Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
After using the RT82 for several weeks, I have gained an appreciation for the device and its features. The keyboard itself feels sturdy with an appropriate weight (0.86kg). The RT82 comes equipped with four rubber feet that ensure the keyboard will not slide easily, and both stages of the kickstand feet have non-slip pads as well.
The Retro White colorway is a simple but well-executed design; the combination of off-white and light grey keycaps emphasizes the south-facing RGB LEDs, while the space bar, enter key, and escape key accent the color scheme in green, blue, and red, respectively. For this keyboard Epomaker has chosen a solid color ABS plastic case with dye-sub PBT keycaps. In my opinion, the colors chosen for the case and keycaps mesh to create a cohesive aesthetic. The keycaps on the RT82 feature a standard high-bezel design with a Cherry profile. The dual two-stage kickstands feel sturdy and click firmly into place; I have not encountered any issues with sliding during my time with this keyboard. The novelty of the RT82 is, of course, the detachable mini display. The display clicks into place using magnets to ensure proper contact and turns on without any further hassle. The LCD screen is plastic, and therefore more susceptible to damage than glass, a consideration that must be made before purchase.
The mini display has three available modes: Home (basic system info such as time, connection type, caps-lock status, etc.), DIY pictures or GIFs, and a typewriter mode (displays your most recent input). The Epomaker RT82 measures 326.7mm in length, 143.2mm in width, and 39.8mm in height. These measurements are within the typical range expected of a 75% keyboard. The RT82 weighs in at a comfortable 0.86kg. When holding or moving this keyboard the weight felt very good; not light enough to feel “cheap” but also not so heavy as to be cumbersome or unwieldy. The keyboard does have some flex when enough force is applied to the frame, but not so much that I ever felt flex or movement when typing or in daily use. If you wanted to be particularly aggressive with this keyboard, there is some noticeable flex when “wringing” or twisting the case, but there is no deformation or warping of the material whatsoever. Mild flex in the keyboard can be produced when pushing the keys particularly aggressively, but I have not encountered issues in daily use, and I cannot think of a situation where I would apply such force to the keys. Overall, the build quality of the RT82 was satisfactory and left me without any complaints (although of course your mileage may vary depending on preferences).
The Epomaker RT82 comes in a 75% QWERTY ANSI layout, with 80 keys on this model. The exploded layout sections off portions of the keyboard with bezels, which I personally like, as I find myself hitting incorrect keys less frequently, in addition to the less cluttered appearance. The keyboard uses the ANSI layout, with a single row enter key.
The Epomaker RT82 has full N-key rollover, meaning there is no limit to how many simultaneous inputs the keyboard can register. This removes the risk of ghosting, where pressed keys may not be registered. For applications like gaming, where missed keypresses can cause frustration, or for fast typists, this feature will be appreciated. Including N-key rollover has become fairly common practice in mechanical keyboards, so it is appreciated that the Epomaker RT82 has it as well.
Looking closer at the top row of the RT82, it becomes quickly apparent that a quick check of the manual will be needed, as the F row keycaps do not come labeled with secondary functions. However, these are plainly laid out on the manual’s first page and can be accessed by holding the Fn key before moving to the desired key in the F row. F1 is assigned to “My Computer,” and F2 opens Windows Explorer. F3, F4, and F5 are assigned to the operating system default applications of calculator, mail, and media player, respectively. F6-F12 are assigned to the multimedia controls Stop, Previous Track, Play/Pause, Next Track, Mute, Volume -, and Volume +, in that order. One thing to note is that due to the exploded layout, media controls are separated by a bezel between F8 and F9, which may bother some people.
Other shortcuts are as follows and likewise activate when paired with the Fn key. The delete key becomes the insert key, while the Home key will adopt the End function. The Windows key will lock and unlock when pressed, ensuring that windows will not be closed accidentally when gaming or during other important tasks. Pressing I will activate the Print Screen function, O serves as Scroll Lock, and P is assigned to Pause. Other notable Fn key combinations manage the RT82 directly. Holding the space bar for three seconds will reset the keyboard, while A and S will switch into Windows or Mac mode, respectively. Pressing and holding Q, W, or E will start a Bluetooth pairing attempt with one of three saved Bluetooth-capable devices when the RT82 is in Bluetooth mode. Pressing R controls the 2.4Ghz mode. Next, we have a few Fn key combinations that directly control the mini display included with the RT82. The X key can be used to turn the screen on or off and pressing C will reset it if it has been removed and reattached. The Enter key will toggle the screen display mode (Home, Typewriter, or DIY Gif/Photo), while the Right Shift key serves to cycle through the three custom animations that can be loaded onto the display in the DIY display mode.
