Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] vs NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2

Which Keyboard Is Better?

Products

Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.]
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2

Tested using Methodology v1.4.3

Updated Jan 14, 2026 05:07 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.4.3

Updated Jan 14, 2026 05:46 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
  1. Recommended in 5 articles:
  2. Keyboards
  3. Mechanical
  4. Typing
  5. 2
  1. Recommended in 2 articles:
  2. Typing
  3. RGB

Our Verdict

Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.]

NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2

The Keychron Q5 Max and the NuPhy Halo96 V2 are wireless mechanical keyboards with a compact 96% form factor. Each also belongs to a wider lineup with other size variants available, though the Keychron lineup is significantly larger with more sizes available. The NuPhy keyboards have more of a focus on RGB lighting and have a strip or 'halo' of RGB lighting that wraps around their outer edge. They have comparatively more lightweight aluminum top case designs with a semi-transparent plastic bottom case that allows more RGB light to shine out. Comparatively, the Keychron keyboards provide a bit more in the way of hardware customizability and include a kit for disassembly. They also have somewhat better latency performance and significantly heavier solid aluminum case designs.

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Variants

  • Q15 Max (Black - Ortholinear)
  • Q6 Max (Carbon Black - 100%)
  • Halo96 V2 (Blue Lagoon)
  • Halo75 V2 (Blue Lagoon)

Check Price

Black - Ortholinear
Q15 Max
Amazon.com
Blue Lagoon
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 100%
Q6 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue Lagoon
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 65%
Q2 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Ionic White
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 65%/Alice
Q8 Max
Amazon.com
Ionic White
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 75%
Q1 Max
Amazon.com
Mojito
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 75%/Alice
Q10 Max
Amazon.com
Mojito
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 80%/TKL
Q3 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Obsidian Black
Halo96 V2
SEE PRICE
NuPhy
Carbon Black - 96%
Q5 Max
Amazon.com
Obsidian Black
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 96%/Alice
Q14 Max
Amazon.com
Sakura Fizz
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 96%/Alice
Q13 Max
Amazon.com
Sakura Fizz
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 96%/Southpaw
Q12 Max
Amazon.com
 
Carbon Black - Special 65%
Q65 Max
Amazon.com
 
Retro - Special 60%
Q60 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 100%
Q6 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 65%
Q2 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 65%/Alice
Q8 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 75%
Q1 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 75%/Alice
Q10 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 80%/TKL
Q3 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%
Q5 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%/Alice
Q14 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%/Alice
Q13 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%/Southpaw
Q12 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - Special 65%
Q65 Max
Amazon.com
 
White - Ortholinear
Q15 Max
Amazon.com
 

Main Differences for
Gaming

Threshold 

0.10

Gaming 
 

8.4
8.3
No major differences between these keyboards for gaming. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Dimensions 
 

Top Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Top Picture
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Top Picture

Size 
 

Compact (96%)
Compact (96%)

Height 
 

2.0" (5.0 cm)
1.7" (4.3 cm)

Width  

16.1" (40.8 cm)
14.8" (37.7 cm)

Depth 
 

5.7" (14.5 cm)
5.3" (13.5 cm)

Depth With Wrist Rest 
 

N/A
N/A

Weight 
 

4.86 lbs (2.206 kg)
2.62 lbs (1.190 kg)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
8.5

Build Quality Close Up 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Build Quality Close Up
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Build Quality Close Up

Keycap Material  

PBT
PBT
Show Text 

Ergonomics 
 

6.0
6.0

Side Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Side Picture
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Side Picture

Curved/Angled 
 

No
No

Split Keyboard 
 

No
No

Key Alignment 
 

Staggered
Staggered

Minimum Incline 
 

5.2°
4.7°

Medium Incline 
 

N/A
8.2°

Maximum Incline 
 

N/A
11.8°

Home Row Height 
 

37.6 mm (1.5")
32.0 mm (1.3")
Show Text 

Hardware Customizability 
 

9.3
9.1

Customizability Overview 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Customizability Overview
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Customizability Overview

