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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 7, 2026

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE vs Royal Kludge N80

Get the Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE for hall effect. Get the Royal Kludge N80 for hot-swappable.

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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.
  • Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.

Get the

Royal Kludge N80

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the bottom 45% of 75% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
  • No numpad.

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

Royal Kludge N80

  • 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
  • Royal Kludge N80
Performance
79
65
Build quality
60
62
Productivity
51
82
Customizability
64
72
Portability
67
79
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE vs Royal Kludge N80 specs

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

17 of 25 specs differ

Ace Pad Tech APT04 HE

Royal Kludge N80

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile
Linear, Tactile

Hall effect (magnetic)

Yes
No

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount
Top Mount

Low profile

No
Yes

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

60%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
Yes

Media keys

Yes
No

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Battery

Wired only
3,750 mAh

USB passthrough

No
Yes

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Wood
Plastic

Plate material

Plastic
—

Keycaps

PBT
ABS

Weight

—
1,200 g

Dimensions

—
28 x 330 x 140 mm

Backlight

RGB
RGB

Firmware & software

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2023
2024

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

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