Last but not least, there are keys assigned to controlling the lighting effects. Backspace will turn the lighting effects on/off, while the Backslash key will toggle the lighting effects. For brightness control, we can use the vertical arrow keys, and with the horizontal arrows control the speed of the lighting effect. The bracket keys can be used to adjust the hue of the backlight, while the semicolon and quote keys adjust the saturation. The RGB LEDs under the keycaps are south-facing, providing a pleasant, even glow, and ensuring compatibility with Cherry profile keycaps. The effects and colors produced by the backlight are highly customizable through VIA, which will be discussed later in this review.
The keycaps of the Epomaker RT82 are formed from PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), with the lettering applied using the dye-sub method, where heat and pressure are used to sublimate dye and apply characters directly to the keycap. The printing on the keycaps of the Epomaker RT82 is consistent and legible, with the black contrasting nicely with the matte lighter colored keycaps (exceptions are the Escape and Enter keys which use white lettering instead to provide contrast against the red and blue keycaps, the printing quality is unchanged). The keycaps are a respectable ~1.5mm thick, ensuring that they produce a richer thock with a greater depth of sound.
Underneath the keycaps you will find standard mx stems, allowing for keycap swapping if a different set is desired. The Epomaker RT82 ships with one of two switch types, Epomaker Creamy Jade or Epomaker Sea Salt Silent. Our particular keyboard has the Creamy Jade switches. These 5-pin mechanical switches are linear and pre-lubed, providing smooth travel from start to end when pressed. The keys have a pre-travel of 2.0±0.4mm, with a total travel measuring 3.6±0.4mm. The trigger force measures in at 45±5gf, with a bottom-out force of 50±5gf. This is fairly standard for linear switches and provides a balanced, intentional typing experience. The RT82 is also hot-swappable, so switch replacement is easy should any fail. These switches do not possess a light diffuser. Moving now to stabilizers, the RT82 features a Cherry plate-mounted design. For any unfamiliar with stabilizers, they serve to support the longer keys such as the space bar or enter key to prevent wobbling and maintain balance. There are two main types of stabilizers, Cherry and Costar. The Cherry design has stems matching the bottom of the keycaps, while Costar uses a wire looped into the keycap. Costar stabilizers tend to rattle more than Cherry stabilizers, although it can (and does) happen with either design. The keycaps have a very slight wobble, but not to the extent that it becomes noticeable during use. The decision to plate-mount the stabilizers means that they will be easier to maintain and remove, but they are also more prone to falling out or loosening than their screw-in and clip-in alternatives, which are mounted to the PCB itself. The stabilizers that came installed in the RT82 are well fitted and do not appear to rattle.
While reviewing the RT82, I have been using it as my primary keyboard, and I have not encountered any issues with the typing experience or ergonomics of the product. The Epomaker RT82 has three different typing angles, 5 degrees, 7.5 degrees, and 11 degrees, enabled by its two-stage kickstand. Moving on to the typing experience, personally I have found the 11-degree angle to be the most comfortable typing experience out of the three, and I have found that while the kickstand is in use, the RT82 feels just as stable as when the keyboard is lying flat. The layout of the keyboard gives me no issues with reach, and while there is no palm rest, I have not experienced any discomfort during longer typing sessions.
The Epomaker RT82 creates a pleasant typing sound, and the linear pre-lubed switches provide a consistent tactile experience across the keys. I found the travel distance to be satisfying, traveling ~3.6 mm before firmly bottoming out, without producing ping. The keycaps have a slight texture, preventing any shiny appearance. I have used the RT82 for both typing and gaming and did not encounter any issues with either use case. The sound produced by the keyboard is consistent, with slightly deeper tones for the larger keys such as Enter or Backspace. Personally, I like this variation as it provides another aspect of sensory feedback to my typing. My overall subjective opinion is that the Epomaker RT82 delivers on a satisfactory typing experience, a solid upgrade from any office or workstation keyboard I have used in the past.
