Epomaker HE75 V2 TMR review
It feels like every new bit of tech in a gaming keyboard or gaming mouse is treated as the next frontier, from new switch types to higher polling rates, and even the materials used. But if you want 8,000 Hz polling, it actually does feel like TMR might be the next frontier, because not only is it snappy and responsive, but it’s super efficient, which helps counteract some of the problems with high polling in the first place.
Right now, the pickings are fairly slim for TMR keyboards. We’ve got some from Logitech, some from Cherry, and a few others, but it’s still a relatively niche sensor technology for switches right now, and not exactly cheap. But TMR is great, and it’s particularly good if you want to go wireless thanks to its power efficiency.
Epomaker’s HE75 V2 TMR is interesting partly because it crams that switch technology into an 8,000 Hz board with a ton of little quality-of-life features, and does it all at a price point amongst the cheapest TMR keyboards. But whether it’s worth the asking fee will come down to feel and play.
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Buy if…
✅ You want a compact competitive keeb: It might not look it, but the HE75 V2 TMR is a beast in the specs department, and it fits that into an ickle frame.
Don’t Buy if…
❌ You don’t care about TMR switches or high polling: If you can make do with Hall effect or plain ‘ol mechanical switches, you can get a keyboard for cheaper, or one loaded with more features.
The Epomaker HE75 V2 TMR is a keyboard that knows what it is. It provides TMR switches, a hurtling-fast polling rate, and a small build at a price just under its competition. It’s not particularly flashy, and it has no gimmick, but it’s just a solid, solid competitive keyboard, and one you can fit in your backpack.
Features
|
Switches |
Epomaker Creamy Jade Magnetic Switch (pre-lubed) |
|
Hot swappable |
Yes, with magnetic and 3 / 5-pin mechanical switches. |
|
Size |
75% |
|
Polling rate |
Up to 8,000 Hz |
|
Connection type |
Wired and wireless (2.4 GHz and Bluetooth) |
|
Cable |
Included USB Type-A to Type-C cable |
|
Backlight |
Dynamic RGB per-key backlight and adjustable front light |
|
Battery life |
60 hours with RGB off and 33.5 with RGB on (8,000 Hz) |
|
Media controls |
One dial |
|
Wrist rest |
None |
|
Weight |
0.98 kg |
|
Price |
$129 |
8,000 Hz polling is far more than the average gamer needs (myself included), and it’s even paired with the likes of rapid trigger, making this a super competitive keyboard in the specs department. You aren’t getting a wrist rest or many extras here, but it does come with a five-layer sound-dampening gasket, one media dial, and my model came with pre-lubed Creamy Jade Magnetic switches.
TMR and Hall effect are both contactless magnetic sensor-based systems, though they are different terms, which does make the HE in the name confusing. The standard HE75 is Hall effect, hence the name, so this V2 model is the TMR version of a Hall effect keyboard. Understood? Great.
(Image credit: Future)
The broader benefit of TMR switches is that they are uber precise, detecting changes of 0.01 mm, and because they measure resistance (rather than a constant voltage), they use less power than the likes of Hall effect. That makes them especially good for wireless peripherals that rely on battery power, like this one (though you can also keep it plugged in).
They also have the same benefit as Hall effect switches in that no physical contact happens; therefore, there’s no wear. This is perhaps more of a benefit in controllers that can get drift. They are more or less a straight upgrade from Hall effect, hence the recent adoption in the gaming market.
The HE 75 V2 TMR (unlike the standard HE 75 V2) is hot-swappable with magnetic or 3/5-pin mechanical switches.
Ergonomics
I have come to love the size of this keyboard from my weeks with it. You get your standard keys, your F keys, an extra media dial, but not much else. It’s a compact build that’s sturdy, weighty, and not too heavy either.
There’s only a little space between the number keys and F keys, and yet I rarely hit the wrong key. I can say the same for the arrow keys on the right. I could see one accidentally activating rapid trigger mode by hitting Fn and Shift together when trying to hit the right Shift, but I’ve never managed to do so in-game.
(Image credit: Future)
As for typing feel, the HE 75 V2 TMR is smooth and responsive. It’s relatively clacky, which I find quite satisfying in use, and though keys are rather smushed together to fit on the board, the PBT keycaps are smooth to the touch and easy to press down.
Playing Terraria-like crafter Delverium, I notice almost no hand strain. This is less a competitive game and more one you’d play for hours in the evening, but it’s important that a gaming keyboard can last for both a hardcore session and a cosy one. The only downside here is the lack of a wrist rest means you are reliant on the comfort of your tabletop to brace the weight of your arm. But the HE75 V2 TMR is accommodating to the palm, and despite being sturdy, it doesn’t feel angular.
