I just tested the Epomaker P65 — and it's reminded me how much I love mechanical keyboards in the era of Hall Effect

The best mechanical keyboards, like the Epomaker P65, can elevate your typing experience and even make you a better typist. I love a good mechanical keyboard, and I adore typing on the P65. This is an extremely well-built mechanical keyboard and it features lovely linear switches which not only sound great but are a joy to type on too.

If you’re looking for a sleek and compact mechanical keyboard, the P65 could be the one for you. Its web-based companion software makes customization easy, and it doesn’t break the bank either. Alongside being fantastic for typing, it’s good for casual gaming too, thanks to its 1,000Hz polling rate and responsive linear switches. The cherry on top of the cake? It has barely any shortcomings.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Epomaker P65 review.

Epomaker P65 review: Specs

Epomaker P65 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 65% mechanical keyboard with stock linear switches
• Who is it for? For hardcore typists and casual gamers
• How much does it cost? The Epomaker P65 is available for $119 / £89
• What do we like? The well-built and portable design, lovely typing experience, good gaming performance, web-based software, and competitive price
• What don’t we like? The limited stock switch choice and omission of macOS keycaps

Epomaker P65 review: The ups

From its portable design and beautiful typing sound, to the overall typing experience and (casual) gaming performance, the Epomaker P65 is an excellent mechanical keyboard.

Well-built and designed

Epomaker seems to have taken a page out of Keychron’s books and has started making keyboards that are metal and more durable than plastic ones. The Epomaker P65 utilizes a combination of CNC aluminum alloy and ABS plastic, and it looks and feels like a sturdy and durable deck.

This 65% layout keyboard features a gasket-mount design which bolsters its structural integrity. It’s also fitted with lovely double-shot PBT keycaps which are not only soft to touch, but are more durable and more resistant to wear and tear than their ABS counterparts.

I also like the P65’s lowkey design. It comes in either Black or Khaki, and I tested the Khaki model which reminds me of membrane keyboards we had in our school’s computer labs growing up. Bringing the Khaki variant into 2026, though, is south-facing per-key RGB which is customizable via companion software (more on that soon) or you can turn it off entirely if you want to maintain a nondescript look. Having reviewed the GravaStar Mercury V75 Pro HE ($239) shortly before reviewing the P65, I very much welcomed the latter’s inconspicuous design.

Portable for travel

One of the advantages of getting a 65% layout keyboard is that you can easily travel with it — whether you like to game while you’re on the go or work on some articles on your way to and from press events, like me! The Epomaker P65 is up to the challenge as its 65% design means it features only 66 keys (including the metal knob) and omits the Function row and number pad to maintain its compact form factor.

The P65 measures just 12.59 x 4.56 x 1.7 inches, so it’s very easily storable in your backpack or even a tote bag. Even though it’s made of aluminum, the P65 isn’t particularly heavy at 2.86lbs. Though it’s heavier by compact layout standards, such as the Epomaker Split65 ($119, 1.76lbs) or the NuPhy Air60HE ($139, 1.1lbs), I didn’t find the P65 too wieldy or bulky, and I was able to carry it to and from work in my backpack without feeling weighed down.

Of course, if you want a lighter mechanical keyboard, and one that even fits over your MacBook’s built-in keyboard, it’s worth checking out low-profile decks, such as the NuPhy Air75 V3 ($139).

Beautiful typing sound

I’ve tested my fair share of keyboards, and most of them have been great for typing, but some of them have been downright awful. The Epomaker P65 falls into the former category. This is a beautiful keyboard to type on, from the sound to the feel. The sound, especially, is a big pre-purchase condition for keyboard nerds, and there are many different sound profiles available, such as creamy, thocky, clicky, silent, and so on.

The P65 with its Wisteria linear switches sounds quite thocky, similar to how the Wobkey Rainy75 Pro ($139) sounds — and I love it. This is thanks to the double-shot PBT keycaps working in conjunction with the gasket-mount design as well as five layers of sound-dampening acoustic foam. Epomaker says the keyboard offers a “quiet” typing experience, but it’s not that quiet. The keyboard still makes a noticeable thock when the keys are pressed, but of course, this will also depend on the switches you’re using.

Thanks to the gasket-mount design, the P65 doesn’t sound metallic and there are no unwanted pings when the keys are pressed. That’s because the gasket mount reduces vibrations from key presses, and the sound-absorbing foam ensures you aren’t disturbed by metallic pings.

Lovely to type on

In addition to sounding downright beautiful, the Epomaker P65 is a sheer delight to type on. You can get one of two stock switch sets, and both are linear: the Epomaker Zebra or the Epomaker Wisteria switches. I tested the latter, which I’ve also used before on the likes of the Epomaker Split65 before. These switches are a little on the heavier side as they require 45g of force to activate. If you want lighter switches, I’d recommend grabbing a set of Epomaker’s Sea Salt switches ($19) which require just 35g to activate — or get the McHose X75 V2 ($89) with its 30g Dawn switches.

But even so, the P65 hasn’t given me much to complain about — and I even wrote this entire review on it! The P65’s gasket-mount design provides a cushioned feel when typing, and I found the keyboard highly comfortable to use for a full day’s work. To test the keyboard, I took a typing test at 10fastfingers.com as soon as I unboxed the P65.

