Jamesdonkey R3 HE vs RS2 4.0Magnetic or Wireless
Choose the R3 HE for magnetic switches, Rapid Trigger and 8K polling, or the RS2 4.0 for Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless, a numpad and a QMK-based driver.
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Which one should you get?
Get the
Jamesdonkey R3 HE
Hall effect
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 65% boards under $150.
- Hall Effect magnetic switches with Rapid Trigger and adjustable trigger response described by the vendor.
- An 8000 Hz polling rate.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- 65% layout. No function row and no numpad.
Get the
Jamesdonkey RS2 4.0
Build quality in the top 35% of 96% boards under $100.
- Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, plus a listed 4000mAh battery.
- A 96% layout with a numpad, multimedia keys and a volume knob.
- QMK support and a QMK-based web driver described by the vendor.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Get the R3 HE if magnetic Hall Effect switches, Rapid Trigger and 8000 Hz polling are your priorities. Choose the RS2 4.0 if you want Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz wireless, a numpad, multimedia controls and QMK-based customization. Its compact full-size layout keeps the numpad while omitting the gaps of a full-size board.
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 R3 HE
Jamesdonkey RS2 4.0
Layout size
65%
96%
Hall effect (magnetic)
Yes
No
Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing
Rapid trigger
Yes
No
Faster resets help in games and not in normal typing
Connection
Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Switch options
Magnetic
Linear
- Jamesdonkey R3 HE
- Jamesdonkey RS2 4.0
- Performance
- 9157
- Build quality
- 5970
- Productivity
- 5493
- Customizability
- 5782
- Portability
- 6653
- Hot-swappable
- Case material: Aluminum
- Mount style: Gasket Mount
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The R3 HE is the clear fit for gaming features centered on magnetic switches, Rapid Trigger and high polling. The RS2 4.0 is more suited to office work, programming and media tasks where a numpad and dedicated controls matter. Its wireless modes also give it the edge for setups where a cable-free connection is useful. For customization, the RS2 4.0 has the more clearly documented QMK-based driver, while the R3 HE's magnetic switches are a specialized fit rather than standard MX replacements.
Pick the Jamesdonkey R3 HE
- The R3 HE has magnetic Hall Effect switches and Rapid Trigger.
- Its listed polling rate is 8000 Hz, and the vendor describes 0.01 mm Rapid Trigger accuracy.
Jamesdonkey R3 HE vs RS2 4.0 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
15 of 25 specs differ
Jamesdonkey R3 HE
Jamesdonkey RS2 4.0
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Rapid trigger
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Backlight
QMK
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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Jamesdonkey R3 HE vs RS2 4.0: your questions
The R3 HE is the more gaming-focused option, with Hall Effect magnetic switches, Rapid Trigger and a listed 8000 Hz polling rate. The RS2 4.0 uses linear mechanical switches and offers Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz and wired connectivity.
Yes, the R3 HE lists Rapid Trigger as an extra feature. Its vendor description says the feature has 0.01 mm movement accuracy and describes an adjustable trigger response from 0.1 mm to 3.5 mm.
No, the R3 HE is specified for magnetic switches, and standard MX switches will not fit its sockets. The RS2 4.0 is listed as hot-swappable and uses Kailh Ice Cream linear switches according to its vendor description.
Yes, the RS2 4.0 supports Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless as well as wired connectivity. Its specifications also list a 4000mAh battery.
The RS2 4.0 has a numpad in its compact full-size layout. The R3 HE is a 65% keyboard, and its layout does not include a numpad or function row.
The RS2 4.0 lists QMK support. Its vendor describes the web-based driver as QMK-based and says to use that driver in wired mode.
The RS2 4.0 is a practical fit if your programming workflow uses a numpad or dedicated multimedia controls. It has a 96% layout, a volume knob and QMK support.
Yes, the RS2 4.0 lists both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless modes, alongside wired connectivity. The R3 HE is listed as wired only.
The R3 HE uses magnetic Hall Effect switches and supports Rapid Trigger. The RS2 4.0 uses linear Kailh Ice Cream switches, which its vendor describes as having a 1.0 mm trigger stroke and 3.5 mm total travel.
The RS2 4.0 can connect over Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz without a wired connection, and it has a listed 4000mAh battery. Both boards are substantial, with listed weights of 1150 g for the RS2 4.0 and 1112 g for the R3 HE.
Both keyboards list hot-swappable switches. The R3 HE requires magnetic switches, while the RS2 4.0 is described with Kailh Ice Cream linear mechanical switches.
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