Keychron launches Carbon 60 HE 8K, a 60% keyboard with carbon fiber shell and keys

Keychron has put up for sale the Carbon 60 HE 8Ka compact gaming keyboard that uses carbon fiber in both the case and the keys and the plate that holds the switches. The manufacturer sets its price at $234.99 in the international store (about 209 euros). The official file allows you to process the order, although it also marks the unit as pending availability; There is no specific price for Spain.

The name summarizes two technical features– 60% distribution and up to 8,000 Hz polling rate via USB-C cable. The format takes up less space on the table, but dispenses with a dedicated function row, numeric keypad and navigation block. These commands are executed using layers of keys or configurable mappings, a common solution at this size that requires some getting used to if using many shortcut keys.

Carbon fiber on case, plate and keys

Keychron states that the shell contains approximately 60% carbon fiber within a composite material. The figure describes the composition of the shell, not the percentage of the entire keyboard. The brand attributes to this construction a bending rigidity ten times greater than that of conventional plastic. It is a manufacturer comparison; This is not the same as saying that the entire keyboard is ten times more resistant to any impact.

The inner plate and keys are also made with carbon fiber composites. The keys follow the Cherry profile and place their legends on the side facing the user, so that the texture is visible on the upper part. The absence of transparent characters on the top face changes the appearance of RGB lighting: the light is perceived around the keysbut the legends don’t work like those on a set of translucent keys.

He declared weight is 740 gramswith a tolerance of three grams, and the surface measures 291.18 × 107.68mm. The front height without keys is 20.12 mm and the rear height is 28.64 mm. These measurements allow you to assess how much space it occupies and whether it is advisable to use a wrist rest, something that will depend on the posture of each user.

Magnetic switches and configurable travel

The Carbon 60 HE 8K includes Keychron Ultra-Fast Lime Hall Effect Switches. The trigger point can be adjusted between 0.1 and 3.5 mm, in steps of 0.005 mm. This allows you to decide if a key responds to a very short press or needs a longer stroke. The sensitivity of the adjustment does not mean that each player will notice differences of five thousandths of a millimeter in a game.

The keyboard Supports Rapid Trigger to activate and deactivate a key according to your movementwithout always waiting for a fixed point on the route. It also incorporates analog input, SOCD and the possibility of assigning several actions to the same key in different parts of the press. These are functions that are configured from Keychron Launcher, along with layout, macros, and lighting.

The Polling rate offers 1000, 4000 and 8000 Hz options. The 8,000 Hz indicates how many times per second it can communicate its status to the computer; They are not a measure of total latency nor do they guarantee a noticeable improvement across all games and devices. The manufacturer indicates compatibility with Windows, macOS and Linux for the keyboard, although some configuration functions may depend on the browser and the system used.

The switches are interchangeable without soldering, but the chip limits compatibility to Keychron’s Ultra-Fast Lime. Do not assume that any magnetic switch from another manufacturer will work. The plate includes acoustic foam and a PET sheet, components intended to modify the sound of the keystroke, not to turn it into a silent keyboard.

Keychron announces a price of $234.99 (approximately 209 euros) in its international store. When consulting the file, the model appears as pending replacement even though the page allows you to start the order. There is no final amount in euros confirmed for this reference in the information consulted, nor is there a delivery date for Spain.