The CIDOO V65 Pro is squarely aimed at those looking for a premium custom keyboard experience but only have the budget for a $129 product. Thankfully, it’s now 2023, and keyboard enthusiasts don’t have to invest hundreds of dollars to get premium results. With the CIDOO V65 Pro, buyers get a great-looking 65% design in a CNC case, solid linear key switches atop a hot-swappable PCB, gasket mounting, and a metal rotary knob. So how does it perform? Here is my CIDOO V65 Pro review.
Going retro
I went with the Retro assembled version for my review, but it also comes in Moon White. Should you want to save $10, you can choose from a pink, blue, or green barebones kit. However, for that extra cost, securing the switches and quality keycaps seems a no-brainer, especially for the Retro variant, which looks fantastic.
While it may look retro, the V65 Pro boasts features you’d expect on a modern custom board, despite the low price. These include wired and wireless modes, a metal case, PBT keycaps, poron foam, a rotary knob, and compatibility with both PC and Mac.
Smooth stock switches
The typing experience on my review samples has been great. Linear switches are my preference for gaming, and the supplied Quark Matte switches are light — without being too light — and smooth. These pair well with the PBT keycaps and other components to make for a satisfying and responsive typing experience.
If you decide to change the key switches, the hot-swappable PCB makes it possible. Moreover, the south-facing LEDs mean greater compatibility with keycaps, should you want to swap out the stock versions.
Just add lube
The only niggle I found was with the stabilizers. While it might be too much to expect screw-in stabs at this price point, I think extra care should be taken to tune the included stabs, as most people buying this board will base their first impression on how the modifiers and spacebar sound. After applying my own bit of lube, however, the CIDOO V65 Pro now sounds fantastic, especially at this price tag.
Final Verdict
Coming in at $129 for the assembled versions and $119 for the barebone kits, the CIDOO V65 Pro is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for modern custom keyboard features in a package that won’t break the bank.
Positives and Negatives
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Fantastic value.
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Great set of features.
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High-quality keycaps and switches are especially great.
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Retro aesthetic is particularly good-looking.
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Stabs required some additional tuning.
Disclosure: V65 Pro review sample was provided by CIDOO.
