It was only some months in the past that we reviewed Keychron’s first Alice-style keyboard with the Keychron Q8. The firm is again once more with a unique tackle that format, this time designed round productiveness and gaming. While a lot is similar, this new model comes with a refined format that provides extra programmable buttons to make you extra environment friendly than ever earlier than — whether or not that’s with spreadsheets or your new rotation in Dragonflight.
Specifications
- Current Price:
- Body Material: Full CNC machined aluminum
- Plate Material: Steel
- Polling Rate: 1000 Hz
- Keycaps (Fully Assembled Version): Double-shot PBT keycaps, not shine-through, OSA Profile (OEM top, SA form)
- MCU: Ultra-low-power ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32L432 (128KB Flash)
- Switches: Gateron G Pro (Fully Assembled Version)
- Backlight: South-facing RGB LED
- Switch Support: Hot-swappable (5 pin & 3 pin)
- Stabs: Screw-in PCB stabs
- Connectivity: Type-C
- Cable: Type-C cable + Type-A to Type-C adapter
- Dimensions
- Width: 156.9 mm
- Length: 385.3 mm
- Front Height: 19.8 mm (with out keycaps)
- Back Height: 33.4 mm (with out keycaps)
- Feet Height: 2.7 mm
- Angle: 5°
- Weight: 2460 g ± 10 g (Fully Assembled Version
Keychron Q10 – What Is It?
The Keychron Q10 the most recent entry within the firm’s line of reasonably priced customized keyboards. It’s an expanded model of the Keychron Q8 we reviewed earlier this summer season and in most respects it’s very related. If you haven’t learn that overview, remember to give it a learn as a result of virtually every little thing will apply right here too. They’re each nice keyboards, however for my cash, I’d advocate the Q10 over the the Q8 however provided that you don’t thoughts a bit of additional measurement.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. Like all keyboards in Keychron’s Q-series, the Q10 is a pre-built customized keyboard that’s wealthy in enthusiast-grade options. The most notable of those is its heavy aluminum case. It is instantly spectacular in case you’ve by no means held a customized keyboard earlier than and is an effective instance of an entry-level customized keyboard case performed proper.
Available in black, blue, and grey, there aren’t many frills on the outside, however there aren’t any sharp edges, machining marks, or different apparent blemishes to make it appear something lower than premium towards different keyboards in its value vary. You received’t discover any showy weight on the again however as an alternative a easy backside flanked with eight golden hex screws.
Open the keyboard up and also you’ll discover that it makes use of a gasket mounted design and makes use of a number of layers of froth to ship a delicate, versatile typing expertise. The gasket mount actually permits the keys to shift subtly below your fingers when typing usually. While most repair their inner elements to the case with laborious poles and fasteners, the plate holding the switches is sandwiched between delicate tabs to isolate typing sounds. The result’s a keyboard that gives a typing expertise that’s light on the fingers and is quieter than different mechanical keyboard designs.
Of course, it additionally affords all the staple options of the Q-series line-up: hot-swappable switches, per-key RGB illumination, QMK/VIA firmware programming (no software program required after assigning your keymaps), and screw-in stabilizers. Trying new switches and making the keyboard look, really feel, and sound precisely as you want is as simple as ever. This is a tinkerer’s keyboard and nice for newcomers to the mechanical keyboard pastime.
What makes the Q10 (and Q8) particular is its format. Unlike most different keyboards, it makes use of an ergonomic format referred to as “alice.” This format separates the left and proper sides of the keyboard after which angles the keys. These adjustments help you place your palms in a traditional resting place and keep away from the pressure the might be trigger be intensive typing on a standard format.
Where the Q10 differs from the Q8 is that it affords extra buttons and repositions the quantity knob to the left facet of the keyboard. Both keyboards have the 65-percent format for his or her normal keysets, which means that the perform row is relegated to Fn combos with regular numbers, and each have a number of navigation and enhancing buttons on the righthand facet.
The Q10 simply expands that. There are 4 buttons on the suitable for navigation and enhancing, as an alternative of two to 3, relying on in case you had the knob model of the Q8. The Q10 provides 5 extra programmable macro buttons to the left facet of the keyboard, excellent for assigning macros. That extra house additionally makes room for the quantity knob to come back normal.
The keyboard can also be accessible in totally assembled or barebones variations if you have already got switches and keycaps. I’d extremely advocate anybody buying this keyboard to go for the totally assembled model. It comes along with your alternative of Gateron Pro switches, that are pre-lubed and significantly better than conventional Cherry keyswitches, in addition to doubleshot PBT keycaps. For solely $20 extra, it’s a steal for the switches alone.
Keychron Q10 – Performance
The Keychron Q10 is a really strong keyboard, straight out of the field. With the pre-assembled model, I used to be impressed by how clean the Gateron Pro linear reds have been. There was no spring ping or reverberation by way of the case. It’s a clean, clacky typing expertise even with out doing any mods for your self.
The inventory keycaps are additionally fairly good! Since they’re doubleshot PBT, they’ll by no means shine or fade. The legends are fabricated from a separate piece of bonded plastic, so that you additionally don’t want to fret about them chipping over time. I selected the grey model for this keyboard and like the grey and yellow shade scheme Keychron went with. Each shade has its distinctive colorway, and Keychron additionally sells separate units in case you’d like to search out one thing price efficient however high-quality.
That’s precisely what I did. The inventory keycaps are tremendous, however I’m a fan of Cherry profile. Instead, I used Keychron’s Dolch Blue set and suppose it seems to be nice. For $40, it’s a big set and the standard is excellent.
Typing on the Alice format takes some getting used to, nevertheless it’s a lot simpler to study than many different ergo keyboards that used fastened columns for the keys. Here, the spacing is barely completely different however in case you’re a contact typist on a traditional keyboard, this received’t be an enormous soar.
The extra keys come in useful for work and gaming too. The left-hand macro keys might be something you’d like them to be, from customized macros, to media controls, to nav-buttons that will not be on the left facet. The sky is the restrict. And because of VIA, assigning these remaps is prompt, simply completed, and can work on any pc even with out software program operating within the background.
I discovered myself utilizing them most for knowledge entry and enhancing spreadsheets, however with Dragonflight arising rapidly, they make for a simple solution to hold macros and skills proper by your left hand.
The typing really feel is sort of an identical to the Q8 and that’s a very good factor. There’s a noticeable softness to the typing expertise. If you press down, you possibly can see the entire key set transfer below your fingers. The sound is on the upper pitched, clackier facet, and I’d have liked to listen to a bit extra depth. But, with a very good tape mod, you possibly can carry a little bit of that out whereas additionally including pop to the sound signature.
Overall, it is a very strong follow-up to the Q8 and one other nice entry for Keychron’s Q-series.
Final Thoughts – Should You Buy the Keychron Q10?
If you’ve been on the lookout for an ergonomic keyboard, the Keychron Q10 a strong choice. In truth, for an all-aluminum Alice, it’s probably the greatest offers you will discover in the present day. What’s fascinating right here is that it actually doesn’t go away a lot purpose to purchase the unique Q8, except you actually crave the additional couple inches of desk house. But whereas the footprint is bigger, the extra six buttons make an enormous distinction in its performance and make this a serious contender for an Alice on a price range.
The product described on this article was offered by the producer for analysis functions.
