So this is what I've concluded from my own research and personal experience. FR4 pairs incredibly well with full aluminum keyboard cases. And it DOES make switches sound thockier in my opinion. For polycarbonate transparent cases, plastic cases, or even full acrylic cases I found that they benefit from PC or POM plates. Another thing to note: I've used the GMMK Pro with stock aluminum plate with both C3 stabs and Durock V2 stabs and I found that C3 were noticeably better sounding than the Durocks. But when I did the same test for my KBD67 Lite I preferred Durocks. So yeah pretty interesting results that I have come to conclusion with
I have similar thoughts after using a portico for a few weeks now. It's not a bad entry board, but I still feel like the kbd67lite is a better option. For the c3 stabs, the issue I ran into was that the keycaps I was trying to use on the board wouldn't work. The stabs themselves wouldn't fit into the keycap properly, so the stabilizer wasn't stabilizing the keycap. Swapped to durock stabs and they work just fine though. As for the fr4 plate, the 4 switches I've used all sound different. I've used black ink v2, ktt rose, banana splits, and u4ts. Gasket keyboards do have a tendency to sound similar, but I haven't noticed that with fr4 particularly. Really good review though. I like seeing reviews on entry boards, since it's a fun hobby that's really difficult to find a place to start.
@@WilliamCronenberg If you can get them around what they're normal pricing ($0.65 per), banana splits are nice. Anyone charging a dollar or more is ripping you off though. They're nice spring swapped, but i wasn't a fan of them stock. But splits in the portico is alright, def worth a try but not like outstanding by any means
As a fellow owner of both the portico and kbd67 lite I agree with your review. While I like the typing sounds/feel of the kbd67 lite slightly more, I actually like the looks of the portico much much better. I think I must be the only person who actually likes the terminal green color! But it looks great with their terminal green keycaps and I even got kiwis to tie in the whole green aesthetic. I tend to touch the case of the keyboard alot when I'm gaming, so I really like how there is no seam on the portico and it's front height and typing angle is great if you don't like using a wrist rest. Whereas the kbd67 lite has an obnoxious seam. Additionally, to me, the feel is the polycarb plastic of the portico is much better than the abs plastic of the kbd67 lite. I got in on the portico group buy and feel the $119 was fairly priced, but unless you really like the aesthetic/clacky sound signature wouldn't recommend it for much more than that. I would be interested if the key dot company came out with a polycarb plate for a bit more thoc.
Yeah! The KBD67 Lite seems like it’s a better built board for sound, and this one I think is a bit more aesthetically pleasing (just in a different color that isn’t smoke)
Eva-02 is a red and gold Eva from NGE. That's where the name and colors of those switches are from. Just like the ev-01 switches (purple and green) are like eva-01. Thanks for the review. Been looking into a portico but some of these issues are red flags.
To be honest though Fr4 doesn't always sound the same. It depends on the keyboard This keyboard is very bad for this. It's due to the fact the keyboard's FR4 plate is screwed to the pcb with those spacers. I hate when companies do that. Fr4 in a polycarb case isn't good either. Pom would have deffinetly been better option. Maybe even a Polycarb plate.
@@TooMuchTech The lack of switch sound difference is not caused by the FR4 plate. The felt plate dampner is the cause of it. It soaks up all the sound, if you put a dampner like this with a polycarbonate or aluminium plate it will have a similar effect. In reality the stand offs don't make much of a difference to the sound if they are removed. Don't give up on FR4 just yet, wait until you've tried it in a board with a better sound signature.
@@cobynweston3610 I may give it a go in a more expensive board that I can buy another plate for like 20 or 30 bucks and give it a go! I got a ModeSixtyFive with both the Alu and the POM plate so interested to try those
It's to keep the pcb and plate combo stable. And it still flexes where it should more than any of these other beginner plastic boards. I think the problem is beginners who don't know they don't like gasket mount boards buy it because it's what is trending in the keeb market currently and they're told this feature is in expensive boards. There are older boards that have different mounting systems that are louder which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ive had a crapload of different beginner to enthusiast level boards and to me the portico does it's job of being a cheap cost gasket board perfectly. Also: check out a think 6.5 polycarbonate with an fr4 plate. There's nothing wrong with that. If you have your own preference towards one or the other I get it but in my actual experience, that doesn't make sense.
