EPOMAKER EP84 84-Key RGB Hotswap Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with PBT Dye-subbed Keycaps for Mac/Win/Gamers (Gateron Brown Switch, Grey White)

I'm giving this keyboard a 3.5 / 5 starsI've been wanting to try this layout for a while.. or something similar to it with the F keys and dedicated arrow keys. I've seen a few cheaper options, but what sold me was the hotswappable pcb. Also, there being a WHITE color option was very pleasing.The board has a good amount of RGB light options. It has around 17 different brightness levels which is really nice. I really like how one can make the level of brightness barely visible, but also they get very bright and the mounting plate does a good job of reflecting the colors. Same with the speed of the lighting effects. There doesn't seem to be a way to create macros so that is one fault. I would have liked it if it had some software comparable to the Durgod Hades 86 where you can reprogram any key to anything.I would have liked to see this come with a plastic dust protector... even the 45$ Drevo Calibur V2 comes with a pretty nice one. At this price point of 85$, a dust protector should have been included.I think for a pre-made, 84-key, PBT keycaps, and it being hotswappable makes it a pretty good board for $90. However, the wireless version is available for only $5 more which is :thinking:Things I don't like about this keyboard:- access to the USB port is terrible. All of my other USB type C cables are too long to be used with this keyboard. i.g. the amazonbasics usb type c cable will not work with this keyboard. (see photo)- while the plastic case seems sturdy, it seems very cheap at the same time.- the case has this micro-bubbly texture that I really dislike. I'd rather it just be a smooth case.- the included gateron blue switches were extremely wobbly.. i swapped them out and replaced them with some box pinks, gateron yellows, and a single box dark yellow. They no longer wobble as much.- the F key row is some-what hard to remove the switches from w/o scratching the metal plate.- many keyboard makers are starting to avoid the stencil font-type which is wonderful.. but this keyboard is still using that ugly stencil font.. I have no idea why this font-type keeps getting used. it's awful.I also have an issue with the spacebar where if you press on it on the far left, the right sides of the spacebar lifts up and the spacebar will no longer work until the right side is depressed again. (see photo)I think for some, the USB port will be a deal-breaker. It's just very limiting to what type of cable you can use.It would have been nice to see a metal body option where the USB port is in a standard spot.All that said, I think if you're looking for a pre-made 84-key hotswappable keyboard, this is the best option I've come across. I'm definitely excited to use this as my main board for a while. And if you're looking for a wireless version, it only costs $5 if you're willing to wait a few months (Keycool KC84 wireless version).

Was introduced to this keyboard through some YouTube channels. So far I'm very happy about this keyboard. My main criteria was to get a hot-swappable keyboard so that I could try out different switches.- The keys seem thick and sturdy and doesn't have a cheap feel.- I purchased the keyboard with Gateron Red switches but I eventually replaced most of my switches with Boba U4 RGB Silent Tactile switches. Although I mostly WFH, there are occasions where I've gone into a co-working space and didn't want to produce too much noise.- When I took the keyboard apart to change the switches I noticed that there was padding between the metal plate and the PCB board itself, this is another reason why this keyboard was already quiet when I got it.- The border of the keyboard was very easy to remove and I didn't have much issue with it.- The only weird thing I noticed here was that there weren't any screws holding the plate to the bottom cover of the keyboard.- The keyboard is very light so it isn't too much of a burden carrying this keyboard around.- It also comes with a helpful pamphlet describing other functions of the keyboard such as media keys, switching between RGB modes, etc.- The lighting on this keyboard is great and has plenty of options.So far I'm happy with this keyboard and would recommend to anyone who's looking for an inexpensive keyboard to try and experiment with.

