I have a number of keebs so I went nuts and built my Cornflower Neo75 Cu with ISO layout and Gateron Melodics. I can't bring the board to work but it's just a terrific all-around keyboard that I use when I want a break from a more straightforward thocky or clacky board. Considering its design and materials (brass or copper), this is probably the best budget 75 out there.
Neo75 Cu
Neo75 Cu
The Product:
For the last two weeks I have daily driven the Neo75Cu for 10+ hours a day. My personal build is an Anodized Black with Copper bottom and Tri mode PCB. One of the biggest reasons I have stuck with Qk/Neo in the last year is the feature set of their PCBs. Their Tri mode PCBs, while can sometimes have quirks, have some of the best layout supports for whatever style you want. Their single PCB supports ISO, ANSI, 6.25u/7u, Split backspace, and Split left shift. The board also features a 16.8mm front height and 7 degree typing angle, which is perfect for me. It’s a soft incline with a low front angle keeping your hands in an amazingly comfortable typing position without stressing your wrist too much.
Style: 9/10
What can I say. The Neo75 has struck it out he park with this one, a solid non-exploded 75%, with clean bezels and an optional F13 key or matching accent piece for your choice of bottom plate. A thin line separating the top and bottom case showcasing your choice of bottom plate, with subtle indents to help you lift the board from the sides. The separation line between the two-color plates continues to the head of the case where they form around the USB C port. We get a small glimpse where QK had some involvement with the design with the front edge having a small section showing off the bottom plate, which is reminiscent of the QK65V2 series. Overall, it’s an amazing design, that isn't overly flashy but allows you to see how premium it is if you look in the right places.
Build: 9/10
QK has been amazing at having some of the best build guides around for a while. With the ball catch system returning like the Neo Ergo and Neo80, building in the 75Cu is as easy as ever. I did find that due to the weight of the bottom plate, the ball catch is much heavier of a catch this time to keep the bottom case attached when moving it around. A simple build process with pretty much everything you could want is provided in the box. All the foams you could want, a set of Neo Stabs, all the tools required to assemble it, and easily one of the best hard-shell cases we have been provided.
Sound: 9.5/10
Currently I have mine built with HMX KD200's on an aluminum plate and GMK Pharaoh keycaps. It’s bright and clacky and everything that I wanted it to be. I'm sure that there is more that I will have to say as I use the board more and more. But for now, I can say that without a doubt. This is the best board that Neo has ever released and it’s going to be hard to one up this one for a while. This should send shivers down the spines of their competitors.
The Problems:
I would consider myself a rather hefty power user when it comes to my daily use and abuse of my keyboards. I have several macros and custom key configurations to meet my everyday needs and the Neo75Cu has stood up to almost all of them. The VIA compatibility is perfect, however there are keys that you cannot get back if you replace them in the configurator. There have also been hotkeys on previous boards that have been completely removed on this iteration of the firmware that i would love to see back. The only major complaint that I have had is using the Macro's on Bluetooth can sometimes be hit or miss depending on the length of the macro. These were cleared up when swapping over to 2.4Ghz so it hasn't directly impacted me anymore. Bluetooth is naturally a less high-speed data transmission protocol, so it’s expected to have some drawbacks.
Value: 10/10
I can’t underestimate how amazing this board feels when you compare it to other boards in my collection. Neo has once again shown up to the table and taken a swing at everyone and came out on top.
I remember the hype that the neo 75u had when it was announced as an affordable copper bottom board. When compared to other offerings with a copper bottom it definitely is cheap. However that is all that is unique and special about this board. Besides the copper bottom it is just a normal gasket mounted keyboard with decent sound and feel. There is nothing that stands out to me. This is not a budget keyboard as fully built it can cost around 350-400 dollars. I have been a little disappointed with this as my first neo board and I hope that you can either create a good solid budget board or an excellent mid range board that stands out.