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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 28, 2026

Keychron Q12 vs Niz X99

Get the Keychron Q12 for hot-swappable and knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron Q12

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 5% of 96% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
$129 at MK

Get the

Niz X99

Build quality in the bottom 5% of 96% boards under $200.

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
  • No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
$198 at Mechkeys

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.

Keychron Q12

Niz X99

  • Hot-swappable

    Yes

    No

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Ergonomics

    Southpaw

    Standard

  • Case material

    Aluminum

    Plastic

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

  • Weight

    2,491 g

    1,249 g

    Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron Q12
  • Niz X99
Performance
73
40
Build quality
90
38
Productivity
98
49
Customizability
99
40
Portability
46
42

What they share

  • Layout size: 96%
  • Connection: Wired
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron Q12 vs Niz X99 specs

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

14 of 25 specs differ

Keychron Q12

Niz X99

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
No

Mount style

Gasket Mount, Plate Mount
—

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

96%
96%

Layout standard

ANSI, ISO
ANSI

Ergonomics

Southpaw
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
No

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Plastic

Plate material

Steel
—

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

2,491 g
1,249 g

Dimensions

20 x 145 x 409 mm
25 x 135 x 380 mm

Typing angle

5°
—

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
None

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

VIA

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
No

Extras

Released

2023
2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron Q12

  • Keychron

    ISO

    Out of stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO

    Out of stockDoes not ship to you

Niz X99

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.

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.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Keychron Q124 stores
Niz X992 stores

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