Keychron Q5 Max Review - Barebones vs Prebuilt

[@jonnyg84]

The Q5 Max is my very first mechanical keyboard. As I am new to the hobby I went with the pre-built option with Brown switches. I agree that the keycaps are quite high and I’ve needed a wrist pad just to keep from making too many errors. Inevitably, I will be getting new switches and keycaps but again, as a noob, it was super easy to order and has really improved my daily work experience at home. I even bought a Q5 (regular) for my office computer with the Red switches to see if I prefer the linear feel. This hobby seems to be a true rabbit hole!

[@M8NR8E]

So what did you think of the jupiter brown and red switches? Im gonna prolly get the shell white prebuilt because those can ship with the bananas… but again, like you, i have no clue what i prefer yet, haha! So i did my best to read a ton and watch as many reactions on switches as humanly possible, and simply imagine what i may like best.

[@jonnyg84]

@@M8NR8E I really disliked the red switches. I personally like tactile feedback so linear switches aren’t for me. Browns are the best “standard” switch but I eventually upgraded both keyboards to baby kangaroo (V2) and am very happy indeed!

[@M8NR8E]

@@jonnyg84 Thank you for the feedback!

[@kerBamf]

Coming in a bit late to the convo, but Keychron is now selling the pre-built Q Max line with OSA side-legend shine-through keycaps. Mine just arrived today and the key height/sound feels great. These are VERY noticeably shorter keycaps than the KSAs.

[@DlES-IRAE]

Do they offer those keycaps separately on their website?

[@BossyGoose]

Thank you for this ❤! I had seen the front printed version on Amazon, and didn't realize they are OSA, I just thought the printing was different.

[@tonymartinez3434]

the side printed keys are OSA. They are sweet!

[@kevinriley17]

The Q5 Max has an aluminum case, and a full-size zero-key, but it also has a few button layout changes. Q5 Max drops the END key and adds a pair of page-up and page-down keys in a layout that is vertical (important given the key's functions and familiarity to a 100% layout). Most other 96% boards have page up/down in a horizontal pattern above the num-keys, and that is trash imo. I read a lot of pdf files so this is something I look for.

[@ANTOINECAMERON]

Hey Kevin I hear ya. When I first bought the q5 pro it was setup this way. Good thing with with Via you map the keys anyway you want. So now its more like a 100% keyboard. Its perfect for me now.

[@0whitestone]

I agree, I love the layout because I really only use 3 of the 9 navigation keys above the arrow keys. Except I use 'delete', 'home', and 'end'. Pretty much all of these compact layouts get rid of 'home' or 'end' in favor of page up and page down keys which I've always thought was funny, but I guess people just use their keyboard differently; I never use page up or page down. But that's what VIA is for, I just need to see if I can get hold of an 'end' key that matching the profile. No that i need to see it to use it, but I know it will drive me nuts to not have it match the function!

[@enshepps]

Great video. Thank you. I would say that the plastic build on the V5 will have an impact on those that are particular of these things. I purchased a budget version of the Q5 for my wife (I think it was the K5 Pro)... and she said... it doesn't feel or sound like yours. We returned it, and she went with the Q5 and the all metal makes so much of a difference. Perhaps some people may not notice so I do realize this is very very subjective. Really love the format of your video. Additionally... My first mechanical that I loved was the DAS Keyboard for Mac... it was so great, but I really hated that the cable was in the centre, and not removable... It truly was a great board. Hey DAS Keyboard... if you're listening... make your boards with a removable cable. ;) My second board was the iQUNIX KAT all White F96 board. Pre-built... It was near perfect... but then I found the Q5 and for a pre-build, I am so impressed with it.

[@Duffer3D]

Ultimately I went with V5 Max. I'm rocking a couch setup at home and frankly over 2 kg keyboard is way too heavy for my needs. Also the price is a huge factor. Actually I prefer the muted sound of all plastic body compared to more hollow and metal sounding all aluminum design of the Q line. I replaced the original SA profile keycaps for a MOA profile set wit more flat shape that are also less tall. Overall I'm pretty happy with the final build. For exactly half the price of Q5 Max you are getting 90% of the experience - so not a bad deal at all.

