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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 13, 2026

Gateron iG 98 vs Keychron V4 Max

Get the Keychron V4 Max for qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Gateron iG 98

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

Rules this board out

  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

Get the

Keychron V4 Max

QMK

Build quality in the top 10% of 60% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.

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.

Gateron iG 98

Keychron V4 Max

  • Layout size

    98%

    60%

  • Case material

    ABS

    ABS, Plastic

  • Switch options

    Clicky

    Clicky, Linear, Tactile

  • Mount style

    Plate Mount

    Gasket Mount

  • QMK

    No

    Yes

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Gateron iG 98
  • Keychron V4 Max
Performance
78
78
Build quality
53
86
Productivity
73
95
Customizability
74
96
Portability
56
88

What they share

  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Battery: 4,000 mAh
  • Knob
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Gateron iG 98 vs Keychron V4 Max specs

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

13 of 27 specs differ

Gateron iG 98

Keychron V4 Max

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

98%
60%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
Yes

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
No

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

—
1,000 Hz

Battery

4,000 mAh
4,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
ABS, Plastic

Plate material

Plastic, Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate, Steel

Keycaps

ABS
PBT

Weight

—
645 g

Dimensions

—
28 x 123 x 305 mm

Typing angle

6°
4°

Backlight

RGB, north-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

No
Yes

VIA

No
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2024

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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