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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 2, 2026

Keychron Q65 Max vs Pulsar Xboard QS

Get the Keychron Q65 Max for sound dampening.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron Q65 Max

Sound dampening

Build quality in the top 10% of 65% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • 65% layout. No function row and no numpad.

Get the

Pulsar Xboard QS

Build quality in the top 25% of 80% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • No numpad.

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 Q65 Max

Pulsar Xboard QS

  • Layout size

    65%

    80%

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Mount style

    Gasket Mount

    Plate Mount

  • Sound dampening

    Yes

    No

  • Plate material

    Steel

    Plastic

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron Q65 Max
  • Pulsar Xboard QS
Performance
78
74
Build quality
87
72
Productivity
93
86
Customizability
95
88
Portability
89
60

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Aluminum
  • Knob
  • QMK
  • VIA
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron Q65 Max vs Pulsar Xboard QS specs

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

9 of 27 specs differ

Keychron Q65 Max

Pulsar Xboard QS

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount
Plate Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

65%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
Yes

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

4,000 mAh
Wired only

USB passthrough

No
Yes

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

Steel
Plastic

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

2,420 g
—

Dimensions

34 x 121 x 363 mm
—

Typing angle

7°
—

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2023
2024

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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