Corsair K70 RGB Pro

Conclusion

There are a whole host of options in the Corsair keyboard range, and if you come into them blind then it can seem bewildering. In the K70 brand alone there is the K70 Mk2, the K70 Mk2 SE, K70 Mk2 Rapidfire, K70 TKL Champion and today’s review, the K70 RGB Pro. All have slightly different specifications and features.

Thankfully if you are in the market for a new keyboard then the K70 RGB Pro comes with all the bells and whistles that you could require, and enough of a design change to mean that it’s very much going to be the default option for people who want a K70. Just comparing it to the K70 Mk2 that came before it has, for only a tenner more, gained crisper buttons for the lighting, profile and Win-Lock keys, as well as a better mute button. Additionally the wrist rest is much nicer, fitting on easier and being softer on your wrists, whilst the whole thing is powered by the Corsair AXON processor that gives you up to 8000Hz polling rate whilst also ensuring that the most complex lighting options won’t negatively impact the responsiveness of your keypresses. Lastly the lock indicators have been moved around the Corsair logo itself instead of being separate LEDs.

All of those benefits are just in comparison to the keyboard which came before it. when you compare the Corsair K70 RGB Pro to a lot of the other mechanical keyboard offerings those benefits push it even further ahead of the competition. The build quality is up to their legendary standards with the brushed aluminium chassis being extremely robust with no flex at all no matter how hard you bash the keys. Thankfully with our review sample coming equipped with the Cherry MX Red switches you don’t need to bash them very hard. 45nm actuation pressure and the low 2mm actuation point ensures your fingers can fly across it. The wrist rest clips on securely and the giant rubber feet on the underside guarantees that it won’t move during use even on a very shiny surface. Lastly the dual-height feet mean you will find a position that gives your wrists the least amount of strain during those marathon sessions.

The standard of the Corsair lighting is always up amongst the best around but the K70 RGB Pro takes it to new heights with even the hardest colours to replicate being done with aplomb. The yellow is yellow rather than slightly green, and the white is definitely pure white instead of something that’s slightly blue. Best of all the extra keys along the top also respond to your lighting choice so you’re no longer having to put up with a white mute button amongst your carefully curated colour choice. The AXON processor at the heart of the K70 RGB Pro ensures that it is a supremely responsive keyboard too, with your keypresses appearing instantly. If you’ve got the fingers that can work that quickly it’s amazing how you just cannot cause the K70 to hiccup no matter how fast you’re going.

About the only negative we have is less about the keyboard specifically, and more about Corsair’s efforts to get their lighting engine supported by default in games. Compared to ASUS or Razer the list of natively supported titles is tiny. They really need to put some effort into working with developers to make the most of the fact they have the most popular peripheral range around. Or provide some emulation of other RGB wrappers within the iCUE software. Just be aware that you’ll need to do some scouting around online forums or spend time in the iCUE software if you want the K70 RGB Pro to automatically adjust to your game (unless you’re playing Far Cry).

The K70 RGB Pro might not have the light bar or dedicated macro keys of Corsair’s flagship K100, but we think it’s the best keyboard in the Corsair range. It’s built like a tank and faster than a jet fighter and a steal at £169.99.

  

Discuss the Corsair K70 RGB Pro in our OC3D Forums.