Keychron V1 Wired Custom Mechanical Keyboard Barebone Version, 75% Layout QMK/VIA Programmable Macro with Hot-swappable Support Compatible with Mac Windows Linux (Frosted Black - Translucent)

I bought this thing a few months ago, and I've been letting it settle into my setup so I could properly write a review. To get to the point; it's fantastic. For one, it was incredibly easy to put together. The gold screws are high quality and seem pretty strip-resistant (thank god they're not Phillips-head)! It was fairly easy to tape-mod (but it will take a little elbow grease) and put in the switches. The smokey-black plastic is a lot nicer looking than the machined metal from the more-expensive version, frankly. Plus, it won't be cold to the touch like metal keyboards often are. It hasn't scratched very much either, not noticeably. Even though I don't use remapping software I'm glad it's easy to setup and use for those who do (I tested it for a bit before removing it). Overall, I'm incredibly happy with this. I got it on sale, but I think it's worth the full price.For the curious, my semi-budget build:Keychron V1. Duh.- Akko CS Lavenders (Lubed) for most of the keys; a few of the modifiers have some Glorious Pandas (un-lubed) from a sample pack.- DROP DCX 9009 keycaps (love the retro look on these).- generic blue painter's tape for the tempest mod. I put two layers.The stabilizers are stock from this board; I don't think you really need to change them out.

No real complaints and am loving the board. Base for my first custom keyboard, was super easy to setup and use, frame is plastic and pretty solid/weighty. Knob feels pretty good IMO worth the extra 10$ for convenience as a volume knob, but you can totally skip it. Just want to let people who bought the board know that the provided USB cable might stop working as a data cable after a few days (only power), no clue why but obviously any old usb data cable will replace it fine. So far so good!

Wow, this thing is great. And not just "for the price"; it is a decent base to make a nice custom board without spending hundreds of $$$. With the steel plate and tray mount, this board is on the stiff side, but a few simple modes can convert it to something almost as good as a premium board.It is not the simplest one to work on, but if you know what you doing, all the modifications will take an hour or so, and the end result will be surprisingly nice.I build this board for a friend who is on a budget, and with keycaps, switches, and all the mods it cost under $150, which is fantastically low for such a keyboard.

Keychron has solidified themselves as a major player in the custom keyboard community. This board like there many other DIY kits is spectacular, it comes with everything you need to build a board on a budget. The build quality is impeccable and the translucent case just gives it a retro feel. This board sounds great out the box but with a few mods Imade it THOCK!

I was looking for a budget 75% keyboard and was recommended this. I did see that other reviews told to take note that the right Shift was a 1.25U and the right control keys were all 1U. This wasn't a big deal personally since I was buying a keycap set to use for this board so I kept those considerations in mind.The sound when typing is very dampened which is nice. I'm using this keyboard with lubed Gateron red switches with cherry profile keycaps, giving the keyboard a nice low sound that's also not too loud.I do also enjoy the fact that there are two sets of feet to give more flexibility in typing angles. The volume knob works as it should right out of the box, no special programming required in my use case.Overall a very decent board for the money.

I love that the barebones option is affordably priced, despite the recent price increase.South facing LEDs are a plus and the build quality is superb. It's not as heavy as other custom boards but there is a bit of heft to it, specifically for the polycarbonate version. I paired these with the Akko Matcha Green switches and I love how they sound and feel.I would note that VIA software with this board is a bit finicky but past that, it works well. Everytime i want to change a setting, I need to re-upload the JSON file for the board to VIA. This isn't a deal breaker for me but rather a very minor inconvenience.Hopefully Keychron can sort out those issues with VIA in the future. Nonetheless I would recommend this board if you're shopping for a 75% board.

I managed to pick one of these up for $45 on prime day, and it turned out to be one of the most function keyboards I own. Having QMK/VIA functionality right out of the box is a godsend as well.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of cheap fully built keyboards that can easily give this one a run for its money, but for anyone wanting to get into the hobby and build and customize their own keyboard while also having the software customization provided by QMK/VIA, this still can't be beat. It's easy to access, comes with decently lubed stabs, and looks pretty good all things considered. It's a fun keyboard to work on and learn with especially if you're getting into the custom keyboard hobby.