KBDFans Athena 1800 vs HEFull-Size Luxury vs 60% Gaming
Choose the Athena 1800 for a premium, full-size typing experience, or the HE for a compact, high-performance gaming tool.
Which one should you get?
Get the
KBDFans Athena 1800
Full-Size Luxury
- Premium aluminum case construction with multiple anodized and e-coating color options.
- Includes a customizable LCD screen with support for animated GIFs.
- Offers extensive customization with multiple plate material options (Aluminum, FR4, Polycarbonate, Carbon Fiber) and cover plate materials (Stainless Steel, Brass, Carbon Fiber).
- Extremely heavy at approximately 3kg, making it difficult to move.
- Large 96% footprint requires significant desk space.
- Higher price point compared to the HE kit.
Get the
KBDFans HE
60% Gaming
- Features a high-performance Hall effect PCB with a specified 8000 Hz polling rate.
- Includes gaming-centric features like rapid trigger, adjustable actuation, and multiple performance modes.
- Very compact 60% layout, described as lightweight and ideal for saving desk space and travel.
- Plastic case construction, which may feel less premium than aluminum.
- The driver software does not support macOS for configuration, requiring initial setup on a PC.
- The vendor notes potential compatibility issues between the PCB and certain case support structures, requiring careful installation.
Your primary need dictates the choice. For a luxurious, full-featured typing centerpiece with unmatched build quality and customization depth, the Athena 1800 is worth the investment. If your focus is competitive gaming performance, desk space savings, or frequent travel, the KBDFans HE delivers specialized features at a more accessible price, albeit with a more utilitarian build.
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
KBDFans HE
Layout size
100%
60%
Hall effect (magnetic)
No
Yes
Rapid trigger
No
Yes
Case material
Aluminum
Plastic
Display
LCD
None
- KBDFans Athena 1800
- KBDFans HE
- Performance
- 6896
- Build quality
- 7967
- Productivity
- 6870
- Customizability
- 8279
- Portability
- 4467
- Connection: Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The Athena 1800 dominates in office, programming, and content creation due to its full-size layout and premium materials. The HE is the clear choice for gaming and travel, leveraging its high-polling-rate PCB and compact form factor. For modding, both offer compelling but different platforms for customization.
Pick the KBDFans HE
- The HE has a specified 8000 Hz polling rate for stable performance.
- It features Hall effect switches with adjustable actuation and rapid trigger support.
- Its 60% layout saves desk space for larger mouse movements.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
KBDFans Athena 1800
7 owner reviews
“This is one built keyboard. Heavy duty and beautiful. Not a scratch on her and worth every penny. I put the Onyx set on her cuz Ima cat person. Love the lil gif window too. 10/10!”
KBDFans HE
No owner reviews collected yet.
KBDFans Athena 1800 vs HE specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
12 of 24 specs differ
KBDFans Athena 1800
KBDFans HE
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Rapid trigger
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Connection
Max polling rate
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Typing angle
Backlight
VIAL
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
Compare prices
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
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KBDFans Athena 1800 vs HE: your questions
The KBDFans HE is better suited for competitive FPS gaming. Its listing specifies an 8000 Hz polling rate, rapid trigger functionality, and Hall effect switches with adjustable actuation points and a 0.1ms response time in Beast Mode, all designed for minimal input latency.
No, the KBDFans Athena 1800 is a wired-only keyboard. The connectivity is listed as wired only, and it uses a USB-C interface.
Yes, but with a caveat. The vendor states the keyboard is compatible with Macs, but the driver software for configuring settings like actuation point does not support macOS. You must configure it on a Windows PC first, after which the settings are stored in the keyboard's onboard memory for use with a Mac.
The Athena 1800 kit is comprehensive. It includes the aluminum top and bottom case, a hot-swap PCB, a choice of plate material, an LCD screen, a silicone gasket set, a foam kit, a stainless steel weight bar, force break tape, screw-in stabilizers, and all necessary screws and accessories for assembly.
The KBDFans HE kit comes with pre-lubed Gateron Magnetic Jade gaming switches. These are Hall effect linear switches with a 3.5mm total travel and a magnetic mechanism that allows for adjustable actuation points via software.
The KBDFans HE is significantly easier to transport. It has a 60% layout, a plastic case, and is marketed as lightweight and ideal for travel. The Athena 1800 is a heavy 96% aluminum keyboard weighing around 3kg, making it a stationary desk fixture.
Yes, the Athena 1800 supports VIAL, which is a graphical front-end for QMK and VIA. The vendor provides firmware files specifically for VIAL, allowing for extensive keymap, macro, and lighting customization without flashing new firmware.
The Athena 1800 has a 9-degree typing angle, as listed in its specifications. This is a fixed angle determined by the case design.
Both keyboards include screw-in stabilizers in their kits, but they are not pre-installed. The Athena 1800 and HE kits require you to install the included Typeplus x YIKB screw-in stabilizers onto the PCB during assembly.
Yes, the Athena 1800's LCD screen supports custom GIFs. The vendor provides a guide, noting it supports 128x128 pixel GIFs and that the firmware remembers the last used GIF when the keyboard is powered on.
The vendor states the HE PCB is compatible with various cases, but includes an important notice. The specific MGlite+ motherboard may have interference with some case support structures, and they provide Teflon tape to prevent damage, indicating compatibility is not universal and requires careful installation.
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