Keychron C3P-A1 Gaming Keyboard

This mechanical keyboard is fantastic for the price! I had a Logitech G413 that was starting to jitter and repeat keypresses and I needed a decent replacement at a cheap price until I could get around to cleaning the contacts on my G413 switches. This keyboard turned out to be perfect for that. I love it so much more than the G413 and I paid nearly 3 times as much for that keyboard when I first bought it! Got it same-day delivery as well, thanks Amazon! I bought the Red Switch version (doesn't refer to the color of the keyboard, but the kind of switches the keys have; all models are black and red keycaps). The red switch version is supposed to be the quieter version compared to the brown. I don't have the brown switch version to compare to so I can't speak for it, but if you prefer your keys have more of a "clickty-clack" sound and that they require a bit more pressure to push, then you should buy the brown switch version, so I'm told. I like the Red Switch version a lot and it's supposed to be quieter, but I will admit that the keys are super easy to press which makes accidental presses more likely. Probably makes typing a bit faster though. The switches in the keyboard are not hot-swappable (board is fully soldered), but there should be no surprise there, given the price. The keycaps are fine, the (only) red backlighting looks nice, and the build quality feels great. The backlighting has 14 different modes you can toggle, using Fn+Q or Fn+PauseBreak keys, or you can turn the back light off entirely with Fn+TAB. I did get the VIA software working with this keyboard, but it does take extra work. This model keyboard hasn't been merged into VIA upstream yet, so you have to turn the "Design" tab on in VIA settings, download a json file from KeyChron's website, and load that into the VIA software in the Design tab on your browser tab. Once I did that, the keyboard was fully programmable. I programmed the right-hand side of the keyboard to function as a num-pad when layer 3 is on (which was nice because this keyboard is TKL, meaning no num-pad). Keyboard Layers 0 and 1 are for Mac and Layers 2 and 3 are for windows. VIA takes some getting used to as I hadn't used it before, but after some experimenting, it worked and I was able to program macros, swap caps-lock for the control key, do the num-pad programming I mentioned, etc. I did get myself stuck one time and some Googling showed me that the keyboard could be reset by holding ESC down while plugging the keyboard in, releasing ESC, and unplugging and replugging the keyboard. That reset all of my keys to defaults. The manual also mentions using Fn+J+Z to reset, but I haven't tried that myself. Having so much programmability in the keyboard is great! I just wish there were more indicators, like something which showed which layer was currently active. You can make your keyboard pretty unusable if you're not careful with the programming, so for novices it's probably best to watch a few YouTube videos. Of course, the programmability is completely optional. You can simply use it stock if you prefer. For the price, it's practically impossible to go wrong, as the cost of so-called midrange mechanical keyboards is 3-4x the price of this. It's worth getting just to have a backup mechanical keyboard around the house. I think it's better than my G413 and that keyboard still goes for more than $90 last I checked!

This keyboard is fantastic. It's my first mechanical keyboard and I couldn't be happier with it. I spend hours scrolling and looking for the perfect one, and it's this one. I have a black and red theme going on in my life, so that's a plus. But what's awesome is the backlight. I wanted a keyboard purely for functionality and this delivers that (with added style points due to the red space bar, esc, and enter.) I am sensitive to light and I have my whole house on lockdown at night with purely red light to minimize the disruption of night vision. Red backlight is all I really need, and it's all this keyboard has. This keyboard was made for me. It's not for everybody, but it is, squarely, for me. The software is intuitive and easy to use and connect to. I am on MacOS. I was bummed the keyboard didn't have a number pad at first until I realized that I never used any of the buttons above the arrow keys ever, and that I could fashion my own number pad by hacking the keyboard with Keychron Launcher. Now I have the function keys functioning as a number pad on the right, along with many other tweaks to the keycap layout and key binding that make my day to day life smoother. The sound of the keys is awesome. I used membrane my whole life and I didn't even know it. I knew nothing about keyboards before getting this. I got the red switch version because not getting red with the red theme felt wrong. They were super weird at first but now I can't go without them. They're super smooth, and they don't have much resistance. The keyboard begs you to type faster. It isn't satisfied. It is never satisfied. No matter how fast you type, it won't be fast enough. The keyboard is a taskmaster. It wants more and more and more from you. It breathes red light, red fire. It is frustrated, it is angry, like a dragon. It wants you to type faster. That's not fast enough. You'd better not make any mistakes. So yeah that's how this keyboard feels to type on and a taste of its personality. I have a GravaStar keyboard when I want to be more laid back but when all that matters is raw speed and performance, the C3 Pro is my go to. Also a note on the switches for those new to Mechanical Keyboard World. They're really cool though it may take you a while to appreciate the difference from membrane or cheap keyboards. These press down very smoothly and vividly and when they hit the floor, they stop. That's something I noticed last night, how hard the floor of the keyboard is. Once a key is pressed, it is on the ground. Bedrock, there's no flex. It's awesome. Subtle but really nice. Oh and in the video I'm pressing the keys hard at first to exaggerate the sound but then I show the keys actually activate before the cap hits the floor so the keyboard can also be used much more gently and quietly. Like I said though, this thing is speed demon and it will start to complain if you're too gentle with it. It doesn't want to be abused, but it wants to be at its limit at all times, constantly pressing that limit harder and harder until the limit is demolished. It kind of looks like the hot coals, the embers under a fireplace smoldering. It is the spirit of rage in a keyboard. If you have rage inside and you channel it through this keyboard, this keyboard will be very very happy with you.

