Budgeting for Beginners - Custom Keyboards!

*as promised, here is my updated budget guide to beginners who want to build their own custom keyboards! i'll be making one more at the end of the year for 2023 budget boards! subscribe to stick along ❤
Keyboard Kits
1. Low Tier
CIY Tester 68 - amzn.to/3WbWySU
- shorturl.at/ipXY5
CIY GAS 67 - shorturl.at/hkvAY
Next Time 75 - amzn.to/3iB39bS
2. Mid Tier
KBD67 Lite - kbdfans.com/r?...
Monsgeek M1 - www.monsgeek.c...
Tiger80 Lite - kbdfans.com/r?...
Switches
1. Basic
Gateron Pro Series - amzn.to/3Xybmwy
- kbdfans.com/r?...
2. Fun
Akko Switches - amzn.to/3W5cF4Q
- en.akkogear.co...
Keycaps
LEGAL
Akko - amzn.to/3ZA2xUu
- en.akkogear.co...
KBDFans - kbdfans.com/r?...
PBTFans - kbdfans.com/r?...
Drop - amzn.to/3QHfRlS
- massdrop.7eer....
ILLEGAL
no you❤
Join The Boys to get access to perks:
/ @lewistoh
Krytox & Accessories: www.thockking....
Follow my Socials:
🐥 / oklewser
📸 / lewiss.toh
📸 / swiskkeebs
👀 / about
🤖Discord:
Lubing With The Boys - / discord
🤤My Gear:
Sony A7C - amzn.to/3j3vU0I
Sigma 28-70 - amzn.to/3YBqZV2
Sony ZV-E10 - amzn.to/3Wr0dgb
Zeiss 16-70 - amzn.to/3jdn5Sd
Canon EOS 90D - amzn.to/3bb33k8
Rode Video Micro - amzn.to/3GmcY4I
Manfrotto Tripod - amzn.to/3nsMqGj
Raleno (Small) - amzn.to/311LWPP
Raleno (Big) - amzn.to/3Bga90Y
Shure MV7 - amzn.to/3Kp01IA
Elgato Mic Arm LP - amzn.to/2XIoZzI
xd

[@RedaGD]

i literally refreshed your channel this morning cause i read that you were planning on doing this video. Thank you soo much for helping a newbie like me

[@LewisToh]

sheesh

[@Tabbyroom]

Lewis is one of my favorite keyboard KZbinr can’t wait to see what he brings us in 2023

[@LewisToh]

that means alot :,)

[@sspukkis]

true this

[@Joang03]

Another budget kit is the GMK67, it's a really good kit for its price and even has a knob. Worth looking into it!

[@schpreck]

Was gonna say this, imo the best low budget board of 2022

[@mintlata]

In some countries it has a different sticker slapped on with a different name, for example in Malaysia it's the Vortex GT65

[@husainyard]

@@mintlata i think it's Indonesia, mate. Us Malaysians buy straight from Taobao.

[@thanhhuynhsu5935]

gmk67 is a good kit, but if you are unlucky, you can get a kit with a wireless error. It's kinda like tester68 time ago when some kit would die after a while. I hope they fix this soon. But GMK67 is sound facing, even if you got an error kit (wire only), it is still quite good.

[@mintlata]

@@husainyard Thanks for the correction

[@Emilyspace_]

Love that you're actually providing budget options. As a college student, I really want to get into the hobby but I absolutely don't have the funds to start with a GMMK or Akko board. Especially not knowing whether I will stick with it for a long time so I can't justify that kind of investment.... yet lol

[@LewisToh]

hope it helped!

[@burritos447]

just so you know gmmk boards are overpriced gk61s

[@chezkayy]

@@burritos447 gk61 not hotswappable

[@dojuns]

I'd like to add budget switch & keycap options beside AKKO & Gateron: For the switch it's KTT, JWK, Aflion, Ajazz Fruit series. Those are what i can think of. For the keycap it's Shenpo, Xiami/21kb. Both are good PBT dye-sub keycaps for a "budget" price. Yongqiu/Aifei/whatever it is are also good double shot PBT/ABS, nice sound and also cheap.

[@LewisToh]

appareciate that!

[@SKULLBLAST3R]

Great list, for switches I'd also consider Tecsee since they are budget friendly

[@Keybored]

Vid quality getting better and better!

[@LewisToh]

thank you!

[@gamingsoups]

Switches made by KTT are extremely budget friendly and absolutely amazing

[@nomimizu7435]

yeah for sure I love KTT Hyacinth, now I want to buy more cuz I only buy 6 for testing is sound good or no in my board

[@999Kurai]

Ktt produces Akko switches

[@ifteykharulislam]

Thanks for making video for poor people like me

[@LewisToh]

nonono

[@dillanskatez8376]

I ain’t poor, but at the same time I’m not trying to spend hella on a keyboard lmaooo.

