As someone who owns a Personal Computer™ (a.k.a. PC, for those not in the know), and uses it often, I was always impressed by the uniqueness and modularity that surrounds it. Every PlayStation and Xbox out there look exactly the same, but no two PC setups are going to be even remotely similar, thanks to how many different hardware choices you can make.

This modularity also applies to a PC’s peripherals, with the keyboard being the best example of that. I’ve always flirted with the idea of customizing my keyboard, as frequent readers might have even spotted the Evangelion keycaps that show up in the background of my tech reviews, but I never ventured into fully building a keyboard for myself. Until now, that is.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the HI75 DIY kit by Leobog, a beginner-friendly mechanical keyboard with loads of customization options that provides users with the perfect entry point into the world of custom keyboards.

Diving right in, the box for the HI75 comes with a user manual, an info card, a braided USB-C cable that is coiled by default, optional indicators for light and the Leobog logo, and, of course, the barebones body of the HI75.

Going into its specs a little, the HI75 is a compact 81-key fully hotswappable keyboard with an aluminum body and a respectable amount of weight. The knob at the top right serves both as a shortcut for media controls and as a way to customize the RGB on the fly, which is quite useful.

The reason I specifically chose to build this kit is because it feels quite approachable for someone who is still somewhat new to building keyboards. Leobog really put in the effort to get the more inconvenient aspects out of the way, making the process simple. Plus, I’ve been feeling limited by the 60% layout, and this is the perfect opportunity to try out something new.

The fact that keyboards are so modular and customizable means that people in the hobby start veering into the point of lunacy with the lengths they’ll go through to achieve the perfect sound. This is the point in assembly where modding would come in, but as it turns out, the work has already been done for us.

The HI75 comes with multiple sheets of PORON and silencing foam to preserve its acoustics and give it stability, so there’s really no need to break out the painter’s tape or PE foam sheet to mod it, it already sounds great stock. The incredibly full sound that is achieved just by putting it together regularly is one of the main reasons why I would say this keyboard is so beginner friendly.

For the keyboard’s switches, I went with the Reaper linear set. The Reapers are a set of 5-pin pre-lubed switches with 3.6±0.3mm of travel and 45±3gf of actuation force. They are a good blend between thocky and creamy, which pair quite nicely with the keyboard’s acoustics. These are by far the nicest-sounding switches I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. Give it a listen:

For its keycaps, I went with the Mist Clouds set by Epomaker. This is a 143-key set with Dye-Sublimation on PBT keycaps, featuring an overall white color to match the white case. They feel quite nice to the touch and are very aesthetically pleasing. I would personally recommend using them in a reasonably lit environment, though, since they do not let light through.

The Mist Clouds set is mainly advertised as an ANSI-layout set of keycaps, but actually includes multiple variations of some keys, like two sets of arrow keys, one white and one colorful, and even keys meant for other layouts, like the big ISO Enter and multiple Shift and Caps Lock keys.

I am thoroughly happy with my aesthetic choices here, as I feel like the white from the keycaps perfectly matches the case and the pastel gradient that goes from purple to orange gives it a very unique look with some much-needed color. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but your boy’s got good taste.

And now, for the most important parts of any PC peripheral, RGB and software customization. The HI75 comes with multiple RGB settings, which can be customized through different shortcuts or through its software. There are 16 different lighting modes, as well as 10 extra which are audio-responsive.

The HI75 software is incredibly easy to use and features a good amount of customization, down to each key. Users can create macros, change key associations, create key combos and even make new shortcuts if the many existing ones happen to not cover some specific niche usage you want.

The addition of multiple customization layers, as well as different office and gaming modes make the HI75 a great keyboard for both everyday and gaming usage, especially since the extra four keys on the side (which come by default as Delete, End, Page Up and Page Down) can be turned into whatever shortcut or other key users want.

Now, you might be thinking: “This guy is an absolute buffoon. He got a 75% keyboard, which only has 81 keys, but 100 switches and 143 keycaps? Why?” And that’s where you simply fail to understand my plans.

Extra switches and keycaps aren’t a waste, they are an opportunity to create other cool stuff, which is why I also grabbed a hotswappable HitBox style arcade controller, getting even more usage out of my extra switches and keycaps.

They would also come in handy if we wanted to build or customize a numpad-style keyboard like the K21, or a macropad for streaming. The possibilities are endless, and you can always start some other fun personal project with a couple of switches and keycaps.

So, this is where I drop you off. I’ve been teetering the edge of this rabbit hole of a hobby for a while, and couldn’t be happier now that I feel in feet first. The HI75 is an incredibly fun point of entry into building your own keyboard, and it helps that it sounds amazing by default thanks to the effort Leobog put into its acoustics.

From DIY kits to arcade controllers and all sorts of wacky personal projects, there’s always something fun happening in the medium, and I hope this feature has inspired you to go out there and start working on something that you can also customize and call your own. Go type on a mechanical keyboard, it’ll make your day better.

This feature was made possible thanks to Leobog and Epomaker. Check out the HI75 Kit right here, as well as other Leobog products right here. You can also find more keycaps, keyboards and accessories on the official Epomaker store.

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