You are not getting what you pay for when you choose Chilkey’s ND75 – you’re getting far more. For less than $100, you get sturdiness, excellent build quality, divine sounds, and a niftly lil’ LCD screen. Oh yeah, and you can adjust the mounting system, too. I am enamored with the ND75 – it is my favorite keyboard I have had the pleasure of reviewing. I am excited to see what else emerges from the Chilkey brand; if they have successfully made me excited for a “budget” keyboard, they’re doing many things right. I highly recommend this keyboard for any kind of PC player.
It’s incredibly rare when a sub-$100 keyboard excites me. This isn’t to say that budget mechanical keyboards are “bad” – not at all. It’s just that the lower-end of the mechanical keyboard price spectrum often includes a wealth of compromises, going anywhere from weird switches, questionable build quality, or a lack of customization that mechanical keyboard consumers often seek as they become more attached to upgrading their devices. In other words, you get what you pay for if you opt into spending a little bit less for a mechanical keeb.
When I took the Chilkey ND75 out of the box for this review, I was stumped. It did not look, nor feel, nor sound like a budget keyboard. I could not figure out where corners were cut to make a keyboard of this quality affordable for those wanting to spend a little bit less on a mechanical keyboard. I get it, mechanical keyboards can be an expensive affair. However, for those wanting to get their feet wet with an affordable prebuilt mechanical keyboard of exceptional quality, look no further than Chilkey’s ND75.
Chilkey is a fairly new keyboard brand with roots stemming from Meletrix. The ND75 is Chilkey’s first major release and aims to bring performance, quality, and unique features that are often found in higher-ticket keyboards. To that end, Chilkey is worth looking out for. Despite this being their first release, the ND75 is on the right path of making high-performance keyboards more accessible for users.
The ND75 is exceptionally sleek, utilizing an aluminum case and featuring a screwless quick assembly structure. By pressing on the keys and pulling the top frame, I can quickly disassemble the keyboard and choose to modify the mounting system within the unit. In the box are accessories that allow me to swap the mounting system from Split O-Ring, Silica Gel Particle Mounting, and standard Top Mounting. I’m not one to muck about with modifying my keebs beyond swapping switches and keycaps, but the potential to make these modifications is worth noting. I have never come across a budget keyboard that gave me the opportunity to make these kinds of changes, but this is great for those who want to try their hand at modifying their keyboard without breaking the bank. If you’re unsatisfied with how your keyboard sounds out of the box, adjusting the mounting system will work wonders. The unit is entirely hot-swappable, too, so it allows power users to swap out switches and caps quite easily.
The back of the ND75 features an aluminum back case with machining patterns, complementing the design of the keyboard quite well. Usually, these types of designs and back cases are found on higher end mechanical keyboards or custom-built units, so it was pleasant to see on the back of my review unit. I was sent the Pure White unit to review, so my plate was silver. It complemented the white frame very well.
The full-aluminum build makes the ND75 quite study yet heavy, clocking in at just under 4lbs. It’s one of the heavier keyboards I’ve reviewed, and I don’t think it should be used for anything other than a stationary home office/gaming setting. I know some folks like taking their keyboards on the go to show off in an office, at school, or at keyboard meets, but this one is best suited to be left at home. It’s heavy, folks. But, I’d rather have a study aluminum keyboard over a flimsy plastic unit. When I tried pressing down on multiple keys with force, nothing moved or bent out of shape. The weight of the unit also prevented me from pushing it across my desk.
The ND75 comes with a small LCD screen on the right-hand side of the unit. LCD screens on keyboards are pretty uncommon in-part because of the cost for their inclusion and the cost of real estate. For 75% keyboards, you’re usually strapped for space, and a screen’s inclusion would impact the positioning of multiple keys. In this case, the right-side Shift key is smaller than I am used to, but this ensures that there’s enough space for the screen. This is a small compromise so you can have a customizable screen.
LCD screens on keyboard often serve artistic/silly purposes rather than a utilitarian purpose that the rest of the keyboard serves. It’s not something I am usually looking for amongst keebs, but I appreciate it when keyboard manufacturers take big swings to change up layouts in ways that are visually distinct. The ND75’s screen can be customized to show the current time (in 24-hour mode only; hopefully I can modify this in the future) or a gif.
The customize the ND75’s LCD screen and LEDs, I was to use the ND75 Driver software that is now available for download from Chilkey’s website. At this time, it’s pretty straightforward, albeit barebones and lacking clear UI. The software allowed me to upload individual images to the keyboard for customization. If I wanted to upload a .gif file, I first had to split the gif into individual frames (no more than 144) and batch upload them to the keyboard. It ended up working fine that way, but I would have rather just uploaded a .gif file instead of the extra steps needed to get things working properly. I’ll give Chilkey the benefit of the doubt and assume that they’re going to make some changes (for the better!) in future updates to the driver.