As you can see in the table above, the P65 performed remarkably, even when compared to other mechanical keyboards I’ve tested recently. While my typing speed isn’t as fast as mine on the Wobkey Rainy75 Pro, it’s still very strong, and I’m pleased with the results.

Good gaming performance

If you want a mechanical keyboard for casual gaming, the Epomaker P65 is up to the challenge. It packs a 1,000Hz polling rate over a wired or 2.4GHz wireless connection. Its linear switches are extremely responsive and provide frictionless motion which results in smooth, consistent and uninterrupted keystrokes.

I played Cyberpunk 2077 to see how the keyboard fared, and it performed well. I didn’t notice any input lag or latency issues, thanks to the 1,000Hz polling, and the switches themselves were very responsive. All of my inputs and commands were promptly registered by the keyboard. The P65 also features N-key rollover which enables multiple inputs to be registered at the same time. This gives you a slight competitive advantage as you can crouch and open your inventory at the same time, for example. It’s something as simple as pressing A and D keys together in a Word document and both of them appearing on the page at the same time.

For more serious gamers, I’d always recommend grabbing a Hall Effect keyboard with adjustable actuation points, and there are plenty to choose from if you want a 65% or lesser layout. The NuPhy Air60 HE, the Epomaker HE65 ($99) and the Epomaker HE68 ($59) are my top recommendations.

Web-based companion software

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One of the complaints I’ve had about Epomaker keyboards in the past is that they’re often accompanied by proprietary software which needs to be downloaded onto your machine. As someone whose work-sanctioned MacBook Air M2 can’t download apps on it without IT approval, I always prefer web-based software, such as Keychron Launcher for Keychron decks. This is why I’m pleased to say that the Epomaker P65 utilizes the web-based VIA app for all customization, and it works like a charm.

Before you can customize your P65, you’ll need to download the JSON file from the product page and upload it to VIA’s Design tab. This took me less than a minute to do and I was good to go. Once you’ve done that, you can remap the keyboard’s keys, record macros, customize the lighting effects and colors, and update the P65’s firmware. VIA features a clean interface so even if this is your first time customizing a mechanical keyboard, you should have no trouble getting to grips with it.

Competitively priced

To top it all off, the Epomaker P65 is competitively priced. It retails for $119 / £89 at Amazon which, in my opinion, is a fantastic price for a mechanical keyboard that’s built this well and one that performs excellently in nearly every area. It’s priced similarly to other mechanical keyboards in the 75% and 65% realm, such as the Lemokey P1 Pro ($129), the Keychron V1 Ultra ($114), and the GravaStar Mercury K1 ($129).

The P65 is a little pricier than the Epomaker EK68 ($89) but the trade-off is that you get a more durable, aluminum keyboard. It’s also cheaper than the likes of the Keychron Q65 Max ($209) and the Corsair K65 Plus Mac ($179). So if you want a competent mechanical keyboard that’s portable and doesn’t break the bank, the P65 should be your port of call.

Epomaker P65 review: The downs

There isn’t a lot wrong with the Epomaker P65, but note that stock switch choice is limited, and the keyboard doesn’t come with macOS keycaps.

Limited stock switch choice

Similar to the likes of the Wobkey Rainy75 Pro and the GravaStar Mercury K1, the Epomaker P65 is let down by its limited stock switch choice. At checkout, you can grab one of two linear sets — Zebras or Wisterias — and there are no tactile, clicky, silent or other switch types available. The silver lining is that the P65 is hot-swappable which means that you can change the switches without de- and re-soldering them to the PCB. The bad news is that this will incur an extra cost when you buy switches separately from, say, Amazon.

If you want a keyboard that offers more stock switch options, consider the Keychron V1 Ultra or the Lemokey P1 Pro. If you decide on buying switches from a third-party retailer, double-check that they’re 3-pin or 5-pin and south-facing mechanical ones.

No macOS keycaps

Although the Epomaker P65 works well with macOS machines, and I used it with my MacBook Air M2, it’s important to note that there’s no switch to swap between macOS and Windows key layouts. Epomaker doesn’t include macOS-specific keycaps in the box either. This means that if your hands are trained to hit, say, the Cmd key on macOS keyboards, you may miss it and press the Alt key instead. I’d recommend using VIA to remap the keys according to your preference and muscle memory.

If you want a mechanical keyboard that comes with macOS keycaps, you should consider Keychron boards, such as the V1 Ultra or the C1 Pro ($54). NuPhy’s decks are a good option too, such as the Halo75 V2 ($129), but you’ll have to settle for a 75% layout with any of these keyboards.

Epomaker P65 review: Verdict

As mechanical keyboards go, the Epomaker P65 is up there with the best. It’s sleek and compact, so you can easily carry it around in your backpack or while commuting. It looks great, and it’s even better to type on. Its stock linear switches are smooth and responsive, and they sound oh-so-sweet too.

For casual gamers, there’s 1,000Hz polling and N-key rollover which gives you a slight competitive advantage — but I’d recommend a Hall Effect keyboard over a mechanical one for serious gamers any day. For those who wish to customize their P65, web-based companion software makes quick work of it. Oh, and the keyboard isn’t very expensive either, retailing for just under $120, and we’ve seen it go on sale during sales events too.

As long as you don’t mind the lack of macOS keycaps and the limited stock switch choice, you won’t go wrong with the P65. It’s sleek, powerful, and just a sheer delight to type on.