IQUNIX F96 Mechanical Keyboard Review – Aesthetically Pleasing
Lately I’ve fallen victim to a new (and expensive) habit. That habit being mechanical keyboards. I’ve gone so far down the rabbithole that I’m fast absorbing every piece of mechanical keyboard content on YouTube that I can possibly find. And it all started back in April, when I saw one mechanical keyboard review that had me buying a brand new keyboard the very next day. The keyboard I bought was the IQUNIX F96 in the grape milk colour. And after four months of using it, it’s time to give it an honest review.
The IQUNIX Mechanical Keyboard was a gift I decided to buy for myself to bring more delight to my writing sessions. Because when you have such an aesthetically pleasing keyboard, there’s nothing more you want to do than type with it. Not to mention, there’s nothing quite like the sound of the cherry mx switches as I draft up pages full of paragraphs. But what is it that makes this keyboard so special?
The IQUNIX F96 Specification
It is considered a 96% layout and features 100 keys. While most mainstream mechanical keyboards have a bunch of separation between the keys, and in particular the numpad and arrow keys, the F96 pulls the keys together into a tight and ergonomic design. This makes the keyboard more of a pleasure to type with once you adjust to its layout.
I transitioned from a traditional gaming keyboard to the IQUNIX F96, which meant there was a few weeks where I had to adjust to the F96’s tight design. In particular, the rectangular Enter key threw me off for a long time as my muscle memory was trained to hit a chunkier Enter key. But once you’re able to make that adjustment, you’ll treasure the F96 for the amount of space saved at your computer setup. Not to mention, if you’re a gamer, you’ll love the additional space you gain to maneuver your mouse. The IQUNIX is an ANSI layout, but that didn’t bother me too much as a British user since Windows allows you to select which preferred language you wish to use. Just be warned that you cannot produce the | symbol unless you switch your Windows language to US English. This can be fixed with macros.
On the surface, the F96 might seem like a simple design compared to the fancy and flashy gaming keyboards you’ve seen, but this product represents high quality and artistic merit. It’s built with a durable aluminum base that feels heavy and sturdy. It’s dye-sublimated PBT keys have a pleasurable powder-like texture to them. And the product comes with both Windows and Mac keys that you can easily switch using the included key-puller. There’s even five alternate Escape keys for you to choose from, with the designs being dependent on which F96 theme you purchase. The attention to detail on this keyboard is overwhelming.
There are currently around 14 different themes in the IQUNIX F96 range, with two of the most popular ones being the Joker and Coral themes.
Something else I cherish about this keyboard is the 6 degree angle it sits at, which relieves me of wrist fatigue. I suffer from constant joint pains so this is a huge plus.
The Cherry MX Switches
When it comes to mechanical keyboards, there are many switch types. The switches are one of the most important components of a mechanical keyboard as they affect the input of the keys. Each switch profile has its own characteristics. My previous keyboard had blue switches, which had an extra loud and clicky sound as I pounded the keys. Blue switches can be music to the ears for typing asmr lovers, but the problem comes when you want to be able to type late at night when others are sleeping. Blue switches can be heard from rooms away. In fact, people in my house could hear me typing away from downstairs while I was sat upstairs in my room.
That is what made me decide to try cherry mx switches in my IQUNIX F96. And I can now confirm that the cherry mx switches are the best compromise. It provides a pleasing clicky sound that doesn’t echo as loudly as the blue switches did. Now I can type away at night without disturbing anyone else. While still appreciating the sound of my creativity ricocheting off of the aluminum base and my wood desk.
The best thing about this is that when you buy an F96 from the official IQUNIX website, they give you a choice of which switches you would like in your keyboard. Some of their smaller keyboard models are even hot-swappable, which allow you to change the switch profile at your own leisure.
Connectivity
I personally prefer an all-wired setup because the thought of possible latency makes me anxious. That being said, we live in times where there’s almost zero latency from Bluetooth devices. The IQUNIX F96 series features wireless Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity that allows you to sync the keyboard to up to 3 devices simultaneously, and you can switch between them on the fly.
To put this into perspective, you could use the keyboard on your main desktop setup while having your iPad on the side at the same time. You could do a quick Google search on your iPad, using the F96 and then type up your notes on your main computer. And if someone should text you at that very moment on your iPhone, you could respond to them again using the F96.