@@rks5457 I have a think 6.5 V2 but to be honest when you screw together the pcb and plate on a gasket mount board it unintentionally stiffens the typing experience therefore making the gasket mount almost pointless. I took the m.2 screws and standoff out of the portico. Sound wise it's a tiny bit less muted but most importantly it has a much more gasket mount softer flexed typing feel. It is definitely to my prefrence much better and resembles a tru gasket mount better
Ive had pretty much every recent entry level plastic board and delved into more expensive metal boards. I hear so many people love the thockier/louder sound of kbd67 lite and nk65 ee and hate the portico even though the portico is the only one with a real gasket mount that sounds like a real gasket mount lol. You can tune it by removing the felt absorption layer and/or the case silicone dampener. It's a muted board and that's what is the trend these days with all the gasket mounting. There are older boards that sound loud like the kbd67 lite with older style mounting systems though. I feel like these people are gonna be real upset when they spend a shitload of money on one of the many enthusiast grade metal boards coming out.
I’ve been using the Portico for about month or so. I actually enjoy the board very much and many people have complimented the feel of it. Been using Gateron Milky Yellows and InfiniKeys keycaps. A few don’t like the muted sound but I feel I get plenty of sound from it.
Uhh. It’s okay, but I’m like 80% positive the KBD67 lite might be better, at least in what I’ve seen it looks nicer but we’ll see what happens once I get it in and do a direct comparison
not the "hype" opinion to have, but you stick to what you feel and that's worth some respect i think. i wonder what you'll think of the kbd67 lite. it can also have same sort of switch sameiness(?) problem, though i think the signature sound of the kbd67 lite is inherently appealing so it does not bother me much. when you review the kbd67 lite, you might want to try replacing the included case foam with something thicker and more substantial if you want a more neutral sounding board that isn't a total thock monster. the kbd67 lite draws its thock powers from its hollowness
Well can confirm you should be careful with the USB C, swiped my mouse across the USB C cable and the port came right out with it. Just messaged support so I guess we'll see how that turns out but in the meantime I have a disassembled Portico and a 5 year old membrane keyboard I have to main because its the only thing I could find.
It’s about *both* lol, there are other hotswap boards available so it’s not a unique thing anymore. It’s a feature. Plus, what if a new switch comes out that wasn’t out yesterday and you want to try it?👁
@@TooMuchTech I was responding to your comment of "if all switches sound the same, what's the point of having a hotswap PCB?". My point is that switches are more than sound profiles, and that sound which used to be the polish on your setup, is becoming the primary concern in this new age of "thock".
@@_fatalruin ohhhhh. I’m saying it takes away from the value of the keyboard because it has no personality. Other keyboards, you put in a different switch: it sounds different. Therefore it offers variety and you can experience new things without buying a new keyboard all the time(like imagine I wasn’t a RUclipsr and I bought this, I would be dissatisfied) It might as well not be hotswap because it’s not unique. Thoccs/clacks aside, it’s not worth it IMO
It's there to keep everything in place. The fr4 in the portico is very thin and flexes well which is nice but with all that flex comes the possibility of popping out the switches from the pcb eventually and making sure it doesn't flex too much that the pcb is harmed. If you want it louder, take out the felt and/or case foam. The felt is very effective at absorbing sound.
LIVE STREAMING A NEW KEYBOARD BUILD AT 9PM EST TODAY!!! TWITCH.TV/TECHKILE!! BE THERE :)
Oh imma be there
So this is what I've concluded from my own research and personal experience. FR4 pairs incredibly well with full aluminum keyboard cases. And it DOES make switches sound thockier in my opinion. For polycarbonate transparent cases, plastic cases, or even full acrylic cases I found that they benefit from PC or POM plates.
Another thing to note: I've used the GMMK Pro with stock aluminum plate with both C3 stabs and Durock V2 stabs and I found that C3 were noticeably better sounding than the Durocks. But when I did the same test for my KBD67 Lite I preferred Durocks.
So yeah pretty interesting results that I have come to conclusion with
My man, this was a great video. Been missing seeing your content multiple times a week. Really glad you are streaming today. Will check it out!
