- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Review Updates
- Best Keyboard
- Best Mid-Range
- Best Budget
- Comparison
- Lineup
- Page Updates
- Conclusion
- Comments
Corsair makes some of the highest-performing and most feature-rich gaming keyboards out there. Their keyboard lineup includes many options in different sizes and configurations and at various price points. Corsair's best gaming keyboards are also highly customizable, and if you have other Corsair products in your setup, you only need one piece of software to sync up your backlighting and adjust your settings across multiple devices.
We've tested over 240 keyboards, of which over 20 are made by Corsair. Below are our recommendations for the best Corsair keyboards. You can also check out our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards, the best RGB keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
Updates
- 05/03/2024 Corsair K65 PLUS WIRELESS reviewed
- 02/14/2024 Corsair K70 CORE reviewed
- 10/17/2023 Corsair K70 MAX reviewed
- 09/21/2023 Corsair K65 PRO MINI reviewed
- 02/13/2023 Corsair K100 AIR reviewed
Best Corsair Keyboards
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Best Corsair Keyboard
Gaming9.0Office7.4Mobile/Tablet1.0Programming8.0Entertainment / HTPC4.3Raw Performance9.1SizeFull-size (100%)Hot-Swappable SwitchesNoConnectivity WiredSwitch TypeMechanicalN-Key Rollover (NKRO)YesOf all the Corsair keyboards we've tested, the Corsair K100 RGB stands out as the best option we recommend for most people. This fully loaded model has everything a gamer could want, from split-second latency to a column of macro keys on the left side for easy access. Along the top of the board is a suite of media keys and a specialized iCUE wheel on the top left that you can program to perform several tasks. In addition to its solid build quality, it has a whopping 44 RGB zones, which you can customize independently using Corsair's iCUE software. This keyboard is available with Cherry MX Speed or OPX optical switches. Both switch options are optimized for gaming with a short pre-travel distance and a light actuation force, making them super sensitive. It also boasts outstanding single-key and multi-key latency performance and an impressive higher-than-average data transfer rate with a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and an effective update rate of 4000Hz, helping to ensure consistent low latency performance while gaming.
If you're looking for a low-profile, wireless alternative, you'll want to check out the Corsair K100 AIR. This keyboard delivers the same high-end gaming performance as the K100 RGB, but it has chiclet-style keycaps and ultra-low-profile butterfly switches, which are great if you prefer the general feel of laptop keyboards. However, it's quite a bit more expensive.
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Best Mid-Range Corsair Keyboard
Gaming8.9Office6.9Mobile/Tablet1.7Programming7.6Entertainment / HTPC4.0Raw Performance9.1SizeTenKeyLess (80%)Hot-Swappable SwitchesNoConnectivity WiredSwitch TypeMechanicalN-Key Rollover (NKRO)YesWe recommend the Corsair K70 RGB TKL at a mid-range price point. It's part of Corsair's extensive K70 lineup, which is a lineup that's well-loved by gamers for exceptionally low latency, high build quality, and more recently, higher-than-average polling rates. This version of the K70 stands out due to its size. The TenKeyLess form factor is ideal for gaming as it frees up space on the right side of your keyboard for a wider range of mouse movements.
Despite its compact size, you still get a whole suite of dedicated media hotkeys, a volume control knob, and even a "Tournament Switch" on the top of the board, which disables the Windows key and sets the RGB lighting to a single static color for fewer distractions and the lowest possible latency performance while gaming. Like the Corsair K100 RGB mentioned above, the K70 also has a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and an effective update rate of 4000Hz. While the benefits of higher polling rates aren't something you'll notice in-game, they can provide better stability and more consistent low-latency performance, which is helpful if you game at a highly competitive level. This keyboard is available with Cherry MX Red or Cherry MX Speed switches. Both switch types are lightweight gaming-focused switches with short pre-travel distances, helping to ensure responsive-feeling gameplay and outstanding latency performance. Ultimately, this is a standout mid-range choice if you're a competitive gamer.
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Best Budget Corsair Keyboard
Gaming8.3Office6.1Mobile/Tablet1.1Programming6.6Entertainment / HTPC3.5Raw Performance8.7SizeFull-size (100%)Hot-Swappable SwitchesNoConnectivity WiredSwitch TypeRubber DomeN-Key Rollover (NKRO)NoIf you're on a budget and looking for a Corsair keyboard, we recommend the Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT. Instead of the mechanical switches found on the higher-end units, like the Corsair K70 RGB TKL, this keyboard uses rubber dome switches, which are nearly silent during operation but feel comparatively mushy. That said, this board is a great choice if you tend to game in shared, noise-sensitive spaces like a living room or dorm room.
While most rubber dome keyboards only have zone lighting, meaning you can only customize the lighting in sections, this one has per-key lighting, meaning you have the full range of lighting customization that you'd get on higher-end models. Plus, it retains a full set of media keys, a column of dedicated macro keys, and a soft-touch wrist rest. If this keyboard has a downside, the rubber dome switches don't feel as snappy and responsive as the mechanical switches on the K70.
