The NuPhy Gem80 is a TenKeyLess (TKL) wireless mechanical keyboard that comes as a barebones kit without switches or keycaps. NuPhy offers both switches and keycaps you can bundle with your keyboard at purchase, but you still need to install them yourself. Out of the box, this keyboard comes with a gasket-mount design, which lends a soft, slightly springy typing experience. There's also a small collection of alternative gasket styles included, as well as screws if you prefer a more traditional top mounting style. You can further customize this keyboard with VIA configuration software that allows you to reprogram keys, record macros, and customize the RGB backlighting, among other settings.
This keyboard is available in several color options and in either a wired or a wireless configuration. For more details, see the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The NuPhy Gem80 is great for gaming. It has remarkable build quality and great all-around latency performance that's more than suitable for playing games in any genre at a casual or competitive level. The latency is a bit inconsistent, but this is only a concern if you play at a very high competitive level. This keyboard also has full RGB lighting that you can customize along with other settings using the configuration software. Just note that the legends aren't visible in darker rooms, even with shine-through keycaps, due to the south-facing LEDs.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Great all-around latency performance.
- True 1000Hz polling rate using a wired or 2.4GHz wireless connection.
- While it will be a positive for some, others may be disappointed it's only available as a barebones kit.
- Latency is slightly inconsistent; only a concern if you plan on playing at the highest competitive level.
The NuPhy Gem80 is great for office use. It has a remarkable build quality and offers excellent typing quality, with a stock gasket-mount design and plenty of layers of acoustic material inside the case. These acoustic treatments make the board very quiet, especially if you install quiet switches and keycaps. This keyboard connects wirelessly with an included USB receiver or with Bluetooth. It also has Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to pair up to three devices simultaneously. The fairly tall profile means it's most comfortable to use with a wrist rest. Unfortunately, there isn't a wrist rest included, though NuPhy sells them separately on their website.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Exceptionally quiet, depending on the switches you install.
- Multi-device pairing with up to three devices.
- While it will be a positive for some, others may be disappointed it's only available as a barebones kit.
The NuPhy Gem80 is alright for tablet and mobile use. It has remarkably good build quality and supports Bluetooth pairing with up to three devices simultaneously. Its major downside is that it's fairly bulky and heavy compared to dedicated mobile or tablet keyboards designed for portability.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Multi-device pairing with up to three devices.
- While it will be a positive for some, others may be disappointed it's only available as a barebones kit.
- It's still on the bulkier side and not well-suited for carrying around or on-the-go use.
The NuPhy Gem80 is great for programming. It has remarkably good build quality, and the gasket-mount design and multiple layers of acoustic material inside the case contribute to excellent typing quality. It also supports Bluetooth multi-device pairing with up to three devices simultaneously. While there's only a single dedicated macro key, you can record macros to any key and change a range of other settings using the configuration software. This keyboard also has full RGB backlighting, though the LEDs are south-facing, so legends aren't visible in dark rooms with standard shine-through keycaps installed.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Exceptionally quiet, depending on the switches you install.
- While it will be a positive for some, others may be disappointed it's only available as a barebones kit.
- Legends likely won't be legible in darker rooms, even with shine-through keycaps, due to South-facing LEDs.
The NuPhy Gem80 is a middling pick for an entertainment or home theater setup. It has non-dedicated media controls, and while it has RGB backlighting, the LEDs are south-facing, so legends aren't visible in dark rooms with standard shine-through keycaps installed. It also has a tall profile and is bulky and heavy compared to more portability-forward TKL models. On the other hand, it has remarkably good build quality and supports multi-device pairing with up to three devices simultaneously.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Multi-device pairing with up to three devices.
- While it will be a positive for some, others may be disappointed it's only available as a barebones kit.
- It's still on the bulkier side and not well-suited for carrying around or on-the-go use.
- Legends likely won't be legible in darker rooms, even with shine-through keycaps, due to South-facing LEDs.
- Media controls are shortcuts, not dedicated keys.
The NuPhy Gem80 offers impressive raw performance. Using a wired or wireless 2.4 GHz connection provides an effective update rate of 1000Hz that isn't bottlenecked by other latency elements. It has excellent single-key and great multi-key latency performance, which is a bit inconsistent but still more than suitable for casual or competitive gaming in most genres. However, its chord split performance is only satisfactory; it isn't well-suited for competitive play in rhythm games or other titles requiring many simultaneous inputs.
- Great all-around latency performance.
- True 1000Hz polling rate using a wired or 2.4GHz wireless connection.
Changelog
- Updated Jan 22, 2026: Our Test Bench 1.4.3 update adds clearer terminology and new measurements to our Keystrokes test group. For more details, see the full changelog.