(Image credit: Future)
In Counter-Strike 2, it is super snappy. Given that you can set actuation anywhere between 0.1 mm and 3 mm, I found myself prioritising the WASD keys, and this feels natural in context. 8,000 Hz may be overkill, but I can say that, whether wired or wireless, the HE 75 V2 TMR is a competitive ol’ beast. It’s smooth, reactive, easy to press, and it’s never hard to find my place on the board thanks to its accommodating size and angled shape.
The entire keyboard goes up ever so slightly at the top, which can then be pushed further up with its included feet. Rather handily, it hides away the 2.4 GHz connector under the right foot, which is a neat bit of storage.
Aesthetics
(Image credit: Future)
Simplicity is the aim of the HE 75 VR TMR. My model is the black variant, and it comes with all-black keycaps with a white font. The only flashy element of the entire build is a strip of light in the back of the keyboard that is accompanied by a crystallised lining. You can customise this in the software to any colour, but it’s much more noticeable for the streaks of light it produces on my mousepad than the look of the strip itself.
The HE 75 V2 TMR does have per-key RGB, and with the keys being somewhat opaque, it shines through well. To me, the keyboard looks solid with or without RGB, but it doesn’t really stand out.
One thing I do like is that almost every aesthetic choice is also practical (barring the light bar). It has a small light on the bottom right, and this indicates whether you have turned rapid trigger on or off. The media dial on the top right is very low-key in its presentation, but functions well, and has enough space on the board to be easy to find.
Software
Epomaker, unlike many peripheral manufacturers, pulls out a big win in the software department, as it’s not only intuitive and easy to use, but can also be done entirely through a web page. You simply ‘bind’ your device to the tab (just find it via settings), then you can do custom button mapping, swap lighting, set actuation, and update software.
In my weeks using this keyboard every single day, I’ve not had a single software hiccup. And, other than getting updates or setting actuation, you can control a lot of the keyboard’s software through a smart grouping of function key combinations.
Battery Life
(Image credit: Future)
Thanks perhaps to the 8,000 mAh battery, or the more efficient TMR switches, you can get up to 60 hours of battery life in 8,000 Hz mode with the RGB off and up to 33.5 with RGB on. Given 8,000 Hz polling seems to drain battery anywhere between five and seven times faster, I’d expect around 300 to 350 hours of battery on 1,000 Hz with RGB off, and just over half that figure with RGB on.
I’d consider that battery life solid, and more than enough to make the HE75 V2 TMR both good on the go and great in a wireless minimalist setup. The likes of the Keychron K8 Ultra 8K deliver up to 760 hours with RGB off, so you will get better battery from comparably priced keyboards, but 350 hours is enough that I’d be surprised if you charge it more than once every few months.
If you need to check the battery life, you simply hit FN and Space, and it shows the battery in RGB. It’s a neat touch.
Sound
There’s a deep thock to it, but one that doesn’t reverberate.
The HE V2 TMR has a five-layer gasket designed for softer keystrokes, and though I wouldn’t call the keyboard quiet, I would say it offers a fairly satisfying sound. There’s a deep thock to it, but one that doesn’t reverberate.
It’s a deep, satisfying sound, especially so when you consider the top is a thick plastic. I was expecting a more shrill or generally more hollow sound, but the five layers give it some depth. I’d say it’s fairly comparable to the TMR Cherry keyboard I tried earlier this year, the XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR TKL.
It does have a slightly more weighty sound in the space bar and in the Enter switch, which I assume is partly related to them being bigger keys, but also partly with the space bar not being surrounded by keycaps. Though they sound different, none sound bad.
Value
(Image credit: Future)
As far as TMR boards are concerned, this is a very good price. The Cherry K5 Pro TMR Compact is a smaller board and costs more. The MX 8.2 Pro TMR TKL is over $100 more. You are getting more keys here, and I think the Pro TMR TKL has a stronger base, but I’d easily pick the Epomaker if it were my money.
But if you don’t need a TMR keyboard, there are plenty of cheaper options. Gamakay’s X NaughShark NS68 goes all the way down to just $40, and it comes with Hall effect switches. It’s missing a media dial and dedicated F keys, but it’s a relatively similar size. The Epomaker, however, blows it out of the shark-infested waters where build quality is concerned. The HE75 V2 TMR really does feel like a $130 keyboard to my fingertips.
I think the questions you have to ask yourself if you’re thinking about the Epomaker HE75 V2 TMR are: ‘How important are TMR switches to you?’, ‘Do I need 8K?’, ‘Will I need a numpad or wrist rest?’ and ‘Do I want something flashier?’. If the answers to those questions are yes, yes, no and no, then I’d say the HE75 V2 TMR is a bit of a winner.
The HE75 V2 TMR is strongly built, with a solid feature set, and it balances a small size with a solid offering of keys. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the amount of desk space left after the V2 TMR took over full-time, and I’ve never found myself lacking in competitive matches either. Well, any more than I usually am.
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