Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Compact Mechanical Keyboard
Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Compact Mechanical Keyboard (CHERRY MX SPEED RGB, Aircraft-Grade Anodised Brushed Aluminium, 10 Keyless Design, Vibrant Multi-Colour LED Backlighting) QWERTY, Black
ADVANCED LIGHTING CONTROL AND LARGE FONT KEYCAPS
Experience dynamic, vibrant multi-color backlighting for virtually unlimited customisation.
| Weight: | 860 g |
| Dimensions: | 38.2 x 23.7 x 5.2 cm; 860 Grams |
| Brand: | Corsair |
| Model: | CH-9110014-UK |
| Colour: | Cherry MX Rapidfire RGB |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Corsair |
| Dimensions: | 38.2 x 23.7 x 5.2 cm; 860 Grams |
well worth the money!
his is a fantastic gaming keyboard, would recommend to anyone wanting the looks, feel and comfort its also more compact than standard keyboards and works well with the icue softwea
Very slick great upgrade from the K55 i had before
Very comfortable to type on and a very good invenstment.
My first mechanical keybord
This is the first Mechanical keyboard I’ve bought, having been an IT professional that uses keyboards for several hours a day. This keyboard is great to use, the only thing to consider though is the key switches are a little loud. I have the speed switch variant so perhaps that contributed? I’ve had comments of hearing key pressed when on calls, which can be mitigated by software but something to keep in mind.
The iCue software is great and synced up perfectly with my Corsair Mouse, you can set individual keys / regions to the colours you want. It’s not the most intuitive software but with a little time you can get it set up how you’d like. It also has per-user settings control, so when my wife signs in for some gaming it lights to her chosen colour.
I would highly recommend this
GOOD BUT OVERPRICED
Good keyboard for gaming but keys are fairly loose so hard to type fast normally, ie in a word document. However, even for gaming there is much better value for money and although this is a decent keyboard, there are others out there much better for cheape
wrist rest and lighting and keys
he wrist rest is a bit steep and felt a bit uncomfortable at first but u get use to it and the material is soft for your wrist and the lighting could be brighter however its still good everything is amazing ( note that the keys are loud so if you have people around you they might get annoyed and the noise might come through your mic, all depends on how far your keyboard is a away from your mic
Not hot swappable. Damn it!
I love the build quality of Corsair products I think they worth that extra few quid the brand name comes with although I think for keyboards at this price range should have hot-swappable keys.
The Rapidfire is great for fast phase FPS such as Apex Legends, strafing with the Cherry Mx Speed is so good.
With that said the 1.2mm pre-travel is annoying under the space bar. Even if you rest your thumb on it just a little it will activate. For that reason I decided to give up the warranty and took the thing apart and soldered an Mx Red switch under the space bar. Pic attached. With this small mod it is absolutely fantastic!
Lovely keyboard, not too sensitive
I saw some reviews saying it was difficult to type on and was very sensitive which worried me, but having got it I have no issues, can easily rest your hand on the keys without them pressing, I don’t touch type but my mum can and she could type on it fine. The clack is very satisfying without being too loud. Overall feels like its a good quality keyboard, lights are perfect, customization using iCUE is great, three levels of brightness options are nice. Also had no issue with the space bar coming up like I saw some other reviews have , has stayed on fine.
Worth i
amazing lighting effects, extremely prominent. keys work very effectively and feel amazing on the fingers. keyboard base is shiny and feels very strong
The perfect size
Bought this after my Logitech Orion keys kept dislodging and breaking. Decided to ditch the number pad (which I needed for a previous job) for a tenkeyless one and so far, this board is smashing it. Super It’s a great size, the wrist pad is great for work, and the software needed to control lighting is really easy to use.
No problems so far.
Corsair K65 Lux
Really like this keyboard, the Cherry keys are a joy to game with, can not stand the clicky keys everyone seems to have these days. I do miss the numpad but this is no fault of the keyboard. Corsair software does take a bit of getting used to, it is not as easy to use as logitech software but it is more advanced.
It is not the best for typing however, I have been a touch typist for many years and find I miss a lot of the keys and have to keep correcting. Still getting used to it after a few months!
Grea
Was a gift to my granddaughter she says all is good
RGB, audio controls, No number pad.
Needing a keayboard to fit onto a small desk? This fits the bill, the removal of the number pad narrows this by 8 cm over my K95, meaning I no longer have to smash my wrist off the enter key when trying to get to the left of the screen.