*KEYCAPS - ILLUMINATED CHARACTER swappable keycaps, (MAC caps included to swap-out defaults) and the default keycaps feel nice to type on. The plastic is firm and textured enough that it is satisfying to type on them. Once you adjust to the smaller size, you can easily adapt to touch-typing with decent speed and accuracy.*SWITCHES -The switches in this keyboard are Optical Gateron switches. I received the model with RED switches and I have to say they feel great. Smooth and just the right resistances without being too loud or "clacky" that they would disturb your mates in the next cubicle, in your workspace, or at a LAN party. MODDER'S NOTE: You can only swap-in other Gateron Optical switches, so be sure of your decision as this will affect your modding options. If you DO decide to mod this board, the included keycap and switch pullers worked just fine and with little difficulty.*STABILIZERS - They are nice, and work perfectly. The space bar moves uniformly if I press the far-left or right sides.*CASE/HOUSING - Solid and sturdy with good weight for an 84-key keyboard. There is a gradient/tilt as well as (2) thickly rubberized flip-out feet to increase the angle if you desire. The board is stable and stays put on the wood, vinyl, slate, and glass surfaces that I tested typing on. NOTE: Weight being a double-edge sword here, great for giving a solid and stable workspace, but adds to travel weight, so consider if you plan to use for LAN events. That said, this keyboard works fine as a "lap-board" if you leave the feet retracted.*USB - The USB is removable, and the included cloth braid sleeved USB-A to C cable was nice quality for this price point. Note, it IS a little stiff, so expect to have kinks held for a time if you are OCD about that kind of thing... The port feels solid and doesn't give the impression that it will fail with reasonable care when plugging/unplugging if this will be a travel board. The only improvement I wished for was strain reliefs for each end's plug instead of just extended "collars".*RGB - No drivers needed! No complaints, with brightness levels, animation speeds, or selection of patterns.FN+ESC=constant light on modeFN+F1=my computerFN+F2=web pageFN+F3=calculatorFN+F4=media playerFN+F5=previous trackFN+F6=next tackFN+F7=pause/playFN+F8=stopFN+F9=muteFN+F10=volume downFN+F11=volume upFN+F12=keyboard lockFN+pause=preset light effects

It seems like a great little package at first and it has rave reviews online, but sadly it's not as great in reality.The good points:+Gateron Yellow switches do feel pretty great to type on, they're quite smooth.+Foam in between the plate and PCB and some very thin foam in the case does help tame noise a bit+It uses Gateron hotswap sockets, which are decent.+Lots of RGB effects if that's what you like.+Removable USB-C cable.+Stabilizers come factory lubed.As for negatives:-Very poor build quality overall, the case is clipped onto the rest of the board and it feels very flimsy and it will annoyingly creak if you apply any kind of pressure to the sides.-EPOMAKER's drivers DO NOT work, and after being ran around in circles by EPOMAKER's support I managed to find that Keycool's new KC84 drivers do work, albeit they are barely usable and in a quite poor state. There is some customizability (programmable, macros, RGB effects), but as stated previously, the drivers are barely usable and a pain to deal with overall.-Thin double shot keycaps that don't feel or sound that good.-The included cable is short and quite cheap feeling.-The USB-C socket and cable routing grooves make most aftermarket USB-C cables incompatible with this keyboard.-RGB flickering whenever the CAPSLOCK key is pressed.-Albeit the stabilizers come factory lubed, the application is quite poor and they will still make some metallic noise. They're plate mounted and fairly loose too.Overall a pretty disappointing keyboard in my opinion, especially at this price point.

