Corsair K70 RGB TKL Champion Series Review

Conclusion

Whenever a new version of a mechanical keyboard comes out it’s always a bit of a trail to try and discover what exactly is the difference between this Cherry MX equipped keyboard and dozens of others. With the Corsair K70 RGB TKL Champion Series we have no difficulty at all in determining what makes this different to the K70 Mk2, or K70 Mk2 SE.

Let’s get the basics ticked off. As you would expect from a Corsair keyboard the build quality is excellent. There is a reassuring weight to the keyboard that lets you know it’s well built without making it unduly heavy. It’s a careful balance to strike and in a keyboard that is designed primarily to be taken to gaming tournaments the need to keep it light but robust is important. There is no flex in the chassis and the key caps remained firmly in place even after some vigorous shaking. The design, with the keys a little lower than the ‘shelf’ at the back which houses the dedicated media keys and famous volume roller, is very comfortable to use and everything is within easy reach.

The TenKeyLess – no numpad – nature of the design keeps it more compact than a full size keyboard would be, another indication that this is a keyboard designed to be taken places, rather than just sit on your desk at home. The Cherry MX Red switches on our review sample are rightfully the most popular mechanical switch on the planet and a constant joy to use. Something that might not be immediately obvious is how useful the consistency of these switches is. Anyone who has brought a new keyboard/laptop will know it takes your muscle memory a little while to get your fingers back up to full speed. When you have a switch with such a consistent feel, and its very nature means that the gap between each key is also consistent, you can move from one – say the K70 Mk2 – to another – this TKL Champion Series – without missing a beat.

Being a Champion Series means a couple of things and would be the primary reason why you might choose this particular take on the famous Corsair K70 over another in their range. The AXON technology at the heart of the K70 CS allows it to work in harmony with the iCUE software to send information to your system 8 times faster than you get with regular 1000 Hz polling at 8000 Hz. There is some guesswork going on in the software as the keys are only scanned at 4000 Hz, but even there that’s a whole lot quicker than a standard keyboard and in a world where a frame or two can be the difference between death and glory, then even 4 times quicker than a usual keyboard might help you stand on the winners podium. The Tournament switch on the back lets you disable any macros and assignments in a clear and obvious way, so you won’t fall fowl of the arbiters or any claims of cheating from salty opponents.

What we really like about the Corsair K70 RGB TKL Champion Series is how much or little of this you can have depending upon your needs. The MSRP of £139.99 places it below the full-size K70 models, so it can be a regular, 1000Hz, RGB TKL K70 if you wish. But if you want to go all in on hyperpolling lunacy, it can do that too. Too often products aimed at a professional market (in this case gamers) are so specialised as to be useless to the common person. The K70 Champion Series is all things to all people, and wins our OC3D Enthusiast Award.

  

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