Thanks brotha, trying to make more this week, we’ll see how quickly I can get back up to speed🤣
I have similar thoughts after using a portico for a few weeks now. It's not a bad entry board, but I still feel like the kbd67lite is a better option. For the c3 stabs, the issue I ran into was that the keycaps I was trying to use on the board wouldn't work. The stabs themselves wouldn't fit into the keycap properly, so the stabilizer wasn't stabilizing the keycap. Swapped to durock stabs and they work just fine though. As for the fr4 plate, the 4 switches I've used all sound different. I've used black ink v2, ktt rose, banana splits, and u4ts. Gasket keyboards do have a tendency to sound similar, but I haven't noticed that with fr4 particularly. Really good review though. I like seeing reviews on entry boards, since it's a fun hobby that's really difficult to find a place to start.
100% I’ll see once I try the KBD67 lite if I see that aspect followed as far as the plate
Banana splits on the Portico any good?
@@WilliamCronenberg If you can get them around what they're normal pricing ($0.65 per), banana splits are nice. Anyone charging a dollar or more is ripping you off though. They're nice spring swapped, but i wasn't a fan of them stock. But splits in the portico is alright, def worth a try but not like outstanding by any means
As a fellow owner of both the portico and kbd67 lite I agree with your review. While I like the typing sounds/feel of the kbd67 lite slightly more, I actually like the looks of the portico much much better. I think I must be the only person who actually likes the terminal green color! But it looks great with their terminal green keycaps and I even got kiwis to tie in the whole green aesthetic. I tend to touch the case of the keyboard alot when I'm gaming, so I really like how there is no seam on the portico and it's front height and typing angle is great if you don't like using a wrist rest. Whereas the kbd67 lite has an obnoxious seam. Additionally, to me, the feel is the polycarb plastic of the portico is much better than the abs plastic of the kbd67 lite. I got in on the portico group buy and feel the $119 was fairly priced, but unless you really like the aesthetic/clacky sound signature wouldn't recommend it for much more than that. I would be interested if the key dot company came out with a polycarb plate for a bit more thoc.
Yeah! The KBD67 Lite seems like it’s a better built board for sound, and this one I think is a bit more aesthetically pleasing (just in a different color that isn’t smoke)
Eva-02 is a red and gold Eva from NGE. That's where the name and colors of those switches are from. Just like the ev-01 switches (purple and green) are like eva-01. Thanks for the review. Been looking into a portico but some of these issues are red flags.
To be honest though Fr4 doesn't always sound the same. It depends on the keyboard This keyboard is very bad for this. It's due to the fact the keyboard's FR4 plate is screwed to the pcb with those spacers. I hate when companies do that. Fr4 in a polycarb case isn't good either. Pom would have deffinetly been better option. Maybe even a Polycarb plate.
Will def keep in mind
@@TooMuchTech The lack of switch sound difference is not caused by the FR4 plate. The felt plate dampner is the cause of it. It soaks up all the sound, if you put a dampner like this with a polycarbonate or aluminium plate it will have a similar effect. In reality the stand offs don't make much of a difference to the sound if they are removed. Don't give up on FR4 just yet, wait until you've tried it in a board with a better sound signature.
@@cobynweston3610 I may give it a go in a more expensive board that I can buy another plate for like 20 or 30 bucks and give it a go! I got a ModeSixtyFive with both the Alu and the POM plate so interested to try those
It's to keep the pcb and plate combo stable. And it still flexes where it should more than any of these other beginner plastic boards. I think the problem is beginners who don't know they don't like gasket mount boards buy it because it's what is trending in the keeb market currently and they're told this feature is in expensive boards. There are older boards that have different mounting systems that are louder which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ive had a crapload of different beginner to enthusiast level boards and to me the portico does it's job of being a cheap cost gasket board perfectly.
Also: check out a think 6.5 polycarbonate with an fr4 plate. There's nothing wrong with that. If you have your own preference towards one or the other I get it but in my actual experience, that doesn't make sense.
@@rks5457 I have a think 6.5 V2 but to be honest when you screw together the pcb and plate on a gasket mount board it unintentionally stiffens the typing experience therefore making the gasket mount almost pointless. I took the m.2 screws and standoff out of the portico. Sound wise it's a tiny bit less muted but most importantly it has a much more gasket mount softer flexed typing feel. It is definitely to my prefrence much better and resembles a tru gasket mount better
love your videos
Ive had pretty much every recent entry level plastic board and delved into more expensive metal boards. I hear so many people love the thockier/louder sound of kbd67 lite and nk65 ee and hate the portico even though the portico is the only one with a real gasket mount that sounds like a real gasket mount lol. You can tune it by removing the felt absorption layer and/or the case silicone dampener. It's a muted board and that's what is the trend these days with all the gasket mounting. There are older boards that sound loud like the kbd67 lite with older style mounting systems though. I feel like these people are gonna be real upset when they spend a shitload of money on one of the many enthusiast grade metal boards coming out.
