Head to head · Prices checked Nov 7, 2026

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE vs Keychron K3 Max

Get the Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE for hall effect. Get the Keychron K3 Max for hot-swappable.

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Hall effect

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE

Ace Pad Tech APT04 Magnetic HE 60% RGB Double Shot PBT Mechanical Keyboard

No reviews

from$45at MK

Compare 2 stores

Hot-swappable

Keychron K3 Max

4.1 (16)4.1 · 16 reviews

from$89at MK

Compare 6 stores

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE

Hall effect

Build quality in the top 50% of 60% boards under $50.

Rules this board out

Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.

$45 at MK

Get the

Keychron K3 Max

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
No numpad.

$89 at MK

What actually differs

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.

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE

Keychron K3 Max

Layout size
60%
75%
Hall effect (magnetic)
Yes
No
Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing
Connection
Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Hot-swappable
No
Yes
Switch changes without soldering
Low profile
No
Yes

KeebFinder scores

How we score

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE
Keychron K3 Max

Performance: 79
81
Build quality: 60
86
Productivity: 51
94
Customizability: 64
91
Portability: 67
77

What they share

Mount style: Plate Mount

See every spec side by side

Full specs

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE vs Keychron K3 Max specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

16 of 28 specs differ

Spec

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE

Keychron K3 Max

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile

Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hall effect (magnetic)

Yes

Hot-swappable

Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount

Low profile

Yes

Sound dampening

Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes

Layout

Layout size

60%

75%

Layout standard

ANSI

ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK

Ergonomics

Standard

Display

None

Media keys

Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

—

1,000 Hz

Battery

Wired only

1,550 mAh

USB-C

Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Wood

ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood

Plate material

Plastic

Aluminum, Plastic, Polycarbonate

Keycaps

PBT

ABS, PBT

Weight

—

580 g

Dimensions

—

22 x 306 x 116 mm

Typing angle

—

3°, 7°

Backlight

RGB

RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes

VIA

Yes

N-key rollover

Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes

Extras

Released

2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Keychron K3 Max

Input Gear
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW
In stockDoes not ship to you

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE2 stores