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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 29, 2026

KBDFans Athena vs Keychron Q1 V2

Get the Keychron Q1 V2 for knob and qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

KBDFans Athena

Build quality in the top 10% of 75% boards under $200.

Get the

Keychron Q1 V2

Knob

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

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.

KBDFans Athena

Keychron Q1 V2

  • Mount style

    Top Mount

    Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • Display

    LCD

    None

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • Weight

    2,200 g

    1,825 g

    Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel

  • QMK

    No

    Yes

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • KBDFans Athena
  • Keychron Q1 V2
Performance
70
72
Build quality
84
89
Productivity
75
98
Customizability
88
98
Portability
63
62

What they share

  • Layout size: 75%
  • Connection: Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Aluminum
  • VIA
  • Sound dampening
See every spec side by side

From real owners

What owners say

Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.

KBDFans Athena

5.0

6 owner reviews

Praise
“amazing keyboard, I have the Athena 1800 in the same color way and it is a top tier keyboard for me. got the 75 to be in the similar style and it made some improvements and is also a amazing board”
MarkVerified buyer· via Divinikey

Keychron Q1 V2

4.9

318 owner reviews

Praise
“Exactly what I wanted. Swapped out the switches for some Gateron Zero degree fully silent switches. Mechanical but almost completely silent, works a dream!”
DanVerified buyer· via Keychron

Full specs

KBDFans Athena vs Keychron Q1 V2 specs

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

13 of 26 specs differ

KBDFans Athena

Keychron Q1 V2

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

75%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

LCD
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

—
1,000 Hz

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

Aluminum, CarbonFiber, FR4, Polycarbonate
Steel

Keycaps

—
ABS, PBT

Weight

2,200 g
1,825 g

Dimensions

—
23 x 145 x 328 mm

Typing angle

9°
5°

Backlight

RGB
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

No
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

VIAL

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2022

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.

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