[@shie1dz]

@@LewisToh can you do 10 mistakes beginners make when building keyboards? It would be helpful for many new builders.

[@anotherrandomchannel5206]

Wow Lewis this is just a good guide to the keyboard scene i am very impressed keep up the good work!

[@LewisToh]

Glad it helped!

[@kkenny]

This is such a good video for beginners like me. Thank you Lewis for keeping the hobby alive and accessible!

[@rohitmishra670]

Loved the video. As a person who is getting into custom boards, this was very helpful.

[@LewisToh]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Straus-lr3if]

the reason he is one of the best keeb youtubers is becuase he communicates so much with the comments and the audience and listens to recommendations. keep up the good work❤❤❤❤

[@JL-bj5lh]

Thanks, I've been trying to pick out the best parts for my budget for months!

[@LewisToh]

Glad I could help!

[@johnpaulgonzalez9016]

Normally when they say budget, was expecting redragons or royal kludges but wow, none of them were mentioned, very insightful vid

[@dannyman5751]

I stg you are the only person in this hobby who actually knows what budget means. All others are like “NEW BUDGET KING” and the board itself ends up being $180+

[@ahadwashere8580]

Doing god's work Lewis thank you so much 💪

[@LewisToh]

NAHHHH

[@SpedRockt]

Great video as always, glad to see the monggeek m1 made it into the list. Such a good kit for the price but still haven't been recognized enough.

[@Bonkboo]

For the cheap section try searching for the "GMK67", its a 67% more flexible gasket mount with south facing sockets, with a knob too. it's probably the best for the 50$ mark

[@BG-wz1iu]

Is it QMK compatible?

[@Bonkboo]

@@BG-wz1iu unfortunately no but it has it's own software

[@bowlofsoop7823]

Great video! I have some stuff to add thay might be useful. - The V65 R2 kit, a GB keyboard with priced at around $100 with even more value than the Monsgeek - Keychron cherry/KSA profile keycaps, great $40 caps

[@LewisToh]

thanks for that!

[@pixaln]

Lewis still being the budget guy ☝️☝️☝️ best keyboarder ww

[@LewisToh]

:)

[@0_IQ_]

monsgeek m1 is a GOD tier board for the price ngl from pop to thock, whichever configuration you like, it is there for you

[@LewisToh]

bang on

[@Anuki]

a fun new alternative to the gas67 is the gmk67! south-facing rgb around $50 and you can get it in aliexpress straight to the US :)

[@minhquanvu2944]

In the Aluminum area, Monsgeek M1 main land Chine version (Via unsupported) goes at 75$ FinalKey Cidoo V65 goes at 95$ (nicer alu than M1, Via supported, bluetooth supported, extra fr4 plate and keycaps included)

[@SKULLBLAST3R]

Like someone said in the comments the GMK67 is a great budget board. I'd also recommend the bakeneko65 for custom keyboards

[@Hirotara]

My guy Lewis helping out the beginner homies frfr, king of the budget boards strikes again

[@kiboshinji1203]

my friend was about to buy a new keyboard, so glad i come to this video that i stumble across Monsgeek M1, went to check to online local store, and it's avaliable in stock! WTF what a total banger for an alu board just for 99$. i owe you again for this one!

[@LewisToh]

Glad I could help!

[@kiboshinji1203]

the said friend loosing their mind after knowing M1 exist and instanly check-out the board. thank you again for the great contents, Lewis!

[@Keprion]

First. Just got the last untouched chalice 40 from Europe! Videos are looking good as always keep it up dude

[@LewisToh]

actually first

[@YaBoyJon]

thanks for this. I like this video and updates whenever appropriate.

[@-moongorilla-]

IMO the group but boards have a place for beginners *because* of their longer times before delivery. While yes, you have to wait a bit longer, it gives you some time to look for keycaps that you like, buy some test switches in small quantities to see what you like (mechbox is good for this), and just generally learn what you need to so that when the board does arrive you're ready to go!

[@bradwilliams6767]

You could add Drop's DCX range in this. It is getting larger and can be good value, especially during sales. the quality is better than their Artifact series.

[@LewisToh]

price is definitely a little higher, and never rly tried them before sadly

[@ArtfulJams]

Can't wait for my Killer65! 🤩

[@LewisToh]

same

[@key-T]

Drop frequently have discounts, for example bought GMK Pulse for 50 and Drop Iron Mans for 40. So, if you have a little bit of time to wait and check time to time, you can get a good deal

[@christine-ny]

Love your video, you explain everything so simple, thank you for that!

