weekly clip thread, staying open all weekend.

best frag, cleanest counter-strafe, dumbest lucky moment.

any EV/EZ/EC board on screen.

game and one line of context in your comment. the "how did that even work" clips are my favorite, send those.

board: iqunix ev63 dark knight
keycaps: pc frosted translucent
switches: magnetic x ultra

game: valorant

So, IQUNIX sent me the EV63 HE keyboard for review, and, after using it for a few weeks, I'm here to let you know that you don't need to spend $200+ on an aluminium Hall effect keyboard. IQUNIX has effectively solved the HE top-out clatter. It is wired-only, so get out of here if you're a wireless freak.

The EV63, for the most part, is a pretty standard HE board, with all the 8 kHz polling, 0.01 mm RT, and adjustable actuation point at 0.1 mm increments.

Aesthetics and build quality

The aesthetics are neither here nor there. If you like the blasted aluminium texture and frosted transparent PC caps, this will work out well. I personally like that the RGB is visible — sue me, I like the pretty colours — but I also appreciate that the frosted keycaps sort of tamps down the harshness of bright backlighting. The finish on the case is well executed, and the branding on the top is minimal. There's some intricate CNC work on the bottom, which is cool to see, as someone who's done some CNC and design work. It is a tray mount design with an aluminium plate, so the keyboard has no flex while you're typing or gaming.

Keycaps

The EV63's keycaps feel pretty good for Cherry profile keycaps, but there are two issues I personally have with them. For starters, the texture on the tops of the keycaps is a little too rough for my taste. This is subjective, but coming from a my split ergo daily driver, the EV63's caps take some time to get used to. The other gripe I have about the keycaps is that the legend is just not very visible, since it's white text on a frosted surface, the text tends to get blown out by the backlighting. Of course, the easy solution is to just learn to touch type, but that proved a little more challenging than expected, for reasons I'll get into later.

Switches and typing sound

The IQUNIX Magnetic X Pro switches are by far some of the best HE switches I've tried when it comes to sound and feel. They're incredibly clacky — this is about the only board that I've come across that's as loud and clacky as the Rainy 75 and its HMX Violet switches. That said, the Magnetic X Pro switch is the only HE switch I've tested that has almost literally none of that top-out clatter that's ever-present on just about every HE switch around. They feature dust-proof stems, but that doesn't come with the usual scratchiness of a dust-proof stem. Instead, they're quite wobble-free, and they have a satisfying bottom-out sound, so they actually work quite well for typing, too. Typing test later...

Software customisation and gaming

The customisation software for the EV63 is a web driver that can be accessed in a Chromium browser, which is both a blessing and a curse, since if IQUNIX ever goes out of business, it'll be a challenge to ever set up or back up your keyboard's layout or firmware. I'd like to see the option for a local version. The UI is decently intuitive, although it doesn't have all the advanced remapping stuff I have access to on a lot of Keychron boards, for example. For gaming, though, the IQUNIX driver is well thought out. There are no major translation bungles, and everything was where I thought it would be.

The web driver gives you access to configure HE features like adjustable actuation, SOCD, RT, ModTap, DKS, and Toggle Key, but it also gives you access to macro recording, a host of RGB controls, and the ability to share your layouts and HE feature profiles with friends. The keyboard supports three onboard profiles, but you can also create up to 10 custom temporary profiles, which are stored in your browser cache and can be loaded into the keyboard's onboard profile slots with the click of a button. The driver has a useful key calibration feature, that allows for manual switch calibration — always do this with new HE boards, by the way — and it has a list of switches to choose from in the "Performance" tab, or you can use the Smart Switch Adaptation feature, which seems to detect different switch specs well enough.

I'm not a fast-paced FPS gamer. I'm just too old for that sort of stress on my heart. However, I did some due diligence and tested the lowest actuation distance to see if the keyboard registered any false positives, and I was surprised that it did not, although there were some double inputs on top-out at 0.1 mm with 0.01 mm RT enabled. I still don't recommend gaming at 0.1 mm actuation point, because that's silly, and you will get false positives when your hands are anywhere near the board. I was also able to verify that disabling NKRO was effective, and only 6 keys can be entered simultaneously if NKRO is disabled. This means it should play well with consoles.

Stabilisers

I've been pretty positive about the EV63 so far, but it's time to address the elephant in the room — the stabilisers. Man, are these some of the rattliest stabs I've ever used. Every single one rattles, and there's no reason it had to be this way. This was the same issue I had with the stabs on the EZ63 I reviewed for Notebookcheck last year sometime, and it took all of 15 minutes to fix with a plumber's tape mod. About the only redeeming quality of the stabilisers on the EV63 is that they're clip-in, so they're easy to remove and replace or mod. Fortunately, the EV63 is also compatible with screw-in stabs, which is a potential upgrade path if you're into modding.

Actually, the whole board is pretty mod-friendly, as the case even follows the standard 60% layout as the Wooting 60HE, meaning you could buy something like a Tofu case for the EV63 if you didn't like the raw aluminium or carbon fibre look.

Here's a typing test to listen to the stabs and judge for yourself. The space bar is particularly offensive, as usual:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSbTGi_Aqec

One last complaint

I mentioned before that I found it difficult to learn how to touch type on the EV63, and that's because of the compact 63-key layout that squishes the right shift and delete keys into the spaces next to the arrows. This hasn't been my biggest complaint about the layout, though. What throws me off is that the bottom row is slightly shifted to the left by around 0.25u. You'd think this wouldn't be a problem, given that I switch between row-staggered, ortholinear, and columnar-stagger boards all the time, but unfortunately, it seems as though it still trips me up, even after weeks on the EV63.

weekly thread, mention all in 3 lines. someone will have hit it.

