By: Ronald Chow (Guest Editor)
September 6, 2024
Nostalgia is quite the intriguing drug. It is not a physical drug of course, but it creates the illusion of the past being better than what it may have been in reality. The “good ol' times”, as they were, have an imaginary aura of pleasing warmth. It is alluring and draws us to reminisce about the past. Sometimes it prompts us to purchase items to remind us of those pleasant memories, or perhaps a newer product that hearkens back to the previous age. Growing up in the nineties, I had the pleasure of trying quite a number of different systems my friends and acquaintances had in their homes to pass the time. Some of the older consoles I got to use include the NES, SNES, N64, and the original Game Boy. I learned from my friends by blowing on the cartridge and inserting it a couple times would somehow magically fix a game. We would spend hours and hours on the same games and never found it boring. Perhaps brought to us by kindred souls who also have fond memories, the gaming industry has found a way to capitalize on these warm fuzzy feelings. Many companies have been creating peripherals and consoles with a retro vibe in mind. Some replicate the see-through plastics that show the internals of electronics, coloring them in the popular teals and purples. Others have embraced the light gray and beige plastics of the 80s and 90s that would somehow always turn yellow after some time. This leads us to our subject today, which is the Epomaker EK98 wireless mechanical keyboard. Although I cannot tell you whether the EK98 will suffer the same yellowing fate, it has definitely captured the retro vibe with its mix of beige, gray, and brown colors accented with a pop of red and blue on select buttons. The overall effect is perhaps a mix of the NES, Game Boy, and computer keyboards of the era. The color scheme may be old but the tech inside is quite modern. Let us see what this 96% keyboard has to offer.
Our review unit of the Epomaker EK98 was shipped along with the Epomaker P75, wrapped in a gray shipping bag originating from mainland China, and likely Shenzhen where it was manufactured. It arrived at our offices in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in fairly good condition. The retail box of the EK98 is the larger of the two keyboards and it has taken a few bumps and bruises to the corners and edges. There was some visible crumpling to the front left corner and much creasing visible on the back. Fortunately, the keyboard did not appear to have any damage. It is cradled in a folded cardboard tray internally, which provides enough cushioning to have arrived safely.
The box of the Epomaker EK98 hugely contrasts the color of the keyboard itself. The box is an olive-green color with bold maroon red font titled “EPOMAKER EK98” across the front. On the top left corner, we have the Epomaker logo, while the top right corner indicates this as a 98-keys, 96% keyboard layout. Below the title is the keyboard illustrated in colored line art showing how it looks. Further down, we learn about some of the highlight features of this kit. The back of the box lists some other keyboard highlights, company information, and various certifications.
Specifications from their website is listed below:
Technical Specifications
Brand: EPOMAKER
Model: EK98
Layout: 1800 layout, 98% Layout
Number of Keys: 97
Case Material: Plastic
Plate Material: PC
Stabilizers: Pre-lubed Plate-mounted
Mounting Structure: Gasket Mount
Battery: 3000mAh
RGB: South-facing RGB
Hot swappable: Yes
Anti-Ghosting: NKRO
PCB Thickness: 1.6mm
Latency: 8ms
Polling Rate: 1000Hz(Type-C,2.4Ghz)/125Hz(Bluetooth)
Keycaps Profile: Cherry
Keycaps Material: Dye Sublimation
Keyboard Dimensions: 381*144*40mm
Keyboard Weight: 0.91kg
Front Height: 22.4mm (including rubber feet)
Typing Angle: 5 degrees
Inside the box: Keyboard, USB Cable, User Manual, Keycap Puller
In the box, you will find the keyboard wrapped in a plastic cover. Separately, we have a couple of accessories such as the manual, a white braided USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, keycap puller, 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle under the right flip-out feet, and three replacement key switches. Otherwise, everything is packaged well inside to keep everything safe during transit.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