That all sounds incredible, but if you’re like me and want to stick to using the keyboard with a wired connection to your main computer then there’s a detachable UBC Type-C wire included in the box.
Removing Keys
As mentioned previously, the IQUNIX F96 comes with a keycap puller out the box. One side of the puller is designed for keys and the other is for pulling switches. Keep in mind that the switches aren’t designed to be hot-swappable in this model, but the double-sided tool is a standard. Just make sure you don’t attempt to use the switch puller on your keys as it will leave them with a nasty scratch.
I recently removed all of the caps on my F96 so I could clean both the caps and the board itself. I descovered that if you haven’t removed the larger buttons before (like the space bar) then it can be a challenge. These larger keys are fitted on a stabilizer that better supports them. But this can make them tricky to remove. The leaflet inside the box explains the safest method of removing the larger keys so I urge everyone to follow these instructions if they’re not used to pulling these larger caps.
Sadly, even after following instructions, I did have a small piece of the plastic holder break. It’s the part that holds the key in place over the stabilizer on my Numpad + button. Thankfully the key still works fine but it was disturbing to know something broke the first time I decided to remove all of my keys. The important thing to remember is that the chunky keys are delicate.
The Ease of Customization
Here’s the thing about these unorthodox mechanical keyboards, they’re all built to appeal to hardcore keyboard enthusiasts who enjoy the perks of customization.
Now, the IQUNIX F96 series isn’t exactly the most flexible build on the market. If I could go back to April and do more research prior to my purchase, it’s likely I would have bought a completely different keyboard just for the customizable options alone. But even if there are more flexible configurations out there, there’s no denying that the F96 gives you enough flexibility to play with if this is your first foray into the world of mechanical keyboards.
The aluminum base is built in a way that’s friendly for those who wish to disassemble it for customization purposes. The switches on this series are not hot-swappable, meaning you’ll need a soldering tool if you want to change the switch profile. But if it’s just the colors and keycaps you want to customize then the possibilities are endless. You could repaint the base, add brass frames or redesign your own keycaps. It all depends on how confident you are with pimping your keyboard.
After four months, I have grown bored of my grape milk design. I now regret not getting The Joker or the Coral Sea models, which are now the more visually appealing options to me. Thankfully, IQUNIX actually sells the keycap sets for each of its themes. This gives owners the freedom to buy a new set of key caps and mix-n-match keycaps to build your own preferred scheme. You could go even further than that and scour the internet to find non-IQUNIX keycaps that are compatible with the F96. Just beware that the keycap market is incredibly scarce so you’ll likely be spending a lot of money to buy some of the quirkier keycap sets. If you do want to lookup some new keycaps for your F96 then you can search for GMK, EPBT, SP, JTK, or IFK caps. Just make sure whatever you consider buying is designed for cherry profiles.
The keyboard comes with around 16 RBG presets pre-programmed. But you also have the option of downloading the IQUNIX driver software which allows you to come up with your own RBG presets. The software isn’t exactly user friendly. You’ll need to tinker with it until you figure out how to come up with your desired effect. But if you just want to apply static lighting to the keys of your choosing then this is something easy to do. You can even apply custom RBG colour codes that you come up with in Photoshop or any other visual editing software.
The F96 may not be hot-swappable, but If you wanted to dabble in the world of switch swapping then IQUNIX has the 80 series of keyboards. But I recommend doing your homework on hot-swappable keyboards ahead of time.
Summary
The IQUNIX F96 is a quality mechanical keyboard build and there’s no denying that. If you’re in the market for an aesthetically pleasing keyboard that sounds excellent in use, then the F96 series provides some wonderful options. The additional perks including Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with up to 3 devices, the extra Escape key designs and the Mac layout keys all add to the value for money. At $229 / £168, the price sounds steep, but the quality does live up to the price.
If you’re looking to get into the world of mechanical keyboards for the first time and want to invest in a well-built product that includes the Numpad, then the IQUNIX F96 range is a solid option.
On the flipside, if you’re more of a hardcore mechanical keyboard enthusiast then the chances are that you already have your eye on some more flexible keyboard builds. My recommendation to anyone who wishes to make custom keyboards a hobby is to do your research thoroughly before making a purchase.
As someone who enjoys typing up blogs, books and other creative work, the IQUNIX F96 has served me well these past few months. It still makes me excited to type each and every day. And the fact that I can freshen things up with new keycap color schemes is an exciting aspect.
