blender renders. We haven't made a physical keyboard, and there isn't a product planned for sale. I like how the red Esc and spacebar sit against the mint keys, but I'm less sure about where we've placed the map textures. I'd be interested in what you'd change about that layout.

My wooting 80he+ comes today in the mail, I got it in the plastic frost white. I see a lot of people disliking wooting here and it makes me question if I made the right choice, I plan on having this keyboard for the next 5-7 years so I want to make the right decision with my keyboard purchase, I have a 30 day return policy with wooting so I can get a refund and order something else.

Keyboards on my radar besides the 80HE+ are SU75 pro v2, su66max and the iqunix ev63.

I strictly only play competitive FPS Games like cs2, Valorant, cod, battle royals and other first person shooters.

I’m not particularly a fan of having a plastic case with wooting, of course a metal case would be better. I could in theory upgrade my 80he+ to something else more premium but spend another 80-120$.

Sound wise and feel wise, are the other keyboard much better sounding and feeling when playing / typing over the wooting 80he+? A good typing sound is always nice

Performance wise wooting probably is a step behind the Everglides and ev63 on paper but from my knowledge it’s something a human wouldn’t be able to perceive. Has anyone actually noticed the better specs between them, does it even make a difference with counter strafing or in game feel?

Wooting does seem to have solid software in comparison to the other brands and a great warranty / support system which is a bonus.

Not sure what I should do, I’d like to keep my keyboard spending under 260$, I spent about 220$ after taxes for the 80he+.

I’m sure I’d be very happy with the 80he+, I mean it’s literally the most popular keyboard being used currently by pros in cs2 and other games at the moment so they’re doing something right. But of course I want the best for my money, would like opinions! Thanks

A community-discovered workaround using the local SteelSeries GG Engine API

The problem

I lost the 2.4 GHz USB dongle for my SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless keyboard.

Unfortunately, SteelSeries GG wouldn't allow me to update the keyboard's firmware without the dongle.

My keyboard also had serious issues:

• Bluetooth connected for approximately one second, then disconnected and returned to pairing mode.
• The keyboard sometimes failed to respond after starting Windows or reconnecting its USB cable.
• The keyboard's RGB and OLED could be working while the keyboard itself was unresponsive.

SteelSeries support couldn't provide a replacement dongle or an alternative update procedure.

With ChatGPT's help, I investigated the local SteelSeries GG Engine API and successfully updated the keyboard firmware directly over USB.

My firmware before: 3.3.4/2.1.5

My firmware after: 3.24.1/3.24.1

After the update, Bluetooth started working again!

Important warnings

This is an unofficial and undocumented procedure.

• Tested on one SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless keyboard.
• Requires Windows, SteelSeries GG, and a working USB connection.
• Firmware updates can fail and potentially leave the keyboard unusable.
• Do not attempt this during unstable USB connectivity.
• Do not unplug the keyboard, close GG, or restart Windows while an update is active.
• Do not blindly reuse the device IDs or API port shown in this guide.
• Do not use this procedure for other SteelSeries models without verifying their firmware and device identifiers.

This updates the keyboard firmware, not the missing dongle firmware.

Proceed at your own risk.

Step 1 — Prepare the keyboard

1. Install and open SteelSeries GG.
2. Connect the keyboard directly to the PC using a USB cable.
3. Make sure Windows recognizes the keyboard.
4. Keep the keyboard connected throughout the process.
5. Have a spare keyboard available in case the main keyboard stops responding.

In my case, the keyboard was connected in wired mode.

Step 2 — Identify the SteelSeries Engine API port

SteelSeries GG runs a local HTTPS service.

In my installation, the API was available at:

https://127.0.0.1:59516

The port may be different on your computer or after restarting GG.

The following examples use my port. Replace it with the port used by your own Engine instance.

Step 3 — Retrieve connected devices

Open PowerShell and run:

curl.exe -k -s "https://127.0.0.1:59516/devices"

For easier inspection:

$r = curl.exe -k -s "https://127.0.0.1:59516/devices" |
    ConvertFrom-Json

$r.devices | Format-List

Find your keyboard's logical device ID and physical device information.

My keyboard had:

Logical device ID: 243
Keyboard physical product ID: 272111154

The missing wireless dongle had a different product ID:

Dongle physical product ID: 272111152

Do not confuse the keyboard with the dongle.

The logical device ID may change between installations or sessions.

Step 4 — Check the keyboard firmware

SteelSeries Engine exposes a function for querying firmware information.

My successful request was:

curl.exe -k -i --max-time 10 `
  -X POST `
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" `
  -d "{}" `
  "https://127.0.0.1:59516/device/243/physicalDevice/272111154/function/get_fw_version/checkBootloader"

Before updating, my response was:

{"function_data":"3.3.4/2.1.5"}

This confirmed the firmware installed on the keyboard.

