Building a Keyboard: Epomaker GK68XS, Akko Keycaps, Gateron Switches

[VSG]

Instead of reviewing someone else's prebuilt keyboard, we today take a look at how hot-swappable switch sockets make it extremely easy to build your own. This particular article covers a 68% form factor keyboard that is put through four uncommon Gateron switches and topped off with a fairly unique set of keycaps!

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[Mescalamba]

Its quite beautiful and I think nice product.

Unfortunately what I need is full fat 100% keyboard or rather make it 110%.

Im currently on TKL and while Im sorta used to it, there are still times I would really want full numpad. Can understand why some ppl want stuff like 68% keyboard, but Im definitely not one of them.

Give me full keyboard with same options as one above and I buy two, just in case.

 

[Caring1]

Unfortunately what I need is full fat 100% keyboard or rather make it 110%.

I'm with you there, small keyboards are a pain to use in my opinion and I want full sized only.

 

[jsteinhauer]

Agree with the above. I won't live without a ten-key. Even for gaming. I often switch the mouse to the left hand and remap to the number pad.

 

[AsRock]

For me failed before i even looked ( 68% form factor keyboard )

 

[VSG]

The main reason these kits tend to be smaller form factors is cost and customization options, which when extrapolated to TKL or full-size can be exhorbitant. There are also many that like the smaller keyboards for other reasons including ergonomics and keeping a neater/smaller desk, but that is more on the customer side of things. The smaller form factors also allow companies to come up with a lot more options to test on the smaller scale, including gasket mounting, different types of stabilizers etc. We have seen some of these trickle over to larger keyboards already, including pre-built keyboards that have hot-swappable switch sockets, which at least allow the user to change the switches over on top of changing keycaps more often than not anyway.

 

[bonehead123]

The main reason these kits tend to be smaller form factors is cost and customization options, which when extrapolated to TKL or full-size can be exhorbitant. There are also many that like the smaller keyboards for other reasons including ergonomics and keeping a neater/smaller desk, but that is more on the customer side of things. The smaller form factors also allow companies to come up with a lot more options to test on the smaller scale, including gasket mounting, different types of stabilizers etc. We have seen some of these trickle over to larger keyboards already, including pre-built keyboards that have hot-swappable switch sockets, which at least allow the user to change the switches over on top of changing keycaps more often than not anyway.

At $160+ for the kit, I would think that a full size version would probably run about $200, which I would think is at the upper range of what most normal people would pay for a KB under normal circumstances, swappable key caps, mechanical, wireless notwithstanding....

But then again, people who feel the need to play around with switching out key caps are probably not considered normal everyday pc users anyways, hahahaha

For me, the only 2 things I see that I would consider nice are that it is wireless/wired/rechargeable, and of course, it has my favorite connector (USB-C) onboard

 

[Chomiq]

The keycaps have "similar" design to Ducky because AKKO is Ducky's brand for Chinese market.

 

[VSG]

The keycaps have "similar" design to Ducky because AKKO is Ducky's brand for Chinese market.

Akko was a partner to use their keycaps on Ducky keyboards for some limited edition releases, it was never Ducky's brand. Akko was also their agent in China to sell these keyboards there. That partnership also ended last year:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1254204091938377728

 

[Chomiq]

Akko was a partner to use their keycaps on Ducky keyboards for some limited edition releases, it was never Ducky's brand. Akko was also their agent in China to sell these keyboards there. That partnership also ended last year:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1254204091938377728

Thx for the heads up. Sounds like they got screwed over.

 

[VSG]

No point in speculating, but either way out of topic here.

 

[AnarchoPrimitiv]

Wish they had showed some of the underneath lighting, isn't that the whole point of a translucent case?

That layout is absolutely perfect for me, I love a small layout so long as it still has the arrow keys for my spreadsheets, anying 65% to TKL is my sweetspot

 

[VSG]

Wish they had showed some of the underneath lighting, isn't that the whole point of a translucent case?

That layout is absolutely perfect for me, I love a small layout so long as it still has the arrow keys for my spreadsheets, anying 65% to TKL is my sweetspot

This wasn't a review of the case or keyboard in itself, so I did not go in detail on the lighting as much here.

 

[Vario]

Its quite beautiful and I think nice product.

Unfortunately what I need is full fat 100% keyboard or rather make it 110%.

Im currently on TKL and while Im sorta used to it, there are still times I would really want full numpad. Can understand why some ppl want stuff like 68% keyboard, but Im definitely not one of them.

Give me full keyboard with same options as one above and I buy two, just in case.

I use Goldtouch GTC-0077 usb ten key pads with my Filco TKL keyboards, these ten keys are extremely inexpensive and have cherry MX brown switches. I have three of them, they were about $15/shipped from eBay. Might be an option for you. Most of the time I don't want a ten key but when I do I have one.

 

[LuckyMenace]

I wish you guys would test latency like they do at Rtings or Battle(non)sense. I can’t find any latency testing for any of the custom keyboard PCBs and most people just say “it doesn’t matter” or “you won’t notice”

True, perhaps, but I would still like to see some hard data because not all keyboards are made equal. This is why we love TPU! For the love of data!

 

[VSG]

I wish you guys would test latency like they do at Rtings or Battle(non)sense. I can’t find any latency testing for any of the custom keyboard PCBs and most people just say “it doesn’t matter” or “you won’t notice”

True, perhaps, but I would still like to see some hard data because not all keyboards are made equal. This is why we love TPU! For the love of data!

I looked into this just this week again, and unfortunately it will cost a lot between the high speed camera and the surface analyzer. I do this in my free time as a hobby, so I am not sure there is much financial incentive to be honest.