Have you ever picked up a keyboard and felt like it could do some serious damage? The Lemokey L5 HE 8K, built with a fully metal frame, is probably the most dangerous keyboard I’ve ever wielded. That’s part of the design philosophy behind Keychron’s gaming-centric line of PC peripherals. Like much of its catalog, it’s laser-targeted at enthusiasts focusing on build quality and pure performance, even if that means shaving off some of the quality-of-life features you tend to see on the best gaming keyboards in its price range. Still, there’s a nice level of customization found here, so if you’re a tinkerer who doesn’t necessarily like flashy keyboards, Lemokey’s L5 HE 8K is a tenkeyless option worth paying attention to, especially if you’re looking to upgrade to Hall Effect magnetic switches.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Design and Features
The first thing that jumped out at me was just how hefty this thing is – coming in at about 4.2 pounds (1,900g), it’s the heaviest keyboard I’ve used thus far. It’s built like a tank with fully metal chassis and several layers that make up its strong and durable frame. This is a large part of its personality because it otherwise sports a very straightforward design – no gaudy branding or extraneous parts sticking out (which can be cool sometimes, like the Nuphy Field75).
Its clean aesthetic is complemented by small but noticeable accents on a rather reserved 75% tenkeyless design. I received the cream/off-white color scheme that comes with gold trimming around the volume knob and a few gold keycaps, and minimalist approach definitely grew on me. The loudest part is the sharp metallic prism that makes up part of the bottom of the frame. It’s lined with an RGB strip that wraps around, but it doesn’t stand out in an uncharacteristic way. While there is RGB backlighting for the keys, it’s fairly understated given the color scheme and the solid keycaps, barely shining between the spaces between. This isn’t so much a problem as it is just me wishing it could express itself a bit more vividly.
The protruding the volume knob works on a notched dial and has a firm down-press to mute, providing a nice tactility. There’s a toggle along the top edge of the board to change profiles that you can program in the Lemokey software. And the bottom of the board has two rubberized strips to keep it in place and protect desk surfaces, which is necessary given how heavy this thing is. Otherwise, there aren’t any additional buttons or physical features, and most of the utility comes from its customizability software-side.
What you’re paying top-dollar for are those magnetic switches, and the Lemokey Lime Magnetic switches stand among the best you can find. It has a fairly light starting actuation force of 25gf and bottoms out with 48gf, but of course this will vary based on the actuation point you set for these switches. Customizing the actuation point is one of the major advantages of magnetic switches, and the Lemokey Limes can be set anywhere between 0.01mm and 3.35mm. On top of that, these switches have a smooth and clean feel which I’ve come to expect from the magnetic switch’s linear design.
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If you keep tabs on the keyboard space, you’ll notice that more and more enthusiast-level options boast a 8000Hz polling rate (hence, the 8K moniker in the L5 HE’s name). This means it sends registered inputs to your PC at 8000Hz (or every 0.125ms), which is extremely fast – but note that there are many other factors along the input pipeline that you’re not likely to actually experience that advantage unless you’re a pro-level gamer with state-of-the-art gear across the board. The 32K Hz scan rate (how fast the keyboard itself will recognize inputs) helps ensure that the input pipeline remains fast. If anything, it’s nice knowing that you’re getting the best possible performance from your keyboard.
One really neat thing about the L5 HE 8K package is that you get the tools to customize how the inner plate is mounted (either gasket or top mounted). You get Phillips and Hex screwdrivers, a keycap puller, and the extra gaskets to change the mounting. It’s a bit tough to find the screws necessary to remove the frame (which are behind the spacebar, F2, F6, F10, right arrow, and left ctrl keys). The mounting type affects the overall sound and softness of keystrokes, and it comes down to preference more than anything else – but it’s nice to see these choices packed in whereas others often require aftermarket toolkits.
