GoKawiilIf you're looking for an almost-full-size keyboard with an 8K polling rate at a budget-friendly price point, the V5 Ultra 8K is a solid option.
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Keychron's V5 Ultra 8K is a wireless mechanical 96-percent keyboard with a hot-swappable PCB, a programmable rotary knob, and up to an 8,000 Hz polling rate — plus up to 660 hours of battery life while using that 8,000 Hz polling rate. The battery life is the keyboard's primary selling point, as most keyboards and peripherals with an 8K polling rate have pretty abysmal battery life. The V5 Ultra 8K is available now for $120, which puts it around $40 over the price limit for the best budget mechanical keyboards , though it's still pretty affordable considering its features.
Design and Construction of the V5 Ultra 8K
The V5 Ultra 8K is a hot-swappable wireless mechanical keyboard with a 96-percent layout, which means it has almost all keys — a full function row, arrow keys, a 10-key numberpad, and a row of navigation keys, as well as a programmable rotary knob.
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The numberpad and arrow keys are shifted over so they're right next to the alphanumeric keys, giving the keyboard a much smaller footprint than a typical full-size keyboard. The keyboard measures 15.41 inches (391.5mm) wide by 5.85 inches (148.7mm) deep, and is 1.17 inches (29.6mm) high at the back, not including the keycaps.
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The 10-key numberpad is located next to the alphanumeric keys — it's cramped, though a little less cramped than the layout of the Asus ROG Strix Morph 96 Wireless that we looked at recently. There are three navigation keys above the numberpad (Del, Home, End), as well as a programmable rotary knob in the upper-right corner. The rotary knob is plastic, with a smooth top and textured side, and is notched and clickable.
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