60% Transparent Case & Aluminium Plate on Banggood
Today we’re looking at a 60% transparent case and aluminium plate from Banggood. I paid a little over 30 bucks, with the case and plate going for $16 each. These parts will be ideal for a sub $100 build, or you could even use the case for an existing assembly—think Ducky One 2 Mini, Anne Pro 2.
I’m going to throw together a quick build using parts I have on hand. I’ll be using my DZ60RGB ANSI v2 PCB, Gateron Yellow switches and Cherry screw-in stabs. The HK Gaming 9009 set should look good on the transparent case. This build totals up to around $140, although you can easily shave off $50 with a cheaper PCB and keycap set.
Admittedly the case looked dubious at $16, but turns out it’s just a replica of the KBDfans 60% Plastic Case. It has a good amount of ribbing so doesn’t feel too flimsy. No cracks or unevenness on my unit, and the frosted surface looks really good. It even includes mounting screws and four adhesive rubber pads. For $16 you’re getting good bang for buck here. The 1.5mm aluminium plate was also satisfactory, and it’s neatly cut with a smooth finish. This plate supports the ANSI and ISO layouts. My only gripe would be that it ships in a plastic sleeve, so don’t be surprised if your unit arrives slightly bent.
The case is compatible with most PCBs and assemblies, but you may need to make a small modification to the ribbing and/or stand-offs. I’ve seen people use PCBs like the GK64 and even the Anne Pro 2 and Ducky One 2 Mini assemblies. My DZ60 was a pretty good fit. I had a minor issue where the center stand-off was pressing against a hot-swap socket, so I had to shift the assembly to the right ever so slightly, but even after doing this the mounting holes still aligned with the stand-offs. To get perfect alignment you could modify the center stand-off, but I think that would be overkill here.
I was really pleased with the final result. What’s nice about the transparent case is its versatility; basically any keycap set will look good. Even though the DZ60RGB ANSI v2 has no underglow, I really like the aesthetics of the transparent case. The sound wasn’t too bad either, and it was quite bassy albeit a bit hollow-sounding. If you really want this thing to light up, I would suggest the DZ60 REV 3.0.
headtr1p 