By: Ronald Chow (Guest Editor)
November 29, 2024
Have you ever heard the saying, "size doesn’t matter"? Recently, I was looking into the cheapest new cars on the market. Ideally, I would like to afford an all-wheel-drive compact car or SUV, but I was evaluating my needs in a more unlikely scenario. My first thought went to the Nissan Versa, as it is similarly sized to my current car. It is not a fun car, but as a basic point A to point B mobility device, it seemed fine. However, with a starting price of $20,000 CAD, it was not quite what I was looking for. To my surprise, the cheapest new vehicle was the Mitsubishi Mirage, starting at just $17,000 CAD. The size definitely made me question whether it could meet my needs. Objectively, though, for a single person who primarily commutes, it was perfect. It offered great fuel economy, plenty of creature comforts, and was inexpensive to maintain and replace tires -- but it was tiny. In a similar vein, the Epomaker TH40 offers a lot in a small package. Most people are familiar with full-sized keyboards, TKLs, or maybe 65% layouts, but the TH40 is even smaller, featuring an ultra-compact 40% layout. How does such a tiny wireless keyboard perform with regular use? Read on to find out!
Our review unit of the Epomaker TH40 was shipped together with the Epomaker MS68. The two keyboards likely originated from Shenzhen, China, where they were manufactured, shipped off via other courier services before being picked up by Canada Post. It arrived at our offices in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in good condition. The retail box of the TH40 had limited signs of bruising in the corners, likely helped by the stiffer cardboard. The keyboard did not have any signs of damage, as it was cradled with closed-cell foam packaging inside the hard external cardboard.
The Epomaker TH40 comes housed in a rectangular, black box. The front has the Epomaker logo on the top left, with 44 keys listed on the top right. A line art drawing of the TH40 takes front and center stage, but in colors that do not represent the product inside at all. The name of the keyboard, “EPOMAKER TH40” sits below that in bold white font and subtext indicating it is a 40% wired and wireless hot-swappable mechanical keyboard. Along the sides, there are a few icons and text highlighting some features such as gasket mounting, south-facing LEDs, wireless connectivity, and VIA programmable. The rear of the box is white, with another line art of the TH40, general manufacturer information, and certifications.
Specifications from their website are below:
Technical Specifications
Model: EPOMAKER TH40
Key Count: 44 keys
Mounting Type: Gasket
Keycap Profile: PBT Dye-sub Cherry Profile
Case Material: ABS Plastic
Plate Material: PC
Stabilizer Type: Plate-mounted
PCB Type: 3/5-pin Hotswap
Connectivity: Type-C Wired, Bluetooth, 2.4G
Anti-Ghosting: NKRO
LED Direction: South-facing
Polling Rate: 1000Hz (Wired/2.4G), 125Hz (Bluetooth)
Battery Capacity: 3000mAh
Compatibility: Windows/Mac
Dimensions: 258 x 97 x 35 mm
Weight: Approx. 0.5 kg
Inside the box: Keyboard, USB Cable, User Manual
Inside the box, the keyboard is wrapped inside a plastic bag, strap with brass hardware pre-attached to the keyboard, keycap and switch combo puller, braided USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, 2.4 GHz dongle, manual and three replacement keyswitches.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