[@LewisToh]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Jason-us3sz]

Would greatly appreciated a recommendation for a full size hot swap keyboard. Keep up the great work and videos. Thank you!

[@LewisToh]

you can look into yunzii boards!

[@BraveClam]

Excellent breakdown of products, thanks Lewis

[@LewisToh]

Glad you liked it!

[@Coolzy]

Hello my fellow Singaporean KZbinr! Im so glad that the Monsgeek M1 is included into this list XD bc from what you said about the kit, it makes me feel that the money spend on the kit will be worth it XD

[@a15bionic59]

Thank you for doing my suggestion!!

[@LewisToh]

No problem!!

[@deskofden]

Yo Lewis, definitely a helping hand in considering the next board I am looking for. Besides, it is so beginner-friendly! Cheers!

[@_ExTitus]

those kbdfans keycap containers are super nice.

[@LewisToh]

yes it is

[@tyrosine87]

I have 3 pbtfans sets now. WOB,BOW and Rim. They are all great. I don't like most of the other designs, otherwise I would have more. The price is reasonable for the quality.

[@LewisToh]

its so good, i love them

[@tyrosine87]

@@LewisToh I'm actually a liar :) the bow set is on a keyboard I built for my sister (placeholder for epbt Rin) and Rim is on my nieces keyboard (not actually a placeholder for epbt superstar). I love that they have iso kits and epbt just dropped the ball, bought both sets nearly a year ago in the group buy. In contrast, pbtfans is available, short group buy times as you said and great quality. I bought bow and wob to have generic sets for any new projects.

[@XnoobsauceX]

Love it man! Thank you for the info…love your vids

[@LewisToh]

My pleasure!

[@Rosso157]

There's a new board going around called the Zuoya GMK67. It looks good. Hoping you do a review of that soon as I'm planning on buying it.

[@manuelcornelio4348]

The video I needed

[@alp4info]

LT- Nice! ✌🏾

[@sinnerairsoft8487]

Looking forward for the 2023 vid :)

[@Deltythe73rd]

great content dude this was amazing

[@LewisToh]

Glad you enjoyed

[@minhquanvu2944]

Alice layout: FancyKey Alice 66/66C goes for 85$, heavy acrylic/mica case, supper bright led, underglow, via/qmk Feker Alice 80 same price but abs case, wireless supported, better layout and knob.

[@westy9557]

i just built my first keeb for under 150 and im surprised with how good it sounds if yk what to buy no matter what budget your keeb can sound good

[@Drew311Drew]

Lewis the 🐐 no 🧢

[@ImJustStandingHere]

Great video, I love stuff that is beginner friendly, as I'm always putting friends onto the hobby, now I have a video I can send to them. I don't necessarily agree with recommending AKKO for keycaps since they make a lot of shameless clones, but not everyone getting into the hobby will really understand or care about that so 🤷‍♂️

[@musikalniyfanboichik]

Good video bro I currently have a very cheap motospeed keyboard that sounds like crap :D I bought myself a 65% dark project keyboard, but i think i'll use it for a few months/half a month. I just really got that custom keyboard itch to scratch, it's so satisfying to make these yourself.

[@bertagabor9111]

I found that the ktt kang whites are amazing even stock, and shocking when lubed for a low price

[@LewisToh]

o yes

[@theartskee4291]

Gmk 67 will be my dream til end of the year. We’ll see if I get it 😂

[@kipp14]

The massive problem with clones are the consistency with the dyes. A ton of them are mediocre with the qa so you'll almost never have the ability to check the aesthetics if your looking for something like a wine or lesa type of color way.

[@MorisB]

Lessgooo Another Post!

[@nasi_gorengg]

Thanks so much have a good one 😀

[@LewisToh]

Thank you too

[@nasi_gorengg]

😀

[@omegaorigins9917]

ktt switches are also a good choice for some cheap switches, and for a little more the ajaxz diced fruits could be neat

[@puffii_]

Taobao is legendary for all cheap builds

[@LewisToh]

is tru

[@aseannessienot]

They are the reason why I have built three keyboards in the first three months since discovering the hobby

[@nbnkid1884]

You should check out the finalkey v65 r2. Is a very good budget board.

