The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is a versatile keyboard with outstanding gaming performance. It's available in a few different switches, including Cherry MX Brown, Red, Blue, Silent Red, and Speed, so you can get the switches you prefer. The Cherry MX Brown switches we tested are light to press, great for gaming, and offer a great overall typing quality. This keyboard has a ton of extra features like customizable RGB backlighting, the ability to set macros to any key, and a USB passthrough. It's a well-built keyboard, the edges of the aluminum plate on top feel sharp, which could be annoying.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is a very good overall keyboard. Every key is macro-programmable, it has full RGB backlighting with individually-lit keys, and the keys have minimal pre-travel distance, which is outstanding for gaming. It's a good choice for office use or for programmers because it has a detachable wrist rest and it doesn't feel tiring typing on this keyboard. It's compatible with most common operating systems but the dedicated software isn't available on Linux.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is an outstanding gaming keyboard. Every key is macro-programmable and you can customize the RGB backlighting on a per-key basis. It's available in a few different switches, but our unit has Cherry MX Brown switches that have minimal pre-travel distance and are fairly light to press.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 isn't designed to be used wirelessly.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is good for office use. It comes with a detachable wrist rest and it has an incline setting. You can get it with the Cherry MX switches you prefer, the keys are stable, and overall, it has a great typing quality. On the downside, the spacing between the keys might take some time to get used to.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is very good for programming. You can set macros to any key and change the RGB backlighting on a per-key basis. The typing quality with the Cherry MX Brown switches we reviewed is great, but you can get the switches you prefer. It has good ergonomics as it has a wrist rest and an incline setting. Sadly, the dedicated software isn't available on Linux.
Good build quality. It's mainly made out of plastic and the top plate is aluminum, giving the keyboard a better build than the Corsair K68 RGB, but the keyboard flexes a bit. The edges of the aluminum are a bit sharp, but this could be a problem with our unit only. The ABS keycaps are stable, with the exception of the spacebar, which has a bit of wobble to it. The keycaps feel nice but they seem like they attract oils from your fingers easily. The keyboard comes with a plastic wrist rest that has a rubber finish to it and feels somewhat hard. Lastly, the cable it comes with is thick and well-made, but if there are any kinks in it, they're hard to remove. If you want a keyboard with a better build quality, check out the SteelSeries Apex Pro.
Good ergonomics. The Corsair K70 RGB has one incline setting and it comes with a basic wrist rest that feels a bit hard, and not as plushy as the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT. The wrist rest is detachable, but it's a bit hard to remove.
This keyboard has full RGB backlighting with individually-lit keys, and you can customize the colors on a per-key basis through the dedicated software. You can also cycle through three brightness settings directly on the keyboard with the 'Brightness' key on the top left. Note that the Windows Key Lock isn't lit up in the picture, but it lights up when you press it.
The cable is very long, so you shouldn't have any issues connecting it to your computer. It has two USB plugs at the end for the USB passthrough.
This keyboard is wired-only and can't be used wirelessly.
This keyboard has a great number of extra features, similar to most other Corsair keyboards, like the Corsair K68 RGB. It has a USB passthrough, allowing you to attach a device, like a mouse, directly to the keyboard instead of your computer. Every key, except for the 'Profile Switching' and the 'RGB Brightness' keys are macro programmable through the iCUE software, and the Windows Lock Key can be reprogrammed to a few different functions. There are dedicated media keys and a volume wheel at the top right too. However, if you need a keyboard with a Windows lock key, consider the Das Keyboard Model S Professional.
The Corsair K70 RGB is available in a few different Cherry MX switches, but our unit has Cherry MX Brown switches. They offer good tactile feedback and are fairly light to press, which is great for gamers. If you'd like switches with a shorter pre-travel distance, check out the Corsair K100 RGB.
Great typing quality, similar to the Corsair K68 RGB. The keycaps feel nice to touch and are stable, except for the spacebar, which is a bit wobbly. The Enter and Shift keys aren't as good as most other keys, but they're still fairly stable. It may take some time to get used to the spacing of the keys, which could lead to typos when you first get the keyboard. Also, it shouldn't feel tiring typing on this keyboard, and having the wrist rest helps with fatigue. If you want a keyboard that provides a better typing experience, check out the Razer Pro Type.
The Cherry MX Brown switches are quiet and shouldn't bother others around you. However, if you get the Cherry MX Blue switches, they offer clicky feedback, which is distracting for others nearby.