Build is solid with a weighty alloy frame, individually lit RGB keys with the removable cherry + style key caps. RGB is controllable through Corsairs formidable Icue software and is able to run mulitple profiles at once, even some other apps are able to control the RGB, but I cannot recommend those yet. The cable is a good gauge and braided to protect it and the USB plug is corsairs favourite big chunky and indestructible type which itself is a 2 man lift. Typing is nice to the touch and a very positive sound is made with every hit, there’s plenty of vids on youtube about this and I recommend watching some. The wrist pad is removable for cleaning and has a nice grippy texture .
Overall another solid 5 stars for Corsair.
Excelle
Great keyboard. Keys are close together and response times is grea
5.0 out of 5 stars TKL is the way to go.
Lovely little keyboard. My first TKL keyboard and I’m very glad I made the switch. Numkeys are not missed at all and there’s so much more room for my mouse. Because of the shorter length of the keyboard I’m also able to place it in a more ergonomical position underneath my monitor.
My only gripe (and it’s a fairly insignificant one) is that it doesn’t have dedicated media keys nor can you FN lock the F keys so you always have to press FN and the media key you want.
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Keyboard at Discounted Price!
I bought this keyboard at a discounted price of 80. For this price it is a premium keyboard. I use it for gaming and work. It has a small acctuation force and so it very quick to type on. It also comes with extra keycaps which provide extra grip for gaming. The provided wristrest is not the comfiest but provides sufficient height to ease typing. There is full customisable RGB on every key but could be a bit brighter. Also you can only save one static lighting profile on the keyboard so to use the effects you have to open the iCue software. Would recommend this keyboard especially when its at such a discounted price!
Fantastic
Bought this as I’ve been wanting a keyboard without number pad for a while. Corsair never let me down.
Goes above and beyond expectations
Absolutely chuffed with this purchase, the compact layout and RGB make this look beautiful on my desk. The addition of a wrist rest just elevate this already amazing board. For those who are unaware, Mx speed keys are extremely sensitive so not a recommended option for typists, but it’s amazing for gamers and enthusiasts, doesn’t take long to get adjusted either. The RGB on the board is so vivid, combined with the icue software, it makes this board really standout. In terms of down side, the cable is extremely thick and lacks routing chambers underneath the board but that’s not too big an issue considering it’s a usb pass through! Overall, really satisfied!
5.0 out of 5 stars Great keyboard with or without RGB
I already had a pair of this keyboards non-RGB variant that had lasted me years until I spilt a cup of tea on one and it shorted it. Unfortunately this model is non longer available so I went for this RGB version which also comes with a nice wrist rest.
Lovely fell and feedback from the keys, better than the non-RGB version. You need to install the Corsair software to change RGB settings but I left it at the default which is red with white ASDW and directions arrows.
Not it comes with “2” USB 3.0 connections, one for the keyboard itself and the other for the useful USB 3.0 pass through to a port on the rear of the keyboard.
Switches
So I like this product but I feel like they should make another 10 keyless degsin with cherry mx brown and cherry mx blue they is not that much switch options I will like to see more but overall great keyboard for gaming
5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best gaming keyboard available
Was bought for my son. I’ve been using a regular (non rgb) K65 for 5-6 years and it’s the standard by which all other keyboards are measured. Personally the lack of a numerical pad has never been an issue, it makes the keyboard much smaller and easier to clean. Red Cherry switches are perfect for both typing and gaming and the extra alternate colour wasd keys are a nice touch for some minor customisation. Build quality is faultless with a heavy metal surface, cables are heavy nylon and braided. If you are looking for a keyboard that will literally last 20 years you wont get closer than this.
I’m not a gamer, but I love the design. I never had a use for the 10-key pad in my 30-40 years of computing and I’m glad I bought this keyboard for just this reason. But the main reason why I bought the keyboard was its readability as my eyes are getting older and I still like to spend some evenings at my computer. It’s not only a keyboard for gamers, but its robustness, responsiveness, readability and touch is very much appreciated and makes it a great keyboard for anyone.
Great all round keyboard, love the switches
Great all round keyboard, extremely short switches which are great for competitive games. Love the fact that the rgb is programmable with the corsair software, it’s hard wearing and durable because the main frame of the keyboard is made of aluminium. It’s not too loud aswell but still has those great mechanical switch sounds.
Keys are incredibly fas
Had the keyboard for nearly a month and I love it. I’v had no issues with the keyboard so far. The keyboard is super compact and the Cherry speed switches are super responsive which is perfect for fast pace fps style games. Typing can take a little to get used too as the keys are incredibly fast.The extra key caps and wrist rest are a nice addition too. For the overall price I think the keyboard is great.
