Evaluation of Dareu A98 Qingqing Edition Three-mode Mechanical Keyboard: The Youth Edition also has high cost performance

It has been more than two years since Dareu A98 series mechanical keyboards were launched. A variety of different configuration schemes and rich price ranges also allow consumers with different budgets to choose keyboard products that are more suitable for them. With the continuous involution of the mechanical keyboard industry, the Gasket structure, three-mode connection, and hot-swappable solutions have become the mainstream configuration solutions for current keyboards, and the prices have repeatedly hit new lows. Dareu has also recently launched the A98 Qingqing version of the three-mode mechanical keyboard with a more affordable price, which continues the mainstream configuration scheme, and has also optimized the shaft scheme and internal details. Next, follow the author to take a look.

包装&附件：

Dareu A98 Qingqing version three-mode mechanical keyboard adopts the electroplated silver packaging style. The overall packaging design is simple and intuitive. The left side of the packaging is the brand and model logo, and the broken line pattern on the right side further enhances the sense of hierarchy. The appearance is still highly recognizable. of. In terms of accessories, keyboard dust cover, USB Type-C data cable, key puller and manual are provided, continuing the simple and practical collocation concept.

外观&细节：

Dareu A98 Qingqing version three-mode mechanical keyboard continues the design scheme of the A98 standard version, adopts a 98-like layout, provides a complete input area, number area and direction key area, and retains most of the function keys to ensure that users can get Complete typing experience. The body size is about 388mm×139mm×37mm. The moderate body size can also reduce the occupation of desktop space, which is very user-friendly. Compared with the A98 Standard Edition, the A98 Youth Edition has canceled the power digital display screen in the upper left corner, which makes the body look more consistent and can also improve battery life to a certain extent. I personally think it is very worthwhile. The A98 Youth Edition currently provides three color schemes. The author got this one for tiramisu. The milky white body is embellished with some brown and yellow keycaps. It also has a good look and feel. It matches the moderate length of the body. The overall appearance is more outstanding.

The details of the fuselage also continue the design style of the A98 series. Four status indicators are provided on the left side of the number keypad, corresponding to the number keypad status, capitalization status, wireless connection status, and battery status. On the left is the iconic toggle switch of the A98 series keyboard, which supports switching among three connection schemes. On the right is the wireless receiver and storage compartment, so that users do not have to worry about losing the receiver when storing the keyboard.

The bottom of the keyboard provides a central USB Type-C interface and a three-way outlet, which is convenient for users to arrange wiring according to the desktop layout and ensure a clean desktop. The left and right positions provide two-stage support feet with non-slip rubber pads, which users can adjust according to their personal habits. Three ergonomic inclination schemes allow users to obtain good comfort even after long-term use. The bottom of the fuselage also provides a number of large-area non-slip foot pads, which can improve the stability of the keyboard placement, and will not shift or slide in response to intense operations, further enhancing the user experience.

键帽&轴体：

In terms of switch configuration, the A98 Youth Edition provides two new switch bodies, the Dream Switch and the Firefly Switch, which respectively adopt linear feel and segmental feel schemes, which are convenient for users to choose freely according to their personal preferences. The firefly switch adopts a fully transparent upper cover scheme, presumably the non-transparent solution of the Mengyu switch has slightly better lighting performance. The trigger force of the Mengyu switch is 40gf, the trigger force of the Firefly switch is 45gf, and the bottoming force is 55gf. They have the same total travel of 4mm and a lifespan of 50 million clicks. Both shafts adopt the fence-type shaft center scheme, and with factory pre-lubrication, it can also bring a stable and smooth pressing feel. The author's keyboard is equipped with a dream switch, which feels light and linear, smooth and stable to press, soft to the bottom, and relatively easy to rebound. The large key position adopts the satellite axis scheme, which feels relatively crisp and neat, and the shaking and abnormal noise are well controlled, and the adjustment is still very good.

