Corsair K70 RGB Pro review

The Corsair K70 RGB Professional is acquainted territory for these acquainted with the model’s long-running vary, nevertheless it goes out of its option to earn the ‘professional’ in its identify. Good design selections make method for a ‘Event Mode’ that offers the gaming keyboard a aggressive edge, and it’s one of the responsive fashions on the market, however not each change is an improve over earlier fashions.

On one hand, it contains extra of every little thing you need within the best gaming keyboard, from profiles to processing, and fewer of the unhealthy stuff you wish to eliminate, corresponding to latency. On the opposite, it additionally it features a wobbly (albeit comfy) wrist relaxation, noticeably loud keys, and does away with USB passthrough.

Its $169.99 USD MSRP is a bit powerful to swallow, however the moments you discover it on sale for round $129.99 make the sticking factors sting considerably much less. A everlasting worth drop might even see the Corsair K70 RGB Professional take the gaming keyboard crown, nevertheless it’ll be a contest of execs and cons in the event you don’t wish to wait round for a reduction.

Corsair K70 RGB Professional design

As common, Corsair pairs a black set of PBT keycaps towards a brushed-gunmetal gray chassis, and raises the highest to attract consideration to its media keys. To the left, there are three buttons to modify between profiles, modify keyboard brightness, and lock the Home windows key. Over to the appropriate is a textured quantity wheel with a devoted mute button and media controls immediately under.

One factor that makes Corsair keyboard really feel so nice is genuine Cherry MX switches, and there’s loads of alternative this time round. Our pattern packs Cherry MX Reds, however there are Blue, Brown, Silent Purple, and Velocity Silver variants out there in the event you fancy one thing a bit completely different. Every key’s raised to emphasize the gorgeous RGB lighting, letting it shine via the total size of the keyboard. Typically, it retains an identical premium-feel to its predecessors.

The removable USB-C wire is a welcome addition, because it makes the keyboard simpler to journey with. You’ll must be sure you pack the Corsair cable particularly, nevertheless, because the indented housing gained’t match any outdated wire. These with a chonky connector merely gained’t be capable of get previous the case, which is a ache if you want a fast alternative. Rivals corresponding to Razer are shifting away from the nook-approach, because it helps with repairability. Hopefully Corsair will observe swimsuit.

One other level of competition for me is the dearth of USB passthrough in comparison with its K70 MK.2 predecessor. The elevated bandwidth of USB-C lends itself nicely to connecting a number of gadgets, so it’s a disgrace to see the function dropped. Some may argue that it makes wires a spaghetti nightmare, however I’ve at all times discovered it helps me higher handle cables.

Closing a door opens a window, although, because it makes room for a Event change on the rear. Flicking this on instantly disables customized actions and macros, removes the RGB backlighting, and disables profiles or profile switching, making it competition-ready. Something that may very well be thought-about towards the foundations in a match is placed on pause till you hit the change once more.

Whereas earlier K70 wrist rests suffered from stiff clips that usually snapped, the K70 RGB Professional solves this drawback by eliminating the clips fully. For higher and for worse, it’s now magnetic, which retains something from breaking however might be fairly simple to dislodge when you have a behavior of shuffling your keyboard round.

Corsair K70 RGB Professional efficiency

The Corsair K70 RGB Professional is among the most responsive keyboards on the market, due to its Axion hyper-polling expertise pushing as much as 8,000Hz. This makes the response time between urgent a key and the related PC registering the motion eight instances quicker than your customary 1,000Hz. It gained’t routinely make you a professional, and also you won’t even discover the rise, nevertheless it’s there to offer you each edge attainable.

It’s an ideal companion to aggressive FPS video games like Rainbow Six Siege and Valorant, by no means lacking a beat. Its full measurement additionally lends to MMOs like World of Warcraft, full with a numpad you possibly can shove all of your macros onto. From Cyberpunk 2077 to Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the K70 RGB Professional dealt with every little thing like a champ throughout testing.

It feels odd to reward a function that does away with all of the frills that make a gaming keyboard stand out from the gang, however I want Event Mode was a normal. Some video games profit from synchronising the, frankly, stunning rainbow lights with SignalRGB so that they react to what you’re enjoying. In others, I might do with out the distraction once I’m concentrating on successful the spherical. It does precisely what it says on the tin, and also you don’t even want to attend till your subsequent competitors to learn.

Your typing expertise will depend upon which switches you select. The linear Cherry MX Reds don’t give the satisfying click on that tactile ones do, however every press is easy, and the stabilisers do job at minimising key wobble. It’s a bit mild on sound dampening, with the house bar giving a very thocky clunk, nevertheless it has that signature mechanical really feel you simply can’t get with a membrane mannequin.

Corsair K70 RGB Professional software program

One phrase to explain the K70 RGB Professional is ‘versatile’. The 8MB of onboard storage can maintain as much as 50 profiles, and it has on-the-fly macro recording to rapidly create any shortcuts you need. Deleting your recorded macros or going deeper than this requires you to dive into Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software program.

Typically, iCUE is usually a bit intimidating at first, given it’s one of many extra highly effective applications on the market, nevertheless it’s grown through the years and now contains tutorials that will help you learn to use it. In spite of everything, you need to use it to alter the lighting and create themed animations, reprogram keys, create macros, hyperlink profiles with particular video games and functions, and a ton extra.

Corsair iCUE is required if you wish to use the 8,000Hz polling charge, because the K70 RGB Professional defaults to 1K out of the field. Making it opt-in quite than opt-out may appear to be a baffling choice to some, nevertheless it’s a precaution in case your PC or laptop computer doesn’t pack the best gaming CPU. Increased polling charges place extra of a requirement in your processor and might trigger lag in video games in case your rig can’t deal with it. Activating the 8K polling charge is straightforward sufficient, albeit not as obvious that you just really must.

Corsair K70 RGB Professional verdict

The Corsair K70 RGB Professional first debuted in early 2022 and hasn’t dipped removed from its $169.99 USD MSRP. It packs rather a lot into this price ticket for aggressive lovers, from zippy response instances to a devoted Event mode, however the premium is likely to be a bit a lot in the event you’re exterior the skilled gaming sphere.

The K70 RGB MK.2 continues to be out there at round two thirds of the value, and each the HyperX Alloy Origins and Razer Blackwidow V3 are nice options that respect your checking account. So far as 8K polling charges go, nevertheless, the K70 RGB Professional is the most effective, and it turns into an absolute steal every time it drops to round $129.99 USD / £144.98 GBP.

Professionals:

• Incredible construct high quality
• Speedy 8K polling charge
• Event change

Cons:

• Loud mechanical keys and reverb
• Finicky magnetic wrist relaxation
• No USB passthrough

Take a look at our information on the best gaming keyboard for options to the Corsair K70 Professional, together with low cost champions and fancy flagships.