Last month, we took a look at the Wind X R2 from Wind Studios and found it to be a unique and innovative keyboard kit for gamers and keyboard enthusiasts alike. Today, we’re looking at the Wind X98, the bigger brother, and a keyboard that’s designed to be the perfect mechanical keyboard for work. Featuring a customized compact full-size layout and packed to the seams with enthusiast-level features and customization options, it’s a keyboard you can truly make your own. The best part? It’s in stock and won’t make you wait on a group buy if you decide to pick one up for yourself.
Specifications
- Current Price: $370 (Wind Studios)
- Layout: Compact Fullsize
- Mounting Style: Gasket or Top Mount
- Hot-swappable: Yes
- RGB Backlighting: No
- Plate: Polycarbonate
- Foam Kit: Included
- Requires Switches, Keycaps, and Stabilizers
- Package Includes:
- 1x keyboard case(X logo, brass accent piece and weight ensembled)
- 1x wired or bluetooth pcb
- 1x PC plate( only pc plate available, support top and gasket)
- 1x foam kit
- 2x daughterboard
- 1x User guide
- 1x Stabilizers Shims
- 1x Screws bag
- 1x Silicone gasket
- 1x 1.5MM/2.0MM hexagonal wrench
- 1x TOP accessories bag
Wind Studios Wind X98 - What Is It?
The Wind X98 from Wind Studios is perhaps the most anticipated keyboard build I’ve ever done. Ever since the first Wind X98 was announced, I watched it with bated breath. It was a super stylish keyboard that aimed to deliver equally for productivity and gaming, all while answering many of the much lauded featured popular with the custom keyboard community: customizability, foam configuration, flex cuts, finely tuned acoustics, and a superb attention to detail. Sometimes a product just catches you and you say, “I wish.” The Wind X98 was that keyboard for me.
The Wind X98 is a compact full-size custom mechanical keyboard. It’s close to an 1800 layout, which keeps the function row, arrow keys, and number pad, but squeezes the Numpad close to the main keyset. With the Wind X98, a single row of navigation and editing buttons separate these areas. The remaining keys are moved above the Numpad. The result is a layout that has nearly all of the functionality of a full-size layout while only having a footprint slightly larger than a TKL.
Wind Studios is a favorite in the custom keyboard community for its innovative designs, and that’s certainly the case with this keyboard. The X98 features a dual mounting style with your choice between top mount (cushioned with dampeners) or gasket mount. Unlike the Wind X R2 that I reviewed last month, it doesn’t use traditional PORON strips for its gaskets. Instead, it uses easy to apply (and remove) silicone gasket socks. The gaskets are not only soft but they’re much faster and easier to apply while still maintaining the classic gasket mount sound signature.
The keyboard also uses three separate PCBs in its construction: one for the main key set, one for the Numpad, and one for the USB port. This design allows for the most flexibility in the typing experience and the least torque on the USB port over extended use. Splitting the alphas and the Numpad is especially smart. Long PCBs often suffer from limited flex and gasket movement. That’s absolutely not the case here. Breaking them in allows both sides to move much more easily.
The plate and PCB also aid in the softness of the typing experience. The PCB is flex cut down to the individual key, allowing for each to move and respond to individual keystrokes. The plate is also polycarbonate, which is soft and pliable, adding a bit of deepness to the sound profile of the keyboard.
The case follows the same principle as the Wind X R2 with its three part design. The in-stock version is available in either grey and blue or grey and chocolate colors. The alternate, blue or chocolate, is actually the main portion of the case. The top and bottom half of the case fasten around this section to create a neat, layered aesthetic.
As you would expect from a premium custom keyboard, the case is made entirely of CNC-milled aluminum. The in-stock version adds glossy chamfers around each key section which both looks great and creates a neat halo effect as their mirror surface reflects ambient light around the base of the keys. There’s also a cool multi-colored X decoration by the Esc key and a brass weight embedded in the back with a tasteful logo. It’s clean.
Also included in the box is a full foam kit to tune the sound and feel of your keyboard. All told, the lot includes two layers of case foam (thin and thick), PCB foam, plate foam, and PE switch foam. You can use all of this or none of it. Or, like I did, mix and match until you find your ideal sound and feel. The keyboard hobby is all about subjectivity, so don’t let anyone tell you what you should like!
Like most custom keyboard kits, you’ll need to supply your own switches, stabilizers, and keycaps. For my build, I went with Gateron Cap V2 Yellow switches, C3 Equalz Stabilizers, and bounced between Epomaker Sailing and PBT Heavy Industry (I own the RAMA Works set but didn’t have a Numpad kit). The hardest part of the whole build process was finding a set of keycaps that matched perfectly. The bluish gray of the top case made that a challenge, but there are options out there!
Compared to the group buy version, there are much fewer options with the in-stock version. There were numerous colors and plate choices to choose from whereas here, you’re getting much more of a defined kit. I wish there were more options, but that’s the nature of this kind of product, and if having less overhead makes keeping a keyboard like this in-stock, I think that’s a reasonable compromise.
