Keychron Q4 vs 1970s Mechanical Keyboard
Keychron Q4 is the cheaper pick at $79.99, roughly 19% under 1970s Mechanical Keyboard ($99.00). 1970s Mechanical Keyboard offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Keychron Q4 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 | Keychron Q4 | 1970s Mechanical Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Keychron Q4 | 1970s Mechanical Keyboard |
| Brand | Keychron | Lofree |
| Price range | $79.99 | $99.00 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Form factor | 60% | TKL (80%) |
| Key count | 61 | 87 |
| Hot-swap | Yes | No |
| Supported switch pins | 3, 5 | — |
| Case material | Aluminum 6063 | — |
| Plate material | Aluminum 6063 | — |
| Mounting style | Gasket mount | — |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-C | — |
| RGB lighting | No | No |
| Layouts supported | ISO DE | — |
| QMK support | Yes | — |
| VIA support | Yes | — |
| Weight (g) | — | — |
| Polling rate (Hz) | — | — |
Name
- Keychron Q4
- Keychron Q4
- 1970s Mechanical Keyboard
- 1970s Mechanical Keyboard
Brand
- Keychron Q4
- Keychron
Price range
- Keychron Q4
- $79.99
Community score
Form factor
- Keychron Q4
- 60%
- 1970s Mechanical Keyboard
- TKL (80%)
Key count
Hot-swap
- Keychron Q4
- Yes
Supported switch pins
- Keychron Q4
- 3, 5
Case material
- Keychron Q4
- Aluminum 6063
Plate material
- Keychron Q4
- Aluminum 6063
Mounting style
- Keychron Q4
- Gasket mount
Connectivity
- Keychron Q4
- Wired USB-C
RGB lighting
Layouts supported
- Keychron Q4
- ISO DE
QMK support
- Keychron Q4
- Yes
VIA support
- Keychron Q4
- Yes
Weight (g)
Polling rate (Hz)
Which should you buy?
Keychron Q4 is the cheaper pick at $79.99, roughly 19% under 1970s Mechanical Keyboard ($99.00). 1970s Mechanical Keyboard offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Keychron Q4 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 Keychron Q4 if
From $79.99
- You want a 60% layout
- You plan to swap switches without soldering
- You're on a tighter budget
Pick 1970s Mechanical Keyboard if
From $99.00
- You want a tkl (80%) layout
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