I am trying to find a cheap 75 percent hotswap board. Preferably a kit under 100 USD. TKL is an option but I would prefer a 75 percent. The only thing that I am looking at is a GMMK TKL. Thanks for the help. Also if there is an option for a polycarb plate that would be the best.
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Get a FL ESPORTS MK870.
It comes without keycaps or switches, but I assume you will be sourcing your own?
The MK870 is a decent TKL that uses a similar build to the KBD67 Lite [materials], but it is unfortunately tray-mount. What it has over other TKLs in that price range is south-facing LEDs, which means it will be compatible with Cherry-profile.
It comes with a typical metal plate, but you can find aftermarket polycarbonate plates on TaoBao, which can be shipped to you for about $40. [The board itself has been known to dip to as little as $60 USD during sales].
It comes with above-average plate-mount stabilizers, and the aftermarket polycarbonate plate can receive PCB-mount stabilizers.
Mine has the polycarbonate plate and was recently finished. It has Zeal PCB-mount stabilizers. Honestly, if you install the polycarb plate and PCB-mount stabilizers, and do some kind of ‘gummy mount,’ you almost have what a KBD8x Lite would be.
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On the other hand, there is a disadvantage to the MK870 with polycarb plate, and that is the hotswap sockets are extremely tight. I am not sure about going through too many cycles of removing switches, given how it puts pressure on the plate and case.
So another option, if you are going to be doing a lot of hotswap, is maybe the RAKK LAM ANG Pro. You can find it for $50 sometimes. Sure, it only has a metal plate, but it’s decent, and so are the stabilizers.
The RAKK seems like it will be more robust in standing up to frequent hotswaps, but if you are only installing switches to leave them on, then you could go with the MK870.
Also, consider the Archon AK87. I have the full-size AK89, and it’s a great hotswap. No polycarb plate, but it has decent dampening, so would be good for silent switches.
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I think I heard some where that people were modding the MK870 to be gummy worm mount similar to the KBD8x. I didn’t dig further, but that could be another cool reason to check out this board. You get a couple different possible mounting styles.
Cheers @Ravager2019 !
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Yes, there are some videos on Youtube that discuss that. I PMed someone who had made that modification, although I don’t know the details.
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I skimmed your post, didn’t see that you already mentioned the gummy worm mount 
Excuse my noobieness but what is the mount you are talking about and how do you do it.
Here is a vid explaining the mount, however it is for a different board. KBD8X MKII Gummyworm Mod Comparative Sound Test + Review - YouTube
Myself (and @HungerMechanic) have heard that the same is possible in a FL ESPORTS MK870. However it sounds like neither of us have found out the details on how to adapt the mod to the MK870. Just rumors that people have done it.
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OK thanks I would will probably go with the FL MK870.
OK, should meet your requirements (if you can get the polycarb plate on TaoBao or something).
Just a few words of warning: 1) again, the polycarb plate makes switches fit very tight, so probably not good for repeated hotswapping. Put in the switches you intend to type on. 2) you may have to download drivers from the Chinese website to adjust the LEDs. 3) Taking it apart to put the plate it can be annoying because housing uses tabs to hold together. This is more frustrating than dealing with screws.
On the RAKK side of the ledger, I have to say that the Lam Ang Pro is actually designed to be taken apart and modded.
Ok i wish i could do the RAKK but not in the philipines
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OK. But just keep in mind you can buy them from AliExpress [they are unbranded!] and also directly from Alibaba.
Also, Gazzew in the United States sometimes sells them, if you are there.
Can you send a link of some unbranded. I will look at the gazzew tho
Here is the one I bought on Alibaba:
You might be able to negotiate with them via PM. Try to get down to a barebones edition [no keycaps and switches] if it turns out to be cheaper. The extra top-covers are useful, though, as they allow you to change the colour of the board.
I can’t find the unbranded RAKKs currently on AliExpress, but they have other popular hotswap TKLs that you can often find reviews for on Drop or similar websites.
GK87:
and SK87:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001527564131.html
MK870 for around $70 USD or so:
I was able to get one from gazzew.
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Okay. Some things to keep in mind:
-You can change the faceplates, hopefully yours comes with some.
-The keyboard can be disassembled via screws. I think it may come with dampening material inside. You may wish to re-orient it, as it isn’t always perfectly-positioned from the factory.
-It’s possible to mod the sound, up or down. You can look up guides for silencing the RAKK Lam Ang Pro on Youtube, Reddit, etc… if you want to take the sound lower.
-I find that MT3-profile keycaps work well with this board.
-The stock stabilizers are pretty decent, but you may want to lube them yourself. You can probably easily replace them with something like ZealPC Gold-Plated Cherry plate-mount stabilizers (which you should only buy during sales), as they tend to be better than stock stabs.
-Mine is still pretty new to me, I was planning to covert it to MT3-profile Ergo Clears and lubed stabilizers.