Epomaker G84 HE Review: Gaming With Style

While most of the time I’m here to cover retro-style tech or modern-style gaming controllers, sometimes it’s worth changing things up and going for something that merges what I usually look at. Combining mechanical switches with hall effect triggers gives the basis for the Epomaker G84 HE, hall effect switches.

Combine that with a 75% layout, proper stabilizer tuning, and a boatload of RGB, and you might have a cheaper keyboard that can compete with the high-end gaming boards. Or at least those expensive Wooting keyboards.

Epomaker G84 HE Specs

At a price of $85, you’re getting a pretty complete setup for a budget keyboard. From tri-mode wireless to hall-effect switches. But that’s just the tagline, do the extras make it worth it too?

Switches: Epomaker Duskrise Magnetic: Pre-Lubed Linears, 55g Bottom Out Force, 3.3mm Travel (Adjustable with Software)
Layout: 75% with 84 Keys
Battery: 8,000mAh (2x 4,000mAh Batteries)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz, USB-C Wired
Compatibility: x86, macOS, Android
Polling Rate: 125hz in Bluetooth, 8,000Hz in 2.4ghz and Wired
Additional Features: RGB, Adjustable Switch Actuation, Epomaker Driver 3.0, Gasket Mounted
Dimensions: 348x145x42mm
Weight: ~1kg

Epomaker G84 HE | Direct Epomaker G84 HE | Amazon

The Board Itself

Layout & Ergonomics

A lot with keyboards come out to be a personal preference statement, so the plan is to just cover what you can see on a normal basis. The layout of the G84 HE is a slightly extended 75%. That means, while it isn’t as large as a standard ten-keyless keyboard, it’s not quite as small as a compact 75%. The arrows are spaced out from the main section of the board to allow for two rows of function buttons, including the “End” key, that I don’t think I’ll ever use.

As for ergonomics, the board is raised up a good bit to make room for the underglow RGB, and it offers 2-stage height-adjustable feet. The issue for me comes from trying to use a wrist rest with it. Rather than a straight front, it has a slant in the plastic, which means my wrist rest ends up being set a bit back. Not the end of the world, but a bit weird, and a necessity for my caveman typing abilities.

The Build & Design

The board is entirely plastic, but in a good way. It feels sturdy in use, and while it has a bit of flex if you’re going to torque it like a weirdo, it’s nothing terrible. The design itself is almost as good as it can get. RGB that can be turned off leaves a tastefully designed board with the Epomaker badge on the left, adding a flair of color.

The keycap colorway, though, is a bit questionable to me. The gray to blue gradient isn’t my favorite, and in most setups it probably won’t match. So be prepared to replace them as needed. I mostly use White on Black keycaps on my current daily driver, the Rainy75 Pro.

The Switches

Talking about the switches themselves, they feel fine on their own. Despite being someone who prefers tactile switches, these have enough force required that they still feel good, and I don’t find myself accidentally actuating the keys. Unless, of course, I use the Epomaker software to turn their actuation level way down. The hall-effect nature of the switches allows you to use them just by barely pressing into the keys if you want to.

Perfect for quick reactions in some games, I found myself accidentally pressing keys more often than not. This is something that will need more of an adjustment to get used to, but a couple of weeks of regular use have not gotten me acquainted with the feeling.

And a quick note, but they may be hot swappable switches, but not with traditional mechanical switches. Only alternative hall effects, so keep that in mind if you choose to get it.

Sound & Experience

When it comes to keyboards, one of the things that I look for is the sound and feel when typing. As with every keyboard review I’ve posted on the RH website, I’ve typed out the entire review on that board specifically to help with a general user experience as well.

Unlike the RT82, which had switches that were naturally a bit too light for me, these are heavy enough that I’ve had no issues with errors. My best monkeytype score with this board was 100 words per minute with 100% accuracy, which I don’t normally receive.

As for sound, it has a poppier sound to it. The keys with stabilizers have had their keys properly lubricated and don’t rattle, at least during my time with them. The one thing that I did notice, and this seems to be an issue with hall-effect switches from the research I’ve done is that switches do have a bit of a scratch to them, and while it doesn’t impact the use, it isn’t something present on most of my recent mechanical boards aside from the Fantech Air 83 I reviewed a while ago.

Software

While I praised Epomaker for using web software and already making open-source software for the recently reviewed RT82, I do have to take a step back and comment on their choice here. A downloaded piece of software for the G84 HE that feels a bit awkward to use, comes defaulted in Chinese, but is somehow pretty necessary.

Some boards on the market already use web software to set the actuation distance of their keys, but in this case, Epomaker might just need to keep things local to make their board work. It’s not ideal, it’s not my favorite, but they do manage to get everything necessary into one piece of software, and once set, you can forget about it. Just know I had to plug my board in just to get it working properly.

Final Thoughts

Out of the keyboards I’ve collected over the years, this is what I’d describe as the most “gamer” keyboard. The performance is there, the compatibility and connectivity are there, and the features you want in a keyboard all manage to land there as well.

The hall-effect function, while not for someone like me, will be super useful across games where reaction time is key. Maybe if I weren’t so heavy-handed with my keyboards, this would be a better experience for me. If you’re looking for a hall-effect board at this size, you should definitely take a look at the G84 HE.

There are cheaper options, yes, but I think this offers a pretty complete package.