Advanced features such as last-key priority (LKP) – or Snap Click as Lemokey calls it – and analog input are also built into this keyboard to give it even more versatility. While this kind of tech can be really cool in theory, their limited application leaves more as gimmicks than practical features. LKP / Snap Click allows for simultaneous opposing cardinal directional (SOCD) input, letting you quick-strafe in FPS games faster than what’s humanly possible otherwise. It’s a contentious feature and it will get you kicked out of Counter-Strike 2 matches, for example. It’s just not worth the risk, especially when it’s easily detectable, so don’t go in thinking you’ll be taking advantage of this feature.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Software Customization
One of my favorite aspects of the L5 HE 8K is that it follows the boutique keyboard trend of having an online configurator as opposed to a downloadable software suite. At this point, I’m tired of juggling multiple apps on my PC for every brand of peripheral, some of which are genuinely robust but often bloated. With Lemokey’s online configurator, you have a snappy and easy to navigate suite that puts you in clear control of all the keyboard’s customization options without downloading or installing a program.
Upon going to the Lemokey online launcher, you select your device, and then you’re immediately brought to the software menu. Here, you can set actuation distance on a per-key basis, set rapid trigger to shorten the travel required to register repeated inputs, remap keys, set macros, assign polling rate to each profile, tinker with the RGB backlighting, and a whole lot more. This is where you can set the LMK / Snap Action feature as well, but as I mentioned above, be wary of using it.
I didn’t necessarily get much out of it, but the one-key-multi-command (OKMC) feature is one of the more interesting things you can tinker with – this lets you map up to four different inputs to a single key depending on far it is along its travel distance and if it’s going up or down. This also coincides with the magnetic switch’s ability to mimic analog input. If you want a key to act like a gamepad’s joystick or triggers, it’s easy to configure. For example, this is useful for those who play racing games on a keyboard and can feather / throttle the gas and brake inputs or turn with more nuance. The use-cases are minimal, but it speaks to the more advanced capabilities of Hall Effect keyboards and how Lemokey takes advantage of that.
Looking at the macro key assignment section seems intimidating, but it’s quite intuitive once you mess around with it and see how mapping macros works. It speaks to how straightforward and efficient the Lemokey software is and I hope more high-end peripheral makers follow suit.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Performance
Having used the L5 HE 8K for a better part of a week in both gaming, typing for work, and general everyday tasks, I’ve come away satisfied with the overall experience. It’s a testament to the Lemokey Lime magnetic switches that bring an effortlessly smooth keystroke and performance that’s on par with any of the great Hall Effect keyboards out there. Its creamy, deep “thock” makes it a joy to use, and the plate’s default mounting style gives the keys a solid bounce.
Although it’s hardly a game that requires high-performance gear, I worked my way through Avowed on PC using the L5 HE 8K and had no real qualms with the keyboard. Over time, I got used to the single angle of the keyboard, but I still wish it had adjustable feet or just some native way to create a steeper angle as I find that more comfortable. In a more competitive environment, the L5 HE 8K is as good as any keyboard in its class. I was confident in the rounds of Valorant I played, and setting the actuation point to a short 1.0mm made me feel light on my (virtual) feet, letting me briskly quick-strafe (without using Snap Click) and stay nimble dashing around the map as my favorite agent Neon. In Final Fantasy XIV, running through my attack rotation felt right with each action mapped to my keyboard. Each keystroke was firm as I set a deeper actuation point, requiring a bit more force and helping avoid errant inputs that would mess up my rotation.
The confluence of easy customization to get the most of the keyboard and the high-quality parts used (whether it be the magnetic switches or the construction of the board itself), the L5 HE 8K is a top-tier performer. At this point, it’s hard to argue against choosing traditional mechanical keyboards over the increasing rosting of Hall Effect magnetic options, considering the practicality that comes with their custoimzation. The 8K Hz polling rate and 32K Hz scan rate are nice to have even if those features aren’t quite as important as having keys that you’re comfortable with and perform reliably, but the L5 HE 8K brings all of it.
You don’t get fancy things like an OLED control panel, additional macro keys, or intuitive on-the-fly adjustments, which are things you’ll see on other high-end keyboards like the SteelSeries Apex Pro and Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro. And being a wired keyboard does make the $200 price tag a little hard to swallow, so it won’t have the versatility of a wireless keyboard that can do 2.4GHz and Bluetooth. While you may think of those things as extraneous when it comes to the keyboard niche, those are the kinds of features you can find at this price range. However, I do think that the L5 HE 8K makes its statement by focusing on the basics and the advantages that come with Hall Effect magnetic switches.
