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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 12, 2026

Neo Neo98 vs PBTfans Athena 1800

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Neo Neo98

Build quality in the top 25% of 98% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

Get the

PBTfans Athena 1800

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.

Neo Neo98

PBTfans Athena 1800

  • Layout size

    98%

    95%

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Mount style

    Gasket Mount, Top Mount

    Top Mount

  • Display

    None

    LCD

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • Plate material

    Aluminum, Plastic

    Aluminum, Brass, CarbonFiber, FR4, Polycarbonate, Steel

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Neo Neo98
  • PBTfans Athena 1800
Performance
68
68
Build quality
72
75
Productivity
76
69
Customizability
56
74
Portability
65
44

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Aluminum
  • Sound dampening
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Neo Neo98 vs PBTfans Athena 1800 specs

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

12 of 22 specs differ

Neo Neo98

PBTfans Athena 1800

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Clicky

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount, Top Mount
Top Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Layout

Layout size

98%
95%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
LCD

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wired

Battery

8,000 mAh
Wired only

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

Aluminum, Plastic
Aluminum, Brass, CarbonFiber, FR4, Polycarbonate, Steel

Keycaps

ABS, PBT
PBT

Weight

—
2,500 g

Dimensions

—
9 x 1800 x 300 mm

Typing angle

7°
9°

Backlight

Yes, south-facing
RGB

Firmware & software

VIAL

No
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
No

Extras

Released

2026
2025

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.

Neo Neo983 stores

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