Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
The Epomaker P75 is a simple looking keyboard from first glance. It uses a traditional look with a frame around the border of the keyboard. It has a rectangular footprint with curved corners. The edges are still 90 degrees. The whole keyboard is quite bright with its mostly white keycaps. The navy-blue accents on the Escape, Enter, space bar, and arrow key cluster offer a neat bit of contrast, complementing the blue font found on the other keycaps. The borders are light grey with a matte anodized finish and do not hold any handling marks or smudges. Better yet, this is made of aluminum, which offers a nice cool touch whenever you touch the P75. The top right side has a volume knob made with the same material and color. Overall, I really like how simple and no-nonsense the Epomaker P75 is. In addition to this silver color, you can also get the P75 in a black and pink color combination.
The Epomaker P75 has dimensions of 324.2mm in width, 135.6mm in depth, and 45.3mm in maximum height. While this keyboard looks small, it is quite hefty. Tipping the scales at 1.65kg, this keyboard is not for the faint of heart. Its heft is clearly due to the CNC aluminum, as well as the packed interior and even thicker keycaps. Altogether, it adds to the overall weight of the P75. Furthermore, this keyboard shows zero signs of flex. With a fully metal enclosure, the Epomaker P75 does not bend or torque under any pressure. Furthermore, there is only a minimal amount of keyboard flexing. The front edge, not counting the keycaps, has a height of 22.7mm instead, so you can likely add any palm rest here. Unfortunately, the P75 does not come with one.
The layout of our Epomaker P75 is standard for North America with its QWERTY ANSI layout. We have a total of eighty-one keys, which is typical for a 75% size. The layout is easy to adjust to, as most of the keys are where you would expect. The primary differences come on the right side of the P75. Unlike a tenkeyless keyboard, we do not have a standard cluster of keys above the arrow keys. Instead, those keys are in one column, with one more overflowing to the top row and the rest relegated to secondary function status. We also have a volume knob. Due to the squished arrow key cluster, the left Ctrl, Alt, and Windows key are standard 1.25U sizing, but the right Alt, Fn, and Ctrl are just 1U. The right Shift key is also slightly shorter. Personally, the main difference was getting used to the Delete being above backspace rather than to the right of it. There are no dedicated LED indicator lights. Instead, the Caps Lock and Windows key both illuminate white when you do press for their respective locks.
As for secondary functions, none of them are on the keycaps, but you can find these specified in the user manual. To access these functions, start by pressing the Fn key on the bottom right side before pressing the specified key. The top function row all has secondary functions. The first set is F1 to F8 for all media controls. F1 launches your system's default media player, while F2 to F4 decrease, increase, or mute your volume, respectively. F5 is stop, F6 is previous track, F7 is play/pause, and F8 is next track. F9 to F12 launch applications including Mail, Homepage or your default browser, Calculator, and Search. The secondary functions for Delete, Home, Page Up, and Page Down are to cover the missing keys of Insert, End, Print Screen, and Pause. Finally, pressing Function and Windows lets you lock or unlock the Windows key. Epomaker also supports Mac functions, and they are all placed where you would expect on a Mac keyboard.
Moving on to other secondary functions, the top alphabet row from Q to E is for pairing and selecting three different Bluetooth connections. Long pressing resets and pairs to a new device, while short presses change to the device. The R key can re-pair the keyboard over the 2.4GHz wireless USB transmitter. Fn+A and Fn+S swap between Windows and Mac modes. You can check the charging status by pressing Fn+Enter, which illuminates a red or green light below. If it is red, the P75 is still charging, while if it is green, the keyboard is fully battery. Fn+Space bar will then show the current battery level, illuminating the number row to show increments of 10% battery life. Finally, if you want to reset the Epomaker P75, you can press and hold Fn+Escape for five seconds to clear everything. There are secondary keys for lighting controls, but we will explore these later in the review.
