Geonworks Venom 60 HE Keyboard Review

The exact dimensions of your Geonworks Venom 60 HE will depend on the case you choose, but you can expect it to be roughly similar to the measurements of the Tofu60 Redux case we tested.

Using our chosen components, this keyboard has outstanding build quality. We built our keyboard in a tray mount configuration with a single layer of bottom case foam.

We've provided a list of the components we used for our build later on in this review, but we've opted not to go into too much detail here because the build quality for your keyboard will depend on the components you choose and how you build it.

Regarding the build quality of the PCB, the aluminum plate, and the GEON RAW HE switches that we bought from Geonworks: the build quality of each element is remarkably good. The tolerances and material quality are excellent, the switches are very smooth and came pre-lubed from the factory, and we didn't encounter any manufacturing or unexpected compatibility issues during our build.

You can see several images of the primary components we used for our build below:

• PCB front
• PCB back
• Aluminum plate
• GEON Raw HE switches (50g)
• Tofu60 Redux case topside
• Tofu60 Redux case underside

If you're interested in a 60% gaming keyboard with magnetic switches but prefer a pre-built model, check out the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra or the MCHOSE Ace 60 Pro.

The Tofu60 Redux case we built in has a fairly standard profile without any additional incline angles.

It's comfortable to type on without straining your wrists too far to reach the keys, but most people would benefit from using a wrist rest, especially for longer typing sessions.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE is a custom PCB that requires you to choose the rest of the keyboard's components to build the keyboard yourself.

Our score for this test represents how customizable the hardware is once the keyboard is built, using the list of components we chose for our build. 

We haven't gone into too much depth for the build process here as it falls outside of our typical testing, but Geonworks provides some basic instructions, disclaimers, and compatibility details on their product page. YouTube videos like this one may also be helpful if you get stuck building.

The PCB comes with an embedded daughterboard that you can remove from the PCB with nippers. You may need to use the daughterboard if you buy a case with a USB position that isn't in the top left corner. If so, you'll remove the daughterboard, connect it to the PCB with a JST cable, and align it with your case's port during your build. You'll also want to clip out the redundant USB connector in the top left corner.

Geonworks recommends that if you don't need to use the daughterboard for your build, you should remove it from the PCB, as it has the chance of shorting the board if you're using a metallic case and leave it in. We removed the daughterboard during our building process. You can see an image of the PCB with the daughterboard still embedded (next to the spacebar switch socket) in this image.

Note: The PCB doesn't include a USB-A to USB-C cable, but you'll need one for the finished build.

On their product page, Geonworks indicates the following switches are compatible with the PCB:

• GEON Raw HE
• RAPTOR HE
• Lucifer HE
• GATERON KS-20 / KS-20T, etc.
• Other N-pole switches with 1600gs magnetic force or less at bottom-out.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE lacks RGB backlighting. However, it has a single LED indicator on the left side of the keyboard, visible under the Caps Lock key.

This indicator shows when Caps Lock/Num Lock/Scroll Lock is enabled. It also displays a color according to which profile you're using. You can customize the brightness and color of this LED using the web-based software.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE uses a USB-A to USB-C cable to connect to your computer. Geonworks indicates that the PCB supports USB 2.0 high-speed or higher.

Note: the PCB doesn't come with a cable. You'll need to already have one on hand or buy one separately for your build.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE has an LED indicator under the Caps Lock key that we discuss in more detail in the Backlight Features section.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE is a custom PCB, so you need to purchase other components and build the keyboard yourself. 

We've included a list of all the components we bought to build this keyboard below. We bought the PCB, plate, and switches from Geonworks and have them listed in bold. The remaining components come from other vendors.

PCB, plate, and switches: 

• Venom 60 HE 6.25U PCB
• Venom 60 HE GH60 6.25U Tray/O-Ring mount aluminum plate
• GEON Raw HE switches (45g) x 65

Case:

• 1x Tofu60 Redux Case (with USB blocker)
  foam pads, set of long strip rubber feet, bottom case foam, set of screws

Stabilizers:

• Typeplus x YiKB

Keycaps:

• Fogruaden Black and White Doubleshot CSA x 150 

Note that we used a USB-C cable we already had in inventory, but you'll need to buy one separately if you build this keyboard.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE provides impressive typing quality with the components we chose for our build. However, we used only a single layer of case foam with a standard tray mounting and with a fairly tall aluminum case.

We found the GEON Raw HE switches we tested were quite stable in the PCB, and the typing quality on the aluminum plate we chose felt good, but was fairly noisy.