I have tried so many keyboards from Amazon and the quality of some of them had a lot to be desired, while this in itself isn't a bad keyboard, it lacks the user friendliness that other keyboards have. You can not create macros, the RGB is very limited, there is no way to control the volume on it! (says you can in apple mode but not Windows) - The Gateron Yellow keys are nice, but still not the best and the layout leaves you missing keys and making mistakes all the time.If you could control the RGB like you can on some of the bigger names, and add macros etc, I think this would be a superb keyboard, but you can not!There are some softwares about and Epomaker suggest one themselves but you need to download unverified programmes which Windows does not like and flash the firmware which voids the warranty, not the best for me.ProsKey stroke and RGB is nice and brightBuilt solidly and does not shift about on the deskSeems high qualityConsNo software supportLayout is fiddly to master

Best keyboard I have ever tested and owned for several key reasons:- Competively priced for high-end;- Perfect layout and configuration;- Excellent PBT keycaps as standard;- USB-C connection in central location;- Smooth Gateron switches (mine brown);- Hotswappable switches (if you need it);- Discreet frame and unbranded outer bezel;- Reassuring weight and perfectly stable base;- Superb backlighting features and customisation;- Warm, even backlighting over the entire keyboard.O-rings further improve the weight and feel of the keys.Do not hesitate, just buy this keyboard. You will not regret it.

The EP84 is a solid, decent spec mechanical keyboard that offers so much value. Straight out of the box it’s an excellent keyboard, feels great to type on and very responsive.I chose the grey black version with Gateron reds although I have since switched these out for Akko Lavender purple switches as I mainly use this board for typing and prefer the tactile switches.In addition to the keyboard there is also a keycap puller, metal switch puller, non-braided usb-c cable (this is a wired only device) and instructions included in the box. This is an ANSI layout keyboard (US) so there will be differences to that of the ISO layout used in the UK.It’s hot swappable meaning you can easily replace the switches with other 3 and 5 pin switch variants to suit your preferred typing feel and the keycaps are removable so you can personalise it later. The stabilisers are pre-lubed, but easy to access if you want to make any adjustments. There’s also a layer of foam between the plate and PCB which helps dampen any pinging from the springs.The RGB can all be controlled from the keyboard using shortcuts and software is also available. Which actually leads to my biggest gripe which is that it’s so difficult to read the legends on the grey keys. It means having to have the backlight on permanently. This is likely less of an issue on the white model.All in all, great value if you’re looking for a good starter mechanical keyboard with everything you need to customise down the line.

I got the black and grey keyboard with Gateron Brown Switches. It's got a very nice tactile feel, fairly quiet keyboard and because it's hotswappable you can have a lot of options for modding- swap the switches, keycaps, add o-rings, lubing, the whole deal!- The build feels fairly sturdy, good weight so it doesn't slide around, it sits flat on my desk.- See-through letters on the keycaps looks really cool with the RGB, however if the RGB is off it's very difficult to see.- RBG looks very aesthetically pleasing, it's not too obnoxious/bright. I personally like having the orange lights, it's nice and doesn't distract.- The stabilisers (as seen in the photo) are PCB-mounted, not sure if screw-on or snap-on but I would guess snap-on. This makes them very stable and they don't rattle much, which makes the keyboard less noisy and much more pleasant, a HUGE plus. Also love that they're a cute white and pink!- The 75% layout works great for me. I thought the arrow keys would feel a bit claustrophobic but I've had no issues with their placement at all, it feels very intuitive. The key labels are a bit different from UK keyboards, however if you've got the muscle memory for where UK keybinds are you won't have an issue (it's mostly for finding the #, £, " and @ symbols that it's different).I'm overall very pleased with this purchase, it's a great keyboard and I hope to use it for many more years to come and mod it to my heart's contempt! Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a customisable pre-built mechanical keyboard.EDIT- After opening up the keyboard, I noticed a few great things about it!1- It's got a layer of foam between the PCB and backplate2- PCB and backplate are screwed together3- Backplate is aluminium! Nice and sturdy.4- There was a nice layer of foam underneath the PCB, inside the case. This makes it sound less hollow. I added a little bit more foam in the case to make it less hollow, but it was a welcome surprise to see some foam there already!5- After lubing the switches and the stabilisers, my keyboard is "thoccy" (as enthusiasts like to say). Very smooth and satisfying, no scratchy pingy sounds although it sounded good before anyway.10/10