Hexgears X 1 vs Keychron K3 Max
Choose the Hexgears X 1 for its aluminum construction and lighter listed weight, or the Keychron K3 Max for hot-swapping, QMK customization, and 2.4 GHz connectivity.
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Which one should you get?
Get the
Hexgears X 1
Battery
Build quality in the bottom 35% of 80% boards under $100.
- Aluminum case and aluminum plate.
- Listed weight of 510 g.
- Bluetooth, wired, and wireless connectivity, with vendor-described memory for four Bluetooth devices.
- Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
- No numpad.
Get the
Keychron K3 Max
Hot-swappable
Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $100.
- Hot-swappable switch support is listed, along with QMK and VIA support.
- Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, and wired connectivity, with a listed 1000 Hz polling rate for 2.4 GHz and wired modes.
- Low-profile double-shot PBT keycaps are described by Keychron.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
- No numpad.
Pick the Hexgears X 1 if an aluminum case, lower listed weight, and Bluetooth device memory are your priorities. Choose the Keychron K3 Max if you want 2.4 GHz connectivity, QMK/VIA support, and hot-swappable low-profile switches. Check its north-facing LED compatibility rule before buying Cherry-profile keycaps.
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 X 1
Keychron K3 Max
Layout size
80%
75%
Connection
Bluetooth, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Hot-swappable
No
Yes
Switch changes without soldering
Battery
2,400 mAh
1,550 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Case material
Aluminum
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood
- Hexgears X 1
- Keychron K3 Max
- Performance
- 7281
- Build quality
- 5586
- Productivity
- 5994
- Customizability
- 5491
- Portability
- 7077
- Low profile
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Mount style: Plate Mount
What will you mostly use it for?
The K3 Max takes the edge for gaming, office work, programming, modding, and content creation, chiefly through its 2.4 GHz connection and customization features. The X 1 is the more travel-oriented choice based on its lower listed weight and Bluetooth device memory. Both keep a low-profile design and compact layout, but the K3 Max's hot-swap feature applies to low-profile switches rather than standard MX parts.
Pick the Keychron K3 Max
- The K3 Max supports 2.4 GHz and wired connectivity with a listed 1000 Hz polling rate in those modes.
- It supports N-key rollover in both wireless and wired modes.
- The X 1 offers NKRO over USB-C, while its vendor description lists 6KRO over Bluetooth.
Hexgears X 1 vs Keychron K3 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
14 of 27 specs differ
Hexgears X 1
Keychron K3 Max
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Low profile
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Hexgears X 1
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron K3 Max
Input Gear
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW
In stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
Hexgears X 1 vs Keychron K3 Max: your questions
The K3 Max is listed as hot-swappable, and Keychron describes switch changes without soldering. Its vendor description limits compatible switches to low-profile Gateron or Keychron mechanical switches.
The Hexgears X 1 has soldered switches, so changing them requires soldering. Its vendor description identifies Kailh Choc low-profile switch options.
Neither keyboard supports standard MX keycaps according to its compatibility details. Both require low-profile keycaps.
The Keychron K3 Max supports 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and wired connections. The Hexgears X 1 is listed with Bluetooth, wired, and wireless connectivity, but 2.4 GHz is not specified for it.
The Hexgears X 1 is listed at 510 g, while the K3 Max is listed at 580 g in the product metadata. On those listed weights, the X 1 is lighter.
Yes, QMK and VIA support are listed for the K3 Max. Keychron also describes using its Launcher web app for key remapping and macros.
The Hexgears X 1 vendor description lists neither QMK nor VIA compatibility. It does list USB-C, Bluetooth, RGB lighting, and multimedia keys.
The K3 Max has north-facing LEDs, and its compatibility details warn that Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing. Low-profile keycaps are required.
The K3 Max is offered in several ISO variants, including ISO-UK, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, and ISO-SW. The Hexgears X 1 is listed as ANSI only.
The Hexgears X 1 vendor description says it has memory for four Bluetooth devices. Keychron describes the K3 Max as connecting to up to three devices over Bluetooth.
Keychron describes per-key RGB customization for the K3 Max, along with multiple RGB backlight settings. The product listing also includes RGB and white backlight variants.
Neither keyboard has a numpad according to its compatibility details. The K3 Max is a 75% layout, and the Hexgears X 1 is listed as an 80% layout.
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