Epomaker Galaxy 100 Lite Review High Quality Aluminum Gasket Mounted Keyboard with Thocky Sound VIA Customization and Efficient 96 Percent Layout at a Great Price
Finding a mechanical keyboard that brings together good materials, a pleasing sound, and a decent price often feels impossible. Usually, getting a full metal, gasket mounted keyboard with a number pad means spending a lot of money. But Epomaker is now offering the Galaxy 100 Lite, a board priced around $100 that promises an enthusiast level experience without draining your wallet.
Price and Availability
The Epomaker TH80 V2 is available worldwide and on Amazon and company website for $109.99
Table of Contents
Technical Specifications
- Layout: 1800 96% ANSI
- Keys: 100 + Knob
- Connectivity: Wired, 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery: 8000mAh
- Case: CNC Aluminum Alloy
- Mount: Gasket-Mount
- Plate: PP Plate
- Switches: 5-pin Pre-Lubed Linear
- Hot-Swap: Yes (3/5-pin)
- Keycaps: Cherry Profile PBT Dye-Sub
- RGB: South-facing Per-Key RGB
- Polling Rate: 1000Hz (USB/2.4GHz)
- Latency: 2.81ms (USB)
- Weight: 1.66kg
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| What's in box |
After week of using it for typing, gaming, and adjusting settings, I have covered everything important about this compact, powerful keyboard to see if it really lives up to its reputation.
Design and Build Quality Surprisingly Heavy
Despite the "Lite" in its name, this keyboard is anything but light. Weighing roughly 1.66 kilograms (about 3.6 pounds), its CNC aluminum alloy case is built like a tank. It stays firmly on your desk, supported by thick rubber feet that prevent any sliding during intense typing sessions.
For its look, you can choose between subtle and vibrant options. There is a sleek, dark black to grey gradient, or a warmer white to yellow gradient with pastel blue touches (which might remind you of vanilla ice cream or a cupcake). On the back, a neat glass badge adds a modern touch, and a physical toggle switch makes it easy to change between connection modes.
Layout and Keycaps
The Galaxy 100 Lite uses a 96% (or 1800 compact) layout. This is a big plus for anyone working with spreadsheets or doing data entry, as it keeps the dedicated number pad while compacting the navigation keys to save valuable desk space. You will miss a few seldom used keys compared to a standard 104 key board, but the space you gain is a worthwhile exchange.
The switches are topped with thick, dye sublimated PBT keycaps, shaped in the popular Cherry profile. These keycaps have a gentle texture, resist getting shiny from daily use, and come with optional replacement keys for Mac users. In the top right corner, Epomaker has included a tactile, clickable metal rotary knob, which is a very handy control for volume and media.
The Typing Experience A Factory Tuned "Thock"
The best part of the Galaxy 100 Lite is definitely how it sounds and feels to type on. Right out of the box, it sounds incredibly polished. This comes from its gasket mounted structure, along with a flex cut polycarbonate plate and a 1.2mm flex cut PCB. The result is a slightly cushioned feel when typing, which helps reduce fatigue.
Epomaker made sure to include plenty of internal sound dampening, filling the board with five distinct layers of materials like PORON, IXPE, and a PET enhancement pad. This effectively stops hollow case pinging and stabilizer rattle.
Buyers usually have two pre lubed linear switch choices: the lighter Feker Marble Whites (which actuate around 42g) or the Epomaker Wisteria V2s (closer to 45g with a 62g bottom out). Both options deliver a deep, quiet, and very satisfying "thocky" sound.
Software and Deep Customization
For people serious about keyboards, software support is an important part of the overall experience. Fortunately, the Galaxy 100 Lite supports full QMK and VIA. By loading a simple JSON file into the VIA web application, users can easily reassign keys, create complex macros, and change what the rotary knob does.
The board has south facing RGB LEDs. Since the PBT keycaps are opaque (they do not let light shine through), the lighting acts as an elegant, subtle glow underneath, rather than a bright, aggressive light show. VIA lets you customize these lighting effects easily, though you can also switch through many pre set animations using the keyboard's Function (Fn) key shortcuts.
Connectivity Battery and Gaming Performance
You will find it is very versatile. The Galaxy 100 Lite connects three ways: you can plug it in with a USB C cable, use the included dongle for 2.4GHz wireless, or connect wirelessly with Bluetooth 5.0, which lets you pair up to three different devices.
Its battery life is amazing because it has a huge 8,000 mAh dual battery system. You will get about 39 hours of constant use with the RGB lights on full brightness. If you turn the backlighting off, it can last an incredible 300+ hours.
When you are gaming, both the wired and 2.4GHz connections give you a 1000Hz polling rate. With delays between 2.8ms and 5ms, it is great for casual gaming and even for mid level competitive play. There is one catch with Bluetooth, though: when the keyboard goes to sleep to save power, it can take a frustrating few seconds to wake up, reconnect, and register your typing. For smooth work or gaming, I highly suggest using the 2.4GHz dongle or simply plugging it in.
Transparency: The product was provided to us By Epomaker for review purposes, however, our review follows our standard testing methodology and remains fully independent and unbiased.
