Maxfree K3 keyboard

The Maxfree K3 is a mechanical keyboard similar to the Ficihp K2 keyboard but with plenty of improvements and features that seem more than necessary for a keyboard, like an M.2 SSD slot, and slots for TF/SD and Micro SD slots. The K3 has a 13 inch (330.2 mm) screen that must be adjusted with a button on the side of the device that changes the angle of the screen (a feature that had been missing on the K2) displaying a 60% color gamut range and a resolution of 1920x720 and an aspect ratio of 16:6.

Other things the K3 has includes speakers on both sides, RGB side-lighting and RGB backlighting, USB ports, and a dial that can be used to control the volume and pause/play a music application.

The programming for the RGB elements of they keyboard appear to be independent of the computer it is plugged into as settings can be modified without the need for RGB software (e.g. OpenRGB) on the host computer.

They dial may need to be programmed, but if it cannot be used, there are function keys that could work with a function screen, but those will need to be programmed too. A menu button on the back of the screen provides an on-screen display (OSD) to adjust the screen settings and the sound volume

Because of all these added hardware features, the K3 is significantly heavier than the K2. The K3 weighs in at 2.12 kg (4.67 lbs) compared to the K2 which weighs in at 1.36 kg (3 lbs). Most laptop computers weigh anywhere between 2 to 3 pounds. It also requires a continuous power requirement of 10 watts (5V/2A).

Applications

The display works well. It is ideal for anyone who needs a dashboard display. However, the touchscreen needs to be calibrated, as does the dial for audio features and the Fn key features. Something this article should discuss.

Windows users have used programs that have detachable editing controls to the keyboard screen while other users have used it to put their music players, chat programs feed, or other utility panels into the smaller screen.

Features

Connection

For this article, the K3 was tested with the Type-C to HDMI + 2 Type-A USB (3.0) cable. There are two other cables it can connect to including USB Type-C to Type-C, USB (3.0) Type A to Type-C cables that come with it, but these may be used to interface with USB Type-C interfaces, including a PD ("Power Delivery") USB Type-C port that interfaces with a USB Type-A power brick, while the Type-C to Type-C cable connects to a devices that supports it for data.

Keyboard layout

The keyboard layout is an 82/83 key layout depending on locale which features a 75%, ten-keyless (TKL) layout which has a row of F-keys on top as well as Esc and Del. On the right side slightly separate from the main keyboard layout, four key for Home, PgUp, PgDn, and End. In the lower right corner are the Arrow Keys, slightly separated from the main keyboard layout. The main keyboard layout features a full set of key, with exception that the Menu Key (which is common on many Windows Keyboards) has been replaced with an Fn key to provide custom function features for this keyboard. The details will be appended to this article in the near future.

Other controls

There are two other things that can control the device. The first one is the On Screen Display (OSD) switch on the back which can control the volume of the speaker and well as make some basic screen adjustments with the OSD without intervention of desktop environment settings. Brightness, volume, color temperature, display rotation, and reset are among the options.

The other feature is a media dial where on the upper right of the keyboard there is a circular dial which can adjust the volume or pause or play music, at least on Windows and MacOS. Linux users will need some modification for it to be useful for their system, which this article hopes to bring to attention.

Display

The K3 has a 13 inch (330.2 mm) 1920x720 display with a 10 point touchscreen at the top half of the keyboard. The screen can be adjusted which is very important to remember to avoid breaking the hinge. The hinge must be adjusted with a button on the left side of the device that changes the angle of the screen According to the documentation in its manual, it supports 60% color gamut range and has an aspect ratio of 16:6. Other information will be provided here when it is discovered.

RGB backlighting

The RBG Backlighting under each key is controlled using the Fn. The programming appears to be independent of the host device, meaning that a program like openrgb will likely not have the ability to manipulate this feature.

There is setting for adjusting the RGB side-lighting which controls the RGB on the left and right sides of the keyboard.

Speakers

According to the information in the manual, the keyboard does have speakers on the left and right side of the keyboard, but at the time of this article's last edit, there was no way to test them.

Technical information

For this article, way-displays -g was used to show information about the device when it is plugged in with the Type-C to HDMI + 2 Type-A USB cable. No settings have been applied to change the default behavior as of this output report.

$ way-displays -g

...
HDMI-A-1:
  info:
    name:     'HDMI-A-1'
    make:     'Biomedical Systems Laboratory'
    model:    'K3'
    serial:   'K3-20230825'
    desc:     'Biomedical Systems Laboratory K3 K3-20230825 (HDMI-A-1)'
    width:    310mm
    height:   120mm
    dpi:      154.86 @ 1920x720
    mode:     1920 x 720 @ 60 Hz  60,010 mHz (preferred)
    mode:     1280 x 720 @ 60 Hz  60,000 mHz  60,000 mHz  59,940 mHz
  current:
    scale:    1.625 (1.613)
    position: 1280,0
    mode:      1920x720@60Hz (60,010mHz) (preferred)
    VRR:       off

Further technical information will need to added to complete this article.

See also

• Ficihp K2 keyboard which is clearly this keyboard's predecessor