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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

GDK Lab DK1 vs Heavy shell Barix87 Pro

Get the Heavy shell Barix87 Pro for hot-swappable and sound dampening.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

GDK Lab DK1

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.

Get the

Heavy shell Barix87 Pro

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the bottom 40% of 80% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

  • No 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.

GDK Lab DK1

Heavy shell Barix87 Pro

  • Layout size

    87%

    80%

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Case material

    Copper

    Aluminum

  • Sound dampening

    No

    Yes

  • Backlight

    None

    RGB

    RGB for looks and low light rather than speed

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • GDK Lab DK1
  • Heavy shell Barix87 Pro
Performance
46
54
Build quality
50
54
Productivity
44
68
Customizability
40
58
Portability
41
58
See every spec side by side

Full specs

GDK Lab DK1 vs Heavy shell Barix87 Pro specs

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

7 of 14 specs differ

GDK Lab DK1

Heavy shell Barix87 Pro

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Clicky, Linear

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

—
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

87%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

—
Wired

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Copper
Aluminum

Keycaps

—
PBT

Backlight

None
RGB

Extras

Released

2025
2022

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.

GDK Lab DK12 stores

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