Desktop Tribe Balance 103 vs Velocifire Virtual 87
Get the Desktop Tribe Balance 103 for hall effect and the 5,800 mAh battery.
KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.
![[In Stock] Balance 103 Full Sized Wired Mechanical Keyboard](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0549/0262/0278/files/DSC06757.jpg?v=1748337224&width=3840&quality=75)
![[In Stock] Virtual 87 80% Mechanical Barebone Keyboard Kit](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0549/0262/0278/files/10_14bb0130-90bb-4fcc-be2e-c4203e171f93.jpg?v=1756892707&width=3840&quality=75)
Which one should you get?
Get the
Desktop Tribe Balance 103
Hall effect
Build quality in the top 10% of 100% boards under $200.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Get the
Velocifire Virtual 87
Build quality in the top 10% of 80% boards at any price.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No numpad.
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.
Desktop Tribe Balance 103
Velocifire Virtual 87
Layout size
100%
80%
Hall effect (magnetic)
Yes
No
Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing
Connection
Wired, Wireless
Bluetooth, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Battery
5,800 mAh
5,000 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Weight
1,800 g
1,700 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
- Desktop Tribe Balance 103
- Velocifire Virtual 87
- Performance
- 7573
- Build quality
- 8482
- Productivity
- 8277
- Customizability
- 8691
- Portability
- 6370
- Hot-swappable
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Case material: Aluminum
- Mount style: Gasket Mount
- QMK
- VIA
Desktop Tribe Balance 103 vs Velocifire Virtual 87 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
12 of 24 specs differ
Desktop Tribe Balance 103
Velocifire Virtual 87
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
Case material
Plate material
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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.
- Check on Amazon
Amazon
Check price
- Check on Amazon
Amazon
Check price
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Desktop Tribe Balance 103
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Velocifire Virtual 87
Listed on the product, not split by store: ISO.
Not sold on either?
![[In Stock] Qelec.Studio i101 Tri-mode Mechanical Keyboard Kit](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1674/0405/files/DSC04088.jpg?v=1736759467&width=3840&quality=75)
![[In Stock] Space80: Apollo’s Cyber Armor keyboard kit By Gray Studio](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1674/0405/files/1_4d86d13f-7c25-48e7-94cf-6d54f2055385.png?v=1793260456&width=3840&quality=75)
![[In-stock] Lotus80 Mechanical Keyboard Kit Extras](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0109/9182/9049/files/imgi_16_4rLgsd1_f850dc00-d75b-473d-92a6-6d6b42cf2076.webp?v=1753684542&width=3840&quality=75)
Still torn?
Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.