The keycaps of the Epomaker P75 are PBT or polybutylene terephthalate plastic. I really like this material because it is more durable and keeps its color better. Furthermore, these keycaps are doubleshot, which is to say there is a distinct color plastic injected into the keycap to make the contrast in color. This ensures the legends do not wear out over time like printed or laser-etched legends might. This is a costly method to put legends in keycaps, but they are long lasting too. The choice of font is legible and almost old school. The keycaps use standard MX stems and follow a Cherry profile, with a slight concavity in the middle of each key to help the users’ fingers rest comfortably.
The Epomaker P75 offers full NKRO over USB. NKRO stands for N-key rollover, which refers to the number of keys that is scanned independently by the hardware. This feature addresses issues of ghosting found on cheaper keyboards. While "ghosting" is a marketing term, it describes situations where the keyboard does not recognize more than one keystroke at a time, potentially causing missed keys. This can be frustrating whether you are playing games or typing very quickly. Historically, "ghosting" referred to a problem where a user would press two keys and a third one would be registered accidentally. Thankfully, this is no longer a common issue.
Before continuing, one of the key selling points of the Epomaker P75 is its key switches. There are three main types of keyboards on the market today. The most affordable and common is the membrane keyboard, which is easy to manufacture but provides a poor typing feel and response due to its squishy keys. Next is the scissor switch keyboard, which is like an enhanced rubber dome. It features two interlocking plastic pieces connected to the key and the keyboard, offering a better tactile response and typing experience compared to membrane keyboards. Mechanical keyboards are the most expensive because each key switch is an independent part. These switches typically consist of a housing base, stem, and spring, with varying degrees of tactile and audible feedback.
Our unit of the Epomaker P75 comes with its own Zebra switches. These are linear switches, and gamers often like them for a fast-typing experience. According to Epomaker, these switches can last fifty million keystrokes, actuation force of 40g, actuation distance of 1.8mm, and full travel of 3.8mm. It bottoms out with 45g force. Underneath, we have south-facing RGB LED lights mounted on the PCB. Furthermore, these switches are hot-swappable, with sockets underneath that support both three-pin and five-pin switches. It is important to be careful when swapping these switches in and out, as the pins must be straight before installation.
Longer keys, such as the space bar and Enter have Cherry stabilizers on the sides to prevent wobbling. Epomaker has factory-lubricated these switches for smoother and quieter action. They are also plate-mounted rather than screwed in. This is usually a cheaper choice as plate-mounted stabilizers often have a bit more rattling noise, but thankfully it is a non-issue with our P75. If you do want to swap out the stabilizers, this keyboard also supports screw-in stabilizers on the PCB. The plate is made of frosted polycarbonate, which does show a slight amount of flex. However, this flex also means each keystroke is nicely cushioned.
Flipping the Epomaker P75 over, we have another exceptionally clean surface at the bottom. There is a notable amount of incline at a total of 6 degrees. Each corner has a pill-like strip of white rubber padding. This, along with the keyboard's weight, keeps the whole unit in place. In the middle, we have an Epomaker logo engraved into the bottom frame. It looks clean and elegant.
At the back left side, we have three items here, which are all used to connect the Epomaker P75. Starting on the far edge, we have a USB Type-C port opening to connect or charge the Epomaker P75. Next, we have a three-position switch to change the connection mode. In the middle, the keyboard is powered off but functions over a direct wired connection. Pulling the switch towards the USB port changes to Bluetooth mode, where you can connect to three different devices. This reports at a polling rate of 125Hz, which is typical for Bluetooth and keeping the battery draw low. On the other side, we have the capability to connect over the included USB transmitter. The P75 has a carved-out spot where the USB transmitter can sit in when it is not in use with a small magnet inside to keep the transmitter from flying out. Over wired or the USB transmission, the Epomaker P75 reports at a 1000Hz rate. I did not notice any lag when using the P75 over USB, whether wired or wireless, but there was some perceived lag over Bluetooth.