The Corsair iCUE software offers outstanding customization features. You can set macros to any key and customize the RGB lighting on a per-key basis. The keyboard has onboard memory for up to three profiles and you can save as many profiles as you like in the software. Every time you make changes to a profile, you have to import a new file onto the board and overwrite the current onboard file.
The Corsair K70 RGB is fully compatible with Windows and only the Scroll Lock, Pause Break, and Stop keys don't work on macOS. The keyboard is fully compatible with Linux, but the software isn't.
We reviewed the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 in black. It's also available in white, which is sold as the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 SE, and there's also a low profile variant. The K70 RGB MK.2 is available in a variety of switches, while the other variants are available with limited switch options. The differences between them are listed below.
Name | Color | Backlighting | Cherry MX Switches |
---|---|---|---|
Corsair K70 LUX | Black | Red | Brown, Blue, and Red |
Corsair K70 Rapidfire | Black | Red | Speed |
Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 | Black | RGB | Blue, Brown, Red, Speed, and Silent |
Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 SE | White | RGB | Speed |
Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Rapidfire (Low profile) | Black | RGB | Red and Speed |
If someone has a Corsair K70 RGB that's different from ours, let us know in the discussions and we'll update the review.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is an outstanding full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard. Although it doesn't have dedicated macro keys like the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT, most people should be happy with it. It's also available in a wide variety of switches, more so than some other gaming keyboards we've tested, like the HyperX Alloy Origins. Also see our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards, the best mechanical keyboards, and the best RGB keyboards.
The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is better overall than the Corsair K68 RGB, but the two keyboards are very similar. The only differences are that the K70 has an aluminum plate on top, it's available in more switches, and it has on-board memory.
The Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 are very similar, but the K95 is better for gaming mainly because it has dedicated macro keys. The K95 is also better built and offers better typing quality. However, the K70 is available in more types of switches.
The Razer BlackWidow Elite is better overall than the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2. It's a better-built keyboard with a comfortable wrist rest, and the Razer Orange switches we tested offer a better typing quality. On the other hand, Corsair's iCUE software is available on macOS, while Razer's Synapse 3 isn't.
The Corsair STRAFE RGB MK.2 and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 are both outstanding gaming keyboards that perform very similarly. They also look very similar, except that the K70's entire top plate is aluminum while the STRAFE has an aluminum strip only at the top. The biggest difference is that the STRAFE comes in only Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Silent switches while the K70 is available in a wider variety of switches.
The Corsair K100 RGB is slightly better than the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2. The K100 has dedicated macro keys, a more comfortable wrist rest, and the Cherry MX Speed switches on our unit have a shorter travel distance than the Cherry MX Brown switches on our K70. However, the K70's switches provide tactile feedback, unlike either of the switches available on the K100.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro is better than the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2. The SteelSeries is a featured-packed keyboard that allows you to customize the pre-travel needed on a per-key basis, and at its minimum setting, it offers a really quick gaming experience. However, the Corsair is available in a wide variety of switches, so you can get the ones you feel most comfortable with.
Overall, the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 is much better than the Corsair K60 RGB PRO Low Profile, although it's mainly due to its superior typing quality. The Cherry MX Brown switches on our K70 provide tactile feedback, and their higher pre-travel distance lead to fewer typos, as the low profile switches on the K60 can be overly sensitive. However, the K60 has a better build quality, and its low profile might be more comfortable to type on for some.
The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is better overall than the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2. The SteelSeries is available as both a full-sized and TKL keyboard, it's better-built, and the SteelSeries Brown switches we tested are lighter to press than the Cherry MX Brown switches we tested on the Corsair.
The HyperX Alloy Origins is slightly better for gaming than the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2. The HyperX comes with proprietary linear switches and the Corsair is available in Cherry MX Speed and Red switches, so you can get linear switches with either. The HyperX has a better typing quality and it's better built, while Corsair's iCUE software is available on macOS.
The Ducky Shine 7 is slightly better than the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2. The Ducky is much better built, the typing quality is significantly better, and it's available in more types of Cherry MX switches. However, the Corsair comes with a wrist rest and the iCUE software is available on macOS.
The Corsair K780 RGB MK.2 is a better keyboard than the Das Keyboard Model S Professional. The Corsair comes with a detachable wrist rest, has full RGB backlighting, and software for customization. That said, the Das Keyboard has a Windows key lock.
Retailers' prices | Amazon.com | BestBuy.com | B&H |
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Black K70 RGB MK.2 |
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Unavailable
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White K70 RGB MK.2 SE |
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Unavailable
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