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Keychron Q5 QMK Custom Mechanical Keyboard

SKU: Q5-D1
$185.00 $195.00

Type
Color
Switches

The fully assembled version includes:
  • The keyboard PCB, the case, and the steel plate.
  • Double-shot OSA PBT keycaps (including Mac & Windows keycaps).
  • Gateron G Pro switches.
The barebone version does not include the keycaps and switches.
No discount codes can be used for Q5.

Please drop your email on "Notify Me When Available" if the product model is out of stock.
Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Keychron Q5

Setting the best example for efficient space usage, the Q5 has a compact 96% layout design while retaining all the essential functions and number keys. With its full metal CNC machined body, double-gasket design, and QMK/VIA support, the Q5 is the ultimate choice for an almost full-size keyboard.

Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard
Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard
Features of Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard
Customize Your Q5

Choose the keycaps, switches, and more accessories for your Q5

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A Refined Piece of Metal Art

The entire metal body is crafted with 6063 aluminum that is processed through CNC machined, polished, anodized, sandblasted, and undergoes 24 more manufacturing stages to make this solid metal piece of art that is the Q5. 

Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

All-around customizable keyboard

To build a fully customizable keyboard, we designed every component easily assembled. Therefore, you can customize and adjust each component you want.

Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Double Gasket Design

The Double Gasket Design is a new innovative structure in the industry. In addition to the gaskets on the plates, we added silicone pads between the top and bottom cases to significantly reduce the acoustic resonance between the metals and reduce the noise of the impacted metals. This design allows the keyboard to maintain the flexibility of the gasket structure and improves the overall typing sound. 

Double Gasket Design of Keychron Q4 60% Percent Layout Mini Custom Mechanical Keyboard
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Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

An Epic Core Inside The Keyboard

A powerful ultra-low-power ARM architecture MCU equipped with 128K Flash will provide more flexibility for developers. The polling rate is 1000 Hz right out of the box, which makes the latency hardly noticeable even in competitive games.

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OSA Profile Double-shot PBT Keycaps

For the new double-shot PBT keycaps, we built a new profile. It has a similar height to the OEM profile and has an SA-like shape. We named it the OSA (OEM spherical angled) keycap. The PBT keycaps will provide excellent oil resistance, enhance the type feel, and prevent the legends from fading out.

OSA Profile Double-shot PBT Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard
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Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Switch layouts between macOS & Windows

Built with the Mac users’ experience in mind while still retaining compatibility for Windows devices, the Keychron Q5 comes with a system toggle and an additional set of customized keycaps for both Windows and macOS systems. You can now save two different layouts on the keyboard, one for each system.

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Programmable Knob

Designed to enhance your creative workflow, the premium rotary encoder allows you to easily customize your favorite keys and macros on the knob through the VIA software.

Rotary encoder function of Keychron Q3 80% TKL Custom Mechanical Keyboard

You can easily customize the Q5's knob to your desired key or macro commands such as: zooming in/out, adjusting screen brightness, brush size, volume, selecting video clips or photos, or backlight hue.

Setting the macros for "zoom in/out"

Using the knob as "zoom in/out"

Program Q5 with QMK & VIA

With full QMK and VIA support, you can easily program and remap each key on the keyboard. The open-source firmware means endless possibilities for keyboard layouts, shortcuts, backlight effects, even the knob, and more. 

QMK VIA screen capture of Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Hot-swappable

The hot-swappable sockets are mounted on the PCB, so you can install or change the switches without soldering. The PCB supports both 3 pin and 5 pin MX mechanical switches.

South-facing RGB LED Lights

The south-facing RGB LED is designed to better illuminate the keyboard backlight from the typist’s angle with the premium non-shine-through PBT keycaps installed. The south-facing RGB is also free from interference when the users install OEM or Cherry-profile alternative keycaps on the keyboard.

Note: The Q5's top case has sharper corners to make it much more compatible with third-party keycaps.

Barebone US layout of Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Pre-lubed Gateron G Pro Switch

The optimized molded switch with more precise positioning and less wobble will undoubtedly improve the feel at your fingertips. With the fully assembled Q5 version fitted with factory pre-lubricated Gateron G Pro switches, a smoother travel experience is guaranteed for you.

Gateron G Pro Switch Features
All New Screw In PCB Stabilizers

All New Screw-in PCB Stabilizers

The screw-in design increases stability and makes it easier for changes and upgrades. Precise craftsmanship makes the stabilizers more stable and less shaky. The big keys’ (space bar, shift, enter, delete) typing experience is now more stable and smooth. The Keychron Q5 also supports third-party stabilizers, including Cherry or Durock.

