MyKeyClub MKC75 Review: Custom Keyboards Just Keep Getting Cheaper!

Christopher Coke Updated: Jul 31, 2023 1:03 AM Posted: Jul 30, 2023 3:15 PM ET Category: Hardware Reviews 0

Custom mechanical keyboards just keep getting cheaper! Today, we’re looking at the MKC75 from MyKeyClub, a new custom keyboard kit starting at only $99. Unlike most of the competition at this price, the MKC75 features a fully aluminum case, three different mounting styles, and your choice of a volume knob, F13 key, or RGB illuminated badge. If you’ve held off on building your own keyboard because of the price, this may just be the kit you’ve been waiting for.

The MKC75 is the first keyboard from MyKeyClub, but even though it’s a “first,” the company has been around the scene for some time, helping other brands and facilitating a number of keyboard projects. It’s the company that brought the JRIS line to the world, a pair of keyboards that you might recall we really enjoyed. With this launch, the company is applying the lessons it’s learned from being so involved in the community to its own project. Just as importantly, it’s launching with the admirable goal of making it as affordable as possible while still embracing enthusiast features, like a fully aluminum case and plentiful build options.

The MKC75 is a 75-percent keyboard, which is sometimes described as a compact TKL. It features a full function row and arrow keys, as well as a column of navigation and editing buttons along the right side that can be customized to anything you would like, including macros or media controls. It’s a safe bet for a first launch, targeting a middle ground between productivity and gaming, compact yet fully functional.

Starting at $99, the keyboard offers a surprising amount of options and features that are usually reserved for more expensive keyboard kits. The case is two-part, full aluminum and has an impressive weight that places it alongside the JRIS75 and QK75 from QwertyKeys. It’s available in a whopping 17 options that include four e-coated colors (e-white, milky white, pink, lilac), six anodized (orange, black, brown, grey, silver, green), and seven combinations that mix and match top and bottom cases.

There are also ten different bottom weights to choose from, including four aluminum accent weight and six stainless steel options that are notably heavier and polished to a mirrored PVD finish. Colors include gold, silver, rose gold, and black in both aluminum and stainless steel. Blue and Chroma are PVD only. Each weight is also available with the MyKeyClub logo in cursive, but is purely optional, which is a nice touch.

Each kit also gives you the option to choose a programmable rotary encoder (volume knob), an F13 key, or an RGB-illuminated badge. The badge looks best, in my opinion, but subjectivity is everything in this hobby and they're the same price, so don’t force you to consider budget at all.

There are three PCBs to choose from and MyKeyClub have provided options with and without flex cuts, so you can dial in the sound, feel, and volume you’re looking for. There are wired and wireless options, soldered and hot-swap. There’s an additional option with RGB, but it’s considered an add-on purchase and will increase the cost of your kit by $44, which is pretty expensive when you consider that the whole keyboard isn’t going that expensive overall. But the option is there.

If you opt for the wireless PCB, you’ll need to use MyKeyClub’s software instead of VIA or QMK. MKC also recommends avoiding the metal plates due to potential interference. There are four materials to choose from: polycarbonate, POM, FR4, and aluminum, with brass available as an add-on purchase. There are also aluminum and FR4 half-plates for added flex. The keyboard can also be built completely plateless.

Each keyboard also comes with a full foam kit. There’s PORON plate foam, IXPE switch foam (for that marbly, poppy sound signature), and a thin layer of PORON case foam. There are also smaller PORON strips to place around the edge of the case to act as a force break, stopping reverberations from travelling from the top case to the bottom.

The MKC75 can be built with three different mounting styles, which is also very uncommon at this price point. While others usually give you a single method, here you can build the keyboard with a gasket mount, PCB mount, or top mount. The gasket mount structure uses silicone gasket socks on the plate. PCB mount uses tiny silicone columns that fit into tabs on the PCB itself and allows for the most flex, as well as the isolation of a gasket if you go for a plateless build. Top mount screws the plate into the top case using rubber o-rings for isolation and provides the most consistency and firmness across the keys.

MyKeyClub is being straightforward in that this keyboard kit starts at $99, but you’ll probably want to spend a little more. The $99 kit is only for plateless builds and uses the soldered, wired PCB. If you’d like a plate it jumps to $115, and a hotswap PCB increases that to $123. The wireless kit begins at $131. Even at these slightly higher prices, these are still exceptionally reasonable and are a very good deal for what you’re actually getting here. Just remember, you’ll also need switches, keycaps, and stabilizers like any other keyboard kit.

