Epomaker HE80 vs Keychron V5 MaxGaming Speed vs Layout Flexibility
Choose the Epomaker HE80 for its ultra-low latency and adjustable hall effect switches for gaming, or the Keychron V5 Max for its full-size layout, wireless connectivity, and deep QMK/VIA customization.
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4.8 (49)4.8 · 49 reviews
from$59at Epomaker
90-day lowLowest price in 90 days
4.8 (5)4.8 · 5 reviews
from$99at MK
Which one should you get?
Get the
Epomaker HE80
Gaming Speed
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 80% boards under $100.
- Ultra-high 8000 Hz polling rate and 0.125ms latency for competitive gaming.
- Hall effect switches with 0.02mm adjustable actuation and rapid trigger functionality.
- Includes four layers of sound dampening: latex sandwich foam, IXPE switch pad, bottom silicone, and bottom foam.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
- No numpad.
Get the
Keychron V5 Max
Layout Flexibility
Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $100.
- Versatile 96% layout retains a numpad in a compact form factor.
- Tri-mode connectivity with 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.1, and wired operation.
- Full QMK and VIA support for extensive, open-source programmability.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Your primary need dictates the choice. For dedicated, competitive gaming where every millisecond counts, the Epomaker HE80's hall effect tuning and high polling rate are compelling. For a versatile daily driver that excels at productivity, offers wireless freedom, and invites deep customization, the Keychron V5 Max is the more flexible and full-featured option.
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.
Epomaker HE80
Keychron V5 Max
Layout size
80%
96%
Hall effect (magnetic)
Yes
No
Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing
Rapid trigger
Yes
No
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
8,000 Hz
1,000 Hz
Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing
- Epomaker HE80
- Keychron V5 Max
- Performance
- 9883
- Build quality
- 6086
- Productivity
- 7697
- Customizability
- 5898
- Portability
- 5853
- Hot-swappable
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The Keychron V5 Max is the more versatile choice, winning in office, programming, modding, and content creation due to its comprehensive layout, wireless options, and superior software support. The Epomaker HE80 takes the lead specifically for gaming, thanks to its high polling rate and adjustable hall effect switches, and for travel due to its smaller size and lack of a battery.
Pick the Epomaker HE80
- Higher 8000 Hz polling rate versus 1000 Hz.
- Adjustable 0.02mm actuation and rapid trigger for competitive play.
- Lower claimed latency of 0.125ms.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Epomaker HE80
49 owner reviews
“Great Linux compatability and perfect for osu!, Geometry Dash, other games, and general work I do throughout the day. Increadible customisation and responsiveness”
“The Epomaker HE80 is a really solid mechanical keyboard for gamers. From my experience the Hall effect magnetic switches makes my gaming experience really smooth and responsive.”
Keychron V5 Max
5 owner reviews
“The keys feel smooth and easy as you type. It's probably the best keyboard I've used. I've had a number of mechanical keyboards, but, none of them can compare to the v5 max. The feel of the thing while typing, is hard to not constantly repeat.”
Epomaker HE80 vs Keychron V5 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
20 of 29 specs differ
Epomaker HE80
Keychron V5 Max
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Rapid trigger
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Epomaker HE80
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron V5 Max
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
Epomaker HE80 vs Keychron V5 Max: your questions
The Epomaker HE80 is designed for competitive FPS gaming. It features an 8000 Hz polling rate, adjustable actuation down to 0.02mm, and rapid trigger functionality, all of which are aimed at minimizing input latency and providing precise control.
Yes, the Keychron V5 Max listing confirms Mac compatibility. It includes a system toggle and an additional set of keycaps specifically for macOS, allowing you to save separate layouts for macOS and Windows systems.
Both keyboards are hot-swappable, but with different compatibilities. The HE80 is hot-swappable with other south-facing magnetic hall effect switches. The V5 Max supports most 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches, offering a much wider selection.
According to Epomaker's technical specifications, the HE80 is listed as compatible with PS4, PS5, and Switch consoles, in addition to Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux.
The Keychron V5 Max has a 4000mAh battery. Keychron states a wireless working time of up to 190 hours with the backlight off, and up to 100 hours with RGB at the lowest brightness, based on lab tests.
The Epomaker HE80 uses Cherry profile keycaps. The Keychron V5 Max uses OSA profile keycaps, which Keychron describes as having OEM height with an SA-like spherical shape.
The Keychron V5 Max offers significantly deeper software customization. It supports the open-source QMK firmware and the VIA configurator, allowing for extensive key remapping, layering, and macro programming. The HE80 uses a proprietary web-based driver.
Yes, both the Epomaker HE80 and the Keychron V5 Max feature south-facing RGB LEDs. This design helps prevent interference with Cherry-profile keycaps and provides better backlighting from the typist's angle.
The Epomaker HE80 comes with the keyboard, a multilingual manual, three extra magnetic switches, three additional PBT keycaps, and a 2-in-1 keycap and switch puller.
Yes, the Keychron V5 Max is offered in a barebone kit version. This kit includes the ABS plastic housing, PCB with screw-in stabilizers, and PC plate, but does not include keycaps or switches.
Both keyboards use a gasket mount design aimed at providing a softer typing feel and reducing acoustic resonance. The V5 Max specifically pairs this with a polycarbonate plate, while the HE80 uses an FR4 plate.
The Epomaker HE80 is more portable. It has a smaller 75% layout, is lighter at 830g compared to 925g, and is wired-only, so there is no battery to manage during transport.
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