[@蛇王-y9b]

same here , originally owned a Q3 , but after tested the V1 and i really enjoy the plastic sound which makes more thocky than metal , afterward giveaway the V1 and purhcased the V3 MAX

[@m4nc1n1]

I have the Q5 and the Q5 Pro, both with the force break mod. For me, the barebones make no sense. Even if you swap them out immediately, you can't beat switches and caps for $19, especially when the switches are Gateron Red or Yellow.

[@janmatusiak1380]

I have the V5 max coming.thanks for the video

[@semiprotech]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@Berecutecu]

I don't feel that the barebones is really a fair deal. The barebones is only a marginal 20 dollars cheaper. What good keycaps and switches you find out there for 20 dollars? It seems a vendor greedy strategy to tricky the market if you ask me

[@cosmic5789]

I suppose it’s a matter of perspective and profit margins. Either the barebones is a fair price and the $20 up charge for the fully built is a great deal that they make less money on, or the barebones is overpriced and the fully built is the fair deal. Keychrons pricing is generally pretty competitive but it certainly feels like they are nabbing a few extra dollars off customers on an over priced bare bones model. That said, at least they are providing an option to save some money on not buying unwanted switches and caps

[@Berecutecu]

​@@cosmic5789 I went with the V5 Max barebones and I felt that was a good deal. The Q5 Max barebones for 20 dollars less isn't a good deal, if I was going to get the Q5 I would get it with the keycaps and switches. I feel a bit insulted by the only 20 dollars discount in the Q5 Max.

[@otttimon5654]

The barebones is made for those who know they want to put in their own switches and keycaps and don’t want to bother with the process of swaping out all the parts

[@Berecutecu]

@@otttimon5654 and?

[@miguelbrito8460]

Can I buy the fully build. And afterwards just swap everything and build One myself? I want barebones, but I agree that for 20 more I'd rather get everything

[@Cloudead88]

I love the original Keychron Q5 layout and the gray/yellow keycaps. I love SA and MT3 layouts so the KSA they have on almost all of their keyboards is a plus for me lol.

[@1q3er5]

this layout is amazing better than classic full size

[@yearofthegarden]

Great videos, I've watched a few and enjoy the detailed information. I ended up with the V5 but really want that Q5, but the cost just doesn't justify it. Also the height of the V5 is a little bit to much but doable with a wrist pad. I would rather have a low profile keyboard but I tried the K13 which also has a 10key, althoguh without the enter, + and - keys on the right it's useless as a 10key. Honestly I think going with a separate 10key is really the bst option if you only use it for taxes like me haha. I really dont like tall keyboards but the narrow topped keys with gap between keys is essential for me as a digital artist, because it helps me really navigate my hand around they keyboard when i cannot see it.

[@gordsimpson8916]

I built the Q5 Pro special edition (purple). This is my second build. My first was a KBDfans Odin 2. I prefer the Q5 Pro because of the larger zero, switches and keycaps. I use the Q5 Pro daily in an office environment and have installed Sea Salt silent switches and the stock (purple) keycaps. I've also updated the foam. Now I need to figure out how to get my boss to get one. Or at least quiet keyboard. The Logitech KB he's rocking sounds like fingernails on a blackboard. Nice review, thanks.

[@semiprotech]

The Odin R3 is my daily driver! Beast of a keyboard but I definitely miss the full size zero key. I'll be swapping in the Q5 Max when I feel like using wireless, and I'm probably going to put some PBTfans keycaps on it eventually.

