Scored on 41 verified owner verdicts, from 1,065 comments read across 5 communities
TL;DR
Most owners see the RK84 as an excellent value entry into mechanical keyboards, praising its surprisingly smooth stock switches, solid hot-swap build, and features like the USB passthrough port and tri-mode connectivity that punch above its roughly $80 price. Many report it holding up fine for a year or more of daily typing and gaming with zero issues. But a meaningful minority run into real reliability problems: flaky 2.4GHz wireless with dropouts and short range, batteries or wired charging that degrade or fail after about a year, scratchy-feeling stock switches, and clunky firmware/software that can even brick the board on update. A vocal contingent also considers it dated compared to newer QMK/VIA-compatible budget boards with better firmware and layer support.
32% of 41 verified owners recommend the RK84, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
1,065 comments reviewed · scored on the 41 clearest verdicts
32%
Recommend
13 owners
31%
Neutral
13 owners
37%
Don't recommend
15 owners
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
31%
36
Other forumsKeebtalk, Linustechtips
0%
3
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer), but here they sit too far from the owner consensus on Reddit and forums — channel comment sections can skew heavily positive or negative by trend — so they're shown for perspective and kept out of the score.owner comments
81%
32
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
83%
6
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
102
Affiliate blogs here say 83% recommend, while the owner-based score is 32%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
What owners like
Standout value for the price, frequently called one of the best budget or entry-level mechanical keyboards available · 9 · 22%
Stock switches feel smooth and pleasant right out of the box, with several owners saying they skipped lubing entirely · 6 · 15%
Holds up reliably over months or years of daily use with no connectivity, battery, or input problems reported · 6 · 15%
Considered outdated next to newer budget rivals, lacking QMK/VIA-style firmware, real layers, and modern software polish · 6 · 15%
Hot-swappable switch sockets plus extras like the USB passthrough port, tri-mode connectivity, and RGB add real value · 5 · 12%
What owners flag
2.4GHz wireless connectivity is unreliable, with dongle dropouts, interference, and short range, though Bluetooth and wired hold up better · 7 · 17%
Battery, charging, or wired-mode reliability degrades over time, with some units failing outright after about a year · 6 · 15%
Firmware and companion software are clunky or buggy, and some firmware updates have bricked the board entirely · 5 · 12%
Stock switches feel scratchy out of the box · 4 · 10%
Who it's for
A great fit if
First-time mechanical keyboard buyers wanting a budget-friendly entry point
Enthusiasts who want to mod switches, keycaps, and stabilizers on a hot-swap board
Office users who need the F-row and 75% layout for work
Buyers prioritizing value and build quality over premium software or firmware polish
Look elsewhere if
Anyone relying on stable 2.4GHz wireless, since range and dropout issues recur
Users who need reliable long-term firmware/software support without bricking risk
Mac or Linux users, since wired connection and driver support are unreliable
Synthesized from what RK84 owners say — not a spec sheet.
Top quotes, sourced
1,065 reviewed · 77 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube— neutral
“The only problem I had was updating the firmware bricked the whole board. I had to search forums and youtube comments to find a random executable to fix it.
My advice is to avoid the software on this thing altogether”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“if you grew up learning how to type fast on standard layout, this will drive you crazy”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I own this keyboard. Absolutely love it, i use it for gaming and at work for my software engineering job.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“Keyboard works great, no input lag, no issues.”
