The EP75 is the latest mechanical keyboard from Epomaker. It shines brightly with RGB backlighting and a slick 360-degree ring, and is sure to spice up your desk. It offers more than good looks, however, with great doubleshot PBT keycaps, pre-lubed switches and stabilizers, and tri-mode connectivity with 2.4GHz wireless for lag-free gaming. At $99, it’s a solid value and well worth considering.
Specifications
- Current Price: (Amazon, Epomaker)
- Brand: EPOMAKER
- Layout: 75%, 82 keys
- Hot-swappable: Yes, 3 pin or 5 pin switches compatible
- Case Material: ABS Plastic
- Keycap Material: PBT keycaps
- Keycap Profile: ESA Profile
- Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4 GHz
- Battery Capacity: 10000mAh
- Software OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Programmable: Yes
- Anti-ghosting: Supports NKRO in all modes
- Dimension: 330 x 138 x 32 mm
- Weight: 1.16 kg
Epomaker EP75 - What Is It?
Epomaker has really made a name for itself over the last few years. It’s officially one of the go-to sources for mechanical keyboards if you’re looking beyond Razers and Logitechs of the world. It’s steadily released new boards over that time, consistently learning from each that came before, and listening to the community while also working to offer enthusiast level features at affordable prices.
The EP75 is a good example of exactly that. At $99, it offers quite a lot. It features the popular 75% layout which includes a full function row and set of arrow keys, as well as a column of navigation and editing buttons, while shaving off the number pad and maintaining a desk and game-friendly compact layout. It comes with pre-lubed switches and stabilizers, supports hot-swapping so they’re easy to change if something goes awry or you get a hankering for something new, and even supports 2.4GHz wireless for 1ms, lag-free wireless gaming.
The keyboard is a looker. The 75% layout strikes a nice middle ground between form and functionality and looks quite nice on its own, but it also utilizes themed white-and-blue keycaps (the set is called Epomaker Pampas). They’re doubleshot and made of PBT plastic (in tall ESA profile), so will never shine or fade, and look nice against the white of its plastic case. Every key has its own customizable RGB backlight, but the legends aren’t shinethrough, so it’s more about a bright underglow than being able to type in the dark (not a problem if you’re a touch typist).
The RGBs are mounted on the north (north-facing switches), so it’s possible you might have interference with Cherry-style keycaps if you choose ot to swap them out. Long-pole switches are a good option to avoid this, should you also want to try out a new set of switches. And on that front, you’ll also find the EP75 to be highly compatible. The PCB has slots for 5-pin switches, so any MX clone should work fine without modifications.
One of the more unique features of the keyboard is its 360-degree lighting diffuser. Like the per-key LEDs, these are customizable across a handful of built-in presets and static colors. It’s bright and throws a nice-looking halo around the keyboard for underglow. You can also turn this off, and adjust brightness or speed, which are all options for the normal LEDs also.
Epomaker has done a good job of making sure the typing experience offers a satisfying sound and feel. My unit was sent with linear Flamingo switches, but it’s also available with tactile Budgerigar switches or smooth Gateron Pro Yellows. There’s no clicky option for folks who like to torture their coworkers, but the included options are very good and a clear, noticeable, step up from Cherry MX (seriously, when is Cherry going to get back on top again?).
There’s also a layer of sound-dampening foam between the plate and PCB, but the EP75 doesn’t go all-in on the current trends in the enthusiast world. There’s no switch foam for added poppiness, the stabilizers are plate-mounted, and the keyboard doesn’t use a gasket mount for added flex. But while bottom outs are a little firmer, it offers a very consistent sound across the board with little to no rattle from the stabilizers (though I did add a little more lube to tune them to my taste).
The wireless functionality is easy to use and reliable. For productivity, Bluetooth 5.0 is the easy answer as you can connect to up to three devices. For gaming and wireless play at your PC, 2.4GHz is the much more responsive option. It offers a 1000Hz polling rate, which is equivalent to many wired gaming keyboards. Another small touch, but one I very much appreciate, is that it includes a spring-loaded slot to hold the USB dongle when its not in use. I have so many mystery dongles at this point, being able to store them on the device they go with is a blessing.
Battery life is also excellent thanks to its massive 10,000mAh battery. It’s rated for up to 50 hours with RGB backlighting enabled (over Bluetooth) and will deliver hundreds of hours of use with backlighting turned off. The battery here is much larger than most other keyboards. In fact, the only other mechanical keyboard I’m aware of that competes with it is the Angry Miao Cyberboard, which is more than five times the price.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is a very solid keyboard for the money. You’ll need to be sold on its look and the tall profile of the keycaps, but it offers a very good typing and gaming experience. If you’re looking for a new wireless keyboard that offers a good mix of enthusiast features, reliable wireless, and satisfying typing, this is definitely worth considering.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Some articles may contain affiliate links and purchases made through this will result in a small commission for the site. Commissions are not directed to the author or related to compensation in any way.
