Summary and Conclusion

Prices

• The Epomaker GK96S kit is now available by itself owing to popular demand, and starts at $89.99 from the Epomaker webshop.
• The Akko Macaw PBT keycap set in the Cherry profile costs $69.99 from the Epomaker webshop.
• Gateron Ink mechanical switches buck the trend of being more budget friendly and target enthusiasts directly. These are among the most expensive stock switches—a pack of 15 costs $19 for either version from the Epomaker webshop.

This is not a review as much as a retelling of my own experiences of building a keyboard that is more custom than the typical keyboard purchased from a retailer. There are far more customization options once you get on this slippery slope, and if I have the time and resources, I will try to follow up on this series with more such combinations from different brands. At least one more is confirmed, and perhaps two others soon enough if things go as planned.


No matter what you do with your keyboard build, make sure every single switch is working. This is especially important with hot-swappable switches since the metal contacts may be bent if not perfectly inserted into the socket. Simple tools, including those I use for my reviews, will help you test for key rollover and key chatter in addition to key actuation/recognition. For example, I mentioned before how the stock layer on the GK96S has a Menu key on the bottom row rather than R. Ctrl, but the Akko keycap set did not come with a 1u Menu keycap. So I used R.Ctrl and remapped the key to Control using the compatible GK6XPlus software drivers. Again, you need to check on any firmware/programming options for the PCB, with some fully open source, but also relying on power users to have GUIs to share with others not as technical.


If the PCB supports lighting, it is a great and fast way to visually see whether all the contacts are working. It's also fun to see the individual switches light up, at least until you get to where these keycaps support no backlighting at all. The interesting hiccup I had here was that after disconnecting the battery and re-connecting it, the LEDs on the PCB immediately lit up, and I had no way to turn them off outside of removing the physical connection again since there is no dedicated power button, unlike on the newer Epomaker AK84S. As such, I quickly plugged in two switches and used Fn + ~ to turn the board off. You can also see above just how much of the light is retained by the housing, so these switches are not going to be for those prioritizing a bright light show.

At first look, the entire combination may end up more expensive than buying a pre-built keyboard, but one would argue that gaming keyboards are already expensive compared to your bog-standard OEM membrane keyboard. There are functional benefits in going with a more expensive keyboard offering ergonomics and customization for the typing experience. This route is for those interested in the latter by using different switches, including perhaps on the same keyboard with, say, linear switches on WASD and tactile switches everywhere else. But make no mistake: The main reason for doing so is to customize the aesthetics to your preferences, with custom keycaps being the quickest way of going about it. A standalone case/PCB with different materials and color finishes takes one further down the rabbit hole, one others will now perhaps be tempted to head down as well!

In my case, I was quite interested in figuring out exactly what made the Gateron Ink switches so expensive, even more expensive than Cherry MX switches. The Gateron Ink Black switch is also popular in the enthusiast keyboard community despite its cost, but those are also the same folks who go the extra mile more often than not when it comes to keyboard customization. The excellent stock springs used in the Gateron Ink switch series help, but the translucent housing no doubt does even more so. I expect to see people get some of these more for the sound signature, with a deeper sound purely from the switch even before the case/plate/keycaps enter the picture. You should be aware of break-in time and effect with some of these switches, however, as well as the part where I suspect lubing a couple won't net much gain. My personal favorite of the five tested switches is the Ink Silent Black, and the information provided thus far will hopefully be of help to you too.