Corsair recently launched one of their latest gaming keyboards into the market known as the K70 RGB MK.2 and we were able to get our hands on a unit. There is so much that goes into a PC battlestation and a large part of that beginning focus is centered around the actual PC build. You’ll want to dig deeper into the various components of your PC and from there you’ll slowly start to flesh out the theme.
It’s almost as if you’re building the battlestation from the inside out. Eventually, you’re going to hit the peripherals which will play a key component in a wide variety of areas. From making sure your peripherals match the theme to their performance during gameplay, picking out something like the right keyboard is another crucial step.
This is a fantastic keyboard and one that I feel would be hard to beat within the competition. Corsair has been in the PC peripheral game business for a number of years now and they continue to make new innovations and improvements with their product releases such as the K70 RGB MK.2. This is a mechanical keyboard with Cherry switches and RGB backlighting.
First off, the keyboard is made out aluminum and it’s rather thick. This gives the keyboard not only weight to stay firmly in place but the frame tends to stay nice and cool. Likewise, this has a slight incline so you very well may not even need the standoffs to push the keyboard off the ground. Visually, the keycaps are nice and big, giving a bold letter font along with symbol filling up most of the keycap itself which helps with the backlight illumination.
However, the key switches underneath come in a variety. We were given the Blue switches though you can purchase a unit that comes equipped with other switches such as the MX Brown or MX Red. All of which will alter the keyboard a bit to your preference, though you’ll still retain the RGB backlighting.
Much to standard, a wrist rest is included though it’s the standard plastic clip style which I’ve never been a fan of. I tend to switch on and off from using a wrist rest which always leaves me a bit weary knowing that there could be a potential of snapping one of the prongs.
I’m a fan of the magnetic style wrist rests that attaches to the keyboard frame. However, the wrist rest supplied within the K70 RGB MK.2 does seem to be rather firm and comfortable. Currently, I have had no issues with the prongs snapping and the process of installing the wrist rest along with taking it off is rather seamless.
Outside of the standard keyboard key placements, you’ll have a row of media keys, a mute key, volume scroll wheel, LED indicators, Windows lock key, along with settings for the RGB brightness and profile storage.
In addition, there is a USB passthrough located on the rear of the keyboard. This could allow gamers to connect their mouse or additional peripherals though that will still cost two USB plugs to be inserted into your PC from the attached keyboard cable.
The RGB is present throughout the keycaps, Corsair logo, media keys, and the mute key. However, the profile key, brightness, and windows lock key will have their own dedicated light. One thing that does seem out of place is the mute button. While it’s on the same row as the keys we’ve just mentioned, it doesn’t offer a dedicated backlight but instead showcases the standard RGB backlight effects. We wished Corsair would have given the Mute key a specific backlight to indicate if the mute function is activated.
While on the subject of the RBG element, the K70 RGB MK.2 also connects with Corsair’s CUE software, otherwise known as Corsair Utility Engine. This is a great piece of software to download as there are several Corsair peripherals that connect and interact with this sort of ecosystem.
It’s within the software that gamers can finely tweak their keyboard in a variety of ways, though the biggest may be the wide range of light effects and settings you can interact with.
The performance with the keyboard has also been great. There haven’t been any real issues that have thrown my typing off or performance during gameplay. Speaking of gameplay, Corsair does send extra keycap sets to set your keyboard for FPS or MOBA video game titles. Likewise, you’ll find that there is an included keycap puller.
All-in-all, the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is a solid gaming keyboard especially if you’re looking for an RGB element that can be fully tweaked and customized to your liking. With the range of switches available, you may very well want to make the investment and purchase a unit which will run you about $170.
Full Disclosure: A unit was provided for review purposes.