The Epomaker RT82 has three available routes of connectivity: Bluetooth, a 2.4Ghz Wireless Receiver, and a 6-foot USB Type-A to USB type-C cable. The RT82 has a switch on the back left rear that can be used to select which method of connection you wish to use. While reviewing this keyboard, I have used all three options and found them to work without hassle. The wired USB connection is the fasted, as would be expected, providing 1000hz, with 3ms of latency. The included cable connects to the keyboard using a USB Type-C port located on the back left side. This braided cable is a pleasant white and can be used to charge the keyboard or to download .gif files for the mini display. This process will be discussed shortly in the software section of the review. The 2.4Ghz wireless receiver is the middle choice of the three, and personally the one I found the most convenient. The receiver still offers a connection with the same 1000hz as the wired alternative, but with slightly increased latency at 5ms. Finally, the Bluetooth connection is the weakest option, with only 125hz, and a much higher 15ms of latency. I tested this with several devices and did not encounter any difficulty with connection or compatibility. I tested this feature with Android mobile devices and a Windows laptop and found the connection process painless. The branding on the Epomaker RT82 is present but discrete. The only branding consists of a silver badge on the back of the mini display (where you will never see it while typing), and an Epomaker brand name printed on the 2.4Ghz receiver. I appreciate the very subtle branding, since I typically don’t find myself forgetting which brands I use.
Decorative lighting is always a nice option to have, and here the RT82 provides a customizable experience. The RGB LED lighting of the RT82 is south facing, and I have found the backlighting to be very uniform in brightness, providing different effects from a pleasant glow to frantic flashing, whatever you are into. Important to note here that the RT82 does not have shine-through keycaps, so if you do a large amount of typing complete darkness and need to see what you are doing, you may want to look elsewhere.
For software the RT82 has both VIA support for general needs, and a separate screen driver software to manage and customize the mini display. Both can only be used with a wired connection the computer, but changes made will obviously persist after the keyboard is disconnected. Before discussing each individually, I will say that any difficulties I encountered with the software features were resolved by a quick scan of the included manual, which helpfully includes images and arrows to make sure you don’t get lost in the customization menus.
For VIA, I found the process very straightforward. There is a “How to Use VIA” section in the manual that should provide you with all the information needed for basic use. Through VIA a user can customize the lighting effect and color, including reactive effects. After toggling the “show design” tab in the settings menu, VIA has 3 main pages: The design page, the key tester page, and the configure page. While the design page is useful for DIY applications or keyboards without official support, with the RT82 we can mostly ignore it.
The key tester page can be a useful diagnostic tool, and I found it helpful in checking to make sure I had not broken anything during my disassembly detailed on the next page of this review. This feature will indicate keys when they are used, helpful in applications such as dead key identification. Finally, we have the configure page, where the customization settings can be managed. The first tab is the keymap tab, where key mapping and reassignment can be managed, as well as a layout of all possible key functionalities. The next tab on this page is for macros, which can be recorded easily using the control bar in the center. These can be useful for things like setting up one-key copy/paste, email greetings/repetitive text, or shortcuts, to name a few.
There isn’t much to discuss with the save/load tab. This tab is for saving or loading entire keymapping profiles, which can be useful if you want to save a layout or use one downloaded from the internet. Clicking either save or load will open the file explorer to select or save your current layout.
The lighting color can be chosen from a color picker interface or chosen with a specific hexadecimal color code. For color accuracy, the RT82 excels at matching selected green-blue hues but struggles significantly at matching colors with orange, red, or magenta hues, especially when the saturation is anything short of the maximum. When the saturation is reduced significantly, all colors merge into a light cyan color, and moving the slider between hues on the color picker interface does not change the color produced by the keyboard. Ironically this light cyan color is actually what I ended up leaving as the color for the keyboard, as I found it to be a very pleasing color. Effects can be chosen through VIA from a drop-down list of 45 options, including several reactive effects. The speed and color can be altered using the function key combinations as discussed earlier when VIA is not open, or in VIA using the sliders. Overall, I found the VIA software experience with this keyboard to be intuitive and relatively painless.
The next software, LCD Screen Driver Software, is used to control and customize the mini display. I found this intuitive to use, with a drag-and-drop file upload system. The files used must be in .gif format to be compatible with this software. After uploading a .gif file, you can choose to edit it, with options for color adjustment, text editing, or even markup drawing tools. These are easy to use and are clearly labeled. After any desired edits are made and applied, they can be downloaded to the RT82 and cycled through using FN+Shift. The DIY GIF mode can be accessed using FN+Enter.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
