Bottom Line
Choose the GX87 if you want premium aluminum feel, standout stock sound, and easy modding for the money. Skip it if you need a lighter board or more polished wireless and RGB behavior.
Best for
Budget-minded keyboard enthusiasts who want a premium-feeling aluminum TKL with strong stock sound, easy customization, and enough gaming competence for mixed use.
Not for
People who need a lightweight board, broader stock switch choices, or totally polished wireless and RGB behavior. It is also a weaker fit for buyers who care about the included cable.
Verdict
The McHose GX87 stands out because it gets several expensive-feeling fundamentals right at once: solid aluminum construction, excellent stock acoustics, satisfying typing feel, hot-swap convenience, and unusually strong battery capacity. Reviewers also found it capable for gaming, with 1,000Hz polling and responsive wireless behavior that held up well in normal play. The tradeoff is that a few rough edges keep it from feeling flawless: switch choices are limited, RGB control is not universally polished, rare wireless or input hiccups were reported in one review, and the heavy chassis hurts portability. Even so, the overall picture is unusually favorable for the price, especially for buyers who want a TKL they can customize without much hassle.
Pros
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Hot-swap support is clearly confirmed across reviews, making switch swaps part of the board’s appeal.
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One review explicitly says the GX87 feels built to last.
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Switch replacement is described as very easy because switches can be removed and replaced without soldering.
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Reviews repeatedly frame the GX87 as unusually strong value, pairing premium-feeling features with a budget-friendly price.
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Battery life is a clear strength, with multiple reviews calling out the large 8,000mAh capacity and very long runtime.
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Customizations are explicitly described as being stored on the keyboard itself.
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Wireless behavior is praised for reconnecting quickly after idle and feeling responsive in use.
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Reviewers consistently say the GX87 is easy to customize, thanks to straightforward disassembly and mod-friendly design, with one video also mentioning swappable top colors.
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Reviewers praise the GX87’s stock sound as a standout, describing it as refined, lively, and unusually satisfying for a prebuilt board.
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The materials are consistently praised, especially the aluminum chassis and PBT keycaps, with one reviewer also highlighting the smooth finish.
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Internal foam and damping layers are specifically credited with reducing ping and cleaning up the typing sound.
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Typing feel is strongly positive, with reviewers describing the GX87 as joyful, smooth, and satisfying to type on.
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Multiple reviewers describe the GX87 as very well built, with strong assembly, solid casework, and no obvious quality-control issues.
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The stock linear switches are described as satisfying, bouncy, crisp, and snappy in everyday use.
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Typing comfort is positively described, with reviewers calling out a soft, bouncy, comfort-focused feel.
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One review specifically says the switches deliver a consistent key press.
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Key mappings are described as persisting across multiple devices, which supports multi-device use.
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One review specifically praises the included PBT keycaps as high quality.
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Macro support is explicitly mentioned as part of the board’s deeper customization toolkit.
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The sound profile is described as muted rather than sharply loud, keeping the board’s thock controlled.
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Reviewers say the GX87 handles gaming well, especially for hybrid work-and-play use, even if it is not framed as a specialist Hall Effect board.
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Latency is framed positively for normal gaming use, with reviewers noting reduced latency concerns and immediate-feeling keypresses.
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The chassis is praised for having no flex or rattles, though one video notes the quick-release design may feel less rigid than a screwed-in case.
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The keyboard is repeatedly described as running at 1,000Hz, with one video also discussing a low-latency mode.
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The TKL layout is described as saving desk space versus full-size boards while keeping a familiar key set.
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A dedicated ultra low latency mode is explicitly mentioned in the software.
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Software support is generally seen as good for the category, with QMK/VIA support and dedicated software, though one reviewer still found VIA basic.
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The board offers Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless modes, but one review also reports minor connectivity issues.
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The fixed typing angle is presented as standard enough that it should not bother most users.
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One review says the switches feel fairly responsive in play.
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The GX87 is explicitly described as an 80% TKL, giving it a compact-but-not-tiny footprint.
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Lighting customization exists and can be adjusted, but the experience is not unanimously polished, with one review calling it clunky.
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Stabilizers are mixed but acceptable overall: one review says they are nearly silent, while another wanted a bit more lube.
Cons
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One review reports rare duplicate key registrations and a fringe long-hold input issue, so reliability is good but not flawless.
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One video calls the included cable cheap and unimpressive.
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Switch choice at purchase is limited, with one review explicitly noting only two similar linear options and no tactile choice.
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Its heavy all-metal build makes it less convenient to carry around or reposition frequently.
FAQ
Is the McHose GX87 hot-swappable?
Yes. Multiple reviews explicitly say the switches can be removed and replaced without soldering, which makes switch swaps a core part of the board’s appeal.
Is the GX87 good for gaming?
Reviews say it is good for mixed-use gaming, with 1,000Hz polling, responsive wireless behavior, and competent performance in shooters and other fast games. It is not positioned as a Hall Effect specialist, though.
How is the battery life?
Battery life is one of the clearest strengths in the reviews. Multiple reviewers call out the 8,000mAh setup and describe the runtime as very long.
How good is the software?
Overall software support is better than many budget boards because reviewers mention QMK/VIA support and dedicated software. The main caveat is that RGB control is not described as equally polished in every review.
Reviews we analyzed
Video Reviews
Article Reviews
Best Gaming Keyboard
#1
4.3
Choose the GX87 if you want premium aluminum feel, standout stock sound, and easy modding for the money. Skip it if you need...
Pros: durability, hot-swappable switches, ease of switch replacement, value for money, battery life, onboard memory, wireless performance
Cons: portability, switch options, cable quality, reliability
#2
3.8
Choose the Muse65 HE for its premium build, standout design, and fast hall-effect performance. Skip it if polished software and richer magnetic features...
Pros: latency, polling rate, key responsiveness, build quality, gaming performance, materials quality, rapid trigger support
Cons: compatibility, software quality, portability, switch options, extra gaming features, profile management, per-key lighting control