KeebFinder
Not sure which keyboard to choose? Try the Keyboard Finder now!

Head to head · Prices checked Nov 13, 2026

zFrontier Smurve80 vs Mechboards DC 01

Get the zFrontier Smurve80 for hot-swappable and sound dampening.

KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

zFrontier Smurve80

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the bottom 45% of 80% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
$79 at zFrontier

Get the

Mechboards DC 01

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
Check on Amazon

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.

zFrontier Smurve80

Mechboards DC 01

  • Hot-swappable

    Yes

    No

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Sound dampening

    Yes

    No

  • Backlight

    RGB, south-facing

    None

    RGB for looks and low light rather than speed

  • N-key rollover

    Yes

    No

  • Mac & Windows

    Yes

    No

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • zFrontier Smurve80
  • Mechboards DC 01
Performance
74
44
Build quality
60
53
Productivity
76
41
Customizability
59
49
Portability
85
41
See every spec side by side

Full specs

zFrontier Smurve80 vs Mechboards DC 01 specs

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

7 of 20 specs differ

zFrontier Smurve80

Mechboards DC 01

Typing & switches

Hot-swappable

Yes
No

Mount style

Gasket Mount
—

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

80%
—

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
—

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

8,000 mAh
—

USB-C

Yes
No

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
—

Plate material

Aluminum
—

Keycaps

PBT
—

Weight

1,384 g
—

Dimensions

38 x 387 x 179 mm
—

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
None

Firmware & software

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
No

Extras

Released

2026
2022

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.

zFrontier Smurve802 stores
Mechboards DC 012 stores

Keep exploring

Not sold on either?

Still torn?

Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.

Find my keyboardBrowse all keyboards