I’m very happy with the keyboard for the price. The quality is fine for being all plastic. The keycaps are simple and effective. The cable is very simple and has plenty of ways to route it under the keyboard itself. The main downside is the feeling of some of the keys. Mainly the shift key and space bar have a weird squishy feeling to it occasionally. All the other keys are very smooth and responsive. This is easily the best keyboard for the money.

This keyboard has a good blend of customization, performance, and premium features usually found in pricier mechanical keyboards. I find it very good value for the money. Pros: – QMK/VIA support allows for full key remapping and macro creation, truly personalizing your experience. – Keys feel good. The gasket mount design and sound-absorbing foam provide a soft and quiet typing experience. – 1000 Hz polling rate and NKRO ensure good low-latency performance, great for gaming. – Works with Windows, macOS, and Linux. – Great features at a very competitive price point. Cons: – Lacks wireless connectivity, but I prefer wired so not an issue for me. – Backlight is red, not RGB (which I don't like anyways) – ABS keycaps vs PBT. Overall, if you're looking for a highly customizable, high-performing wired mechanical keyboard with a premium typing feel without breaking the bank, this one is a solid choice. I would highly recommend it.

Great keyboard, up for debate but this is likely the best bang for your buck keyboard you can get. But mostly cause I bought this on Black Friday when it was like only $20. But yeah as my first mechanically keyboard that I’ve been eyeing for years or easily since 2023 when it initially came out, I can tell this is money well spent, now I thought I’d need the 100yds but after some hard time practice cubing and using the top row numbers I don’t think I need it, but when I did buy a budget KBD just recently (only membrane) it did feel like being able to do number passwords and other stuff where the use case was to use strictly numbers or calculations easily. So to save money I’ll likely just get the Lemokey X2 sometime in the future and modify if I want, or maybe get the bigger brother of this the C2 Pro. But yeah great clacky sound, a TON of light modes, like 10 settings of brightness and like 15 different animations go crazy, and I like how you don’t have to keep the accent keys on there’s since I personally don’t really like the color red if it’s just in a random couple spots. But hey yeah also confused why it’s comes with a key cap and *switch* puller when it’s not hotswap, but hey I’m planning to desolder the switches and lube the reds and test it with my temu switches the Drineky Light Blue ones cause those actually are dust resistant and hella cheap so I’ll see if they’ll stand up to the test if Keychron Pro Red switches. Plus I love me a wired keyboard or just wired anything cause wireless can be super unreliable sometimes despite what my haters say at school judging me for my like 6 wires coming out of my computer (yeah I also own a usb set with 4 input things that I plug into one of the usb ports into my laptop so yeah. But yeah with Keychron probably being a multi million dollar company I’d say they have a reputable brand reputation so if there was anything I didn’t like about this I would just be confused and not angry. Plus I love me some red switches cause I tested out switches at Best Buy with the Logitech MX master pro and my friend from college is is friends with Hipyo Tech and I found out I love Linear switches the best, and while Red may not be the best, it is the most common and likely with some extra lube I can make the keyboard sound and feel a good amount better.

This is the typing test and initial review/remarks for the Keychron C3 Pro mechanical keyboard. It is a wired TKL-layout keyboard with sturdy plastic construction, having a good heft to it and absolutely no board flex at all. The case design is simple but elegant, not especially noteworthy in any regard but perfectly adequate. So far the key feel is quite nice, although I'm not sure what switches these are. Keychron markets this model as having "Red" switches, but what precisely this implies is unknown to me, as it's not clarified if that means MX Red, some proprietary "Keychron Red" switch, or something more esoteric. The switches are linear with no click or tactile bump, and while they're very smooth and pleasantly clack at bottom-out, they're far too sensitive; the switch triggers almost immediately, which when combined with the (admittedly pleasantly) light key weighting, results in it occasionally registering false-positive key presses just from the weight of my fingers, most notably the space bar. This also makes it far less forgiving of fat-fingering the sides of other keys from an off-center keystroke. The stabilizers on the longer keys are absolutely excellent, though. No sticking or dragging, no extra friction at all. So far, despite the significant increase in typing errors, my WPM is actually much higher. This is likely due to a much lower resistance and thus less typing fatigue, but I think a lot of it is also psychosomatic. My brain just likes key go brrrrr, I suppose. The backlight being locked to red on this model is a bit sad, as full RGB LEDs are probably only a few cents more expensive to include on a mass-production product like this, but I can tolerate the red, even if it's a bit basic (and perhaps, to some, a little distasteful). Overall, I'm exctatic about this board. Despite the glaring sensitivity problems with the switches, typing is absolutely a dream, and while I mourn the loss of my precious numpad, I can tolerate the TKL layout for now if this is the typing experience I'm getting.

I finally found a keyboard I like. This one is nice and bright when it's plugged in. It good for gaming and typing without all the bell and whistles of the more expensive keyboards. I like the feel and sound of the keys as I'm typing this now. It's plenty responsive for my gaming needs. I tried 2 other keyboards that just didn't meet my needs. I had a Logitech Mini that I paid $100 for after the other expensive Logitech I had broke a key that could not be repaired. I kept knocking out the Bluetooth when gaming in the middle of the game. So I decided to go old school with a wired device. Works great for me. I recommend it if you're interested in a less expensive keyboard that feels expensive too me.

Everything ok. I play strategy games like Dota 2 and etc. When I doubleclick buttons to use skills own hero sometimes it is not working. I must do 2nd time doubleclick. Otherwise it is good as a budget mechanical keyboard