I’ve been using the Portico for about month or so. I actually enjoy the board very much and many people have complimented the feel of it. Been using Gateron Milky Yellows and InfiniKeys keycaps. A few don’t like the muted sound but I feel I get plenty of sound from it.
It might be the silicone dampener being a bad match for FR4 that's making all the switches sound the same.
There is also the option of buying the Black Portico case after you have gotten the Terminal Green version.
Trueeee
over All apart from the fr4 plate do you think it is good? i am thinking of getting it because no ther entry level 65 percent is in stock
Uhh. It’s okay, but I’m like 80% positive the KBD67 lite might be better, at least in what I’ve seen it looks nicer but we’ll see what happens once I get it in and do a direct comparison
not the "hype" opinion to have, but you stick to what you feel and that's worth some respect i think.
i wonder what you'll think of the kbd67 lite. it can also have same sort of switch sameiness(?) problem, though i think the signature sound of the kbd67 lite is inherently appealing so it does not bother me much.
when you review the kbd67 lite, you might want to try replacing the included case foam with something thicker and more substantial if you want a more neutral sounding board that isn't a total thock monster. the kbd67 lite draws its thock powers from its hollowness
Ahhh. I can’t wait to get mine I hope it ships soon. I really want to try it lol
just built my portico and right off the bat my pc and via isnt detecting the keyboard, is my pcb busted pls reply 😢
great review man gave a like agree with board black gaskets
NOTI GANGGG
Leggooooo
Yessir
Well can confirm you should be careful with the USB C, swiped my mouse across the USB C cable and the port came right out with it. Just messaged support so I guess we'll see how that turns out but in the meantime I have a disassembled Portico and a 5 year old membrane keyboard I have to main because its the only thing I could find.
I also hate that the pcb is in the middle and not to the side.
Ya what’s up with TKC, you should try to do a tour of their facility 😂
Lmaoo I live close to it actually but uh… idk if that’s a great idea💀
I think the main purpose of a hotswap PCB is trying different feeling switches. I'm not sure when sound trumped feel in this hobby, but it's worrying.
It’s about *both* lol, there are other hotswap boards available so it’s not a unique thing anymore. It’s a feature.
Plus, what if a new switch comes out that wasn’t out yesterday and you want to try it?👁
@@TooMuchTech I was responding to your comment of "if all switches sound the same, what's the point of having a hotswap PCB?". My point is that switches are more than sound profiles, and that sound which used to be the polish on your setup, is becoming the primary concern in this new age of "thock".
@@_fatalruin ohhhhh. I’m saying it takes away from the value of the keyboard because it has no personality.
Other keyboards, you put in a different switch: it sounds different. Therefore it offers variety and you can experience new things without buying a new keyboard all the time(like imagine I wasn’t a RUclipsr and I bought this, I would be dissatisfied)
It might as well not be hotswap because it’s not unique. Thoccs/clacks aside, it’s not worth it IMO
I like the portico. Its still way better than the nk65
It is
can i ask for you? you use oring for gaming? om your keyboard
I dont
What's the pink n blue mousepad a minute in
My guy... a sharpie could fix your not black gasket problems in like 2 mins
the ev02s are evangelion themed. not iron man. hearing that hurt me.
Yessirrr
c3 stabs aren't good. Especially the wires
Need a new keyboard asap but dont have alot of money😢
Awe I feel that🥲 I might give this one away on twitch later in the year
durgod venus prolly a great choicce
Discord sqa SQA!
SQWAAHH
leave out the stupid standoffs and the fr4 makes the world of difference
It's there to keep everything in place. The fr4 in the portico is very thin and flexes well which is nice but with all that flex comes the possibility of popping out the switches from the pcb eventually and making sure it doesn't flex too much that the pcb is harmed. If you want it louder, take out the felt and/or case foam. The felt is very effective at absorbing sound.