Replaceable Cherry Stabilizers 
 

Yes
Yes

Stabilizer Fixation 
 

Screw-in
Plate-Mounted

Spacebar Stabilizer Size 
 

6.25u
6.25u

Size Of Right Mod Keys 
 

1u
1.25u

Hot-Swappable Switches 
 

Yes
Yes

Switch Stem Shape 
 

Cherry MX Style
Cherry MX Style

Mechanical Switch Compatibility 
 

5-Pin Cherry
5-Pin Cherry

Magnetic Switch Compatibility 
 

No Magnetic Switch Support
No Magnetic Switch Support

North-Facing Cherry MX Interference 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Backlight Features 
 

10
10

Backlighting Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Backlighting Picture
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Backlighting Picture

Brightness Max 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Brightness Max
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Brightness Max

Backlighting  

Yes
Yes

Brightness Min 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Brightness Min
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Brightness Min

RGB 
 

Yes
Yes

Per-Key Backlighting 
 

Yes
Yes

Effects 
 

Yes
Yes

Software Controllable 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Backlight Clarity 
 

4.0
4.0

White Shot 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] White Shot
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 White Shot
Show Text 

Cable & Connector  

Connectivity  

Wireless
Wireless

Detachable 
 

Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)
Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)

Length  

5.9 ft (1.8 m)
4.9 ft (1.5 m)

Connector (Keyboard side) 
 

USB type-C
USB type-C
Show Text 

Wireless Versatility 
 

10
10

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Multi-Device Pairing 
 

3
3

Proprietary Receiver 
 

Yes
Yes

Battery Type 
 

Rechargeable
Rechargeable
Show Text 

Macro Keys And Programming 
 

6.0
4.0

Dedicated Macro Keys Count  

3
0

Onboard Macro Programming 
 

No
No

Macro Programming With Software 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Extra Features 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Extra Features
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Extra Features

Media Keys 
 

Non-Dedicated
Non-Dedicated

Trackpad / Trackball  

No
No

Scroll Wheel 
 

No
No

Control Knob 
 

Yes
No

USB Passthrough 
 

No
No

Numpad  

Yes
Yes

Windows Key Lock 
 

Yes
No

Lock Indicator  

Caps & Num Lock
Caps Lock
Show Text 

In The Box  

Bundle Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Bundle Picture
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Bundle Picture
Show Text 
Typing Experience

Typing Quality 
 

8.5
8.5

Key Spacing 
 

19.0 mm (0.748")
19.0 mm (0.748")
Show Text 

Typing Noise 
 

7.5
7.6

Typing Sample  

Average Loudness 
 

52.2 dBA
51.9 dBA

High Pitch Clicks 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Keystrokes 
 

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

 Preview Graph
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Key Switch Actuation Graph
 Preview Graph
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Key Switch Actuation Graph

Initial Force 
 

44 gf
29 gf

Peak Tactile Force 
 

55 gf
N/A

Actuation Force 
 

38 gf
33 gf

Bottom-Out Force 
 

50 gf
39 gf

Pre-Travel Distance 
 

2.5 mm
1.8 mm

Total Travel Distance 
 

3.2 mm
3.6 mm
Show Text 

Adjustable Input Granularity 
 

0.0
0.0

Input Linearity Graph  

 Preview Graph
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Input Linearity Graph
 Preview Graph
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Input Linearity Graph

Analog Output Graph  

Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Analog Output Graph
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Analog Output Graph

Top Deadzone 
 

N/A
N/A

Bottom Deadzone 
 

N/A
N/A

Detection Ratio 
 

N/A
N/A

Minimum Step Depth 
 

N/A
N/A

Switches 
 

Wobble Video  

Switch Name 
 

Gateron Jupiter Banana
NuPhy Mint

Switch Type 
 

Mechanical
Mechanical

Feel 
 

Tactile
Linear

Output Type 
 

Non-Adjustable
Non-Adjustable
Show Text 
Performance

Single-Key Latency 
 

9.2
8.9

Single-Key Latency Graph  

 Preview Graph
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Single-Key Latency Graph
 Preview Graph
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Single-Key Latency Graph

