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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

KBDFans Athena 1800 vs Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE

Get the Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE for hall effect and rapid trigger.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

KBDFans Athena 1800

Build quality in the top 15% of 100% boards under $150.

Get the

Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE

Hall effect

Build quality in the top 40% of 98% boards under $200.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

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.

KBDFans Athena 1800

Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE

  • Layout size

    100%

    98%

  • Hall effect (magnetic)

    No

    Yes

    Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing

  • Rapid trigger

    No

    Yes

    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

  • Ergonomics

    Split Backspace

    Standard

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • KBDFans Athena 1800
  • Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE
Performance
68
80
Build quality
78
68
Productivity
68
84
Customizability
82
74
Portability
43
65

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
  • Sound dampening
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

KBDFans Athena 1800 vs Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE specs

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

13 of 25 specs differ

KBDFans Athena 1800

Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Magnetic

Hall effect (magnetic)

No
Yes

Rapid trigger

No
Yes

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Top Mount
—

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Layout

Layout size

100%
98%

Layout standard

ANSI, ISO
ANSI

Ergonomics

Split Backspace
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

LED, LCD
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

Wired only
8,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum, Brass

Plate material

Aluminum, Brass, CarbonFiber, FR4, Polycarbonate, Steel
—

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

3,000 g
1,200 g

Dimensions

—
40 x 138 x 403 mm

Typing angle

9°
—

Backlight

RGB
RGB

Firmware & software

VIAL

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2025
2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.

KBDFans Athena 1800

  • KBDfans

    ISO

    Out of stockShips to you

  • MonacoKeys

    ISO

    Out of stockDoes not ship to you

Keydous NJ98 CP V3 HE

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

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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