- Updated Jan 09, 2026: Our 1.4.2 Test Bench Update makes changes to the Hardware Customizability test group. We've created a new Magnetic Switch Compatibility test and renamed our previous PCB Socket test to Mechanical Switch Compatibility. See our full changelog.
- Updated May 07, 2024: We've added new photos in the Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity sections. Our initial photos didn't fully conform to the photo guidelines for these tests as set out in our methodology. The new photos ensure accurate comparability with the photos in other reviews.
- Updated May 01, 2024: We've corrected an error where we incorrectly listed the keyboard size in the Differences Between Sizes And Variants section.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The NuPhy Gem80 is only available as a barebones kit. The base kit comes without switches or keycaps, but the PCB, plate, acoustic material layers, and stabilizers come pre-installed.
This keyboard is available in several color options and in a wired-only or wireless configuration. NuPhy offers themed keycaps and several switch types that you can bundle with the keyboard, but you need to install them yourself. We tested the wireless configuration in the Airy Lilac colorway with a stock FR4 plate, Chery Silent Red Clear-Top switches, and Themed keycaps. The available base configuration options are listed below.
| Name | Size |
Color Options |
Connection Type | Plate Material | Optional Switches | Optional Keycaps |
| NuPhy Gem80 | TenKeyLess 80% |
Cosmic Mocha |
Wired only |
FR4 |
NuPhy Mint |
Themed keycaps |
In addition to the above optional switches and keycap sets, NuPhy offers other extra switches and keycap sets on the Gem80 product page, alongside wrist rests, deskmats, and extra plates. For information on different plate materials, see the Typing Quality section.
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The NuPhy Gem80 is a wireless mechanical keyboard sold as a barebones kit. This is a new approach for NuPhy, as their previous releases have been fully prebuilt models like the NuPhy Air75 V2 and the NuPhy Field75. This release maintains many of the standout features from several earlier NuPhy releases. Notable carryovers include support for VIA software and stock gasket mounting that offers a soft, almost springy typing feeling. This keyboard also boasts multiple layers of acoustic materials and (if you choose to buy one of the Themed keycap sets) also includes what NuPhy calls a 'GhostBar,' a spacebar keycap design first introduced with the NuPhy Halo series with added silicone and polycarbonate pieces that help round out and dampen its sound signature. NuPhy also sells extra plates in various materials on their website, and there are several packages of alternative mounting hardware options, including several more types of gaskets as well as screws for a more conventional top-mount configuration.
Altogether, this keyboard leans heavily into the custom keyboard market and offers impressive flexibility for you to customize the sound and feel of your keyboard to your liking. If you're okay with installing your switches and keycaps, this keyboard provides an attractive alternative option between prebuilt models in a similar price bracket, like the Keychron Q Max series, and more niche and typically more expensive group buy options.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best TKL keyboards, the best wireless keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
Both the NuPhy Halo96 and the NuPhy Gem80 are wireless mechanical keyboards. The Halo96 is a prebuilt model that is part of a wider lineup with smaller 75% and 65% models available. On the other hand, the Gem80 is only available in a TKL form factor. It's designed with customizability in mind and only comes as a barebones kit, so you have to buy and install switches and keycaps yourself. The Gem80 also has significantly better raw performance and more acoustic material inside the case.
The NuPhy Field75 and the NuPhy Gem80 are wireless mechanical keyboards. The Field75 is designed specifically for gaming. It offers better raw performance and has a smaller compact (75%) layout. The Gem80, on the other hand, has a slightly larger TKL (80%) layout and is designed with more hardware customization in mind. It's also only available as a barebones kit, so you must buy and install the switches and keycaps separately.
The Keychron Lemokey L3 and the NuPhy Gem80 are wireless mechanical keyboards. The Lemokey is a prebuilt model designed specifically for gaming. It has a row of dedicated macro keys and a control knob, which the NuPhy lacks. It also has lower and more consistent latency performance. The Gem80 is designed with customizability in mind. It has better overall build quality, but It's only available as a barebones kit, so you must buy and install switches and keycaps yourself. It has significantly more acoustic material inside the case and a better overall typing quality.
The NuPhy Air75 V2 and the NuPhy Gem80 are both wireless mechanical keyboards. The Air75 is a compact (75%) prebuilt model with a low-profile design, making it much more portable and more comfortable to type on without a wrist rest. The Air75 V2 is also part of a wider lineup, with larger (96%) and smaller (60%) versions also available. On the other hand, the Gem80 has a slightly larger TKL (80%) form factor. It's only available as a barebones kit, so you must buy and install switches and keycaps separately.
Test Results
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