Keychron Q1 (Version 2) Review

Verdict

The Keychron Q1 is a unbelievable choice for these desirous to check out the world of customized keyboards. It’s extremely effectively constructed, with maybe the sturdiest chassis I’ve seen on a keyboard in a very long time, whereas the MX Clear switches really feel responsive and are a few of the greatest for typing on the market. Issues can get fairly costly with switches like these although, so it’s actually an choice for lovers and people with cash to spend.

Introduction

Constructing your personal customized keyboard is changing into more and more widespread, and up to date years have seen loads of producers offering an increasing number of customisation choices to permit clients to scratch that itch.

Enter the Keychron Q1 (Model 2), an choice from one of many extra established customized producers that brings with it a sturdy CNC’d aluminium body alongside PBT keycaps, a hotswappable PCB and handy technique of customisation.

As a barebones package, the Q1 will run you £149/$169, though you should purchase it absolutely assembled for $179 in case you don’t wish to customise it.

Design

• Thick aluminium case
• Intuitive format
• Loads of configuration

Earlier than leaping into design correct, it’s price mentioning that this can be a customized Keychron Q1 and never the absolutely assembled package. With the customized one, you get to decide on your keys witches and keycaps, the latter of which is able to decide no less than a part of its appears to be like.

For my configuration, I went for some Mac-inspired keycaps that makes the Q1 appear to be it’s an older Apple Prolonged Keyboard that was an odd on for the Macintosh II and SE from 1987 to 1990. This offers the Q1 a sure retro aesthetic that appears glorious, and contemplating these keycaps are made utilizing dye-sublimated PBT plastic, in addition they really feel extremely sturdy.

No matter which keycaps you go for, the body of the Q1 stays the identical. It’s comprised of a CNC’d 6063 aluminium chassis that brings with it some ludicrous heft and a weight to it that appears to be unmatched for its smaller stature, no less than from OEM boards, that’s. 

There’s no deck flex both, given the sheer thickness of the aluminium case, though given this can be a gasket mount keyboard, there’s a small quantity of bounce to the keypresses. There are alternatives so as to add a metallic plate to the board in case you so want, which may present much more structural rigidity.

This can be a smaller footprint keyboard too, with a 75% format that brings with it a TKL-style composition, though with a squished nav-cluster in order that it solely occupies one column. Usually talking, 65% and 75% keyboards have all the time been my most well-liked layouts, given the desk area you save, and also you don’t are likely to lose a lot in the way in which of performance, other than the quantity pad.

Around the again, the interface is sweet and easy, with a USB-C port for connectivity (the cable right here is an plane model coiled providing that appears really good) and a Home windows/Mac selector change, given this keyboard works on each platforms. 

Efficiency

• MX Clears work a deal with for day-to-day work
• Hotswappable PCB means switches will be modified simply
• Home windows & Mac compatibility may be very helpful

With regards to change choice for a barebones package, the world is actually your oyster. As this can be a hotswappable PCB, no soldering is required, and you’ll chuck in any MX-style switches with both 3 or 5 pins on the underside.

The method for doing so is just to take a change and push down flippantly till it clicks into place, though it is going to be price shopping for a number of extras if you bend the pins and you’ll’t push them again into form.

In the event you purchase the Keychron Q1 from Keychron instantly, you will have the selection to make use of a spread of Gateron G Professional switches, though for mine, I made a decision to seek out some Cherry MX Clears.

For these unaware, MX Clears are a heavier model of MX Browns, with 65g of pressure wanted to actuate, versus the Brown’s barely lighter 55cN. They provide extra pronounced tactility, with extra of a pronounced bump that makes them the proper selection for typists. 

In day-to-day use, the Q1 completely shone with the Clears inside, offering a responsive keypress with a satisfying bump to them, too. They’re in all probability a bit of on the heavy facet for gaming, though there isn’t something stopping you from attempting. With a disclosed polling price of 1000Hz, then the Q1 might be responsive sufficient for gaming with some lighter switches inside. 

The very fact you possibly can change between MacOS and Home windows use on the fly with the bundled change spherical again, proved particularly helpful contemplating I’m somebody who works on a MacBook and video games on a Home windows PC. And as quickly as you modify the mode, all of the related capabilities are current and able to go.

Software program and lighting

• Vivid RGB lighting (with the proper switches)
• VIA software program is severely succesful

With regards to lighting, the Keychron Q1 comes with some RGB, because of south-facing RGB LEDs put in beneath the bottom plate, and it really works like a deal with with the proper switches put in.

Sadly, with the very fact these MX Clears have black housings, it turns into practically not possible for the RGB to shine by, however the lighting is there and it usually appears to be like fairly good, even when there isn’t a lot in the way in which of customisation within the bundled VIA software program.

VIA is a really highly effective piece of keyboard customisation software program, even when its menus counsel in any other case, with a simplistic look to it. There’s the choice to program 4 separate operate layers, in addition to remapping capabilities instantly onto keys.

You may as well program macros and fiddle with a set of presets for lighting too. It’s a really practical little bit of package and does all of what most individuals will want. And regardless that it won’t look as big-budget as suites from the likes of Razer and Corsair, VIA positively will get the job completed.

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