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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 29, 2026

Hexgears Nova vs Keychron K12

Get the Keychron K12 for hot-swappable.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Hexgears Nova

Build quality in the top 50% of 80% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
  • No numpad.

Get the

Keychron K12

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 20% of 60% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
  • 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.

Hexgears Nova

Keychron K12

  • Layout size

    80%

    60%

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Case material

    Aluminum

    ABS, Aluminum, Plastic

  • Switch options

    Clicky, Tactile

    Clicky, Linear, Tactile

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Hexgears Nova
  • Keychron K12
Performance
62
58
Build quality
62
74
Productivity
58
69
Customizability
60
73
Portability
56
90

What they share

  • Keycaps: ABS
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Hexgears Nova vs Keychron K12 specs

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

10 of 18 specs differ

Hexgears Nova

Keychron K12

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount
Plate Mount, Tray Mount

Layout

Layout size

80%
60%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, Wired

Max polling rate

—
1,000 Hz

Battery

Wired only
4,000 mAh

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic

Plate material

Aluminum
Plastic

Keycaps

ABS
ABS

Backlight

RGB
RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2023
2021

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.

Keychron K124 stores

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