Mechanical Keyboard Evaluation Part Five: 98 Equipped with Mechanical Keyboard Recommendations in the Beginning of the School Season, 10 98 Equipped with Keyboard Horizontal Review

This is Tank. I would like to recommend the 98-arrangement keyboard to everyone during the school season, because I personally think that the 98-arrangement keyboard is more suitable for office use. Compared with the 104, it takes up less space and has number keys.

I have 10 mechanical keyboards with 98 configurations in my hand, and I have actually evaluated them. The keyboard recommendation will include detailed evaluations later. Ducaro VN96 and Dharma Shark K7 Pro did not write specific evaluations, so the follow-up is not very detailed. These two keyboards are also worth starting with.

In addition, the photo was taken at my home in Beijing. I moved to Shenzhen at the end of last month. Dareu A98 and Royal Axe Y98 have also been sent. The evaluation has not been completed. After the follow-up evaluation, the details of these four keyboards will also be released. Will update this article.

Compared with the full array of 104/108 keyboards and 87 keyboards, the 98 array reduces the width of the keyboard while retaining the number area on the right. It is suitable for office workers who have small desk space but need the number area on the right.

Regarding the recommendation of keyboards with 98 configurations, I will recommend them in two categories: within 500 yuan and 500-1000 yuan. You can choose according to your budget and needs.

Keyboard parameters:

Reference price: 399 yuan

Arrangement: 98 arrangement with knob

Keycap: PBT two-color injection keycap

Shaft: Jiadalong G tea, G red

Connection method: Three-mode hot-swappable Others: White light

Recommended reason:

The gasket structure is suitable for codeword use, and it is currently the cheapest mass-produced mechanical keyboard with a 98-column gasket structure.

Because the switches used by RS2 and RS6 are the same, I put the switches of the two keyboards together.

The optional switches are Jiadalong’s basic red and brown switches. Unlike before, there is no option for the green version. These two switches are more universal. There is nothing special to say about the switches. The parameters are basic. The same, that is, if you like the linear axis, choose Jiadalong G red, and if you like a slight paragraph feeling and a little sound, choose Jiadalong G tea. They are all lubricated shafts from the factory, and the feel is not bad.

If you need a keyboard for office use, and you don’t mind the appearance and RGB, I suggest that you can close your eyes and get on the car RS2. This is the cheapest gasket structure among mass-produced keyboards, and it is still in 98 configuration. The consistency of the feel is very good. , that is, it takes a few seconds to wake up when the wired connection is switched, and the other is that the appearance of the factory keycaps is so-so.

Reference price: 399 yuan

Arrangement: 98 arrangement with knob

Color: warrior, shimmer, water green

Keycap: PBT two-color injection keycap

Shaft body: TTC colorful shaft

Connection mode: three-mode hot-swappable Other: RGB

Purchase link:

Recommended reason:

If your budget is around 400 yuan, you don’t mind the compact layout of 100 keys, and you want to buy a mechanical keyboard with a good grip and good RGB effects, then I think RK98 is a very cost-effective choice, and the overall adjustment of large keys is also good. There is no serious cavity sound and supports music rhythm. The smoothness of the TTC colorful axis is also good, and it is worth buying.

Keyboard parameters:

Reference price: 449 yuan

Arrangement: 98 arrangement with knob

Keycap: PBT two-color injection keycap

Shaft body: Jiadalong G tea, G red

Color: Luminous, Meiqi

Connection mode: three-mode hot-swappable

Others: RGB lighting transparent shell design

Purchase link:

Recommended reason:

Friends who like transparent shell design can rush, the overall feel is very crisp, and the appearance is also very high. Unlike RS2, the main appearance direction of RS6 is not a gasket structure, and the gap between the upper and lower covers is relatively large, so the cavity sound of this keyboard Slightly serious.

Reference price: 469 yuan

Three-mode 100-key hot-swappable keyboard, supports three-legged and five-legged axes, built-in silicone sandwich pad

PBT two-color injection molding FSA ball cap, the key cap is opaque, supports full-key RGB and music rhythm

The axis body is an optional black and white axis, the Zong axis is the advanced paragraph axis, and the white axis is the paragraph axis of the green axis

Purchase link:

If you are more interested in the ball cap, don't care much about the shaft, and want to buy a three-mode hot-swappable keyboard, the 100-key Mechanic K600 is a good choice at this price.

advantage:

It supports full-key five-pin and three-pin hot-swapping, and there is also a silicone sandwich pad to reduce noise, which is very cost-effective

Transparent shell + FSA ball cap, the overall appearance is very high, and the printing on the key cap is also very clear

Although the overall quality of the shaft body is not as good as that of the domestic Yusanjia, it still feels good in the hand.

Disadvantages:

The 100-key compact arrangement has a cost to get started. This is also mentioned in the previous review of the upstart GM1000.

The ball cap structure makes some small keys easier to shake than other keyboards, but it does not affect the overall use

The rotten chrysanthemum problem of the keycap

The dome cap makes the RGB effect not very obvious, and the LEDs on the upper and lower case are too bright

The wiring port is in the upper right corner. It is better to place it in the upper left corner or on the left side. It is easy to wind up on the right side of the table.

