Lemokey X5 mechanical keyboard review: Performance on a budget

Customizable keyboards can get expensive; you can rack up several hundred dollars for plates, keycaps, and gaskets before getting to the hours needed for assembly. Thankfully, we’ve seen an increase in budget enthusiast decks, giving us a good starting point at a wallet-friendly price, allowing for upgrades or customization at our own pace and skill level.

For $50, the Lemokey X5 mechanical keyboard falls into this category. It has a solid base, lubed switches, and decent performance that can be updated over time. If you’re okay with a decisively 2013 hardcore gamer aesthetic and a few flaws, the Lemokey X5 might be your next deck.

Price, availability, and specs

The Lemokey X5 is available through Lemokey and Amazon for $50. The company offers two switch options: the Keychon Mechanical Brown Switch featured on my review unit or a Keychron Mechanical Red Switch for those seeking a smoother (and quieter) experience. Various keycap sets and other customizations are sold through the Lemokey site for an additional cost.

What’s good about the Lemokey X5 keyboard?

Solid and customizable

It’s hard to beat the price of the Lemokey X5, especially considering it’s a decent mechanical keyboard with customizable options for $50. I’ll refer to the price several times in this review because it’s important to remember — an affordable product makes minor gripes more bearable.

Lemokey did a great job with the X5’s base. It’s a solid deck with a PC plate, gasket mount, and acoustic foam combined for a decent typing experience that doesn’t sound or feel cheap. I noticed minimal deck flex, mainly at the corners when applying pressure, but nothing that hindered my experience.

In addition, the gaming performance was what I’d expect from a tactile switch. The travel distance is 4 millimeters, a bit longer than other gaming keyboards, but it didn’t bother me during gameplay. The Keychron brown switches require 55 grams of pressure for activation, and while it’s a bit more than I’m used to, my fingers were never fatigued.

I love that Lemokey included three typing angles for the X5. I’m tired of gaming decks giving me only one (or none), like the Drop CSTM65. With the X5, you can choose 4.5, 7, or 9 degrees, allowing for plenty of variation to help find the most comfortable fit. It’s a small detail, but makes a massive difference over longer gaming and typing sessions — your wrists will thank you.

I mentioned the switches’ gaming performance earlier, but they also feel good for typing. They are factory pre-lubed, making for smooth travel. Because of the added activation weight and travel, you won’t forget it’s a gaming keyboard while typing up documents (or a review), but the X5 does a better job than most, making the experience pleasant.

The X5 sneaks in a few premium gaming features despite its budget price. N-key rollover is included, allowing for button mashing until your heart’s content in League of Legends. Macro commands are also easy to set up thanks to QWK firmware, providing plenty of key configuration options through the Lemokey Launcher web app.

The X5’s backlighting is limited, but at least it’s available. I hope you like red because this keyboard doesn’t have any RGB LEDs. You do get 14 lighting pattern options, with the LEDs displayed through the ABS double-shot shine through keycaps. The lighting is decently bright and viewable without problems in daylight.

Each F-key includes basic functions, and the X5 is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac. Lemokey fitted the X5 with 256K of flash memory, allowing developers a chance to program for the deck in the future. I had no issues using the software, and I like that there is a web app for easy access.

It took a bit of getting used to, but I finally accepted the X5’s 96% size. It saves a little extra desk space, making the key configuration more compact. I would’ve liked an extra millimeter or two on the Right-Shift key, but a few hundred words later, I was zipping along normally. I know I’m a dinosaur for this preference, but I enjoy having a dedicated number pad. It makes passcodes and entering data so much easier — worth the extra space it takes.

What’s bad about the Lemokey X5 keyboard?

Blast from the past design

It’s obviously a personal preference, but when I saw the X5’s red backlighting and red Enter, Escape, and Spacebar, I was instantly transported back to 2013. I felt like I was two G-Fuel shakers deep, about to hop on Counter-Strike to lose a Silver II competitive match and blame my teammates. Thankfully, Lemokey includes black replacement keys, but this is not a keyboard that passes for an office-friendly deck.

Speaking of the keycaps, they aren’t bad, but aren’t high-quality either. The ABS double-shot plastic feels cheaper than other keys I’ve used, but Lemokey needed to cut corners somewhere to keep the X5 affordable. It’s not a deal-breaker because it’s a problem easily fixed by replacement caps, but know the default ones don’t provide a premium experience out of the box.

While I don’t mind the default switches on the Lemokey X5, I would’ve liked the option to swap out for another set later. Unlike other boards from the company, the X5 switches are firmly planted, meaning you should take extra care choosing between red and brown switches from the start. It wouldn’t stop me from buying (especially for the money), but it would’ve been welcome for an enthusiast board to allow the option to swap in a different feel later on.

Should you buy it?

It’s hard to deny the Lemokey X5 is a good value for $50. Even if a single component isn’t upgraded, you get a solid-performing deck for gaming and typing. While the Keychron mechanical brown switches will never be my first choice, they do the job with a smooth feel and quick response for fast-paced shooters. With a few mods, you can have a premium-feeling deck for less than the cost of a Corsair K95 Platinum, along with the fun of building it yourself.

If you’re an enthusiast looking for an affordable jumping-off point, the X5 will do the job. If you’re a gamer on a budget, it might be a good idea to pick one up and improve pieces as your budget allows. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with a board as affordable as the X5.