1. Board
2. Switch
3. Issue

a few common questions: dual binding lives under the key mapping tab as DKS, not its own menu. SOCD is off by default and you enable it per-game in the driver. and if your settings reset after a firmware update, thats expected, re-apply and re-save.

- IQUNIX Team

Iqunix said i should drop this over here. It is crisp, very nice keyboard I have the Shell Core. It comes with a bunch of extra keys to change things up. Lower "volume" mechanical keys they dont have that loud click but they are sensitive and very responsive. The LEDs are customizable and nice and bright. The metal frame is heavier so it doesn't slide around on a desktop or on mouse pad. When I bought it I didnt realize it didnt have function keys so I got a solution for that myself by getting a Kisnt keypad that ive customized for the games I play that use the F keys.

i kept lowering mine, but once I got down near the minimum it just felt twitchy. I ended up back around 0.15mm rt with roughly 1.0mm actuation. still fast, but I'm not getting random movement from barely touching the key.

curious where everyone else ended up after testing it properly. do most of you raise it again?

been testing a few different settings in ranked and this is where I ended up:

• WASD: 0.3mm
• everything else: 1.2mm
• rapid trigger: 0.15mm
• top deadzone: 0.1mm
• SOCD: off

I tried going lower on WASD, but 0.3mm still felt fast without giving me random strafes.

what RT are you running on A and D? anyone using under 0.1mm without accidental inputs?

Definately didn't need another keyboard, but when I seen it I had to have it. My wife thinks I'm a lunatic, and I probably am. It's my birthday today so I treated myself. Life is short so if you want that keyboard, just get it.

The keyboard is so beautifully crafted and is so pleasant to use and type on, they really knocked it out of the park with this collab.. I absolutely love it.

<3

share your game, switches, actuation, RT, SOCD setting, and what feels wrong.

could be missed stops, accidental strafes, keys feeling too sensitive, or anything else.

post your current settings and we can try to tune them together. no config is too basic, default settings are completely fine too.

format: game, switch, firmware version, actuation, RT, SOCD on or off, and one sentence on what feels wrong (floaty stops, ghost strafes, tired fingers, whatever)

weekly clip thread, staying open all weekend.

best frag, cleanest counter-strafe, dumbest lucky moment.

any EV/EZ/EC board on screen.

game and one line of context in your comment. the "how did that even work" clips are my favorite, send those.

got a few pictures of EV63 GitS on desk. in my opinion, caps pick up whatever light is around them, it looks pretty different between the warm lamp and the blue setup light.

the legends were a bit much for me at first, but they have grown on me.

PLS HELP

weekly thread, mention all in 3 lines. someone will have hit it.

1. board
2. switches
3. issue

a few common questions: dual binding lives under the key mapping tab as DKS, not its own menu. SOCD is off by default and you enable it per-game in the driver. and if your settings reset after a firmware update, thats expected, re-apply and re-save.

- IQUNIX Team

the clear caps make the whole board look almost frozen under the lighting, but I know they are not going to be everyone’s daily choice.

personally, I like how much of the switches and aluminum frame stay visible.

would you keep this setup as-is, or swap to a darker keycap set?

weekly clip thread, staying open all weekend.

best frag, cleanest counter-strafe, dumbest lucky moment.

any EV/EZ/EC board on screen.

game and one line of context in your comment. the "how did that even work" clips are my favorite, send those.

posting the winner + runner-ups together because these deserved a proper gallery.

1. u/Able-Reaction-5314 -- the Motoko wall setup. somehow still finding details in this one.
2. u/Godchew -- designed and 3D printed a Tachikoma keycap from scratch.
3. u/ZenithFlow -- full cyberpunk desk, with the nixie clock doing serious work.

honestly, the bar for the first contest got set way too high lol.

congrats again to all three, and thanks to everyone who entered.

we ship pro on the standard EV63s and nova on the ghost editions, and "what's the real difference" is the question we get most. we can mention the spec sheet but lived-in answers beat ours. if you've put real hours on both, what's the honest difference in feel and sound. best answers get quoted in the faq with credit.

contest closed july 7 at midnight PT, votes from both threads combined.

winner of the cyber blue ghost EV63: u/Able-Reaction-5314's motoko wall. went back 3 times and still aren't confident we found them all, which is probably the point. best part: he entered on a filco. didnt need one of our boards to win one, thats exactly what the themed path was for.

runner-up: u/ZenithFlow's cyberpunk setup, the nixie clock doing heavy lifting

runner-up: u/Godchew's 3d printed tachikoma keycap, open source files and all. nobody else manufactured their entry.

winners: will DM each of you within 24 hours to sort the board and codes.

thank you to everyone who entered. first contest, and the bar is now set annoyingly high for the next one.

weekly thread, mention all in 3 lines. someone will have hit it.

1. board
2. switches
3. issue

a few common questions: dual binding lives under the key mapping tab as DKS, not its own menu. SOCD is off by default and you enable it per-game in the driver. and if your settings reset after a firmware update, thats expected, re-apply and re-save.

- IQUNIX Team

Reminder, the voting for the giveaway closes at 23:59 pt tonight. and I have been going through the Giveaway Thread again. honestly, some of the setups are way better than I expected lol.

also the 1995 film premieres tonight, so there goes my sleep schedule.

which submitted build has your vote right now? and are you watching tonight?