BEST KEYBOARD YOU WILL EVER BUY!
great product everything is perfect. to the loud keys and sexy aluminum body and chassis showing its premium design and hopfully long life span to great media keys and remembering i do not care about the 10keys missing, more space for mouse one issue is it is a pain to clean it attracting dust like a Lego on a shelf. will probably buy a second as there at there cheaper price right now and a spare is in need, perfect keyboard rgb is beautiful though i think they should do the white board under key to get more rgb glow although for a different rgb look check out the official white key caps, they also sell spares for black on amazon. recommmend too my friends and there already impressed and plan to buy one, great for all oh yeah also the software for the rgb is easy to use and very detailed and complex effects can be achieved.
Hard to Adjust to... but worth i
Very hard to get used to… Keys are extremely sensitive and for thew first 2 weeks, was miss typing left right and centre. Good quality, slightly over priced however, and good customisation. Perfect for any gamer or just to complete your setup.
Exactly what I needed
I love the ‘edge-less’ design, where the switches are visible. The keyboard fits well on my desk, the switches are simply amazing and the RGB is good, although not the brightest I’ve came across. Software is required to have any RGB effects running but It’s definitely worth an install. A lot of customisation available within it. The keyboard doesn’t really move, even when I play OSU!.
I have previously used the corsair k65 vengence for two years as my first mechanical keyboard, and the experience with using and typing with it was light years ahead of my low profile membrane laptop keyboard. However, while the keyboard overall was fantastic, it did have a couple issues such as a very rattly spacebar, wobbly feet that were not the same hight, and the red switches themselves felt quite scratchy, while some of them felt smoother. These are still minor complaints and I still think that the vengence is a fantastic first mechanical keyboard option. But I recently saw that this keyboard was on sale for only about 100, I thought it would be a good upgrade over the vengence. And I am very glad I did, as there are a lot of improvements in the rapidfire that I really love, although there are some small things that are worth mentioning.
The feet that lift the keyboard to a incline are now the same hight, which is appreciated, even though I don’t use them, because I actually keep the keyboard on top of a towel to absorb some of the noise that goes into the table. One of the most important things, however is the speed switches are a lot smoother and less scratchy that the red switches on the vengence. presumably because the speed switches are a bit newer than the red switches, but that might not be the case. If you want really smooth switches, you should probably go with gateron switches instead, which have a reputation of being much smoother versions of cherry switches, although I personally have not tried them. The spacebar is also very smooth and so much quieter and less rattly feeling than the vengence. I actually took the spacebar off to see what they had done to it to get rid of the rattly feeling, and they have not seamed to have put any stabilisers under the spacebar, so I don’t really know what corsair have done, but the spacebar feels really good anyway. Here are some pros and cons for this keyboard.
Pros:
The speed switches are fantastic. Not only are they less scratchy than the cherry mx reds, but the short actuation distance makes them a lot faster then reds, although having a nearly identical feeling to the red switches.
The rgb lighting, while it may be a gimmick, It looks stunning. The lights are bold, saturated and vibrant, and the clear housing of the switches really lets the lights pop. I have no clue how to use cosairs cue software, but it is easy enough to import lighting profiles made by other users, which all look fantastic. The large blocky font, while looks gamery, really does allow the light to shine though the keycaps.
The keyboards build quality is amazing, just like the vengence. The brushed aluminium finish on the body of the keyboard looks amazing, although does attract dust.
The keyboard also has volume up, down and mute keys which I simply cannot live without. The keyboard also has media keys which are accessible with the function and F keys.
Cons:
The switches may not be suitable for typists because they are just so sensitive. If you are used to blue or brown switches then I think you may have issues with accidentally hitting keys while you are typing. I am used to red switches so this isn’t much of an issue for me.
The cue software is not easy to use and is not intuitive, and while if you learn it you can make some of the most advanced lighting effects available on a keyboard, I just don’t think I have the time or patience to learn it, which is another reason the ability to download lighting effects is so great.
The included wrist rest I find to be too short for my hands. It is have of a nice soft touch material, but is just quite short.
The keyboard is only available in red or silver/speed switches. If that’s what you are looking for, then great, but if not then you may need to look elsewhere.
The rgb lighting can lag games and your computer if you are using advanced lighting effects. This is probably just because my computer is slow.