As for its wireless capabilities, we have a 4000mAh battery inside to power the Epomaker P75. To extend the battery life, Epomaker has included automatic sleep options, which you can change in the software utility. When it is sleeping, the lights will turn off. Once you press any key, it will automatically wake back up from sleeping. I found this process to be smooth, and it did not take too long to wake up. However, in our testing, we found some interesting battery life results. Epomaker does not provide any estimates, but with the RGB lights fully on, I found the keyboard only lasted for two days, which is rather low. Without any lights on, this extended to three weeks before needing a recharge, which is a much better result.
On my desk, the Epomaker P75 offers an air of sophistication with a clean white finish matching my mouse and table. I really liked the cool-touch surface with its aluminum sides and bottom. Its heft is also something you will really notice, especially if you intentionally move the keyboard around. In terms of layout, the Delete being on the top row was really disorientating for me for a while. The shorter right Shift key might be also a point of contention for some, especially if you reach over enough and hit the Up arrow instead. Coming from a tenkeyless keyboard, I think the P75 is not that much of a difference in layout.
The typing experience of the Epomaker P75 was sublime. On paper, the numbers of the Epomaker Zebra switches are not too different from Cherry MX Red, with a slightly lighter actuation force and slightly higher actuation point. However, in practice, the feel and feedback are both really satisfying. Keystroke travel is smooth without any feelings of scratchiness or squeaking. When you bottom out, the feel is firm without any spongy floor. Longer keys like the space bar and Enter feel great as well, even when pressing on the ends rather than in the middle. However, my favorite thing is to listen to this keyboard. You can hear in the audio clip above how it sounds. To me it offers a good amount of thock in a medium level of pitch. My girlfriend describes it as if you are "chewing on rocks", and while I do not exactly know this sensation, I can sort of understand the description. I did find the actuation distance a bit too deep at 1.8mm, but it does come down to personal preference. In my mind, the pre-lubed feel of both the switches and the stabilizers, as well as its overall audible feedback, made the whole P75 very satisfying to type on.
On the other hand, the RGB lighting situation is not the best on the Epomaker P75. Due to the solid keycaps with no light passthrough, the lighting acts more as an underglow rather than illuminating each key. In the dark, you will not be able to see your keys, unlike most gaming keyboards. The south-facing lights do shine around the keycap and at least are more visible to the user, but not through the legends. As for its effects, we have all the standard options, such as rainbow mode and various static and reactive options. At maximum brightness, the lights are somewhat vibrant, but the fact it only glows around each key means users may end up turning off this lighting, especially to increase battery life. Lighting controls can be adjusted using secondary functions on the Epomaker P75. The up and down arrows control brightness, while the left and right arrows cycle through backlight modes. The right square bracket, or "]", is used to cycle through backlight colors, while the backslash, or "\", is used to cycle through lighting effects. Finally, you can turn the lights off by turning the brightness to zero or using Fn+Backspace. You can also change these settings in the software.
Unlike most keyboard software that requires a download, the Epomaker P75 can be controlled over a website that runs in any Chromium based browser. This means you do not need to download anything to your computer, but it does make me feel a bit uneasy when the browser asks you to access your hardware. Regardless, once access is provided, you can see all the modifications to make on the front page. These settings are split up into four sections, as seen on the left menu.
The first page is called "Key Setting", and it allows you to set all the keys to a different function. This also includes changing the Volume Knob. From the left side, you can see you can set multiple profiles and change what each key does. You can choose from typical keys, media, macros, lighting, and other system commands. You can set these to either primary or secondary functions on the keyboard. The second tab is "Key Lighting", which is where you can change the different effects. There are quite a few different effects, including many rainbow, static, and reactive modes. You can also set a custom setting if you so desire. Each lighting effect can be changed for their speed. The third page is "Macro List", where users can create macros for assigning under Key Setting. Finally, the last page is "Global Settings", where you can set the sleep time and reset the keyboard.
Overall, I am a bit mixed about the experience. While it is functional, I am not entirely the most secure about using it. Thankfully, you do not need to install anything, and it will not be running once you close the browser. I also found the whole thing to be functional but a bit clunky to use overall. If Epomaker does not develop their own software, I would have much rather see support for open source options like VIA.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
