Cherry MX Board 3.0S vs Keychron K5 SE
Cherry MX Board 3.0S is the cheaper pick at $69.99, roughly 18% under Keychron K5 SE ($84.99). Cherry MX Board 3.0S offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Keychron K5 SE trims the footprint. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Detailed comparison
Spec-by-spec breakdown — differences highlighted in cyan.
| Spec | Cherry MX Board 3.0S | Keychron K5 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cherry MX Board 3.0S | Keychron K5 SE |
| Brand | Cherry | Keychron |
| Price range | $69.99 | $84.99 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Form factor | Full-size (100%) | Full-size (100%) |
| Key count | 109 | 104 |
| Hot-swap | No | Yes |
| Supported switch pins | — | 3, 5 |
| Case material | Aluminum 6063 | — |
| Plate material | — | — |
| Mounting style | — | — |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-A | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+) |
| RGB lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Layouts supported | ANSI | ISO DE |
| QMK support | No | — |
| VIA support | No | — |
| Weight (g) | 1025 | — |
| Polling rate (Hz) | 1000 | — |
Name
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron K5 SE
Brand
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- Cherry
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron
Price range
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- $69.99
- Keychron K5 SE
- $84.99
Community score
Form factor
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- Full-size (100%)
- Keychron K5 SE
- Full-size (100%)
Key count
Hot-swap
Supported switch pins
- Keychron K5 SE
- 3, 5
Case material
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- Aluminum 6063
Plate material
Mounting style
Connectivity
- Cherry MX Board 3.0S
- Wired USB-A
- Keychron K5 SE
- Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+)
RGB lighting
Layouts supported
- Keychron K5 SE
- ISO DE
QMK support
VIA support
Weight (g)
Polling rate (Hz)
Which should you buy?
Cherry MX Board 3.0S is the cheaper pick at $69.99, roughly 18% under Keychron K5 SE ($84.99). Cherry MX Board 3.0S offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Keychron K5 SE trims the footprint. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Pick Cherry MX Board 3.0S if
From $69.99
- You're on a tighter budget
Pick Keychron K5 SE if
From $84.99
- You plan to swap switches without soldering
Also compared
Popular pairings that involve Board 3.0S or K5 SE.