And finally, the biggest issue I find with the keyboard is the keycaps. I actually prefer the keycaps on the vengence because, while they may be made of abs plastic, there is a texture to the keys that makes them easy to grip, and even on my most used keys that have turned shiny, there is still a bit of grip there on the keys. The keycaps on the rapidfire however, feel quite cheap with a matte coating causing the keys to be slippery. The keys overall construction is good, but that matte coating just makes the keys uncomfortable to use. I have for the most part gotten used to it, but I just wish that corsair used more high quality keycaps in the keyboard that have more texture. The worst thing is that the keyboard uses a non standard bottom row which makes it near impossible for find good keycaps for this keyboard. Corair does sell a doubleshot injection set of pbt keycaps, but that would run you another 38 for the black keycaps and 45 for the white keycaps, on top of 190, If you pay full price for this keyboard. Even though I was lucky enough to get this keyboard on sale, Its still a very high asking price for a tenkeyless keyboard.
Overall, the cons are very nitpicky things that you could love or hate. For example some people may love smooth matte coated keycaps, and if that’s you than this is a solid option. If you are in the market for a new keyboard and don’t mind only having the option for sliver/speed switches or reds, Then I would highly recommend this keyboard. The construction and overall feel of the keyboard is excellent, the switches are great and the rgb lighting looks amazing. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase, and will keep this review updated on how the keyboard holds up after I’ve had it for a while longer.
Bring back the volume roller!
Great keyboard with fast responsiveness. Smaller form factor obviously better suited for gaming. However, have to knock a star off for dropping the excellent volume knob from the K70. Volume up/down keys are nowhere near as convenient. The typeface is also a bit ugly.
Four Stars
good keyboard my arm rest was squeeky this board has improved my csgo 1 taps
Only had the keyboard for a day now but man the brushed metal look is solid, not only this but the back plate is not movable. This makes for a perfect typing and gaming experience. The rapidfire keys get a little bit of time getting used to due the the little to none actuation force but there worth it. If your looking for a gaming keyboard couldn’t recommend anything else than this. Corsair is the plug rn in the gaming community. 10/10 keyboard.
I had the K65 non RGB keyboard before this, the shift key broke due to my excessive gaming habits. So I replaced it with the RGB version, once I loaded up the software and the lights starting dancing I was grinning like a school boy.
Bought this to replace an ageing wireless keyboard that kept loosing signal at the worst points on online games. It was also a flat/keyboard design, so it was virtually silent.
Using this was a bit of a shock as to how loud this thing is.. I watched loads of youtube videos to try and understand and it didn’t really help.
It doesn’t both me (a strange retro feeling using a mechanical keyboard) but if someone else is in the same room as you, trying to have a phone conversation/watch TV – this will be too loud for them.
The RGB lights are nice but are a bit of a gimmick, I have it set to a single colour – the other patterns were a bit too intense.
I’ve had no issue in using this in games and really enjoy using it – despite the noise.
5.0 out of 5 stars End your search. This is the one.
Takes some time to get used to the cherry red switches but when you start to relax on your presses and get used to pressing quarter way it’s nice in my opinion. The switches are a really nice clear plastic for the rgb to shine bright. Has lots of colour options and customisation of colour and effect of each individual switch but it feels a bit like some colours in the spectrum are missing. The base of the keyboard is super solid and sharp looking personally I like how sturdy and heavy it is as it never moves around unless I apply a fair amount of pushing force. Would I recommend this keyboard for someone looking for a really nice, sturdy and stylish keyboard? Absolutely it is 100% worth the cost.
Terrific.
It does make a racket when you’re typing.
If you don’t mind the clicekty clack, then it is superb.
I bought two of these keyboards. One of them I gave to my 10-year old who loves PC gaming and hammers the thing day in day out. Because it is very sturdily built, with a steel chassis, I have no qualms about him hammering away at it. The biscuit crumbs come out easily because the keys are raised clear of the chassis rather than enveloped as they tend to be on a cheap plastic keyboard
I thought quite hard about whether or not to include the Num Pad. Not needed, not even for gaming. ( If you’re into flight simulators which tend to need many buttons, then you are a lot better off buying a dedicated Stick with all the accessories – hotus etc). The space saved from not having the Num Pad is noticeable. That space can be better served with a quality mouse.
excellent keyboard
loving this keyboard! i would never use a membrane keyboard again thanks to being spoilt by this beast!
the corsair software that comes with it can also be used to trigger different presets off of particular applications, meaning any games or editing software you use will automatically trigger the right settings! awesome!
A nice keyboard for those who like the MX Red switches. If you’re not sure on what keyboard switch to go for, buy a tester first. MX Reds are fully linear, so they don’t have that usual satisfying click. If that’s what you’re looking for, look elsewhere.
As for the software, CUE works well under Windows, and you can create, export and publish profiles for buttons and lighting. Mac and Linux users can use open source software (ckb-next) to enable support for CUE’s features, but it has problems under macOS Sierra, where the caps lock indicator can freeze the OS. The keyboard can crash under Linux when booting, but this is not caused by the software. If you’re looking for a keyboard that is well supported on these two OSes, I’d also look elsewhere.
