The Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE is an excellent mechanical gaming keyboard that features Cherry MX Speed switches. These switches have a very short pre-travel distance and low actuation force, allowing you to react at lightning speed when gaming. Its aluminum-reinforced board feels sturdy, it has dedicated media controls, and even though the backlighting is limited to a single red color, the keys are individually-lit, so you can create great lighting effects. It comes with a wrist rest and it's fairly comfortable to type on for long periods; however, some may find the key spacing too wide and the switches too sensitive for general typing. Every key is programmable, but sadly, there aren't any dedicated macro keys.
Our Verdict
The Corsair K70 is an excellent gaming keyboard. Its Cherry MX Speed switches have a short pre-travel distance and low actuation force, making the keys feel incredibly responsive and easy to press. There's very little flex to the board, the ergonomics are good, and there's backlighting, although it's limited to a single color. All keys are macro-programmable, but there aren't any dedicated macro keys for MMO games.
- Light typing experience.
- Dedicated media controls.
- Good software support.
- Good build quality.
- Macro-programmable keys.
- Wide key spacing can be tiring for some.
The Corsair K70 is a wired-only keyboard and can't be used with mobile devices.
The Corsair K70 is a good keyboard for office use. The build quality is good and it has great compatibility with most desktop operating systems. It's a comfortable keyboard to type on due to the included wrist rest and multiple incline settings, but the wide key spacing can be fatiguing and can also cause more typos. The Cherry MX Speed switches can be too sensitive for typing and they don't provide any tactile feedback, which some may not like. On the bright side, they don't generate a lot of typing noise, so it shouldn't be bothersome to those around you.
- Light typing experience.
- Dedicated media controls.
- Good ergonomics.
- Quiet typing noise.
- Good build quality.
- Some keys don't work on macOS.
- Wide key spacing can be tiring for some.
The Corsair K70 is a good keyboard for programmers. It's well-built, it has macro-programmable keys, and it has backlighting for those who like to work in the dark. It comes with a wrist rest and is fairly comfortable to type on, and the Cherry MX Speed switches provide a great typing experience. However, some people may not like typing on linear switches due to the lack of tactile feedback, and switches' high sensitivity can lead to more typos.
- Light typing experience.
- Dedicated media controls.
- Good ergonomics.
- Good build quality.
- Macro-programmable keys.
- Some keys don't work on macOS.
- No software support for Linux.
- Wide key spacing can be tiring for some.
- Dedicated media controls.
- Good build quality.
- Wide key spacing can be tiring for some.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 25, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Aug 18, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Aug 11, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Jul 30, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We reviewed the Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE mechanical gaming keyboard. It's available in various configurations, which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Switch type | Color | Backlighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| K70 RAPIDFIRE | Cherry MX Speed | Black | Red |
| K70 LUX | Cherry MX Brown, Red, Blue | Black | Red |
| K70 RGB MK.2 | Cherry MX Brown, Red, Blue, Speed, and Silent | Black | RGB |
| K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile RAPIDFIRE | Cherry MX Low Profile Speed, Low Profile Red | Black | RGB |
| K70 RGB MK.2 SE | Cherry MX Speed | White | RGB |
If someone notices that their K70 RAPIDFIRE doesn't correspond to our review, please let us know in the discussions.
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE is an excellent gaming keyboard. However, there are better options in its price range that have significantly better build quality and full RGB backlighting, such as the Razer BlackWidow Elite. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards, the best mechanical keyboards, and the best RGB keyboards.
The Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE is marginally better than the Razer Huntsman. The Corsair has dedicated media controls that include a volume wheel, a USB passthrough, and it comes with a wrist rest. On the other hand, the Razer has a better build quality and full RGB backlighting. The Cherry MX Speed switches on the Corsair feel more responsive due to their shorter pre-travel distance, they don't provide tactile feedback, and they generate very little typing noise. On the Razer, the Razer Optical switches require less force to actuate, and they're tactile and clicky like Cherry MX Blues.
The Razer BlackWidow Elite is better than the Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE for most uses. The Razer has a much better build quality and full RGB backlighting. The Razer Orange switches on our Razer provide a better typing experience; however, the Cherry MX Speed switches on the Corsair are more responsive and require less force to initiate a keypress. The Razer has a few switch options you can choose from, but the Corsair only has one option.
Overall, the Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE is a bit better than the Corsair K68 RGB. The K70 has a better build quality, a volume wheel, and a USB passthrough. However, the K68 has full RGB backlighting, while the K70 is limited to a single color. The typing experience is great on both and largely comes down to personal preference. The Cherry MX Speed switches on the K70 are more responsive, but some people may not like typing on linear switches. With the K68, you can choose between Cherry MX Blue or Red.
For most uses, the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is better than the Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE. The SteelSeries has full RGB backlighting, a customizable OLED screen, and its build quality is significantly better. The typing experience is very different between the Cherry MX Speed switches on the Corsair and the SteelSeries Brown switches on the SteelSeries. The MX Speeds are linear, have a much shorter pre-travel distance, and don't make a lot of typing noise. The SteelSeries Brown switches act more like Cherry MX Browns, which are tactile but quiet. The SteelSeries is available with other switch options, but the Corsair is only available with the Cherry MX Speeds.
Test Results
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