Epomaker RT85

Epomaker RT85, the latest 75% mechanical keyboard of the Epomaker RT family.

We have always liked most of the models of the RT series among which you can find the, already all-time classic, Epomaker RT100. Therefore, when we saw a Epomaker RT85 being introduced to this series, we were excited to test and review it.

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Epomaker RT85 Review

Tests & Scores

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING
^4.5^_/5

The keyboard comes in fairly simple cardboard packaging that contains inside:

Dust cover
2x extra switches
Braided USB-C cable
Switch/key puller

DESIGN
⁵^_/5

The Epomaker RT85 is a 75% keyboard in an ANSI US layout that includes 82 keys, one joystick and one knob.

As you can clearly see from the photos, the keyboard has a display screen, which to its right also includes 2 vertical elongated RGB LED lights. We thought that these 2 LEDs could be related with status indicators but as far as we know they do not inform any status (Caps Lock, battery, etc.) and are only embellishing details – they look neat though.

The military-green model that we are reviewing looks quite nice but if you prefer a more retro vibe you might be better choosing the model with white case and orange accents.

Highlighted by a dedicated RGB ring light around it, you will find a multi-function joystick sitting to the right of the up arrow key. This joystick is an innovative approach to the functions that you usually carry out with a knob and multi-function button.

We are not completely sure if the joystick will last as long as a standard knob but it was fun using it and interacting with a different style than a classic rotational encoder.

Another detail that sets this keyboard’s design apart is the system for its connectivity mode selection that is controlled by a 3-way knob placed on the upper left part of the case. We are also liking this “special” detail and find it not only aesthetically unique but also very useful for users that have a multi-device setup and frequently switch from device to device.

DISPLAY SCREEN
^4.5^_/5

Right between the arrow keys and the 4 top navigation keys there is a 1.47″ TFT display, which might not be the biggest that you can find on the market but it has a significantly better UI and usability.

The main difference is that the display placement makes it to be nearer to the user while the black fonts over a white background for the time makes it instantly visible and readable with zero effort.

The screen also gives insights of the connection mode, slot used, Mac/Win mode, language selected, date and day of the week, charging status and battery left. Moreover, you can navigate the built-in UI of the screen for the RGB backlight configuration and you can display animated GIFs that can be uploaded through the PC software.

If being persnickety, we could point out that the first digit of the date might be partially blocked by the bezels when looking at the screen and, also, the icon/fonts used for the indicators of connection mode, slot and day of the week might be a bit small.

It was nice seeing that the software that serves to customize and program the keyboard includes the full settings and GIF access for the personalization of the display screen and does not use a 2nd additional software for it (like we have seen on most Skyloong keyboards)

CONSTRUCTION & BUILD
^4.5^_/5

The keyboard has a plastic case but feels substantially more rugged than other plastic keyboards like the Epomaker HE68 Lite; also the RT85 has one detail that is made of metal instead of plastic, this is the removable cover for the dongle, that is found on the left edge.

The board uses hot-swappable sockets compatible with 3-pin and 5-pin switches, so you can replace the switches as many times as you want and without needing to struggle with soldering techniques.

The inner guts of the keyboard are based on a gasket-mount structure design with 5 layers of sound damp/enhance material to optimize the feel of each keypress, eradicate undesired noises and improve the sound profile – the internals also have a polycarbonate plate and flex-cut.

Moreover, the bottom case has 4 wide and very rubberized feet that do and excellent job avoiding the keyboard from sliding on your desk. Also the bottom holds a 2-position adjustable kickstand where each position includes a rubberized anti-slippery feet.

KEYCAPS
⁵^_/5

The keycaps of the Epomaker RT85 have Cherry profile and are made of double-shot PBT instead of cheaper ABS plastics; which will make them last longer, be oil resistant and do not fade away over time.

In addition to this, the shell of the keycaps has a marginally textured finish (very very slight) but are even less-slippery than some very textured ones.

The joystick has a 4-way (up, down, left right) movement and click button function ; the default functions of the joystick are volume control (including Mute) and a quick way to navigate and select the RGB light presets.

An oddity was that the multi-function joystick did not control the menu and UI of the display screen, instead this is done through the Fn+arrow keys

SWITCHES
^4.5^_/5

The Epomaker RT85 comes in 2 colors and it is also possible to select the switches that you want pre-assembled from factory.