The MKC75 will go into pre-order on August 5th. From there, the company will be watching to see what the most popular configurations are and then preparing those as an in-stock purchase in the future. Readers in the United States can purchase from trusted vendors KeebsForAll and CannonKeys. Those in the Canada can rely on Ashkeebs. In the UK, the kit will be for sale from Prototypist and in the EU, CandyKeys. Internationally, you can pre-order directly from MyKeyClub or from MKC’s list of region-specific vendors.

Building the MKC75 varies slightly depending on which mounting structure you choose and if you opt for the volume knob or RGBified badge. Most of the build process is identical however. After prepping your stabilizers, you lay down your IXPE sheet (if you’re using it), and screw them in. Add plate foam (if you’re using it), and place the plate on top, then press switches into place.

From there, things change up a bit. If you’re opting for gasket mount, you’ll need to add the socks onto the tabs on the plate. If you’re going PCB mount (which I would recommend, even if you use a plate), you’ll need to add the gasket columns to the tabs on the PCB. If you’re going top mount, you’ll need to use the screws and o-rings to secure the assembly to the top case.

If you are using the rotary encoder or badge, you’ll need to screw the frame into the top case with a handful of screws. Once it’s in place, attach the ribbon cable between the component and the PCB and lock it in place with the small lever. You can also plug in the JST cable between the pre-installed USB daughterboard and the main PCB so it can connect to your computer.

Before screwing both sides of the case together, don’t forget to add the force break tabs to the top case. It can sound hollow without them, so this is an important step. There are cutouts on the top case to help you position them correctly. You can also add the case foam to the bottom case if you’d like a little extra sound damping.

Finally, screw both halves of the case back together, add keycaps, and enjoy.

I’ve been typing on the MKC75 for the last several days and can say that this is one of the best value keyboard kits for newcomers available today. The combination of accessible pricing, impressive customization and build options, very good build quality, and quality acoustics make this a keyboard kit I’m comfortable recommending for a first build for readers on a budget. It’s worth the investment.

I was sent the anodized blue case with the PVD Blue stainless steel weight. There are no visible blemishes that I was able to find and the weight turned out beautifully. There’s even an internal weight, which was a nice surprise.

The kit itself isn’t over the top with the number of accessories and things you’re getting. There aren’t multiple layers of the different foams or unique, toolless assembly like the JRIS75, but it still manages to feel quite a bit like a more affordable version of that kit. MKC gives you exactly what you need to build the keyboard out in multiple different ways and makes smart concessions to keep the price low and affordable.

I built the keyboard in all three ways, just to see what the differences are like. Between PCB mount and gasket mount, the sound is virtually identical. Top mount is a bit clackier and the feel of the keys is the firmest with almost no flex under the fingers. None of the options are very flexy, honestly, but PCB mount offers the most movement of the three. There’s a slight amount of visible flex from normal typing. Pressing down hard can get you a bit more, but this isn’t a bouncy typing experience. Instead, it’s about the softness of the keys and the acoustics, both of which are comfortable and satisfying.

The force break strips really are necessary with this keyboard, so don’t skip them. Without the strips installed, there’s noticeable hollowness to the sound. Installing them as intended gets rid of most of this, but there’s still just a touch of hollowness that remains. This can be solved by adding a bit of extra tape around between the halves of the case to supplement.

Have a look and listen at the final product here:

The MyKeyClub MKC75 is a very good keyboard and is one of the best entry-points to the hobby I’ve seen yet. The amount of options you have a check-out and throughout the build process is next level for this price. And even though it’s not totally perfect, it hits the mark in most ways to give newcomers a good idea of what makes this hobby so fun and addicting. For $99 or slightly more, it's a solid platform to build on and mod yourself, which is core to the fun and customization the mechancial keyboard hobby is built upon. When you're done, you’ll walk away with a better typing experience than just about any pre-built keyboard on the market today and be able to change and upgrade its sound well into the future. The value is really what pushes this to a "Great" on our scale because, as of this writing, it's one of the best deals out there in custom mechanical keyboards. If you’ve been waiting, this is a great time to dive in and try building a keyboard for yourself.

Chris cut his teeth on MMOs in the late 90s with text-based MUDs. He’s written about video games for many different sites but has made MMORPG his home since 2013. Today, he acts as Hardware and Technology Editor, lead tech reviewer, and continues to love and write about games every chance he gets. Follow him on Twitter: @GameByNight