I'm not sure I've ever picked up a new keyboardand had the first thought that popped into my head be, "Wow, this thing could kill somebody." Well, that's exactly what went through my mind when I first unboxed the 4 lb, aluminum-bodied, sharp-edged Lemokey L5 HE 8K, the latest Lemokey keyboardfrom Keychron.

This latest model launches on Kickstarter on February 10. Still, I've had the chance to spend some time with this behemoth over the past few weeks, and aside from being fairly sure that I could slice through a pineapple or open a coconut with this thing, there's a lot more to talk about in Lemokeys newest magnetic keyboard.

About this review: Keychron sent me the Lemokey L5 HE 8K for the purposes of this review. The company had no input into its contents.

Pricing, availability, and specs

The availability of the Lemokey L5 HE 8K is currently restricted to the Kickstarter campaign for the model. It's unclear at this point why Keychron has chosen to run a Kickstarter instead of just releasing the product, but that will be the keyboard's only initial point of sale. It will retail for a starting price of $200, with more expensive packages including additional accessories like a palm rest and carrying case.

The L5 HE 8K features an 8K polling rate, Hall Effect magnetic switches, and customizable actuation down to 0.01mm. It's made out of a full-metal CNC-machined aluminum body and plate and sits at a somewhat raised angle, as the body does not feature adjustable feet. At the top of the keyboard is a slider for users to choose between 1,000Hz, 2,000Hz, and 8,000Hz polling rates. The keyboard ships with Cherry Profile double-shot PBT keycaps, which are interchangeable with others sold by Keychron. The keyboard is controlled via a web-based launcher.

What's good about the Lemokey L5 HE 8K

Outstanding build quality

The Lemokey L5 HE 8K is, without a doubt, the most structurally sound keyboard I've ever had the pleasure of testing. This thing feels like I could use it as a hammer if I couldn't find the real thing. Its CNC-machined aluminum body and aluminum plate lend the keyboard some serious heft, rigidity, and longevity.

An absolute joy for productivity

It should go without saying that a great work keyboard does not always make for a great gaming keyboard, as the feel and focus are much different in office-only designs. It follows that many gaming-specific keyboards are not the friendliest for work tasks, as deep travel distances and overly sensitive actuation points make type-heavy work more difficult.

The Lemokey strikes a balance here and is an absolute joy to both game and work with. Customizable actuation points allowed me to create a less sensitive profile for writing and working while building a more sensitive one with rapid trigger enabled for gaming. Soft keystrokes limit noise, and hall effect switches feel precise and responsive.

Tinkering potential

This wouldn't be a Keychron keyboard without swappable keycaps, and the L5 HE 8K will be compatible with all of Keychron's Cherry Profile keycap sets. Since this is a Hall-effect magnetic switch model, we aren't yet sure if Keychron will have different switches compatible with the L5 HE 8K.

What's bad about the Lemokey L5 HE 8K

Not offline friendly

Connected consoles, connected TVs, now connected keyboards. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, and I, on principle, detest when a product I have purchased outright loses a huge portion of its functionality should I find myself without an internet connection. The Lemokey L5 HE 8K is controlled via the company’s web app, called the Lemokey Launcher. Here, users can set lighting profiles, create macros, customize actuation points, remap keys, and much more. Unfortunately, though, the launcher is entirely web-based, with no option to download a desktop version.

This means that if, for some reason, I lose the internet at home or want to take it with me to use on a PC without the internet, I'll be completely unable to change any of its settings. I understand fully that scenarios like these are rare and borderline improbable, but it's the principle of the thing. Let me customize my product offline. For a partial workaround, the keyboard is compatible with QMK and VIA.

Sparse on hardware features

For $200, I take it Keychron expects me to buy into its ecosystem, its catalog of keycaps, and the admittedly top-tier build quality of the L5 HE 8K. Perhaps I can assume that the feature Keychron hopes will catch the consumer’s eye is inherent in the model name — the 8K polling rate.

This remains something of a marketing-only spec, as the average gamer remains unaffected by whether their keyboard communicates with their PC 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, or 8,000 times per second. While even the smallest reduction in latency may prove advantageous for professional competitive FPS players, it's all but lost on the rest of us.

From a software perspective, this keyboard is jam-packed with features. On top of its customizable actuation points and rapid trigger, the Lemokey also supports dynamic keystrokes (4-in-1 action keys), last keystroke prioritization in the form of "Snap Click" (similar to Razer Snap Tap or Wooting Rappy Snappy), and an analog joystick mode that allows variable actuation to act as a sort of built-in joystick.

What I would have liked to see for the price is any feature that speaks more to the wider customer base, such as wireless connectivity, USB passthrough, or even media controls. While it's fair to point out that the L5 HE 8K is a 75% configuration keyboard, I've seen more done with less.

Should you buy it?

The Lemokey L5 HE 8K excels where Lemokey often does—in build quality, the potential for user self-expression, and rock-solid durability and reliability. It's not very flashy and

doesn't insist upon itself with a bevy of extra hardware features. Lemokey has simply made an extremely functional gaming and work keyboard that will last a lifetime if properly cared for. The L5 HE 8K is available now on Kickstarter.

You should buy the Lemokey L5 HE 8K if:

• You want a customizable keyboard that could knock out an intruder
• You value build quality and reliability over bells and whistles

You should NOT buy the Lemokey L5 HE 8K if:

• You prefer features and extras over build quality
• You prefer mechanical keyboards