[@minhquanvu2944]

For Keycaps, if you are tight on budget, then recently Akko's more common ASA sets like Macaw, Red Bean, Los Angeles, Silver On Black, White on Black are getting sales half the price on facebook group, in Vietnam at least. if you want some more color way for ASA profile, FL Esport's FSA keycap use the same mold with them. Their pbt is denser but less smooth compare to Akko's. If you willing to go for clone cherry keycap, then Aifei or more commonly, jokingly know as CMK(yes, C stand for Chinese) have acceptable double shot quality for 25$ and they coppy some of GMK's famous colorway like Neon, Yuru, Modern Dolch, Olivia and so on, lacking only the novelties. If you want all those cool novelties then pbt dyesub clones goes for 40$ If you want Vintage theme then XMI have really nice pbt dyesub quality for 35$

[@LewisToh]

appreciate the sharing :)

[@meloplayzz8970]

Hey i like your Videos you inspire me to build my own keyboard i had buy a drop crtl yoused for only 80€ and have tapemoded it (foam will come next) and put some brown gateron switches( i filmed it all) with pudding dbl shot pbt keycaps. And know i Finished to build my own numpad that i 3d printed and make it qmk readdy via a arduino its amazing thank you

[@nomimizu7435]

for me budget board is Epomaker EK68(case plastic) Cidoo v65(Alu+wireless) budget switch is KTT Series budget keycaps is xiami, shenpo or PBT Studio

[@markridlen4380]

I'm really looking into getting a QwertyKeys Neo70 because of it's mostly screwless design, and customization options. It has a lot of premium features at a very mid tier price.

[@aseannessienot]

You could save a lot by ordering separate parts for keyboards like the kbd67 or tiger80 lite. An abs case with tn80s pcb and a custom pc plate would only cost $55!

[@AlexAlex-nf1cx]

You use case tiger80 lite + tn80s pcb , i'm interesting that currently plate you use for this build?)

[@aseannessienot]

@@AlexAlex-nf1cx I don't have a tiger80 build, but you could order a plate sold by Hyperboring. There is also a tiger80 plate file on Gitee.

[@TanTran-dr8pj]

wonderful vid. thank you so much. I am having my epomaker ek68 for awhile now and looking for a new fun build.

[@LewisToh]

Glad I could help

[@weee-hx4jb]

Great video, though I would add the KTT Kang Whites to the budget switch, as they can also sound very good and come in at a very low price

[@aiminhnguyen8844]

If you want budget aluminium get monsgeek m1 kit, got it for 80 dollar, super heavy, south facing, knob, literally nothing to complain for the price :))))))

[@minhquanvu2944]

Switches: I want to tell you first is that the Akko CS switches weren't manufactured by Akko. They were made by KTT and they were good for their time being. The Akko Jelly Switches were made by akko and they are really terrible, especially tactile switches like the Jelly Blue. Super scratchy, dumb spring design make the switch stuck when use as spacebar. Only decent one is the Jelly Black. So, back to the main budget switches, start with Gateron Pro series. The milky yellow/red/black are the same switch but with different spring weight. The heavier the more low pitch/muted. With the same price, KTT Kang White is the budget Creamy-Clacky switch. Better housing and stem tightness. With a tiny little bit more, the MMD Holy Panda and the MMD Transparent Tactile give you 60% feel of the Holy Panda, but also have a lot of spring and leaf pinging. If you're gonna spending a bit more, then chosse the CIY Phantom. The bumb is more similar to the Holy Panda, less ping, more scratchy but nice low pitch poppy sound. If you want an extremely durable switch and "end game" feeling, goes with the Cherry HyperGlide Res or Black. They have that signature scratchy and nice sound of Cherry switches bit actually much smoother than 2014-2019 Cherry switches. If you want an all pom feeling of the Nk Cream then the FL-CMMK MX Ice Mint (which was made by Kailh) or the MMD Cream. The Kailh Box Cool Mint is also just a recolored box cream. You can find those in FL Esport's CMK series, Cool Mint color to be pecific. Best Budget Linear for me is the KTT Strawberry or KTT Darling. Both have clear clacky sound, are extremely smooth, very tight housing. Me and many consider them to be lube and film uneeded.

[@alexandre3388]

Love your video !

[@cool2984]

I feel like it should be mentioned that Monsgeek M1 is kind of insane value .for the local Chian version. It's basically 60 USD in China and the only differences are no screw-in stabs and no QMK/VIA support.

[@kiboshinji1203]

and for the budget switches, ever heard of Aflion line-ups? that brand making a real banger switches for the price slightly lower than Akko in some of their line-ups

[@LewisToh]

ooo interesting

[@kiboshinji1203]

wait, you never try it before?? also Ajazz switches line-ups. please try it my man. thank you!

[@minhquanvu2944]

I would recommend the James Donkey A3 for the price range of 50$ and the Fuhlen H75S and the FL MK750 for 70$. Forget the V1.

