Keychron Q3 HE vs SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

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Q3 HE compared with Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

	KeychronQ3 HE	SteelSeriesApex Pro TKL Gen 3
Overview
Released
Released	September 2024	September 2024
Typing
Layout
Layout	Tenkeyless	Tenkeyless
Switches
Switches	Magnetic (Hall effect)	Magnetic (Hall effect)
Backlight
Backlight	RGB	RGB
Keys labelled for
Keys labelled for	Mac, Windows and more	Windows
Touch ID
Touch ID	No	–
Switches
Switches	Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula switches; hot-swappable with Gateron double-rail magnetic switches only; actuation adjustable from 0.2 to 3.8 mm with 0.1 mm sensitivity; screw-in PCB stabilisers	OmniPoint 3.0 adjustable HyperMagnetic switches (analogue Hall effect magnetic sensors, not mechanical contacts), rated for up to 100 million keystrokes; per-key lubrication; 0.7 ms response time
Key travel
Key travel	–	Actuation point adjustable from 0.1 to 4.0 mm; 45 g bottom-out force
Keycaps
Keycaps	OSA-profile double-shot PBT, not shine-through	Double-shot PBT
Layouts
Layouts	80% TKL with a knob; ANSI; UK, German, Nordic and Swiss ISO (ISO Layout Collection, keychron.com)	–
Backlight
Backlight	South-facing RGB LEDs; 22 RGB backlight effects	Dynamic per-key RGB, 16.8 million colours, with reactive typing effects
Special keys
Special keys	Programmable rotary knob; Rapid Trigger; four-in-one Dynamic Keystrokes; N-key rollover wireless and wired	OLED smart display; Rapid Trigger, Rapid Tap and Protection Mode; 5 onboard profiles; 32-bit ARM processor
Connections and battery
Connects by
Connects by	Bluetooth, USB receiver and Cable	Cable
Devices it switches between
Devices it switches between	3	–
Power
Power	Rechargeable	Cable
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 100 hours	–
Receiver
Receiver	2.4 GHz USB receiver at 1,000 Hz polling; Bluetooth 5.2 at 90 Hz to up to three devices; USB-C wired at 1,000 Hz	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	4,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery; up to 100 hours with the backlight off	–
Charging
Charging	USB-C; 1.8 m Type-C cable with a Type-A to Type-C adapter	–
Works with
Works with	macOS, Windows and Linux	Windows 10 and above; macOS 11 Big Sur and above with SteelSeries GG and Engine (not all features supported on macOS)
Software
Software	QMK firmware; Keychron Launcher web app for actuation, Rapid Trigger, key remapping and macros	SteelSeries GG with Engine and QuickSet
Design
Weight
Weight	1775 g	974 g (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	–	355 × 129 × 42 mm
Size
Size	365 × 137 mm; 22.6 mm high at the front and 35.8 mm at the back without keycaps; 2.4 mm feet; 5.2° typing angle; 1,775 g ± 10 g fully assembled	355 × 129 × 42 mm (width × depth × height); rubber tri-level feet
Materials
Materials	Aluminium body and plate; double-gasket design	Aluminium top plate; sound-dampening foam
Colours
Colours	Carbon Black, Shell White (keychron.com)	Black; other finishes on steelseries.com
In the box
In the box	–	Keyboard, detachable braided USB-C to USB-A cable, extension adapter, wrist rest, keycap puller, product information guide