Depending on your preferences, you may want to add more dampening material, opt for an o-ring mount, use a less resonant combination of plate and case material, or choose a case with incline options.

Typing noise on the Geonworks Venom 60 HE is fairly loud with our chosen components. Our build uses only a single piece of bottom case foam, an aluminum plate, and an aluminum case. You can achieve a much quieter build by adding more layers of dampening material and opting for a different plate and case material.

Geonworks sells a set of foam for this keyboard on their website, but it was out of stock when we bought our parts.

For this test, we produced measurements using the default actuation setting of 2.0 mm, a deadzone of 0.04 mm, and with Rapid Trigger off.

With the Geon Raw HE switches we tested, the lowest actuation point you can set in software is 0.1 mm, and the highest actuation point you can set is 3.3 mm. You can adjust the actuation point in increments of 0.01 mm.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE provides superb input granularity with near full-travel control, with fine-grained precision enabled by its high detection ratio and exceptionally low minimum step depth.

It demonstrates good linearity and has extremely small dead zones, allowing for fast initial and follow-up inputs.

It doesn't support true analog output, though this isn't a significant limitation for most gaming scenarios. However, it does mean that you can't emulate gradual gamepad- or joystick-style inputs, which can be helpful for playing platformers, racing games, or flight sims.

We bought this keyboard with GEON Raw HE switches. You can see a list of other compatible switches in the Hardware Customizability section.

Geonworks sells several compatible switch types. You can compare them by checking out their respective product pages: GEON Raw HE, Lucifer HE, Raptor HE.

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE has exceptionally low single-key latency, providing a remarkably responsive and consistent experience for gaming in all genres and at any competitive level.

We conducted this test using the following settings:

• Actuation: 0.1 mm
• Rapid Trigger: 0.04 mm press, 0.04 mm release
• Continuous Rapid Trigger: Off
• Focus Keys: Enabled

The Geonworks Venom 60 HE provides superb and exceptionally consistent multi-key latency performance. It's extremely well-suited for playing any game that requires additional keystrokes while multiple keys are pressed and maintained.

We conducted this test using the following settings:

• Actuation: 0.1 mm
• Rapid Trigger: 0.04 mm press, 0.04 mm release
• Continuous Rapid Trigger: off
• Focus Keys: enabled

NKRO is enabled by default, but you can disable it using the software. Geonworks advertises a 14,000Hz scan rate for this keyboard, which we aren't able to confirm. However, we can verify that it achieves an effective update rate of 8,000Hz, as it isn't bottlenecked by other latency elements and can fully utilize its 8,000Hz polling rate.

This keyboard has impressive chord split performance, with good 4-chord and decent 8-chord split delay, making it a viable option for playing competitive rhythm titles or other games requiring many simultaneous inputs.

This keyboard uses web-based software. It's a bit complex but mostly intuitive and has a well-organized layout. Settings are arranged on multiple pages with reasonably clear definitions for many features.

The switch tab allows you to specify what switches you're using for calibration, while the debug tab gives you the ability to calibrate switches yourself. The debug page has an auto calibration feature, or you can calibrate manually with the help of a visualizer that reports the physical position of your switches in real time. This page can be particularly helpful if you're using a compatible switch that doesn't have a preset setting on the switch tab.

The Focus tab lets you to specify up to ten keys for priority scanning to ensure you're getting the best possible latency performance.

In addition to the adjustable actuation point settings common on most Hall effect gaming keyboards, this keyboard also supports more advanced features, detailed below.

Rapid Trigger: This setting can dynamically adjust your switches' actuation and reset points based on distance rather than being fixed at a specific point along the keystroke. This allows for faster follow-up inputs, which can be especially beneficial in scenarios like counter-strafing in FPS games.

SOCD: Allows you to monitor a pair of keys to activate based on custom trigger parameters. The default mode only registers input from the latest activated key, but there are additional parameters below:

• Advanced SOCD: Will prioritize input based on which of the two monitored keys is pressed down the farthest. If the difference is less than 0.1 mm, both keys will register.
• Neutral: If both keys are activated, neither registers
• "A" High Priority: If this key is activated, it will always register and can't be interrupted by other keys.
• "S" if this key is activated, it will always register and can't be interrupted by other keys.
• Register both keys when both are fully pressed: When this setting is enabled, both the monitored keys will register when fully pressed, like on a normal keyboard.

Note: Using SOCD may not be allowed in some competitive online games, such as CS: 2.

For Linux users, you'll need to adjust your udev permissions to use the web-based software. You can find basic instructions from this Reddit thread.