REVIEW – Hey folks! It’s me again with another keyboard review. This time it’s the VARMILO Minilo75 HE. I’ve been wanting to try a Varmilo keyboard for quite some time now. I see them all the time on mechanicalkeyboards.com and wanted to get my sweaty hands on one. Why? I’ve heard good things about Varmilo’s boards, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. What’s not to like? AND this one has HALL EFFECT switches! What’s that? Oh, nothing much, just the switch of the future! Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but read on if you’re interested. If not, then the TLDR is: it’s good, buy it.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $140.99
Where to buy: Mechkeys
What is it?
The VARMILO Minilo75 HE is touted as a wired gaming mechanical keyboard with customizable Hall effect switches, but those of us who aren’t PC gamers can enjoy it too.
What’s included?
- VARMILO Minilo75 HE
- Braided USB-C to USB-C cable
- Dust cover
- Keycap/switch puller
- User guide
Tech specs
Keycap Profile Cherry
Size 75%
Key Count 81 keys
Logical Layout US QWERTY
Keycap Material PBT
Physical Layout ANSI
Print Method Double Shot
Switch Mount Type Plate mount
Interface USB-C
Windows/Mac Compatible Yes
Keycap Color Grey, Black
Backlighting RGB / All LED
Hotswap Yes
Legend Color White
Print Position Top
Plate Material Aluminum
PCB Type Magnetic / Hall Effect
Stem Type MX
Keyboard Cord Connection (Keyboard Side) USB-C
Max Polling Rate 8000Hz.
Design and features
Ok, I realize the VARMILO Minilo75 HE keyboard isn’t the coolest looking kid on the block. Its beauty is in the simplicity of the design. The black on grey looks professional enough so that it would look at home in an office. There are no hard edges on the case, so the rounded corners and chamfered edges are pleasing. Just think of it like that quiet person at work, you can always trust to get the job done, and you enjoy working with them. The plastic case also keeps the board from weighing a ton. I’m not saying it’s light as a feather either. This isn’t some keyboard that comes free in the box with a PC. It’s built solid.
Now let’s talk about what the Varmilo Minilo is. Firstly, it’s a wired keyboard. Yes, wired. You want to know why? Reduced latency. The Minilo 75 HE has an 8 kHz polling rate. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you aren’t getting that from Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz wireless. You also aren’t rushing around trying to find what you did with the cable when the battery runs low in your latest Helldivers campaign.
You know what else helps with speed? Hall effect switches. They use magnetic fields to detect and react to key presses. They also provide immediate and precise actuation, allow for adjustable actuation points, and enable features like rapid triggering and analog input emulation. Through the Varmilo web driver, which is a lot like VIA in usage, you can customize not only the switches but also the LEDs, key binds, among other settings.
The keycaps are PBT and double shot, so they won’t develop shine over time and the legends remain nice a crisp. There’s also a bit of texture to them so to me, they feel great.
The VARMILO Minilo75 HE has the 2-position feet, so you can adjust the angle to your liking.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
If you want, you can just plug the VARMILO Minilo75 HE and use it as is. It’s a fine keyboard straight out of the box, but this keyboard really shines when you customize it as you can see from the following pictures.
The problem I had was that there weren’t a lot of instructions on how to use it. For instance, I got a notice that there was a firmware update available. Once I started the process, I got a pop-up saying I would need to configure the switches again once complete. There were no directions on how to do it. After poking around in the different options, I was able to figure it out or at least I guess I did. I mean, I got it working again. If you have any questions about how a non-gamer could get use out of the Hall effect switches, I’ll share this with you. You can adjust the actuation points of each key individually, meaning if you’re heavy-handed like I am, you can adjust them so that if you happen to partially hit another key, then it won’t register without a full press. I also know that my pinkies don’t press as hard as the rest of my fingers, so I can adjust the outside keys to register sooner. This makes for a well-balanced typing experience.
Performance
The VARMILO Minilo75 HE mechanical keyboard performs well. The 75% layout is comfortable. The keycaps feel good, and after playing with the HE settings, the typing experience was perfect. Besides the lack of instructions for the web driver, the only physical issue I have with this keyboard is the placement of the Fn key. With it located all the way to the right of the board, I found it a little aggravating to use. Other than that, it’s a great board.
Final thoughts
The VARMILO Minilo75 HE is a great budget keyboard with Hall-effect switches. So, if you’ve been curious about them, I’d suggest checking them out. The build quality is good and it looks nice. And, hey, if this particular keyboard isn’t for you, Varmilo has plenty of other options to choose from.
What I like about VARMILO Minilo75 HE keyboard
- Build quality
- Typing experience
- Hall effect switches
What needs to be improved?
- Detailed instructions on how to use the web driver
- Fn key location
Price: $140.99
Where to buy: Mechkeys
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Mechkeys. They did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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