Wind Studios Wind X98 - Assembly
Assembling the Wind X98 isn’t difficult if you’ve ever built a custom keyboard before. If you haven’t, they’ve included a handy assembly guide right in the box. It doesn’t completely spell everything out, so you’ll still need to take a good look at each part if you’re new and consider where it should go. There are plenty of YouTube videos online for help, but I’ve found the official Discord server to be a wonderful resource as well.
The process is fairly straightforward. You first apply the PE foam sheet, if you’re choosing to use it. Stabilizers come next, but be sure to use the included shims so they tighten down completely. Since the PCB is only 1.2mm instead of the traditional 1.6mm, many stabilizers will feel loose without them. Next, you can install the optional standoffs, apply the plate foam, and position the plate for fastening. From there, switches can be pressed into place.
Depending on how you choose to build it, you’ll need to add the gasket strips to the tabs on the plate or add the gaskets around the case for top mount configuration. I went with the silicone gasket socks for the softer typing experience and bouncier feel.
One of the differences with this keyboard is that this process will need to be repeated with the NumPad PCB. Having a separate PCB for the number pad allows for additional flex but adds a bit of time to the build process. It’s not much, however, and the trade-off is worth it.
With both sides of the keyboard built, you attach the Numpad to the main keyset with an included ribbon cable. Then, the USB daughterboard can be plugged in. Mine was already pre-installed in the case. This can be a bit tricky since the cable is fairly short, but flipping the PCB over and putting the top edge against the case makes it easier. Case foam can then be added if you choose.
Lubing your own switches is optional but worth it for the best sound and feel in many cases. There are many pre-lubed switches available, however, so you can skip this step with the right switches.
With everything ready, the PCBs can be set inside the larger middle portion of the case. Since the chassis uses a three piece design, I place the top over the assembly, flip it over and slide the bottom half of the case over the center piece. Eight hex screws hold everything together. From there, the only thing left to be done is add keycaps and make any programming changes within VIA.
Wind Studios Wind X98 - Performance and Typing Test
The Wind X98 Chamfered Edges edition is a fantastic keyboard for both work and gaming. This is especially true if you’re an MMORPG player like us since you’ll have a full Numpad and function row available for keymaps. The four keys separating the main keyset and the numpad are also perfect for mapping your most used skills or abilities.
The actual typing experience will vary depending on how you’ve built it, but it’s safe to say that it will be soft and cushioned. I built and rebuilt the keyboard about four times to try the different foam configurations. I settled on using the PE foam, plate foam, and PCB foam and leaving out all of the case foam to preserve flex and add a bit of body to the sound. The additional case foams aren’t necessary to prevent case ping either, though this may vary with a top mount build, which I didn’t have the opportunity to try before publishing.
The sound can vary a lot. PE foam is falling out of vogue, but I really liked it here for the additional pop and character it lent the keyboard. I don’t think it’s necessary at all for the Wind X98 to sound good, however. My second favorite configuration used only plate foam and it still sounded great, bringing out more of the natural sound of the switches rather than the PE acoustic filter.
Excuse the tiny palm rest… I’m still waiting on the full-size version to arrive.
With all of the foams built, the typing experience is firm but not stiff like integrated plates might be. The PC plate and pliable PORON foam do a good job of allowing you to tailor the experience while still making sure that it’s soft and smooth no matter what you go with.
The Wind X98 can be surprisingly flexy. In my configuration — gasket socks, plate, and PCB foam — there’s noticeable movement even when typing normally. The flex cut PCB and space in the case really lend it a per-key bounce. Because of its smaller PCB, there is more movement with the number pad, but it’s not distracting. Remove the PCB foam and both sides flex equally and a great deal. This is a keyboard that can become a trampoline if you want it to.
Switches and keycaps will also make a big difference in the keyboard’s overall sound. For the build you’ll hear below, I went with Heavy Industry thick PBT keycaps and Gateron Cap V2 Yellow switches lubed with Krytox 205g0. This configuration uses the foams described above.
As you can hear, it’s not exceptionally loud. You could easily use it in an office environment without fear of annoying your coworkers. It has a bubbly quality to it that I really enjoy and makes me eager to try it with some long-pole switches.
Final Thoughts
The Wind X98 is an excellent custom mechanical keyboard. At $370, it’s priced for keyboard enthusiasts, but it’s clear that Wind Studio really pushed to provide additional value for the cost of entry. The quality of the machining, the perfectly chamfered edges, the masses of foam, dual mounting options, intricately cut PCB, and included accessories all add value here.
Just as importantly, it’s one of very few custom mechs that come in the 1800 layout. We looked at the Cannon Keys Brutal V2 1800 last month which is similar, but the two keyboards have a dramatically different sound and feel and can co-exist as excellent options, both. The Wind X98 offers more versatility in its build experience and configuration options out of the box with fewer upsells for additional foams or accessories, and has the benefit of having three additional keys to program.
The Wind X98 Chamfered Editions edition is available now as an in-stock purchase. If you’re ready to take the leap to a full, premium custom keyboard and need something that can pull double-duty for work and gaming, this is an outstanding choice.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