The ND75’s switches are Gateron EF Dopamine Blues – linear switches with moderately deep travel and requiring very little actuation force (~45gf). I checked Gateron’s website and didn’t see them available for individual purchase or additional information, but they’re pretty similar in configuration to the Gateron Jupiter Reds in terms of operating force and Gateron Jupiter Bananas in terms of travel distance. I would imagine that these switches are unique to Chilkey at this time, so you won’t be able to get extras for now. That said, they feel quite smooth for linear Gateron switches. If you’re looking for a tactile switch, you’ll have to provide your own.
I quite like the doubleshot PBT keycaps that came with the keyboard. Like the rest of the keyboard’s construction, they feel quite sturdy and offer a gentle thock when pressed. The typeface is easily readable, too. The caps are not see-through, but the unit’s south-facing LEDs offer enough color to complement the black and white color scheme that came with my review unit. They’re cherry profile, meaning that they are ergonomic for typing and gaming alike. No complaints from me.
The ND75 comes with two 1800mAh batteries pre-installed, bringing it up to 3600mAh. In my testing, the battery lasted about two full workdays with the LEDs and LCD on, but keep in mind that I wasn’t continuously typing for those entire workdays. In wireless mode (Bluetooth AND 2.4G), the keyboard would automatically shut off after a short while. As I mentioned earlier in this review about the keyboard’s heftiness, I don’t see battery life being a massive issue unless it’s a matter of the user wanting a cleaned-up office space. I prefer having my keyboards plugged in (especially for gaming), but the 2.4Ghz mode with dongle will be a blessing for those wanting as little input delay as possible.
Speaking of gaming, let’s talk about the ND75’s use as a potential gaming keyboard. The ND75 is suitable for most gaming needs given its multiple forms of connectivity and its switches. During my testing period, I subjected the ND75 to a litany of games spanning low to high-intensity. You can read more about my testing methodology in my earlier reviews (here and here) for more information.
On the lighter gaming front, the ND75 excelled. In lower-intensity games, I had no issues with inputs or anything related to layout. My only concern about the ND75 is that it might sound less “satisfying” for those who want the deeper, more meaningful thocks when playing, but that’s more of an aesthetic concern rather than a functional concern. I loved the feeling and delicate sounds that emerged when pressing the keys, so no complaints from me.
For medium-intensity games, like League of Legends, Phantom Fury, Ender Magnolia, and Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, I had very little issues with layout or responsiveness. Despite the screen occupying the right hand side and smooshing the shift key, the arrow keys were still reachable without mistyping.
Finally, let’s talk about higher-intensity games, namely those that are most likely to be competitive and/or first-person shooters. Games like Destiny 2, Ghostrunner 2, Apex Legends, and ROBOBEAT played just fine on the ND75, but it’s best to use this keyboard in wired or 2.4Ghz mode. This is pretty standard for mechanical keyboards; using the normal Bluetooth mode risks a slightly lower response rate which would be detrimental for games that need near-perfect inputs. That said, this is a fine mechanical keyboard for higher-intensity games because of how I was able to execute most inputs in those two modes. If you’re wanting a greater degree of accuracy and/or rapid trigger, I don’t see why you couldn’t slot in some mechanical switches and call it a day.
For everything else, I had virtually no problems with the ND75. My only personal gripe is that this keyboard is a 75% keyboard; I use Excel on a near-daily basis and the numpad is far superior than a number row. If this keyboard had a full variant, this would be an absolute no-brainer for my day-to-day uses. Regardless, I love the ND75. It’s a joy to type on.
I’m going to be brutally honest with you, dear reader: This keyboard is divine. It’s an incredibly easy recommendation for just about every type of user, be it those wanting hardcore gaming or those with home office setups like myself. At the sub-$100 price point, there is no reason to look elsewhere when the ND75 does everything and so much more with no compromises. If you’re new to the mechanical keyboard space, the ND75 will spoil you with its high-quality construction and its mounting systems.
You are not getting what you pay for when you choose Chilkey’s ND75 – you’re getting far more. For less than $100, you get sturdiness, excellent build quality, divine sounds, and a niftly lil’ LCD screen. Oh yeah, and you can adjust the mounting system, too. I am enamored with the ND75 – it is my favorite keyboard I have had the pleasure of reviewing. I am excited to see what else emerges from the Chilkey brand; if they have successfully made me excited for a “budget” keyboard, they’re doing many things right. I highly recommend this keyboard for any kind of PC player.
