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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 12, 2026

Apos OLKB Preonic vs Neo Neo98

Get the Apos OLKB Preonic for knob. Get the Neo Neo98 for hot-swappable.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Apos OLKB Preonic

Knob

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.

Get the

Neo Neo98

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 25% of 98% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

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.

Apos OLKB Preonic

Neo Neo98

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Ergonomics

    Ortholinear

    Standard

  • Case material

    Acrylic, Aluminum

    Aluminum

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Apos OLKB Preonic
  • Neo Neo98
Performance
61
68
Build quality
68
72
Productivity
56
76
Customizability
74
56
Portability
40
65
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Apos OLKB Preonic vs Neo Neo98 specs

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

13 of 20 specs differ

Apos OLKB Preonic

Neo Neo98

Typing & switches

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

—
Gasket Mount, Top Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

—
98%

Layout standard

Colemak
ANSI

Ergonomics

Ortholinear
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Battery

Wired only
8,000 mAh

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Acrylic, Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

—
Aluminum, Plastic

Keycaps

PBT
ABS, PBT

Typing angle

—
7°

Backlight

RGB
Yes, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

N-key rollover

No
Yes

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2026

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

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Neo Neo983 stores

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