Looking for ISO Layout?

The Q5 ISO collection comes with fully assembled keyboards with 🇬🇧UK, 🇩🇪German, 🇩🇰🇫🇮🇮🇸🇳🇴🇸🇪Nordic, 🇨🇭Swiss, 🇫🇷French, and 🇪🇸 Spanish layout, and the “Barebone ISO" option is suitable for all ISO countries (e.g.: 🇮🇹Italy, 🇵🇹Portuguese, 🇭🇺Hungary, etc.) to build their keyboard with keycaps in their preferred languages and switches. 

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Typing Sound Test

Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard
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Different Versions

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What's in the box?

Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard
Keychron Q5 1800 Compact Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Specs

Width145 mm
Length390.4 mm
Front Height20.2 mm  (without keycaps)
Back Height33.4 mm (without keycaps)
Feet Height2.4 mm
Angle5.2°
Weight2310 g ± 10g (Fully Assembled Version)
Body MaterialFull CNC machined aluminum
Plate MaterialSteel
Polling Rate1000 Hz
Keycaps (Fully Assembled Version)Double-shot PBT keycaps, not shine-through, OSA Profile (OEM height, SA shape)
MCUUltra-low-power Arm Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32L432 (128KB Flash)
SwitchesGateron G Pro (Fully Assembled Version)
BacklightSouth-facing RGB LED
Switch SupportHot-swappable (5 pin & 3 pin)
StabsScrew-in PCB stabs
ConnectivityType-C wired
CableType-C cable + Type-A to Type-C adapter
Operating Environment-10℃ to 50℃
Keychron Q5 User Guide

Learn more about the Keychron Q5 such as the Q5 shortcuts, assembling the Q5, factory reset, and more in the FAQ section.

All Keyboards
All Keyboards

Customer Reviews

Based on 16 reviews
75%
(12)
25%
(4)
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Anonymous
Nearly Perfect From First Impression

I bought the fully assembled version. It is a tank of a keyboard and feels quality in nearly every way. It is everything I hoped it would be with one exception. Stabilization on the shift, enter, and caps lock keys is pretty bad. I have a couple cheap $40 mechanical keyboards with better stabilization on these keys. Overall not a deal breaker and am happy with the keyboard. First time using Gateron switches and I am impressed.

M
Michael Manolakis
Review 1 Year After the Fact

I am overall really happy with the Q5, as I bought barebones, with knob in blue. It's heavy and weighted, it is able to work with QMK//Via, and overall I am super happy that Keychron has gone the route that basically has made it more easily available to the open consumer market to have someone get a QMK compatible keyboard without a god damned group buy. This board has held up super well for me, and I have been non-stop recommending it to people as a better priced alternatives, such as the comparison to the GMMK Pro vs Keychron Q1. I am just happy to see that this did not stop with this board or the initial set and has been expanded upon, with so many options for QMK compatible boards. As the title says, this is one year after the fact, as I wanted to give the board a far shake before reviewing it. Added now I am ordering a V6, for work, and I am super happy overall, and hoping that the V6 is similar to this experience.

C
Christopher Sneller
Review of the Q5 from a Linguist and not a modder

I used to think I was a keyboard snob way back at the end of the 90's when I came across a model M at a computer recycle store and even though it was old and no guarantee it'd work, I liked the way it felt and took a risk and bought. At $9.99 what was there to lose. I grew more fond of the keyboard and looked it up to find out it had a cult following and that was my introduction to the world of higher quality keyboards.

I lived in Japan working as a linguist for Kagoshima University and also as a translator and editor. First purchase was a model m in the space saver configuration. Now that I'm back I was thinking model M again but, wow! have the. prices gone up so here I am looking at custom keyboards. The youtube modding scene is insane with all the things they do and how expensive a keyboard can be, which leads me to the keychron q5 in blue with the encoder knob.

As someone that makes a living typing and not seeing a keyboard as a hobby, I love this thing! I got the brown switches and love the way they feel. Originally I was going to go with the Q1 in purple but I kept noticing how much I used the number pad and also remembered how much I missed the number pad on the space saver model m I had. From the color to the heft, to the feel of the keys...It's a hit out of the ballpark! I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the modding scene--I love mechanical watches and typewriters--we all have our hobbies, but if you make a living with your keyboard and just need a solid, well built piece of kit that makes your profession a little more enjoyable, I don't think you can go wrong with the Q5. It's also a definite upgrade from the model M.

