"Top equipment" experience brought by Gasket structure: Dareu A98

The most popular keyboard circle in 2021 is the Gasket structure. As a relatively high-cost design method, Gasket-structure keyboards are initially customized, and Dareu’s A98 is the first mass-produced Gasket-structure mechanical keyboard. , It caused quite a stir in the keyboard circle.

Gasket means "gasket". Compared with mechanical keyboards with hull structure, Top structure, Bottom structure, and no steel structure, the biggest difference is that the overall structure of the keyboard has no screws, or the screws are only used to fix the shell. The entire positioning plate is fixed in the middle by extruding the upper and lower shells.

Since there is no screw support inside the keyboard of the Gasket structure, the precise extrusion of the upper and lower covers can provide users with a more uniform feel. Under the function of the gasket, the positioning plate has a small buffer range in the middle of the keyboard shell, and the keyboard is vertical. The directions are all cushioned, giving the user a warm and even feel, which is very suitable for text and software developers to write code.

A98 has a variety of colors and switches to choose from. This time I chose the sky switch V3 version. From the appearance, this is a standard 98 mechanical keyboard. It is almost said that the alt key in the lower right corner has been canceled in order to avoid the appearance patent. This is the 97-key layout we saw.

As a type of linear red switch, the sky switch feels straight up and down, the trigger pressure is 40g, the trigger stroke is 1.8mm, and the total stroke is 4.0mm. Compared with the fatigue caused by long-term use of the traditional red switch, the sky switch is more relaxed.

A brief look at the packing list shows that it is very complete in general. In addition to the key puller and data cable, 8 keycaps are also given as a gift, which is convenient for users to achieve richer keyboard color matching by replacing the keycaps. It also comes with a dust cover, although I personally feel that the design of the dust cover is a bit soft.

A digital display is creatively designed in the upper left corner to display the remaining power of the keyboard. It is very intuitive and friendly for users who are anxious about power. It can be charged on time to avoid the inconvenience of use caused by no power.

The upper left side is designed with a physical switch that can switch between fluctuating modes, and the upper right side is the storage compartment for the 2.4G receiver.

The back adopts a three-way outlet design, which can meet different desktop matching needs, but the type-c interface adopts a fixed wire design.

In terms of foot support, the two-stage foot support can meet the height requirements of different users. When one section of the foot support is opened, the front section of the foot support will be automatically locked and then the five non-slip pads can be placed on the table very stably.

In terms of the axis, the sky axis is really suitable for users who input text for a long time. Whether it is writing code or writing, I personally think it is very suitable. Of course, the most important thing is to find an axis that suits your needs. .

The difference between sky axis V3 and V2 is that there is no fence structure cross axis and fence structure cross Zhouxin. V3 uses a slightly longer gold-plated long spring. In terms of feel, the stability of the axis body of V3 has also been significantly improved. Press straight up and down , The difference between bottoming and rebound feel is not very big.

Of course, compared with the TTC gold powder switch, the sky switch V3 is broken by 2mm in the spring, which is reflected in the difference in the pressing feel. Of course, if it is not used for a long time, few people can actually tell the difference. Both belong to the light switch body.

Good keycaps should meet the needs of feel, appearance and comfort. A98 uses two-color molded PBT keycaps, and the surface has a very fine frosting process, which makes the fingertips feel comfortable after getting started. In terms of color, the closed characters used are clean and tidy, and there is no color overflow.

In terms of the big keys that I care about, the overall stability is good, and the accuracy is in line with expectations, and there will be no left-right shaking and instability.

The Gasket structure is the biggest highlight of the A98. I removed the shaft and found that the double-layer silicone pad, the transparent PC positioning plate, and the sound-absorbing pads distributed around are very good in detail. As far as the entire keyboard is concerned, the entire keyboard is more like a Superimposed thick rubber plates, but light and full of overall toughness.

For users who don't like too many wires on the desktop, wireless connection is a very useful feature, which can maximize the cleanliness of the desktop. Whether it is Bluetooth or 2.4G connection, this keyboard and my computer have always been a very stable match. There is no detailed evaluation of battery life, but it generally meets my needs, and there is no need for frequent charging.

Using the simple software test, the feedback is still very good. It should be noted that F1-F12 are multimedia functions, and the user can conveniently control the multimedia experience on the keyboard.

RGB lighting is also a selling point of A98. For users who like bright desktops, light is the soul of a keyboard, giving a dull desktop a little soul.

The overall performance of the keyboard is still good. At present, the price of this keyboard has dropped to less than 800 yuan, and it will still be very attractive in 2022. Personally, I think the overall performance is remarkable. Of course, there are always details in the details. Room for improvement.

Of course, I personally feel that there is still room for improvement in terms of appearance. For example, more colorful colors can meet the diversified needs of different user groups, and it is also an enrichment of the product line.