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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

Chilkey ND65 CS HE vs Keychron Q16 HE

Get the Keychron Q16 HE for rapid trigger and the 8,000 Hz polling rate.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Chilkey ND65 CS HE

Build quality in the top 15% of 65% boards under $150.

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.

Get the

Keychron Q16 HE

Rapid trigger

Build quality in the top 10% of 65% boards under $200.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.

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.

Chilkey ND65 CS HE

Keychron Q16 HE

  • Rapid trigger

    No

    Yes

    Faster resets help in games and not in normal typing

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Max polling rate

    1,000 Hz

    8,000 Hz

    Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing

  • Case material

    Aluminum

    Ceramic, Metal, Wood

  • Switch options

    Magnetic

    Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Chilkey ND65 CS HE
  • Keychron Q16 HE
Performance
58
94
Build quality
83
87
Productivity
74
84
Customizability
87
91
Portability
74
87

What they share

  • Layout size: 65%
  • Hall effect (magnetic)
  • Hot-swappable
  • QMK
  • VIA
  • Plate material: Aluminum
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Chilkey ND65 CS HE vs Keychron Q16 HE specs

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

13 of 24 specs differ

Chilkey ND65 CS HE

Keychron Q16 HE

Typing & switches

Switch options

Magnetic
Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile

Hall effect (magnetic)

Yes
Yes

Rapid trigger

No
Yes

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

65%
65%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-ES

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
8,000 HzBetter

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Ceramic, Metal, Wood

Plate material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Keycaps

PBT
Ceramic

Weight

—
1,060 g

Dimensions

34 x 336 x 126 mm
22 x 315 x 111 mm

Typing angle

7°
5°

Backlight

None
RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2025

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Chilkey ND65 CS HE

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Keychron Q16 HE

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE, ISO-ES

    In stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-ES

    In stockDoes not ship to you

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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