[@Marin22427]

I went from a regular HP 100% membrane keyboard, to the K4, to the K4 Pro, to the Q5 Pro in less than 3 years, and I can't stress enough how annoying and tiresome it becomes to have to use a half size 0 when using the numpad (I work with numbers all day). The main reason I sold the K4 and K4 Pro was because of the tiny 0 key that I just couldn't get used to and kept making mistakes on. As you said, it really is something to consider when buying a keyboard if, like me, you need the numpad every day.

[@voidmind]

What sucks with Keychron keyboard that support 2.4Ghz is that you have to use the hardware switch on the back of the keyboard to toggle between Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz, instead of being able to bind keys to switch between them. On my Nuphy Halo 75 v2, I can bind keys to do that, and it's much more convenient. I have a Steam Deck, work laptop and gaming PC all at my desk, and being able to switch fast between the 3 devices is something that will keep me in the Nuphy camp (regrettably, because I have been eying the Q10 Max). If you ever do a comparison video between 2.4Ghz keyboards from Keychron and Nuphy, I hope you bring up this difference.

[@MarbsMusic]

Great review! I tend to use 65% or 75% but if I did want a num pad the full size zero would definitely be must!

[@hamburger--fries]

Great video! Can you consider reviewing the Q6 full sized version? I'm curious if there is a difference other than the size and layout.

[@cosmic5789]

There pretty much isn’t. As far as I know, all of the q max keyboards are the same excluding layout

[@kristofgheyssens3941]

The LEDs seem to shine trough the key 'gaps' quite hard. Looks very blinding :(

[@anishparulekar1171]

Between the V1 max and the Nuphy halo 75 which would you recommend?

[@semiprotech]

Until NuPhy comes out with an updated Halo75 that offers better customization, I think the V1 Max is probably the better choice. The Halo75 feels a bit more premium with the aluminum top frame and nice RGB lighting, but if you plan to use the customization the V1 Max is definitely a better option. The 2.4GHz on the V1 Max is also a higher polling rate as well. I hope NuPhy updates the Halo line soon!

[@justinseans]

Yeah, so aren't you getting that zero key but then you are losing half your right shift and the menu button underneath it, equivalent to a 75%. So instead of the arrow keys being pushed to the right into the 0 they are pushed to the left into the shift like a 75%. IDK I'm new to this. I got my first mechanical its a air75v2. The right shift key actually bothers me. It's the only thing that actually bothers me. So the fact that I need an arrow pad and prefer the full size right shift, it means I would basically prefer a TKL. With both of those.

[@ChrisJames024]

Your tag when talking about stabs in the beginning, you have a typo. You typed, "Where they better?" and I think you meant, "Were they better?" And speaking about the Q5 Max, you should consider a head to head against the V5, the V5 Max and the Q5 Max (Or at least the V5 Max vs the Q5 Max) I think that the results might surprise you

[@蛇王-y9b]

taller profile is always the better since they are more thocky , Cherry profiles always sounds high pitched

[@larry1802]

New to the keyboard scene. Can anyone tell me what the O, triangle and square keys for?

[@M8NR8E]

I was about to pull the trigger on the q5 max, brown switches… until you made me aware of the KSA profile… (thankful you did btw) but, i totally LOVE the layout, features, and more premium starting point to dive into the rabbit hole with. I want to still get it, im not poor, but not rich either. My main question for you is… i dont know if ill like the ksa layout, but is there even a chance i will like it? Silver lining: if I dont like it, then all the more reason to jump into the world of keycaps and switches, which sounds like a blast! But… i am impatient as my new gaming laptop gets here in a week, and was hoping to have some stuff to play with when it arrives…. Got a stacked legion 9i gen 9… a crazy purchase, i know… but i need to travel for work, plus i just like to have the best when possible! Im a rabbit hole enthusiast!

[@semiprotech]

You certainly can give it a try to see if you like the taller profile, it's not much effort to swap the keycaps out for cherry profile or anything shorter if you don't. On the plus side there are tons of options on the market for shorter profiles like OEM and cherry. The overall layout and features are the most important factor. If it works well for you and you don't mind potentially swapping out the keycaps to make it suit your needs, then it could be worth it.

