The Low-Profile Chilkey ND75 LP is a Top-Tier Gaming Keyboard for Less

Usually the words affordable and enthusiast don't go together, but that's exactly the case with the Chilkey ND75 LP (low-profile) gaming keyboard. It brings all of the features from the boutique custom keyboard scene together for a reasonable $99 price point – a full aluminum case that’s designed to be opened and modded, luxuriously smooth and surprisingly deep hot-swappable mechanical switches, layers of sound dampening foam, tri-mode wireless, and a compact layout that’s just right for gaming. Not only is the compact gaming keyboard to beat, but it's one of the best keyboards you can get for the money.

Chilkey ND75 LP – Design and Features

Chilkey may not be a brand you've heard of before, but it's been around for a little while and already begun to make a name for itself. The company is a spin-off from the custom mechanical keyboard scene and brings some of the unique features from that space to its catalog at more affordable price points. There have been a number of companies trying to do the same, but thus far, I have been very impressed with what Chilkey has delivered, and that's definitely the case with the ND75 LP.

As the name implies, the ND75 LP is a low-profile mechanical keyboard. It doesn't have quite the same slim footprint as something like the Nuphy Air 60HE, and it doesn't use magnetic switches. However, compared to a full-height keyboard, like the original ND75, it's much slimmer. It also uses low-profile switches and keycaps, lending it a 9.5mm (0.37”) front height and a 26.6mm (1.05”) back height for a comfortable 6.5-degree typing angle.

Low-profile gaming keyboards aren't exactly common, though there are some heavy hitters out there, like the Logitech G915 Lightspeed and Corsair K70 Air Wireless. Having used both of those keyboards extensively, I can say with confidence that the ND75 LP is in a class of its own. It is essentially a custom keyboard with all the qualities you’d expect but in a low-profile form factor, which is something even more rare than low-profile gaming keyboards.

The keyboard uses a customized version of the 75% layout, sometimes known as a compact TKL. This means that it has arrow keys and a function row, but that it also has a selection of navigation and editing keys. Typically, these would be in a single column on the right. However, here, Chilkey has added an LCD screen for easy onboard configuration. So you have two keys in a column above it and two more in a row along the top just to the right of the function row. It's a very functional layout that balances compactness for gaming with functionality for work and use as a normal daily driver.

The first thing you are likely to notice is its aluminum case. Steel and aluminum top plates are nothing special in the world of gaming keyboards; however, the entire case of the ND75 LP is made of solid aluminum. Additionally, there’s a heavy weight set into the back that gives it an impressive heft. It's engraved with a cool brushed spiral pattern that catches light and adds a textured look. Given all of that, it weighs in at just shy of four pounds.

This kind of design is core to what Chilkey seems to be after. It has released two other keyboards at this point, including the original ND75 as well as the ND TKL. I've tested both of these, and the ND TKL, in particular, is frankly excellent and costs just about the same as the ND75 LP. Like it’s counterparts the ND75 LP has multiple color options with unique accents (I have the “Silver” color scheme here) and as you'll read about soon, an internal design that is fitted to an enthusiast's standard for sound, feel, and performance.

If you're not already in the world of custom mechanical keyboards, then the idea of fancy rear weights probably doesn't make much sense. After all, you'll barely ever see it, so why would anyone pay extra for it? It’s a fair point, but it’s also one of the touches that the enthusiast community has made a staple for many years. That extra weight also serves a practical purpose. Not only does the weight keep the keyboard stable on your desk, but it also impacts the sound signature and removes some of the hollowness and reverberation that might otherwise occur. And make no mistake, sound and feel are just as important to this keyboard as its responsiveness in gaming.

To that end, Chilkey has given a lot of consideration to the construction of this keyboard. The keycaps, for example, are made of double-shot PBT plastic. This is a denser plastic than ABS, which is typically used for gaming keycaps, and is more resistant to shining over time. I have personally used several PBT keycap sets over the course of years and they still look just as good as the day I installed them. Since it uses a separate piece of plastic for the legend, you'll also never have to worry about those chipping or fading over time. They enhance sound too, as the denser plastic creates a deep sound signature when typing quickly.

Beneath those keycaps, you'll find some of the best linear switches I've tested so far on a low-profile keyboard. Chilkey calls these Aster switches. They're made of POM plastic, which is soft and has a low friction coefficient for smooth travel, but they’re also pre-lubricated to enhance that even further. The travel distance is especially deep, coming in at 3mm. Compared to a full-height keyboard switch, which is typically 3.5 to 4mm, the typing experience is much more familiar and easier to adapt to if you're coming from a full-size keyboard compared to chiclet keys, scissor switches, or even Cherry’s new ultra-low profile mechanical switches. Full POM switches also have a unique sound that is perceptibly smoother than normal Cherry MX switches.