Step 5 — Check the available firmware

My installation contained the keyboard firmware files in:

C:\Program Files\SteelSeries\GG\apps\engine\firmware\272111154\

The files included:

firmware-apex-pro-tkl-wireless-nordic-3.24.1.bin
firmware-apex-pro-tkl-wireless-stm-3.24.1.bin
version.json

The keyboard's version.json reported:

{
  "firmware_version": "3.24.1/3.24.1",
  "device_name": "apex_pro_tkl_wireless"
}

Make sure the firmware belongs to your exact device.

Do not rename firmware files or substitute files from another keyboard model.

Step 6 — Save a diagnostic snapshot

Before updating, save the current device information.

$backup = "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\ApexFirmwareBackup"

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backup -Force |
    Out-Null

curl.exe -k -s "https://127.0.0.1:59516/devices" |
    Out-File "$backup\devices-before.json" -Encoding utf8

Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly |
    Where-Object { $_.InstanceId -match "VID_1038" } |
    Format-List * |
    Out-File "$backup\usb-before.txt"

This is a diagnostic backup, not a backup of the firmware itself.

It cannot restore a failed firmware update.

Step 7 — Initiate the firmware update

WARNING: This is the potentially dangerous step.

Do not execute this command until you have confirmed the correct keyboard device ID, physical product ID, available firmware files, and stable USB connection.

This is the request that worked on my keyboard:

curl.exe -k -i --max-time 120 `
  -X PUT `
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" `
  -d "{}" `
  "https://127.0.0.1:59516/device/243/physicalDevice/272111154/firmware"

The Engine responded:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK

{}

HTTP 200 alone does not prove that the firmware update has completed.

It only confirms that the API accepted and responded to the request.

Do not repeat the request just because the firmware version hasn't changed immediately.

Step 8 — Monitor the update

Use this PowerShell command to check the update status:

$r = curl.exe -k -s "https://127.0.0.1:59516/devices" |
    ConvertFrom-Json

$d = $r.devices |
    Where-Object { $_.id -eq 243 }

$p = $d.physical_devices |
    Where-Object { $_.product_id -eq 272111154 }

[PSCustomObject]@{
    Connected        = $d.connected
    Firmware         = $p.firmware.version
    ShouldUpdate     = $p.firmware.should_update
    UpdateInProgress = $p.firmware.update_in_progress
    BootloaderMode   = $p.bootloader_mode
} | Format-List

Initially, my keyboard reported:

Connected        : 1
Firmware         : 3.3.4/2.1.5
ShouldUpdate     : True
UpdateInProgress : True
BootloaderMode   : False

The firmware version remained unchanged for several checks.

Then the keyboard suddenly powered off and turned back on.

Do not immediately unplug or restart a keyboard if this happens during an update.

A temporary disconnect or restart may be part of the firmware update process.

Step 9 — Verify the result

After the keyboard restarted, I checked its status again.

The result was:

Connected        : 1
Firmware         : 3.24.1/3.24.1
ShouldUpdate     : False
UpdateInProgress : False
BootloaderMode   : False

SteelSeries GG also displayed:

APEX PRO TKL WIRELESS
Firmware Version: 3.24.1/3.24.1
Connection: WIRED

The keyboard firmware update had completed successfully.

Step 10 — Test the keyboard

After updating, test:

• All keyboard keys
• OLED display
• RGB lighting
• Wired USB operation
• Bluetooth pairing and connection stability
• Keyboard behavior after a normal Windows restart

In my case, Bluetooth was previously unusable.

Before updating, it would connect briefly, disconnect, and return to pairing mode.

After the firmware update, Bluetooth started working again.

I cannot prove which specific firmware change fixed it, but the improvement happened immediately after updating.

Troubleshooting notes

The API port does not respond

Confirm SteelSeries GG and its Engine process are running. The local port may differ from the one in this guide.

The device ID doesn't match

Find your own device ID using the /devices endpoint. Do not assume 243 is universal.

UpdateInProgress remains True

Do not repeatedly send firmware update requests. Check SteelSeries Engine logs and allow the current operation to finish or report an error.

The keyboard disconnects

Do not immediately disconnect the USB cable or restart Windows. Determine whether the keyboard is temporarily rebooting or entering firmware update mode.

The firmware version hasn't changed

This does not automatically mean the update failed. Verify the current update status and inspect logs before taking further action.

Conclusion

I nearly gave up on my Apex Pro TKL Wireless because I couldn't update it without the missing dongle.

By using SteelSeries GG's local Engine API, I successfully updated the keyboard firmware over USB.

The update also coincided with my previously broken Bluetooth functionality starting to work again.

This procedure is not officially supported, and it has only been tested on my own device.

I'm sharing it because it may help other people facing the same problem.

Hopefully, SteelSeries will eventually provide an official way to update keyboard firmware without requiring a wireless dongle.

My keyboard keeps repeating inputs like 's', 'd', or 'j' without me touching my keyboard.. I turned off rapid trigger and adjusted my actuation point to 3.15mm but it still spams some of the keys. Anyone else have problems like this?

Help please. I just changed the switches and keycaps on my mechanical keyboard and now my CONTROL - ALT - DELETE isn’t working to unlock my computer. My toggle is on WIN and 2.4G like it was before. Just don’t know what else to do. They worked before I switched them out.