[@zelda5065]

In the end of the vid u said this is only half and we won't watch it if you talk about the full thing, we will! this is a really informative vid and hopefully you'll said 100% of the stuff at the end of the year

[@samuelmai172002]

i think the epomaker cidoo v65 is a great budget aluminium kit its gasket mounted whit good pre lubed switches(actually good prelube) and keycaps,only issue the stabs need some lubing (they are prelubed but not evenly) but thats an ez fix costs 130 dollars

[@RandomGuy-tc2yf]

kbdfans top notch seriously??? i think you dont see some QA problem some people are talking about.

[@Jayy_R2]

another keyboard i have and i do like it its the epomaker th80 comes with their own custom switches you have other options also but for £90 not bad keyboard

[@TemProduction]

Make a video on Deskmats We should bring some attention to deskmats as well

[@LewisToh]

hmmmm

[@imthatguypal9999]

Hi Lewis, I am new to your channel and so far I am really enjoying the videos you put out. If you haven't made a video on this yet I would like to hear your take on the "best" or just your favorite budget keyboard kit that still produces a nice deep thocky sound profile. I watched the one about the KBDfans Lite board and wondering if there is a slightly cheaper alternative. Thanks for reading!

[@Seiryu1264]

for great looking and legal keycaps, nicepbt seems decent tho they hover around $75

[@jalexanderc]

Great video

[@LewisToh]

Thanks!

[@FullOfFlail]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 😩

[@lexzbuddy]

I picked up an Akko 9 key on sale on their site a couple of months ago for $69

[@EvanPvPTheBestEverGames]

NicePBT keycaps from cannonkeys are good, they're official licenced clone (they paid royalities to artist that made the design most of them are for GMK design)

[@extremelyfoggy]

first liker, commenter and subscriber with notification bells on in this video lol

[@LewisToh]

REALLT CLOSE

[@colaqqqq]

the gmk67 should be on the budget option

[@LewisToh]

i only tried that aft i filmed this

[@colaqqqq]

Oh ok! It is just a great keeb for the price

[@Tm.N7]

Yeeeeesssss tysm lewis toh

[@Tm.N7]

Finally another busget custom keyboard

[@yansonlee]

There is also another budget switch called ktt kang white

[@LewisToh]

yes

[@NeonLine1982]

The only clones that I recommend are those who don't or won't have runs anymore like GMK Mizu, and it costs an arm and a leg in aftermarket. Keycaps being more expensive than the board doesn't make sense.

[@itzcaleb1776]

I can’t wait for the killer 65 to ship like if u entered the gb

[@bencrocker2661]

Some other good keycaps are nicepbt and cannoncaps, they’re around $60-70 and pretty good quality

[@luozheng2489]

I'm about to build my first one with oil kings switches.

[@crypticvisionary]

Damn, I didnt think my comment would work THIS fast!

[@LewisToh]

xd

[@bean3243]

Top tip: Do not buy cheap keyboards, the money adds up and they are not worth anything after you want to upgrade and get rid of them. I would personally recommend buying a keyboard like a used Keychron Q1 or used NK65 instead, there are plenty and quite cheap for the price. You can learn to mod them and you will get a better quality than an amazon keyboard. I personally have moved on to GB keyboards and I would recommend those as well but not without learning to practice building them first.

[@sunilkc2008]

Hi Lewis! Excellent video. I wanted to ask you about the Monsgeek M1, are the stabs already installed? Basically i want to know if the only thing i need to do is install switches and keycaps.

[@LewisToh]

yes already installed!

[@cowjustleft5444]

thank you so much for the content! Also i was wondering if i should get a monsgeek m1 or a keychron v1, im looking for a tapping/thocky sound. thx for the video!

[@LewisToh]

i would go with m1 for thock

[@AnDr3w066]

Mk870 is a good budget board as well

[@rip_jamalp]

1 hour early lets go

[@cheepee5563]

Where is the Portico/Portico75? It's INSANE for under 100 dollars Screw ins South facing Gasket mounted Abs 2 piece case Knob on the 75 FR4 plate Silicone Felt plate foam

[@LewisToh]

never tried it before :(

[@anotherrandomchannel5206]

the kbdfans is basically the portico

[@SamLikesEditing]

Great video! What keycaps are on the keyboard in the thumbnail?

[@LewisToh]

MT3 Godspeed!

[@UTOOOOOOOY]

No Shenpo, XMIs? They're like the best bang for buck, iirc NicePBT uses XMI blanks.

[@LewisToh]

never really tried them!

[@z4k1_zaki65]

You should read give Shenpo a try. There’s a reason why Geon sells them too 😊