The brand offers you 2 different switches to choose from:

Epomaker Creamy Jade switch
Epomaker Wisteria V2 switch

The Creamy Jade and Wisteria are linear switches, being the Wisteria one of the most popular from the brand and the Creamy Jade a new one with a different flavor. Tech-spec-wise the two switches are not far apart, with the bottom out force being the clearest difference.

The model of the Epomaker RT85 that is being reviewed by our editors came with Creamy Jade switches.

Similar to the Wisteria, the Creamy Jade are highly versatile to be used either as your main keyboard/switch combo and if you are a gamer.

Switch Name

EPOMAKER Creamy Jade Switch
Switch Type
5-pin Mechanical Switch, Linear, Pre-Lubed
Trigger Force
45±5gf
Bottom-out Force
50±5 gf
Pre-Travel
2.0±0.4mm
Total Travel
3.6±0.4mm
Light Diffuser
No Light Diffuser

CON

CONNECTIVITY
^4.75^_/5

As with most current models from Epomaker, the Epomaker RT85 is a tri-mode keyboard that can be used wirelessly (Bluetooth and 2.4G) or wired (detachable USB-C)

Labeled with an engraved icon and “2.4G” writing, you will see a dark grey cover on the left edge; this can be removed to access the 2.4G dongle and its dedicated storage slot hidden beneath the cover – the cover is hold in place by a particularly very strong magnet system, so do not fear to pull with confidence to the side.

The keyboard reaches a max. polling rate of 1000Hz and has anti-ghosting features to cover the needs of gamers – latency is 6ms.

SOUND
⁵^_/5

Epomaker has been nailing the sound of their keyboards from some time already and the Epomaker RT85 is a perfect example of the great sound that you can get with a budget-friendly keyboard from the brand.

The Epomaker RT85, in fact, presented a superb thocky sound profile without the need of any tuning, modding nor manually lubing.

The pre-lubed plate-mount stabilizers and multi-layered sound dampening and enhancing design, was clearly proficient as the keyboard was impeccable regarding the management of unwanted noises such as echo, resonance, pinging, and rattling – in fact, you will never notice them at all.

BATTERY
⁵^_/5

The combination of the smaller keyboard (lower number of keys, thus LED lights) with a massive 8000mAh battery (twice the capacity of what you see on most keyboards), results in a phenomenally long-lasting battery runtime per charge – rated at 320 hours (when screen and RGB LED are off)

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Epomaker RT85 Technical Specifications

Brand
EPOMAKER
Model
RT85 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
LAYOUT
75% Layout, US ANSI
Number of Keys
82 Keys, 1 Joystick and 1 Screen
Battery
8000mAh
Battery Life
320 Hours of Continued Use (RGB Off & Screen Off), 90 Hours of Continued Use (RGB Off & Screen On), and 24 Hours of Continued Use (RGB On & Screen On)
Connectivity
Cable Wired, 2.4Ghz Wireless, Bluetooth
Compatibility
Mac/WIN/Android/iOS
Keyboard Dimensions
36*13.8*4cm
Keyboard Weight
1kg
Front Height
2cm
Back Height
3.1cm
Typing Angle
5, 6.7 and 10 degrees
Case Material
Plastic
Plate Material
PC
Flex-Cut
Flex-Cut
Stabilizers
Plate-Mount Stabilizer
Mounting Structure
PORON Sandwich Foam, IXPE Switch Pad, PET Sound Enhancement Pad, EPDM Switch Socket Foam, Silicone Bottom
Keycaps Profile
Cherry Profile
Keycaps Material
PBT Plastic
Keycaps Manufacturing Technique
Double-Shot
Joystick Material
ABS Plastic
Joystick Function
Up/Down=Volume up/down, Left/Right=Toggle RGB Effect, Press=Mute
Screen Material
TFT
Screen Size
1.47 inch
Screen Function
Info page displays Keyboard’s status of connection, OS mode, power percentage and date, the media page allows DIY pictures or Gifs, while custom mode allows users to custom RGB settings, volumes etc.
Switch
5-pin Mechanical Switch
Hot swappable
Yes, compatible with 5-pin mechanical switches
RGB
Yes, RT85 keyboard has dynamic RGB backlight with south-facing per-key LEDs
Polling Rate
1000hz in wired and 2.4Ghz mode and 125hz in Bluetooth mode
Latency
6ms (cable wired), 12ms (2.4ghz wireless), 18ms (Bluetooth)
Anti-Ghosting
Yes, RT85 keyboard supports N-Key rollover.
Programming Software
Yes, the RT85 gaming keyboard supports EPOMAKER 3.0 software, which works on WIN and Mac systems.