Hey number pad lovers, this is a keyboard we can finally agree on

嘿，数字小键盘爱好者们，这是一款我们终于能达成共识的键盘

The Epomaker RT98 is a retro-looking mechanical keyboard you can customize in many ways — including its numpad position. Epomaker RT98 是一款外观复古的机械键盘，你可以通过多种方式对其进行自定义，包括调整数字小键盘的位置。

I know a vocal group of people who swear by the number pad on their keyboard. And yet, for years I haven’t cared about using one — until I put my hands on the Epomaker RT98. It’s a mechanical keyboard with a charming retro aesthetic, a fun CRT-like screen, VIA compatibility, a nice typing feel, and most importantly, a modular number pad that can be moved to either side. It’s a clever compromise in a budget-friendly-ish board, allowing you to further customize your setup without losing the functionality of the coveted “tenkey.” 我认识一群非常推崇键盘数字小键盘的用户。然而，多年来我一直不在意是否使用它——直到我上手了 Epomaker RT98。这是一款拥有迷人复古美学、有趣的 CRT 风格屏幕、支持 VIA 改键、手感出色，且最重要的是，拥有可移动至两侧的模块化数字小键盘的机械键盘。对于一款价格相对亲民的键盘来说，这是一个巧妙的折中方案，让你在不牺牲备受青睐的“数字键区”功能的前提下，进一步定制你的桌面布局。

But like many mechanical keyboards out there, it’s got some unique quirks and tradeoffs. 但和市面上许多机械键盘一样，它也有一些独特的怪癖和取舍。

The RT98 is Epomaker’s most recently crowdfunded mechanical keyboard, costing $119 for a prebuilt model configured with either the brand’s own Creamy Jade linear switches or Sea Salt Silent V2 linears. You can also choose to have your number pad on the right or the left when it ships to you, but being modular, this is something you can change on your own. RT98 是 Epomaker 最近众筹的一款机械键盘，预装版售价 119 美元，可选配该品牌自家的 Creamy Jade 线性轴或 Sea Salt Silent V2 线性轴。发货时，你可以选择将数字小键盘放在右侧或左侧，但由于它是模块化的，你也可以自行调整。

Southpaw keyboards with left-handed numpads aren’t new (Keychron has made them easily accessible for years), but this keyboard’s switch-hitter status is rare. There were a couple of old Asus ROG Claymores and the Mountain Everest Max with swappable / removable number pads, but they were costly and garish gaming keyboards. The Epomaker RT98 is much more understated and charming. 左手数字小键盘布局（Southpaw）的键盘并不新鲜（Keychron 多年来一直提供此类产品），但这款键盘的“左右切换”特性却很罕见。过去曾有几款华硕 ROG Claymore 和 Mountain Everest Max 支持可拆卸数字小键盘，但它们价格昂贵且外观过于浮夸。相比之下，Epomaker RT98 要低调且迷人得多。

To fully test the RT98, I started off using it in right-handed mode with silent switches before moving the numpad to the left and swapping to the Creamy Jades. The typing experiences from both switches are solid. The RT98 is designed with the same hallmarks of most modern enthusiast keyboards: an internal gasket mounted design with layers of foam under the PCB to give the typing acoustics a fuller sound — even in a plastic chassis. 为了全面测试 RT98，我先是在右手模式下使用了静音轴，随后将小键盘移至左侧并更换为 Creamy Jade 轴。两种轴体的打字体验都很扎实。RT98 的设计具备了大多数现代发烧级键盘的标志性特征：内部 Gasket 结构，PCB 下方铺设了多层泡棉，即使在塑料外壳中也能提供更饱满的打字音效。

It uses a solid PCB and polycarbonate switch plate without any flex cuts (cutouts allowing the whole board to flex under pressure). This makes the RT98 feel a touch sharper compared to other boards that have a pillowy bounce to their typing. 它采用了实心 PCB 和聚碳酸酯（PC）定位板，没有进行任何开槽处理（即允许键盘在压力下产生形变的切口）。这使得 RT98 的手感比那些打字时带有软弹感的键盘要稍微硬朗一些。

Whether you pick the RT98 with silent or creamy switches, you’re in for a fine typing experience that sounds nice. The Sea Salt Silent V2 linears have a smooth quietness to them, though that’s slightly betrayed by the louder plate-mounted stabilizers in the space bar, enter, shift, and backspace keys. It’s a fine setup for not bothering a desk neighbor or disrupting a video call with your on-the-down-low typing. 无论你选择静音轴还是 Creamy 轴，RT98 都能提供不错的打字体验和悦耳的声音。Sea Salt Silent V2 线性轴非常顺滑且安静，不过空格键、回车键、Shift 键和退格键上较大的卫星轴声音稍微有些突兀。对于不想打扰邻座或在视频通话时保持低调打字的用户来说，这是一个不错的配置。

The RT98 is an absolute treat when you use it with Epomaker’s Creamy Jade linears, delivering a crisp, marbley tone that’s always pleasant. When I hear “creamy” I think of the super popular F75 and similar boards from Aula，a brand that collaborates with Epomaker on some keyboards. The F-series has a bit of that sought-after raindrops-on-a-window tone. The RT98 and its Creamy Jades play in that ballpark but have a richer, darker tone than the F75 Max I’ve briefly used. I prefer the Epomaker. 当你搭配 Epomaker 的 Creamy Jade 线性轴使用时，RT98 绝对是一种享受，它能带来清脆、如大理石碰撞般悦耳的声音。提到“Creamy（奶油音）”，我会想到 Aula（狼蛛）非常受欢迎的 F75 及类似键盘，该品牌与 Epomaker 在某些产品上有合作。F 系列拥有那种备受追捧的“雨滴落在窗户上”的声音。RT98 搭配 Creamy Jade 轴也属于这一类，但相比我简短体验过的 F75 Max，它的音色更丰富、更深沉。我更喜欢 Epomaker 的这款。

The typing and acoustics are very good here, but the main draw of the RT98 is that modular number pad. I don’t work in data entry, so typing the occasional digits on the number row is fine by me. But I don’t mind the idea of having a numpad off to my left and out of the way of my mouse hand, which I can always do with a dedicated wireless pad. So I was excited to use the RT98 in a southpaw layout. 这款键盘的打字手感和声学表现非常出色，但 RT98 的核心卖点还是那个模块化数字小键盘。我不从事数据录入工作，所以偶尔在数字行输入数字对我来说没问题。但我也不介意将小键盘放在左侧，避开鼠标操作区域——虽然我也可以通过外接无线小键盘实现，但我依然很兴奋能以“左手模式”使用 RT98。

Changing the position involves removing the bottom screws, popping off the top cases from both the main section and numpad, swapping the internals, and reattaching everything. It’s not the most labor-intensive process, but you do have to temporarily unplug the cable for the detachable screen’s pogo pin connectors and reposition the numpad’s ribbon cable. I couldn’t find instructions in the box on doing this, but I found Epomaker’s step-by-step video tutorial and had it all done in about 30 minutes. 调整位置需要拆卸底部螺丝，撬开主键盘区和数字小键盘区的上盖，交换内部组件，然后再重新组装。这并不是最繁琐的过程，但你确实需要暂时拔掉可拆卸屏幕的弹簧针连接线，并重新布置小键盘的排线。包装盒里没有提供相关说明，但我找到了 Epomaker 的分步视频教程，大约 30 分钟就完成了所有操作。