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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 7, 2026

Jamesdonkey A3 vs Keychron Z5 Ultra

Get the Jamesdonkey A3 for hot-swappable and knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Jamesdonkey A3

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 50% of 75% boards under $100.

Get the

Keychron Z5 Ultra

Build quality in the bottom 10% of 75% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.

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.

Jamesdonkey A3

Keychron Z5 Ultra

  • Hot-swappable

    Yes

    No

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

  • Display

    None

    LED

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • Sound dampening

    Yes

    No

  • Screw-in stabilizers

    Yes

    No

    Easier to tune than the plate-mount stabs you get prebuilt

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Jamesdonkey A3
  • Keychron Z5 Ultra
Performance
61
48
Build quality
66
44
Productivity
91
46
Customizability
85
45
Portability
79
58

What they share

  • Layout size: 75%
  • Mount style: Gasket Mount
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Jamesdonkey A3 vs Keychron Z5 Ultra specs

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

10 of 24 specs differ

Jamesdonkey A3

Keychron Z5 Ultra

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
No

Mount style

Gasket Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

75%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
—

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
LED

Media keys

Yes
No

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
—

Max polling rate

—
8,000 Hz

Battery

3,000 mAh
—

USB-C

Yes
No

Build & materials

Case material

ABS, PBT, Plastic, Polycarbonate
—

Plate material

Polycarbonate
—

Keycaps

PBT
—

Weight

1,000 g
—

Dimensions

40 x 136 x 321 mm
—

Backlight

RGB
None

Firmware & software

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2022
2026

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.

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