[@M8NR8E]

@@semiprotech yep, my thoughts exactly… layout, features, quality materials, then switches then keycaps. Even though I’ve done considerable research and would feel pretty confident jumping into MKs near enthusiasts levels… still hard for me to commit to spending almost 300 bucks on my first board… but the way I see it, im trying to go from zero to feature packed premium daily driver KB quick! …and right now, this seems like the best value. …aka, buy the prebuilt and order some keys! I was hoping to get some shine through double shot pbt keys, start with cherry, a safe bet, and go from there. Quick question, do you have a recommendation on where to quickly pick up some quality keycaps, and hopefully have a good selection, too?

[@artyboy1377]

Am contemplating this while browsing custom 'serious' keyboards while typing on my Asus Scope II 96 (which feels the most like a custom keyboard among all my keyboards). I saw this pre-assembled at close to $200 and was thinking if I should dip my toes into such 'serious' keyboards. Is there a huge difference and is it worth the jump?

[@kickin123]

on the barebone kit is there leeway to accomodate a slightly bigger physical battery? Like if I wanted to swap out the 4000mah battery for a bigger one, any idea on how much physically larger the batteries dimensions could be?

[@jammies701]

Interesting point about the numlock enablin g backlighting. If you remap it to another location, is it still the same case?

[@amirprog]

Which keycaps are you doing?

[@P90Camper]

Do you know if the Wi-Fi dongle will wake a Windows PC from sleep?

[@reggieramos9052]

Is there a way to make modifications to the V5 so that it sounds like the Q5 with aluminum frame?

[@semiprotech]

You've got me intrigued...I have the V1 Max and wondered the same thing about making it sound more like a Q1 Max. One of the things about the V Max line is that they went with thin/light foam in the case bottom instead of a heavy silicone mat like they did in the K Pro line, which I think makes it sound more hollow. I'll do some tinkering with my V1 Max and see what I can come up with...in theory any mods should work similarly with the V5 Max because the internals are the same.

[@LEGOBrando]

I am about to purchase the Q5 max but I am curious if the NumPad backlighting issue has been fixed? Something like that seems like it should be fixed with the software

[@BobSmith-wg5wz]

Any update?

[@tudajfor]

@SemiPro Tech+Gear is it too tall witouth a wristrest?

[@semiprotech]

I personally have to use a wrist rest with it, but if you typically sit up higher with your arms "floating" over your desk, then you may not need one. But if you sit with your arms/wrists resting on the edge of your desk like I do, then a wrist rest is going to make it a lot more comfortable.

[@davidm71]

Whats difference between Max and Pro model of the Q5? Do they sell it all black? On their site its a mix of white and black keys. Thanks.

[@semiprotech]

The Max model has 2.4GHz wireless, the Pro line does not, it only has bluetooth for wireless. The Q5 Max currently doesn't come in an all-black prebuilt option but Keychron has added all-black and all-white options to some of their other keyboards in the past so they might add those options later for the Q Max line as well. The Pro line also uses different switches - K Pro in the Pro line vs the Gateron Jupiter in the Max line, and the Max line also has a little bit more internal foam, I don't believe the Pro line has an IXPE switch pad like the Max line.

[@davidm71]

@@semiprotech Thanks for explanation. So 2.4ghz vs bluetooth and better switches? Confused on the differences red, vs brown vs yellow etc. Also why would you want 2.4ghz for a keyboard anyhow. If you could please describe the parts needed to build the all black version you have? I want to build one too. Thank you.

[@RyanH0809]

Can anyone tell me if the rotary knob also clicks in, or does it just rotate? I imagine setting this up as volume up and down, plus play/pause with a press inward...

[@semiprotech]

Yes! The knob can be pressed as well, so it has two functions, rotate and click.

[@RyanH0809]

@@semiprotech thanks for the info!!!

[@wikingnuda261]

I'm a confused human so I seriously looking at the Q65 Special Edition