There is no storage slot for the wireless 2.4G receiver, which is easy to lose when using wireless

Reference price: 379 yuan/549 yuan

Three-mode hot-swappable mechanical keyboard, 98 keyboards powered by 2 AA dry batteries, all keys support RGB;

PBT two-color injection-molded keycaps, available in five colors: Liuli, Xiangxue, Baiyu, Baitao, and Ferrari;

The switch body can be selected from Jiadalong G yellow, silver, and white; TTC condenser gold powder, quick silver, and flame red. It is one of the few mass-produced keyboards equipped with flame red.

Purchase link:

Overall, the Jiadalong switch version is very worth buying. The event price is basically 400 yuan. It is the mechanical keyboard that I personally think is the most worth buying at this price. The TTC switch version is also a rare mass-produced keyboard equipped with flame red switches. Gold powder I use the version with a condenser lens, friends who like RGB should not miss it, but the cavity sound is indeed more serious than many keyboards now.

advantage:

98 configuration supports three-mode hot-swap, optional TTC and Jiadalong shaft, high cost performance

Full-key RGB and TTC gold powder with a condenser lens, the light is brighter, and there are 7 different lighting effects

Wood grain design, good texture

Powered by two AAA dry batteries, the longest battery life is 60 days. It is the mechanical keyboard with the longest battery life in mass production.

Mac/Win key support is not bad

There is a wireless 2.4g receiver storage compartment design to prevent loss

4 small caps and 1 long cap are sent out of the factory to support the conversion between 90-98 configurations

shortcoming:

No RGB effect in wireless mode

Although there is a ribbed design, it is still a little hollow sound

Reference price: 699 yuan

Arrangement: 98 arrangement

Color: Mechanical Heart, Cotton Candy, Tranquil Gray, Avocado

Keycaps: FSA height ABS two-color injection molded ball caps

Axis: Kaihua Ice Mint, Deep Sea Mute, Jellyfish Paragraph, Box White/Red/Tea V2

Connection mode: three-mode hot-swappable

Others: RGB, color contrast design

Purchase link:

CMK98 is a good keyboard for entry-level use. The overall configuration + factory-tuned satellite switches are easy to use for novices, but there is no storage compartment for the wireless 2.4G receiver, which is easy to lose when using wireless.

advantage:

The overall appearance is very high, and the configuration is full

Support full-key five-pin and three-pin hot-swappable, use Kaihua Box switch V2 version, you can also choose ice mint, deep sea mute, jellyfish switch

Support Mac and Win system switching

Fu Ling's satellite axis V3 version feels good

Disadvantages:

The keycaps feel slightly rough, and are easier to oil than ordinary PBT keycaps after a long time of use

No wireless 2.4G receiver storage compartment

Reference price: 749 yuan

Arrangement: 98 arrangement with knob

Color: Senyu, Mengxia, Xingwan

Keycaps: MDA height PBT dye-sublimation keycaps

Shaft: Kaihua's latest Cream shaft

Connection mode: three-mode hot-swappable

Purchase link:

advantage:

Sublimation MDA keycaps, the overall appearance is very high,

Support full-key five-pin and three-pin hot-swappable, Poron shaft underpad, sandwich cotton, bottom cotton, Gasket structure makes the code word sound more pure, very suitable for code words

1W mAh large battery is very durable

Equipped with wireless 2.4G receiver storage compartment

Arc treatment around the keycap, anti-cut hands

Disadvantages:

The metal knob is slightly wobbly

The PC positioning board is not as soft as expected

Character printing is relatively thin, it may not be obvious at night

Reference price: 848 yuan

Single-mode hot-swappable mechanical keyboard, 98 keys with volume knob design, all keys support RGB;

PBT two-color injection molded keycaps, available in three colors: black, gray and blue

The shaft body is Jiadalong G Pro shaft body, which is available in red, tea, and green, which is the same as the previous Q3.

Purchase link:

I personally think that it is a keyboard with high playability in the current 98 series. Personally, I think it is better than Q3 in terms of completion, better consistency and basically no resonance problem. It is a 98 gasket that is worth buying. If you have a certain ability to do it yourself, it is recommended to just buy a kit~

advantage:

Aluminum Tuo Tuo looks very good, with knob and no knob design optional, to meet the different needs of different users

98 with a gasket structure, very comfortable to use code words

The ball cap made of PBT material feels good, the full-key RGB effect supports multiple effect switching

The Mac/Win key support is very good, and it is perfectly adapted to the F-zone function keys of the Mac

Support QMK open source key change

shortcoming:

Aluminum Tuo Tuo is heavy and not particularly convenient to carry

There is only a wired single-mode version, wireless is currently not supported due to signal interference issues, Keychron may support wireless in the future

There is no indicator light, when you use it, you may not know whether you are uppercase or lowercase and whether the number area is turned on

Fingerprints are easy to leave on the surface of aluminum lumps

Good looks: cheap ass RS6, Dharma Shark K7 Pro, Fuling CMK98

Good shaft: Heijue ak966, Ducaro VN96, Gaussian HS98T, Ducaro VN96

The only aluminum lump: Keychron Q5

Gasket: Q5, VN96, AK966, cheap ass RS2

High cost performance: RK980, cheap donkey RS2

Dareu A98 and Yufu Y98 haven’t been tested yet, so they haven’t been included. There are also 98 keyboards that I haven’t reviewed, or your favorite 98 keyboards. You can leave a message in the comment area.