Compared To Other Brands
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Good build quality.
Corsair keyboards are generally well-built; even the budget options have decent build quality with few issues. -
Genuine Cherry MX mechanical switches.
Corsair often uses Cherry MX switches in their units, which is great as they offer a more standardized and consistent switch experience that is comparable across keyboards. -
Excellent customization software.
Corsair's iCUE software is available for both Windows and macOS. It allows for a huge range of customization, from the RGB lighting across your whole Corsair system to adjustments for the polling rate.
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Expensive.
As a result of their features, Corsair keyboards tend to be more expensive compared to smaller gaming brands.
Corsair vs Logitech
Logitech has a much wider range of keyboard choices, with gaming and productivity options. Unlike Corsair, Logitech typically uses proprietary switches, like their Romer-G and low-profile GL switches. Logitech keyboards are also somewhat more affordable, but there are exceptions, like the Logitech G915 LIGHTSPEED, which is quite expensive. However, Logitech keyboards don't feel as well-built since they rely more on plastic pieces and cheaper-feeling keycaps.
Corsair vs Razer
Razer, like Corsair, primarily markets keyboards to gamers, and they also have a modern and clean design that fits into work environments. Overall, Razer's keyboards offer a build quality that's just as good as Corsair's, though with more use of plastic, even on their higher-end models. Razer has also been pushing newer models with polling rates higher than 1000Hz and analog switches that allow you to customize the pre-travel of individual keys. Corsair has also been an early proponent of polling rates higher than 1000Hz but has only recently started experimenting with analog Hall-effect switches with newer releases, such as the Corsair K70 MAX.
Corsair vs SteelSeries
Both SteelSeries and Corsair focus on making gaming keyboards, but Corsair's most expensive and feature-rich keyboards tend to use somewhat higher-end materials, including aluminum top plates and PBT keycaps. SteelSeries has recently started phasing these design choices into some of their more premium models. SteelSeries has also been an early pioneer in introducing analog switches on some of their keyboards that allow you to adjust the sensitivity of individual keystrokes. On the other hand, Corsair has been a leader in introducing polling rates higher than 1000Hz for some time and is beginning to experiment with analog switches on one of their more recent releases, the Corsair K70 MAX.
Corsair is one of the biggest manufacturers of gaming peripherals, with a reputation built on reliability and good quality control. For keyboards, they focus almost entirely on gaming, making their portfolio much smaller than a company like Logitech, which makes keyboards for productivity and various devices.
Lineup
Corsair's naming convention consists of the letter K followed by a number. Speaking broadly, the higher the number, the more features the keyboard has, although some of Corsair's more recent releases have moved away from this trend somewhat.
K100 Series: The K100 Series are Corsair's premium full-size gaming keyboards with the widest feature sets and best gaming performance. A wired and a wireless low-profile model are both available in this lineup.
K70 Series: The K70 Series consists of keyboards of all different sizes with full RGB lighting. These are wired-only models and often have a row of dedicated media keys along the top. All keyboards in this lineup offer excellent raw performance, and some support higher polling rates of up to 8000Hz. Models in this family can range fairly drastically in price, with more premium flagship models like the Corsair K70 Pro and then newer budget models like the Corsair K70 Core. This series also features Corsair's first keyboard with analog Hall-effect switches, the Corsair K70 MAX.
K65 Series: This K65 is one of Corsair's more confusing series. It includes compact, mid-range wired and wireless models, mechanical and optical switch options, and 60%, 65%, and 75% form factors. In short, each keyboard in the K65 family tends to look relatively similar but often has small but meaningful differences that set them apart.
K63 Series: The K63 lineup only comes in one size, but a few configuration options are available with different backlighting color options. They're one of the few wireless options that Corsair offers, and they've designed it for use with a "lapboard" that you can buy separately.
K60 Series: The K60 Series consists of wired keyboards of all different sizes. They're cheaper than the K70 series, and in exchange for savings, you lose the row of media keys along the top and the higher-than-average polling rate options.
K55 Series: The K55 Series is Corsair's budget lineup. These are full-size wired keyboards with rubber dome switches. There are a few versions within this lineup with different backlighting customization options.
Recent Updates
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We've verified the pricing and availability for each of our recommendations. All picks continue to represent the best options, so we haven't made any changes to our lineup.
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Sep 09, 2024: We haven't changed any models in our lineup of recommendations with this update. That said, we've made several small text changes for clarity and included new information on Corsair's K65 family of keyboards in the lineup section.
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Jun 17, 2024: We've reviewed our picks for price, availability, and relevance but made no changes.
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Mar 19, 2024: Confirmed the continued relevance, pricing, and availability of all our picks; no changes to our lineup.
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Dec 13, 2023: We've reviewed our recommendations and confirmed all picks' relevance, stock availability, and pricing. We haven't changed our lineup with this update, as all picks continue to represent the best options available.
Conclusion
Although our recommendations mostly focus on the best Corsair gaming keyboards, they're suitable for various uses and won't stick out in an office environment. The best Corsair gaming keyboards have great features to suit nearly any need and come in various sizes, configurations, and price points.