Lighting and Performance

The GamaKay LK75 supports N-key rollover USB as well as 2.4 GHz out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. It defaults to 6KRO with Bluetooth as expected. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and seen above are all the functions with dedicated keys on the base layer. This keyboard has 83 keys , outside of the one associated with the volume knob/display, and gives you most of the functionality of a TKL keyboard in a smaller foot print. As usual, R. Win is replaced by the Fn key which is used for the Fn layer itself.


To explain why the Fn key is so important, here is a look at the Fn layer. This is accessible by simply holding the Fn key and we see how the Fn layer has different pre-programmed functions depending on whether you use Windows or macOS. You mostly get some quality of life improvements here with shortcuts to some programs, media playback and volume control, changing the controls layer as seen in the software etc. The Fn key also helps with lighting controls as well as to access the setup menu of the display itself.


Speaking of which, here is a look at the display in action. The screen being round fits nicely in the volume knob and even shows off the volume (or should I say volum? Sigh..) going up or down. The home screen shows the battery level during use and charging, the current connectivity and OS, as well as the day and date. You can set up custom images or GIFs too which work well enough for a novelty factor. More importantly, it can be used to easily change the connection method as well as keyboard lighting outside of the shortcut keys.


Seen above are some of the available lighting effects accessible via both onboard controls and software, with full 16.8 M RGB per-key lighting on offer. The keycaps being opaque do mean there is no backlighting on offer at all, and the LEDs just shine around the keycaps for accent lighting. As such, there's not much point in testing for light bleed here although color fidelity was fairly good here given the LEDs set to white presented an accurate color. The white colors make for a brighter light show than if the keyboard was black but overall I'd say this is not a keyboard for those who want a keyboard with lots of strong RGB lighting, especially as alternative options these days come with clear keycaps or even a clear case for plenty of side and under lighting too.

The screen works great as an indicator in wireless mode as we saw before and thankfully both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth worked without issues. The 2.4 GHz dongle was already paired to the keyboard out of the box and I had no issues getting a similar typing experience with it as wired itself for my needs. Battery life is ~12 hours with the LEDs on in this mode which increases to ~16 hours with Bluetooth. Keep the default sleep settings that turn off the LEDs and then the keyboard after certain periods of inactivity and now you can get the keyboard to last weeks of regular use without the LEDs on. Given the opaque legends here that's mostly what I did outside of deliberately leaving the LEDs on to verify the battery life. Suffice to say that I only had to charge the keyboard twice and I am still on the third use cycle with the LEDs off. The slight amount of space savings over a TKL-size keyboard form factor also has a few inherent ergonomic benefits in that your fingers do not have to travel as much to hit the required keys and you can also have the mouse placed closer to the keyboard so as to have your arms be in line with your shoulder width. Gamers will also benefit from more real estate to move the mouse around, although you should be seriously considering a much smaller keyboard at that point.


While the GamaKay LK75 boasts having seven first-party switches at its disposal, a quick look shows most of them are similar to each other. For example, the GamaKay Pegagus, which is on my review sample, and the GamaKay Griffin are both silent tactile switches with the only difference being the Griffin actuates 0.2 mm sooner. I highly doubt anyone will be able to discern between the two when typing so I am not sure this is the best use of GamaKay's resources. The good news is the Pegasus, and thus also the Griffin if the rated specs are accurate, is a nice switch. The silence comes via a damped bottom housing so you still get the tactile feedback without issue. It's a medium force switch with rated actuation at 2 mm at 45 gf and an earlier tactile bump as with most such switches these days. Total travel is slightly under 4 mm owing to the space taken by the damper but it feels nice to type on—especially in a public environment. The stem and spring being lubed helps as does the tight tolerance in the housing itself.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the GamaKay LK75 keyboard sample at ~95 WPM as it comes out of the box with the GamaKay Pegasus switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. I did bottom out here and it helps test how silent these switches are as well as the effectiveness of the silicone sheet-based damping system too, and it works very well. This is one of the quieter keyboards on the market with these switches and a great choice for a working space. Perhaps if you are making a living off Adobe Photoshop, the keycaps will actually be helpful there too! For many others, the keyboard might feel overly damped or mushy at first but keep at it for a few hours and it will feel normal again. I will also give a shoutout to the stabilizers for not only feeling and sounding good but also being quite consistent across the board.