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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

GDK Lab DK1 vs KBDFans Athena 1800

Get the KBDFans Athena 1800 for hot-swappable.

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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.
  • No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.

Get the

KBDFans Athena 1800

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 15% of 100% boards under $150.

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

KBDFans Athena 1800

  • Layout size

    87%

    100%

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Ergonomics

    Standard

    Split Backspace

  • Case material

    Copper

    Aluminum

  • Display

    None

    LED, LCD

    A case display rather than a typing feature

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • GDK Lab DK1
  • KBDFans Athena 1800
Performance
46
68
Build quality
50
78
Productivity
44
68
Customizability
40
82
Portability
41
43
See every spec side by side

Full specs

GDK Lab DK1 vs KBDFans Athena 1800 specs

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

10 of 18 specs differ

GDK Lab DK1

KBDFans Athena 1800

Typing & switches

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

—
Top Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

87%
100%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI, ISO

Ergonomics

Standard
Split Backspace

Display

None
LED, LCD

Connectivity & battery

Connection

—
Wired

Max polling rate

—
1,000 Hz

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Copper
Aluminum

Plate material

—
Aluminum, Brass, CarbonFiber, FR4, Polycarbonate, Steel

Keycaps

—
PBT

Weight

—
3,000 g

Typing angle

—
9°

Backlight

None
RGB

Firmware & software

VIAL

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2025
2025

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

GDK Lab DK1

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

KBDFans Athena 1800

  • KBDfans

    ISO

    Out of stockShips to you

  • MonacoKeys

    ISO

    Out of stockDoes not ship to you

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

GDK Lab DK12 stores

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