The keyboard supports hot-swapping these switches too, so if you have another that you're a fan of or want to change things up over time, or should you ever need to repair a switch due to an inopportune spill, you can do that much more easily than a keyboard with soldered switches.There's customizable per-key RGB backlighting behind each switch, too, which can be configured on the keyboard itself if you want to cycle through its animations and adjust brightness or set up through Chilkey's online configuration tool. It’s not very bright, though, and the keys aren’t backlit to help with typing in the dark.

Internally, you can see its custom keyboard inspirations worn on its sleeve. It uses a flexible FR4 plate, the same material that circuit boards are made out of, to mount the switches. The stabilizers come pre-lubed so the larger keys don't rattle out of the box. There are also multiple layers of sound dampening and sound enhancing foam.

Each layer of foam accomplishes a different job and is applied to deliver the final sound and feel you'll experience with the keyboard. It breaks down as follows:

• PORON Plate Foam: This layer of foam exists below the plate and surrounds the switches. Its job is to isolate the sound of the switches and stop sound waves from traveling through the hollow spaces below the plate and into the case. It “cleans” the sound.
• PORON Switch Foam/PET Acoustic Pad: These two layers work in tandem and are placed on top of the circuit board below the switches. They act as an acoustic filter to make the switches sound more crisp and allows them to offer a more defined pop when typing.
• PORON Case Foam: PORON case foam is used to remove hollowness from the case. It also acts as a filter for any sound that makes its way through the PCB and cuts out more high frequencies.
• PET Case Pad: Finally, this plastic sheet exists on the very bottom of the case. I’m not entirely sure how effective it is at impacting the sound, but ultimately, its most important purpose is to serve as ESD protection should you remove the case foam.

All of this is attached to the case using a unique form of gasket mounting that uses small silica gel tabs that slot into the sides of the plate. Rather than have the assembly screw into the top or bottom of the case like most keyboards, this mounting system squeezes these gel tabs between both halves of the case, acting as a final layer of sound isolation. With these, very few vibrations will make their way into the aluminum material of the case and also allows the typing experience to feel softer under the fingers.

Designed by enthusiasts, Chilkey expects that you'll open this keyboard and try it in different configurations. To that end, it uses an entirely tool-less assembly. The top case is held to the bottom case by strong magnets and can simply be pulled off. However, you don't need to worry about the top case popping off by accident. It's very strong, and you can hold the entire keyboard just by the top case in confidence. Just beware when you do open it, however, as the screen is attached with a ribbon cable and can get disconnected if pulled too roughly.

Screens on keyboards have been a bit of a fad for the last year or so. It serves a purpose, however. By default, it shows the date, time, and the current battery level of the keyboard, as well as its different indicators for caps lock, number lock, OS mode, and connectivity mode.You can also use it to access the menu and change the keyboard's lighting or, with the browser-based software, upload your own customized GIFs.

The online configurator, available here, also allows you to remap keys, record and assign macros, and adjust the keyboard's backlighting. It works, but it pales in comparison to the likes of Razer Synapse and Corsair iCUE, so, you should lower your expectations for polish. Remapping the keyboard's lighting in particular is especially limited. I have to applaud the fact that you don't have to download anything to use it, however. So many smaller brands force you to download tools that often need to connect to the internet, whereas this one dials right into the keyboard and your changes are saved immediately.

If it wasn't already apparent, customization is core to the experience, making this keyboard uniquely your own.. To that end, the company is offering six different colors, each with unique keycap sets. Currently, it can be ordered in a creamy milk tea color, silver, pure white, jet black, baby blue, and lavender. Milk Tea, Pure White, and Baby Blue are each coated using a durable painting process and come at a slightly higher cost.

On its website, Chilkey offers these for $105, while the other colors, using anodized metal, are only $99. Interestingly, purchasing any of these on Amazon is more expensive and they all cost the same at $139.99. Typically, this difference would be accounted for with shipping costs. However, here, even if you order it from Chilkey's website, you can still receive it within three to five business days via Amazon Standard shipping or slightly faster with Amazon Expedited at $15 and $18 respectively. Knowing that the company is based outside of the United States, I had expected this to be significantly longer. As long as you don't mind giving up two-day Prime shipping, ordering directly from the website is an easy way to save $20 to $30.

No matter which you choose, you'll be able to enjoy tri-mode wireless connectivity. It's able to connect to up to three different devices over Bluetooth 5.3 or one device using its 2.4GHz dongle. It's also able to connect using a standard USB cable. Over USB and 2.4GHz, the keyboard will connect with a 1000Hz polling rate for 1ms of input latency. Over Bluetooth, that's significantly less as the protocol limits polling to 125Hz or 8ms. It’s perfectly fine for productivity, but I would definitely use the dongle for anything more than casual gaming.

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