Best Connection 
 

3.2 ms
3.8 ms

Best Connection Std Dev  

±0.3 ms
±0.9 ms

Wired 
 

3.2 ms
3.8 ms

Receiver 
 

4.4 ms
5.3 ms

Bluetooth 
 

9.5 ms
13.8 ms

PCB (Estimated) 
 

1.0 ms
2.2 ms
Show Text 

Multi-Key Latency 
 

8.7
8.6

Multi-Key Latency Graph  

 Preview Graph
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Multi-Key Latency Graph
 Preview Graph
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Multi-Key Latency Graph

Connection Evaluated  

Receiver
Receiver

Key Press 
 

4.5 ms
5.3 ms
Show Text 

Data Transmission 
 

8.2
8.7

Multi-Key Raw USB 
 

Compare High-Res
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Multi-Key Raw USB
Compare High-Res
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Multi-Key Raw USB

Connection Evaluated  

Receiver
Receiver

USB Polling Rate 
 

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Effective Update Rate 
 

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

N-Key Rollover (NKRO) 
 

Yes
Yes

Multiple Keys Per USB Report 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Chord Split 
 

7.8
7.2

Chord Split Graph  

 Preview Graph
Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] Chord Split Graph
 Preview Graph
NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2 Chord Split Graph

4 Chord Split Delay 
 

5.6 ms
7.6 ms

8 Chord Split Delay 
 

13.9 ms
13.3 ms
Show Text 
Software and Operating System

Configuration Software 
 

Software Tour  

Software Name  

VIA
VIA

Software Windows Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

Software macOS Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

Onboard Memory 
 

Yes
Yes

Profiles 
 

6+
6+
Show Text 

Computer Compatibility 
 

10
10

Windows 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

macOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Linux 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Media Key Compatibility 
 

Windows, MacOS & Linux
Windows, MacOS & Linux
Show Text 

Wireless Mobile Compatibility 
 

10
10

Android 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

iOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

iPadOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Media Key Compatibility 
 

Android, iPhone & iPad
Android, iPhone & iPad
Show Text 

Check Price

Black - Ortholinear
Q15 Max
Amazon.com
Blue Lagoon
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 100%
Q6 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue Lagoon
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 65%
Q2 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Ionic White
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 65%/Alice
Q8 Max
Amazon.com
Ionic White
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 75%
Q1 Max
Amazon.com
Mojito
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 75%/Alice
Q10 Max
Amazon.com
Mojito
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 80%/TKL
Q3 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Obsidian Black
Halo96 V2
SEE PRICE
NuPhy
Carbon Black - 96%
Q5 Max
Amazon.com
Obsidian Black
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 96%/Alice
Q14 Max
Amazon.com
Sakura Fizz
Halo96 V2
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 96%/Alice
Q13 Max
Amazon.com
Sakura Fizz
Halo75 V2
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carbon Black - 96%/Southpaw
Q12 Max
Amazon.com
 
Carbon Black - Special 65%
Q65 Max
Amazon.com
 
Retro - Special 60%
Q60 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 100%
Q6 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 65%
Q2 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 65%/Alice
Q8 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 75%
Q1 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 75%/Alice
Q10 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 80%/TKL
Q3 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%
Q5 Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%/Alice
Q14 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%/Alice
Q13 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - 96%/Southpaw
Q12 Max
Amazon.com
 
Shell White - Special 65%
Q65 Max
Amazon.com
 
White - Ortholinear
Q15 Max
Amazon.com
 

Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.]

NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2

Comments

  1. Comparison

Keychron Q5 Max [Q1 Max, Q2 Max, etc.] vs NuPhy Halo96/Halo75 V2: Main Discussion

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