The A98 Youth Edition also supports the hot-swappable solution of the full-key axis, and is compatible with mainstream tripod and pentapod axes. Users can freely replace the axis according to their personal preferences. The playability and practicability are still very high. The fuselage still adopts the Gasket structure scheme, and the positioning plate adopts a 1.5mm thick PC material positioning plate, which has acceptable flexibility and proper deformation control, which can bring users a softer and elastic pressing experience. Rich soft silicone sleeves are also added to the corners of the positioning board to further enhance the soft-elastic feel. With the EDPM rubber sandwich pad in the middle, it reduces knocking noise and makes the soft-elastic feel feedback more consistent. For user input experience There is still a small improvement. A custom silicone bottom pad is also added to the bottom of the keyboard to reduce cavity sound, filter knocking noise, and make the knocking sound more clean and thorough. However, the softness of the Gasket solution of the A98 Youth Edition is tougher than that of the A98 standard version or Pro version. Users who require a higher degree of softness should pay attention to it when purchasing.

The keycaps are matched with a set of customized MDA height-themed ball caps, made of PBT material and two-color injection molding process. The top of the keycaps is indented, which can bring better fit and wrapping feeling. The surface of the keycap has a slight grainy feel, delicate and dry to the touch, and has the characteristics of oil resistance and abrasion resistance. With the two-color injection molding process, there will be no oiling and font wear after long-term use. The durability is still very good. of. The MDA height ball cap adopts an ergonomic ladder design, and the large contact area on the top also makes it easier and more comfortable for users to tap, improving the user experience.

RGB backlight:

Dareu A98 Youth Edition also provides a global RGB backlight, supports multiple lighting effect modes, and brightness and color switching functions. Users can freely adjust according to personal preferences. The lighting playability is relatively good. The keyboard light adjustment function continues Dareu’s existing operation logic, and it is very convenient to quickly switch and adjust through the FN combination key. The author's keyboard adopts the dream switch with poor light transmission and light guide effect and the non-transparent keycap scheme. In addition, the brightness of the keyboard itself is low, and the overall lighting performance is still not ideal. Only in a pure black environment The performance is acceptable. The brightness of the light is low, and the overflow effect of the light can only be seen on the top of some keys, and the dynamic performance is smooth. The lighting scheme still needs to be further improved.

Use test:

Dareu A98 Youth Edition provides three connection methods: 2.4G wireless, wired and Bluetooth. In Bluetooth mode, it supports up to three sets of device information storage. The three different connection methods can better adapt to different usage scenarios, and are also very suitable for multi-device users. friendly. The toggle switch on the left is also convenient and quick to use, allowing users to quickly switch between different connected devices, and the reconnection speed after changing the connection mode or waking up from sleep is also very fast, and the actual experience is still very good. The three connection modes all support the full-key no-reverse solution, so you don’t have to worry about key conflicts and failures under intense operations, and you have an excellent experience in different usage scenarios.

The keyboard has a built-in 4000mAh lithium battery, which can provide 45 days of battery life when the lights are turned off, and about 6 days of battery life when the RGB lights are turned on at the highest brightness, which can still meet the daily needs of users. When the power is low, it will also be prompted by the indicator light. Users can quickly charge the keyboard through the USB Type-C interface, or use it in a wired state. The overall user experience is still good. In addition to adjusting the lighting by combining keys, users can also control multimedia functions, switch input methods, call system search functions, etc. through key combinations, which is more convenient for daily use and can also bring better user experience to users.

Summarize:

The official price of Dareu A98 Qingqing version three-mode mechanical keyboard is 499 yuan. It provides three color schemes and two different shafts to choose from, and also brings a variety of different options for users. Although it is called the youth version, the mainstream three-mode hot-swappable and Gasket structure is not absent, and the adjustment of the shaft body and inner tank filling scheme also makes this keyboard have a certain difference in feel from the A98 standard version and A98 Pro version. , but the lower price and higher independent playability are easier to be accepted by users, and the overall performance is relatively good. At present, this keyboard has been officially released, and interested users may wish to pay attention.

The author declares that there is interest in this article, please respect the author and the content shared, communicate friendly, and make rational decisions~