Epomaker RT100 Pro vs Royal Kludge S98 ES
Get the Epomaker RT100 Pro for its gasket mount, larger battery and convertible TFT screen, or the Royal Kludge S98 ES for USB pass-through and a tactile switch option.
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4.4 (14)4.4 · 14 reviews
from$98at Epomaker
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from$109at Royal Kludge
Which one should you get?
Get the
Epomaker RT100 Pro
Battery
Build quality in the top 45% of 96% boards under $100.
- Gasket mount with a vendor-described five-layer sound-dampening system using PORON, silicone, IXPE and PET.
- Convertible 1.54-inch TFT screen module that can be swapped for four extra keys.
- Dye-sublimated PBT keycaps and a 5000mAh battery.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
Get the
Royal Kludge S98 ES
Build quality in the top 45% of 96% boards under $150.
- Built-in USB pass-through port for connecting another USB device.
- Screw-in stabilizers and a top-mount structure.
- Tactile switch option listed by the vendor.
Choose the Epomaker RT100 Pro for its gasket mount, five-layer dampening, larger battery, PBT keycaps and convertible TFT module. Choose the Royal Kludge S98 ES if USB pass-through, screw-in stabilizers and a tactile switch option matter more. If shine-through keycap legends are important, the RT100 Pro’s south-facing LEDs may be a concern.
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 RT100 Pro
Royal Kludge S98 ES
Battery
5,000 mAh
3,750 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Mount style
Gasket Mount
Top Mount
Display
TFT
LCD
A case display rather than a typing feature
Weight
1,300 g
1,879 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
Keycaps
PBT
ABS
- Epomaker RT100 Pro
- Royal Kludge S98 ES
- Performance
- 7878
- Build quality
- 6869
- Productivity
- 8391
- Customizability
- 7378
- Portability
- 5456
- Layout size: 96%
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Knob
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The RT100 Pro has the clearest edge for gaming, office use and travel, with its stated wired polling and latency, larger battery, silent switch option and lower listed weight. The S98 ES is a practical fit for a desk setup that can use its USB pass-through port and multifunction knob. For modding and content workflows, the RT100 Pro’s swappable display module and layered dampening provide more specific differentiators. Both keyboards support hot-swappable switches, so that shared feature does not decide the comparison.
Pick the Epomaker RT100 Pro
- The RT100 Pro lists a 1000 Hz polling rate and vendor-stated 4 ms wired latency.
- Its vendor-described Sea Salt Silent V2 linear switch is designed for quieter use.
Epomaker RT100 Pro vs Royal Kludge S98 ES specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
10 of 25 specs differ
Epomaker RT100 Pro
Royal Kludge S98 ES
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB passthrough
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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Epomaker RT100 Pro vs Royal Kludge S98 ES: your questions
The RT100 Pro has a gasket mount, dye-sublimated PBT keycaps and a 5000mAh battery. The S98 ES has USB pass-through, screw-in stabilizers and a top-mount structure.
The Epomaker RT100 Pro has a 5000mAh battery. The Royal Kludge S98 ES has a 3750mAh battery.
Yes, Epomaker describes a 1.54-inch TFT screen module that can be swapped for four extra keys. The RT100 Pro metadata also lists a TFT screen.
Yes, the S98 ES includes a USB pass-through port. Its product listing identifies it as USB 2.0.
The RT100 Pro has PBT keycaps, and its vendor describes them as dye-sublimated. The S98 ES is listed with ABS double-shot keycaps.
Both keyboards are listed as hot-swappable. The S98 ES vendor says it supports 3-pin or 5-pin switches, while the RT100 Pro listing confirms hot-swap support.
The Epomaker RT100 Pro weighs 1300g. The Royal Kludge S98 ES weighs 1879g.
The RT100 Pro has a listed silent linear switch option and a vendor-described five-layer sound-dampening system. The S98 ES has two foam layers and vendor-described noise reduction, but its listed switch option is tactile.
Both list Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity as well as wired USB-C. Epomaker also describes the RT100 Pro as supporting up to five paired devices.
Yes, its compatibility note says shine-through legends stay dark with south-facing LEDs, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED. Consider this if illuminated legends or sculpted replacement keycaps are important to you.
The RT100 Pro lists a 1000 Hz polling rate and its vendor gives wired latency as 4 ms. The S98 ES has a top-mount structure described by its vendor as designed for gamers, but its metadata does not list a polling rate.
The S98 ES vendor describes its multifunction knob as controlling volume, connection mode, backlight brightness or speed, and RGB mode and color. The RT100 Pro listing describes a side control knob and a convertible screen module.
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