C
Chris
Great 1800 Layout Keyboard

If you need a numpad, the 1800 layout is a great alternative to a full size keyboard since it allows quick access to all functions and a numpad, but saves quite a bit of space. There are unfortunately very few keyboards in this layout category and many of them are expensive customs. The adage "Sometimes all you have to do to win is to show up" might be underselling the Q5 though.

The keyboard has a (unique in this category) rotary encoder knob. Even better, this encoder is actually supported in VIA, which technically does not have encoder support yet, thanks to some creative programming- a pretty big deal if you've been through the GMMK Pro VIA debacle. The Mac/Windows switch is also implemented in QMK/VIA as separate layers, meaning that you individually program both layouts. This also means that if you were working on Windows only, for example, you can program the layers so the switch simply moves between two layouts instantly. As far as VIA/QMK support, this keyboard is very robust which is very refreshing for a more mass-market keyboard, and possibly the greatest reason to buy a Keychron over other mainstream options. The only thing I wish Keychron would do is add an F13 key for this keyboard- the extra key would go a long way, for example, allowing full Del/Ins/Home/End navigation keys next to the knob... or just a space to stash a artisan keycap.

The build quality, at least on the blue model I bought, is also very good. Finish on the exterior is pretty good, with only a few sharp edges around the screw holes on the bottom. Even the MAC/Windows swap key shows minimal amounts of play. Obviously, since the case is all aluminum the thing is a brick. The gasket layout in this keyboard, depending on how you arrange them, allows you to go from a pretty stiff typing experience to a relatively bouncy one. The included stabilizers are also pretty good- the only 'mod' I typically do is to dunk the ends of each stab wire into dielectric grease to suppress rattle, and using them in the Q5 I don't see any obvious issues with stiction or rattle.

The stock out of the box experience on this keyboard is pretty good, but the main downfall in my opinion is the steel plate and perhaps some design choices for the casing. The main problem is that the plate is mostly allowed to float in the case… which is what you want for proper gasket compression. However, the X/Y direction of the case coupled with the steel backplate means that if the plate touches the sidewalls of the case for any reason (say you really bang on a single key hard or you start typing incredibly fast)- you get ping. You can even hear this if you simply shake the keyboard. Other keyboard manufacturers get around this by adding silicone dampening around the case walls where the plate can touch it (or by using standoffs/pegs). Keychron did learn from their Q1 experiences by adding silicone pads between the halves of the case to reduce ping, and I think if they make some changes to the plate to wall spacing they would eliminate any risk of it happening. The other thing they can do is get rid of the steel plate in favor of an aluminum one, or even better, make the polycarbonate plate standard. This is also my recommended add-on if you're buying this keyboard, as the PC plate adds a bit more flex, a bit softer bottom-out for the fingers, and changes the tone of the keyboard.

S
S.
[Bare Bone] Great quality

Extremely good quality; the base is seemingly solid metal and the whole thing feels well made, could probably give a concussion to someone with how heavy it is. I don't know if picking this for the gasket was worth it, didn't notice much of a difference, but otherwise very happy with the product.

Keychron Q5 QMK VIA custom mechanical keyboard 1800 compact 96 percent layout full aluminum black frame for Mac Windows RGB backlight with hot swappable Gateron G Pro switch red
Q series

Keychron Q5 QMK Custom Mechanical Keyboard

From $165.00 $175.00
The fully assembled version includes:
  • The keyboard PCB, the case, and the steel plate.
  • Double-shot OSA PBT keycaps (including Mac & Windows keycaps).
  • Gateron G Pro switches.
The barebone version does not include the keycaps and switches.
No discount codes can be used for Q5.

Please drop your email on "Notify Me When Available" if the product model is out of stock.

Type

  • Fully Assembled
  • Fully Assembled Knob
  • Barebone
  • Barebone Knob

Color

  • Carbon Black - B
  • Silver Grey - B
  • Navy Blue - B
  • Carbon Black - A
  • Silver Grey - A
  • Navy Blue - A
  • Carbon Black
  • Silver Grey
  • Navy Blue

Switches

  • Gateron G Pro Red
  • Gateron G Pro Blue
  • Gateron G Pro Brown
  • Barebone
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