Budget keyboards are becoming more and more common. They also come with more features, better sound, and better typing feel. The WhatGeek Machenike K500F is a gasket-mounted 75% keyboard with superb RGB lighting and a knob used for media controls on the top right.
WhatGeek is holding their anniversary sale from September 13-October 10 of 2023. By purchasing a keyboard off of their website, you can get significant discounts as well as get a free keyboard. Check out their anniversary sale to see how much money you can save on keyboards like this one. Use code VAN10 for 10% off your purchase.
This article is sponsored by WhatGeek. They did not review or edit it before publishing. These opinions are our own. Sponsors like them make it so we can host and write content on our website at no cost to you.
The Main Takeaways
The Machenike K500F has amazing RGB lighting that shines through each individual opaque keycap. It also has a unique design with a semi-transparent bottom and top case, letting you see the gaskets and foam layers that’s used to improve the keyboard sound. The knob on the top right is great for convenient media control. And the 75% layout is compact and great for competitive gaming.
Switch and Click, September 2023
General Usage: For every day, the K500F is perfect for work use as well as casual gaming. It’s not good for number entry because there’s no dedicated number pad. The RGB lighting could also be extremely distracting in a work or school environment. If you turn the RGB off, then it’s not as easy to see the legends on the top of each keycap. There are different colors of this keyboard available that may be better for your needs.
Typing: For typing, it’s a great keyboard to use. I might recommend using a wrist rest if you’re used to having one, since the keyboard combined with the taller keycaps do require your wrists to hover a bit more to feel comfortable with it.
Gaming: Gaming on a 75% keyboard is extremely convenient. This one has a wired connection only with a USB-C port on the left side. It also has dedicated arrow keys and function row keys for anyone who needs those keys while gaming. The latency is unknown in this keyboard, but the switches are light and tactile enough where gaming wouldn’t give you much fatigue over long gaming sessions.
Programming: You can program with this keyboard. However, if you input a lot of numbers, it’s not super convenient or speedy. A 75% keyboard such as the K500F will slow you down significantly. With the software, you can program different macros or key inputs to speed up your programming. However, that requires you to learn the keyboard software that you need to download and test.
In The Box
Parts In Box:
- Rubber cable ending with a right angle
- Metal switch puller
- Plastic keycap puller
- 2 additional switches
- Quick start manual
The accessories in the box resemble keyboards 2-3 years ago. They are not ergonomic to use and probably won’t last very long.
I don’t recommend using the plastic keycap puller since it might scratch your keycaps’ sides. The metal switch puller also is difficult to use, since you don’t get a lot of leverage. The additional switches are nice in case one or two of your switches break over time. The cable is okay, but it leaves a lot to be desired.
Build Quality
Material: Plastic
Flex: Some
Kickstands: 2 angles of kick up feet
Power Cable: Rubber USB-C cable
The build of the K500F is completely plastic. You can take the keyboard apart by unscrewing the bottom case screws and then prying the top and bottom case open. There are a bunch of layers of foam, such as the bottom case silicone foam, the plate foam, and the silicone gaskets. All of which work together to make this keyboard sound refined and satisfying. The build of the case is sturdy and resistant to flex. The kick-up feet are high-quality. The cable could use an upgrade. If it were braided, the durability would be better.
Layout and Size
Layout: Exploded 75% with a knob
Structure: Gasket
The layout is an exploded 75% layout with 81 keys. It has a plastic knob on the top right. It’s tactile in feel and is super quiet when you rotate it. The function row on top has gaps between the Escape key and then every 4 keys after that. The arrow keys and nav keys are completely separated from the bulk of the keyboard, giving your fingertips more tactile cues on where each key is. This is much more convenient than having them squished together.
The Keycaps
Keycap Material: ABS plastic
Profile: Spherical, but a little higher profile
Standard Bottom Row: No
Aftermarket Keycaps: Yes, but look for a smaller right shift and 1u Alt, FN, and Ctrl keys too, most full kits should work with 75% keyboards
The keycaps are semi-transparent with contrasting legends. These keycaps really let the RGB shine through nicely. They also have interesting sayings on them such as “Keep Smiling” on the spacebar and some branding elements on the Escape key and Shift keys. Overall, it doesn’t look childish even with these branding elements.
The Switches
Type: MX style switches
Options: GR-Crystal or GR-Ice
Hot-Swappable: 5-pin universal sockets
Lifespan: 50 million keystrokes
More information on the switches can be found here:
GR-Crystal Tactile Switch
Actuation Force: 40+10GF
Bottoming-out Force: 50+1OGF
Actuation Travel: 2.2±0.6mm
Keystroke Lifespan: 50 Million Keystrokes
GR-lce Linear Switch
Actuation Force: 40+10GF
Bottoming-out Force: 60+1OGF
Actuation Travel: 2±0.6mm
Keystroke Lifespan: 50 Million Keystrokes
The switches are also transparent to allow maximum RGB. This is becoming more common this year in 2023. Both the linear switch and the linear switch look very similar until you feel them.
Stabilizers
Type: Plate-mounted
Color: White
Unlubed/Lubed: Pre-lubed
The stabilizers have no ticking or rattling, even on the spacebar. All of the bigger stabilized keys sound quite nice. When combined with the various sound dampening foam layers, the keys all sound dampened and thocky.
The RGB
Color: Full spectrum RGB
Per-Key: Yes
Underglow: No
LED Location: North-facing
The RGB looks fantastic, especially from the side of the keyboard. It might be overkill for some people. When combined with the opaque black case, it offers a nice contrast. You also have the option of turning down the RGB or even turning it off, if it’s not your thing.
The Software
There is a dedicated driver that you can download off their website that lets you control the lighting, macros, key inputs, and more.
Connectivity
Port Type: USB-C
Wireless: No
Latency: Unknown
Compatibility: Windows
Number of Devices: 1
Cable Length: 1.6m
USB Passthrough: No
This keyboard is super simple when it comes to connectivity. It only connects via one USB-C port on the left side.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s an affordable keyboard that comes with a budget price tag. It doesn’t offer a ton of bonus features such as wireless connectivity, but what it does have, it does it well. The gasket mount feels good and soft to type on, the knob is tactile and satisfying, and the sound dampening layers combined with the pre-lubed switches make for a good sound and typing experience.
WhatGeek is holding their anniversary sale from September 13-October 10 of 2023. By purchasing a keyboard off of their website, you can get significant discounts as well as get a free keyboard. Check out their anniversary sale to see how much money you can save on keyboards like this one. Use code VAN10 for 10% off your purchase.