YouTube— neutral
“Coming from my old Filco TKL it takes a bit of getting used to the layout and lack of gaps, but it is not too bad. It also sounds and feels very differently.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“bagal ko mag type riyan ah”
YouTube— neutral
“The battery life is decent but will need to turn it off daily and not just in sleep mode”
YouTube▲ recommend
“For the price & tons of feature its one of the best 75% keyboard.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Recently bought this keyboard and immediately had issues with keys repeating themselves which in gaming is horrible. Currently looking for a replacement and I only bought it a week ago”
Linus Tech Tips▼ don’t recommend
“Im very annoyed because i only got the keyboard a week ago. It happened when i bottomed out the key and heard a loud clack, now it feels delayed and sometimesd doesn't respond”
KeebTalk— neutral
“But the lubing was still fun. And the end result is mediocre at best. I keep telling me that that I’ve not tinkered enough with it. But may be the board isn’t good.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I got this keyboard with red switches, and its actually not as loud as i thought, considering how people liked to talk about mechanicals, especially ones with unlubed switches.
I'm using it straight out of the box with no other modifications, and whilst I havent tried browns yet, the reds are already treating me well in both gaming and work :)”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I'm so glad this keyboard exists. Literally half the price of the Keychron branded one.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“On 2.4 dongle it definitely did drop! So I can confirm that. Will return it if Bluetooth does the same ultimately. :/”
Reddit— neutral
“I spilt beer on my rk 84. Wireless didnt work for a week and then suddenly did again. And then I did it again with coffee. Still works.”
Reddit— neutral
“It’s an okay keyboard but there is no mac support and wired connection don’t work anymore for me both on my mac and Linux systems.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I have 2 keyboard which is RK71 and RK61 from the Royal Kludge and I love it”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I had one that just stopped working in wired mode after some time (like barely a year ) after purchase .”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I have this keyboard with blue switches. Absolutely fucking amazing. I literally have zero complaints”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“Not worth it at 4k. These boards tend to have battery and pcb issues more often than I'd like to admit.”
Reddit— neutral
“connectivity can be infuriating at times, even over usbc, but I like it enough to have grabbed a second one today”
Reddit— neutral
“Oh boy... If only Royal Kludge made these boards qmk compatible... They'll be so higher on the market”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I just bought one for me because of your video, and the KB is great!!”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“If they at least had layers, but IMO, their design and firmware are about 3-4 years behind.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“Switch off your keyboard. The ON-OFF button is used for Bluetooth connection (via Bluetooth/Bluetooth Dongle). PIPO the connection. It should work if you wanna use your keyboard via cable.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Q = Device 1 on bluetooth W= Device 2 on bluetooth and so on and so forth If itf blinking, then its in pairing mode. To choose the right device, press FN+ q or w or e or r”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Basically it’s possible to get a full set of Durocks to completely fit into an RK84, but you might need to put certain housings into different spots in order to get all of them to clip in properly.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“They also now sell "Pro' versions of the RK61, RK68, and RK84 with CNC aluminum frames. All available on Amazon for what seems like VERY good prices.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“For those of you who are getting this keyboard and want to install HyperX Puddings, I want to warn you guys that some keycaps might not fit.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Because it's trying to pair via 2.4Ghz Dongle. If you're using it via cable turn the switch to B instead of G. G is for Dongle mode, B is for Bluetooth mode. If you're using it wired mode just turn the switch to of and B.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“To all having the problem with blinking Q, just make sure to turn the switch from B to G (because it's trying to connect to Bluetooth, I guess). When P is blinking, just make sure the switch is on G, turn the keyboard off, then restart pc.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“The solution is in the BIOS configuration (USB power management) This is not a keyboard issue or defect. Regards!”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Hey, if you're still having this problem, /u/Aebie's solution worked for me. In order to use your keyboard completely without having a blinking "P", you need to use the 2.4ghz USB + the DONGLE connected on the Computer. And must have turn ON + G switched on.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“You have to "switch it off" for wired mode. It's not switching automatically if you just put the cable in. That said, i guess i can confirm the issue in wireless mode for the few times i used it. In wired mode i didn't notice anything like missing keypresses.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“In order to use your keyboard completely without having a blinking "P", you need to use the 2.4ghz USB + the DONGLE connected on the Computer. And must have turn ON + G switched on. Else, your keyboard will not completely work and yea it will keep blinking/pairing to dongle.”
