Royal Kludge A72 Alice vs C96 HE
Choose the A72 Alice for its Alice layout, gasket mount, hot-swappable conventional switches, and larger battery; choose the C96 HE for its Hall Effect switches with Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation, and numpad.
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Which one should you get?
Get the
Royal Kludge A72 Alice
Hot-swappable
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 65% boards under $100.
- Split, angled Alice layout with a gasket-mounted typing structure.
- Hot-swappable PCB supports the vendor-listed 3-pin and 5-pin switches.
- 7500 mAh battery, five programmable macro keys, and five-layer noise dampening.
- 65% layout. No function row and no numpad.
Get the
Royal Kludge C96 HE
Hall effect
Build quality in the bottom 20% of 96% boards under $100.
- Hall Effect magnetic switches offer adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger.
- 8000 Hz polling rate, with vendor-listed Dynamic Keys, Multi-Tap, Toggle, and SOCD Cleaning.
- 96% layout includes a numpad, and the package includes a magnetic wrist rest.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Get the Royal Kludge A72 Alice for its ergonomic Alice layout, gasket mount, hot-swappable conventional switches, five programmable macro keys, and larger battery. Choose the Royal Kludge C96 HE for Hall Effect switches with Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation, a numpad, and its listed high polling rate. The C96 HE's magnetic-only sockets and south-facing lighting are important constraints if you plan to use standard MX switches or shine-through keycaps.
The differences that matter
Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.
Royal Kludge A72 Alice
Royal Kludge C96 HE
Layout size
65%
96%
Hall effect (magnetic)
No
Yes
Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing
Rapid trigger
No
Yes
Faster resets help in games and not in normal typing
Hot-swappable
Yes
No
Switch changes without soldering
Battery
7,500 mAh
3,750 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
- Royal Kludge A72 Alice
- Royal Kludge C96 HE
- Performance
- 5894
- Build quality
- 6247
- Productivity
- 8377
- Customizability
- 7353
- Portability
- 9451
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Knob
- Sound dampening
- Keycaps: PBT
What will you mostly use it for?
The C96 HE has the clear edge for gaming because its Hall Effect system includes adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger. The A72 Alice better suits buyers who value its ergonomic layout, conventional switch swapping, and larger battery, which also make it the more practical pick for travel. Office and content-creation choices favor the A72 Alice for its Alice design and dedicated macro keys. For programming, the choice depends on whether an Alice layout and macros or a numpad matters more.
Pick the Royal Kludge C96 HE
- Hall Effect magnetic switches support adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger.
- The C96 HE lists an 8000 Hz polling rate and a 0.125 ms response time.
- Its vendor description also names Dynamic Keys, Multi-Tap, Toggle, and SOCD Cleaning.
Royal Kludge A72 Alice vs C96 HE specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
11 of 22 specs differ
Royal Kludge A72 Alice
Royal Kludge C96 HE
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Rapid trigger
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Backlight
Mac & Windows
Released
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Royal Kludge A72 Alice vs C96 HE: your questions
The C96 HE is more specifically equipped for gaming, with Hall Effect magnetic switches, adjustable actuation, Rapid Trigger, and an 8000 Hz polling rate. The A72 Alice instead offers conventional switch choices and a hot-swappable PCB.
Yes. The C96 HE has Hall Effect magnetic switches and Rapid Trigger, with the vendor listing a 0.01 mm step distance. Its web-based driver is described as supporting adjustment of actuation points and Rapid Trigger.
No. The C96 HE uses magnetic switches only, and standard MX switches will not fit its sockets. The A72 Alice is the alternative here if you want a hot-swappable board that the vendor says supports 3-pin and 5-pin switches.
Yes. The A72 Alice has a hot-swappable PCB, and its vendor description says it supports both 3-pin and 5-pin switches. The C96 HE is limited to magnetic switches.
The C96 HE has a numpad in its 96% layout. The A72 Alice is a 65% layout and its compatibility details specify that it has no numpad or function row.
The A72 Alice has a split, angled Alice layout that its vendor describes as promoting a natural typing posture. The C96 HE has a normal layout and includes a magnetic wrist rest, according to its product description.
The A72 Alice has a 7500 mAh battery, while the C96 HE has a 3750 mAh battery. The A72 Alice vendor also lists up to 550 hours with RGB off, but that claim is specific to that board.
The C96 HE's compatibility details warn that shine-through legends stay dark with its south-facing LEDs. They also note that some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
The A72 Alice measures 384 mm wide and uses a 65% layout. The C96 HE is 409 mm wide and uses a compact 96% layout with a numpad.
Both list Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity, as well as wired USB-C. The A72 Alice vendor description names Bluetooth 5.0, while the C96 HE metadata does not specify a Bluetooth version.
The choice depends on your workflow: the A72 Alice has five programmable macro keys and an Alice layout, while the C96 HE includes a numpad for number entry. Both have PBT keycaps and a knob.
The C96 HE product description lists an ergonomic magnetic wrist rest as included. The A72 Alice package list names the keyboard, USB cable, keycap and switch puller, and manual, but not a wrist rest.
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