By: Aaron Lai
June 6, 2025
I sometimes question why certain items come in certain quantities. For example, why do we buy eggs by the dozen? It is not like chickens lay twelve eggs at a time, yet this is typical in North America. I was recently talking in a group chat and one friend mentioned she was able to get glow sticks by hundreds or even thousands. It seemed like everyone else was not fazed by this, so I asked why she was able to acquire so many glow sticks and what she was even doing with it. Turns out at the optometrist office she was at, they were purchasing many of these glowing instruments to give out to kids that went to see the eye doctor. Of course, it is clear she is involved in something dark and nefarious. It is still interesting that there is somewhere that offers glowing rods in this quantity at a time, but it is also reasonable given that someone must be selling them in bulk. In a similar line of wonderment, today we have the Epomaker Magcore 87, which hosts the same name as hockey player legend Sidney Crosby. However, the first thing I found funny was how Epomaker advertises this as 88-keys. Instead, the “87” seems to indicate this a reference for the tenkeyless size. Even so, what does this Magcore 87 bring to the table, and does this number indicate anything else other than its form factor? Let us read on to find out!
Our review unit of the Epomaker Magcore 87 arrived from Epomaker's offices in Shenzhen, China. Traveling with PDN Express while in Canada, this box arrived at our APH Networks location in Calgary, Alberta in good condition. It is a bit hard to tell from this outside view, but the white plastic envelope was sealed and padded well enough. The orange tape around the edges, and through the middle seem to keep everything together. There is a slight opening on one edge, but it is not too concerning. The primary thing to note is the weight of this package, as it is quite a bit heavier.
Out of the packaging, the Epomaker Magcore 87 is similarly packaged to the P75. This is a two-piece box with a cover over the bottom. The black and blue theme is simple, but the overall box feels a bit cluttered. It is a mix of distinctive styles and background patterns, but it feels quite busy. The front shows off an outline of the keyboard inside. On the left side, there is the Epomaker logo along with a descriptor of "88 Keys, TKL Aluminum Wired Inductive-switch Analog Keyboard". This is a bit of a wordy description, but it is not a typical mechanical keyboard. Underneath is the product name along with five notable features. This includes its inductive switches, VIA software compatibility, aluminum body construction, adjustable actuation, and RGB LED backlighting. Otherwise, let us get into the box itself.
Before we do so, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your information:
Brand: Epomaker
Model: Magcore 87
Layout: TKL ANSI US Layout
Number of Keys: 88 Keys
Connectivity: Type-C Cable
Compatibility: Mac/WIN
Case Material: Aluminum
Flex-Cut: No Flex-Cut
Stabilizers Type: Aluminum Alloy Plate. (Compatible with Screw-in Stabilizer)
Mounting Structure: Gasket-Mount
Feet: No
PCB Thickness: 1.2mm
Plate material: FR4
Sound Dampening: Silicon Sandwich Foam/IXPE Switch Pad/Bottom EVA Foam
Keycaps Profile: Cherry Profile
Keycaps Material: PBT Plastic
Keycaps Manufacturing technique: Double-Shot
Switch: Inductive Switch
Hot swappable: Yes, with Inductive Switches, not for 3-pin/5-pin mechanical switches
RGB: South-facing, per-key RGB
Polling Rate: 8000Hz
Scan Rate: 32khz per key
Latency: 0.125ms
Anti-Ghosting: N-Key Rollover
Keyboard Dimensions: 357*136 *40mm
Keyboard Weight: around 2kg
Out of the box, the Epomaker Magcore 87 is packaged in a translucent plastic bag with foam on the top and bottom lids to protect the keyboard. All the accessories are contained in a long black box. This includes a braided USB Type-C to Type-A cable, additional double-shot PBT keycaps, a combination keycap and switch puller, small hex key, and some additional hot swap inductive switches. I am happy to see these additions, and you will see why they included these extra keycaps shortly. Everything is packaged well for a premium and heavy keyboard. Finally, there is a multi-language booklet that highlights the keyboard shortcuts and other quick start information.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
