Closer Examination

Ah, now I know why white keyboards are still a rarity—they are harder to photograph against the typical white backdrop. Just kidding, the main reason is that it is so much harder to get the same color across batches of the dye, as well as maintain the pristine white color over time. The NIZ Plum x87 comes in different options of USB/Bluetooth connectivity, backlighting, and switch actuation force, and all global SKUs adopt the standard US ANSI tenkeyless (TKL) layout. The main point of confusion is a silent update of the keyboards, which you would be hard pressed to figure out unless you know more about the keycaps and switches, as well as the of RGB lighting on some SKUs, of course. The newer models feature the two-tone keycap set in white and gray, borrowing a retro aesthetic that nicely fits the white case. Indeed, this is as classic a look as you can expect out of a high-end typist keyboard with a modern touch throughout.

Bezels are on the smaller side of average, and the two-piece case results in no floating keycaps here, which combines with the plastic construction to make this one of the lighter keyboards on the market even compared to smaller form factor units. Indicator LEDs are present above the Ins-Pg Dn cluster in the top-right corner, with cutouts for the light to shine through. There is another indicator LED, this time in the top-left corner by the Esc key, for the short throw power button there that makes more sense on the Bluetooth models, but still turns this keyboard off in that there is no activity even if plugged in. The only visible branding in use is the front-facing NIZ Plum writing on the space bar key, and we have a few more front-facing legends on certain keycaps. The rest of the keycap legends are biased towards the top, which includes secondary legends placed alongside the primary ones on the number-key row. Single legends are all larger in size, and the font is quite clean. Needless to say, this keyboard will fit into any work environment well, though you may want to keep snacks/drinks away from it.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle. The plastic case is quite thick and unfortunately has a hollow space between it and the PCB. This accentuates any knock-back sounds reverberating through the keyboard. I am jumping slightly ahead here, but given how quiet the rest of the keyboard is, it would have been nice to see a foam layer between the PCB and case. The other option is to use the keyboard on a desk mat to mitigate this even if there is no reason to move the keyboard around much. There are two sets of feet at the top for additional elevation steps, and they require a lot of force to push back in as a result of the tighter tolerance requirements with the clear plastic material used here. The feet have rubber pads on the bottom to go with the rubber pads on the case, which adds friction against the resting surface while preventing scratches to the case and feet.


We saw the detachable cable on the previous page, and now see that it plugs into a recessed USB Type-C port in the middle of the side facing away from the user, towards the USB source in most cases. The cable is one of the better ones I have seen as far as build quality goes, is the usual 6' long, white to match the keyboard itself, and fits into a USB Type-A port on your computer, where USB 2.0 suffices for power and data alike. Three cable-routing channels cut into the case on the back allow the cable to be routed towards the source and away from other wired peripherals nearby.


As opposed to the average electrocapacitive keyboard, the NIZ Plum x87 uses an OEM (aka Cherry MX style) keycap profile with six sculpted and angled rows as with your average pre-built keyboard. The included keycap puller works great even on the longer keycaps, where you have to go at it in the corners separately, and we see that NIZ has MX-stem compatibility with the keycaps and switches to allow for excellent aftermarket keycap set compatibility on this standard US ANSI layout. The stock keycaps are quite good, made out of thick PBT plastic (average wall thickness 1.38 mm) and with doubleshot injected legends which do no support backlighting on this model. I do not know why, especially as there are models with RGB backlighting, but it may be that those models only support accent lighting through the sides and between the keycaps. The NIZ and Epomaker websites also claim these are laser-engraved keycaps, which I don't think is the case for the ones up top, but likely the case with the front-facing legends.


The NIZ Plum x87 is available with either 35 gf or 45 gf actuation switches, so you need to decide which one to go with. My unit has the former, which is on the lighter side for switches, and the two only differ in the springs used. These indeed have a Cherry MX stem/slider design for the keycap compatibility, similar to what Cooler Master did with the NovaTouch TKL. The top is clear and gives us a look at the blue O-ring on each switch to dampen upstroke noise. The switches still retain the circular housing up top around the stems to allow for better distribution of the downward force applied in travel, which helps minimize wobble. The larger keycaps use costar stabilizers, which can be a pain if you want to remove the keycaps for cleaning or replacement, especially since the stabilizers float freely in recesses. Now the replacement stabilizers included in the packaging make more sense should you lose some. They are also heavily lubed out of the box, and this combination makes for a very satisfying, albeit still somewhat mushy feel in contrast to the rattle with Cherry stabilizers on a metal frame.


The add-on springs are an interesting touch—they mitigate the lighter actuation force of the stock switches somewhat. These go over the switch and do not interfere with the keycaps themselves, but add 10 gf to essentially make for an 45 gf switch. NIZ provides more than enough to outfit the entire TKL keyboard here, which is good since they like to form clusters.