Corsair K70 Core review

Switches create a mechanical keyboard. The board you choose may have all the extra features and RGB in the world, 15 USB ports on the back, and a built-in FM radio, but if pressing those keys feels like stroking the back of a porcupine, it won’t become your favorite gaming companion.

Fortunately, Corsair has been thinking a lot about keyboard switches lately. Exhibit A in this study is the K70 Max’s Hall-effect magnetic switches, which performed quite well in the PC Gamer review. The K70 Core features something a little different, the pre-lubricated Corsair MLX Red linear mechanical switches that debut here, but still with plenty of sound-damping foam, just like the K70 Max.

Core keyboards are a step below the top-end Pro boards in Corsair’s lineup. This doesn’t exactly make them budget models, because the price is still higher than really economical ones, but like a politician desperate for re-election, they focus on the core values ​​that make a keyboard great.

These are: possession of keys? Check. Jumping feet in the back? Rubber pads at the front? Check and check. USB connection? Check it out (although there is also a wireless version available for the profane and corrupt). An absolute dust and fingerprint magnet? Check. The little knob in the top corner that looks neat but you’ll probably never employ it? Check… although we are moving away from basic values ​​here and heading towards disgusting morality.

Otherwise it’s the usual mix of aluminum and plastic, RGB LEDs and a bit of flash memory (enough for five profiles). It also uses a wired USB connection, where a rubberized cable exits from the rear left side of the case and runs to the back of the computer. A USB hub would be useful here, but we don’t have one. The cable has a plug on the end that looks like USB-C connected to a USB-A adapter, with a handle for straightforward removal. However, after a demanding session of vigorous tugging, it remained stubbornly attached. Removing the pincers seemed a bit extreme, so we have to accept that Corsair intentionally made it look that way.

But there is also foam, which largely contributes to soundproofing the board. You’ll still hear a clicking sound if you press the keys down, but there’s no pinging sound (probably thanks to the foam), and the lubricated switches mean actuation is also serene – although it still makes a sound when the key returns to its rest position after pressing. While it will never be as serene as a membrane keyboard, if you really try, you can switch between a great mechanical sound and a relatively serene operation while typing.

Performance is excellent, with a reporting rate of 1000 Hz and full anti-ghosting effect. What is critical here is the feel of the keys, and they are fantastic. They sit quite high, sprouting from the deck like mushrooms, as if left by fairies playing in the night, and their stems are clearly observable if you lift the board and look over the edge. Press them down and you’ll experience a sleek descent onto the base plate with an activation force of 45g and a launch distance of 1.9mm before descending to a depth of 4mm. There is some adjustability here too if you like to half-press the key when lining up your shot.

There are no clever optical or adjustable actuation systems here, and you can’t warm swap anything, but there is a magnetic palm rest in the box with a strange coarse texture that makes you glad you’re not touching it with your fingers.

By default, the knob controls the computer’s volume, and there’s an iCUE button next to it for play/pause since there are no dedicated media keys. Many features can be customized in the iCUE software, which, in addition to remapping keys and switching RGB lighting patterns (there’s a keyboard shortcut for dimming, which is much faster than opening an additional app), can also record macros and change presets for the control dial.

This knob is an exception to the “everything can be adjusted” rule, but you can employ it to adjust brightness, scroll and zoom, as well as volume. It’s also an exception to the slippery, greased board, as it not only has a textured surface and a yellow highlight paint that can’t be found anywhere else, but it also moves with a serene click that’s so different from the other keys. almost as if it was coming from a different keyboard entirely.

The iCUE button next to it is also the only key on the board that isn’t weighted on the high switch, so you have to dive around the surrounding keys to find it and don’t get a satisfactory response when you press it.

With five profiles onboard, you can employ FN+F2 to switch between them, but if you have a ton of iCUE devices on your desktop, it won’t communicate with them, forcing you to employ software profiles.

Launch the app and you will have access to Corsair mosaics, i.e. ready-made lighting patterns that can be easily activated. Community-created mosaics can be found on the digital store, which is fortunately somewhat vetted, as even the Romans knew the level of detail and raunchiness that could be put into a plain arrangement of square blocks.

The lighting patterns and customization options are nice, but the reason you’ll buy the K70 Core is between the keycaps and the baseplate. These silky-smooth switches are a huge selling point of this board, and despite its narrow feature set in a competitive market segment (and the ability to buy a mechanical gaming keyboard for a much lower price), its serene and effective operation means the K70 Core is still able to stand out.