Unlike any other keyboard!
Definitely takes time to get use to!
For gaming (fps) it’s awesome, the rgb light is a plus and the software works well!
I only game with this, I’m not sure I would enjoy typing assignments on this; very easy to type another key as the the keys require very little force to register.
Using for 18 months, still love i
A great keyboard. It gets 5 stars for 2 reasons: firstly, I’ve been using 3rd party software (rather than Corsair’s own) to control the lights etc. on this keyboard and it has worked perfectly. The level of customisation available is extremely impressive.
Secondly, the build quality is top notch. After I had been using the keyboard for about a year, I accidentally spilled a pint of juice over it and the keys got really sticky and some of the lights stopped working. I was able to fully repair it using common household items (and a few long, yet strangely therapeutic hours) and it came out looking and feeling like it was new. It’s pretty rare these days to buy a product that can be so easily maintained by the end user, and I value that enormously.
If I needed another keyboard I would definitely consider another one of these. The only drawback I can think of is the fact that it requires 2 free USB ports, but if that isn’t an issue for you I would definitely recommend it.
Literally could not be more pleased with this orde
Literally could not be more pleased with this order. The quality of the keyboard is unparalleled, the state of the goods when delivered was pristine. It came within 24 hours of my order. The Cherry MX Reds are such good quality- make sure you look out for these if you’re thinking of getting a mechanical keyboard, they’re much better than cheap chinese made switches. Excellent product.
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great keyboard, very well built and has a premium ...
This is a great keyboard, very well built and has a premium feel. The mechanical keys feel great when gaming and even for general office use. Wrist rest is comfortable with a nice soft material. Cable has two USB connection but only need to use one if you have the new red USB connect on your pc’s motherboard. There is also a USB connection on the back of the keyboard that can be used for flash drives etc but won’t charge USB devices such as the iPhone. The software is also well made and user friendly. Took me about two mins to go through it and get familiarised with it. The profile settings on the software to customised your RGB lighting can be done easily on the fly
I had wanted to make the leap to a smaller keyboard for a while and had been eyeing up the Razer range of keyboards – however they don’t make the latest models in UK layout! Fed up with waiting to see if they did release one I decided to buy the Corsair K65 Radpidfire and I’m now a Corsair convert!
This keyboard is an absolute JOY to type on and it feels extremely well made. The RGB lighting is nice and looks striking – especially in a darkened room. The Corsair Cue software (which managed all of your profiles and keybinds etc.) is functional but could use some polish and streamlining – it’s a bit of a mess in it’s current state. However, it does seem to be frequently updated and once you do get your head around it, it’s functional.
I have this paired with a Corsair Scimitar mouse and MM800 RGB mouse mat and they all work great together.
K65 RGB Lux.
This keyboard K65 RGB LUX, feels great, types awesome. Lighting effects can be sync’d timing as the Mouse and Pad with the CUE software provided. They can also be daisy chained. I’ve got my Corsair mouse inserted into my Corsair mouse pad, and mouse pad into my keyboard K65 RGB LUX. Only the Keyboards 2 USB into PC.
The wrist rest is nice and soft.
More quieter then the regular K65. which I use for my laptop.
After a week of using, only fault I can see is the space bar only has 1 key lighting in the middle. The left and right end of space bar are regular holding clips, barely visible which is nice. Would be nice if they had 2-3. But this keyboard truly is amazing to use.
If you’ve made it this far, Buy all three.
Corsair Gaming CH-9110010-UK K65 RGB LUX,
Corsair CH-9300011-EU M65 PRO Mouse,
Corsair CH-9440020-EU MM800 Polaris Performance 15 Zone RGB LED Gaming Mouse Pad.
Welcome…
This keyboard has a great feel, is very sturdy and should last a ...
This keyboard has a great feel, is very sturdy and should last a long time.
I got rubber o-rings for it because it’s quite loud and they make the keyboard easier on the fingers. I wanted a keyboard without a numpad because I never use it and the ergonomics of having the mouse where the numpad would be is much better than constantly having your arm go outwards.
I removed 1 star because it’s a shame I had to order this on amazon UK and have it shipped to Canada. The star is also because I would have preferred the Canadian ISO layout, but this is the closest to it I could find anywhere.
This is my first mechanical keyboard, and I’m so happy with it.
The build quality is excellent, typing on it is a pleasure, and the noise is quite good as well (I’m using Cherry MX red switches).
At first the switches felt a little bit too easy to press, but after a while I got used to them.
The RGB lights are gorgeous, and the software while being a little bit “chaotic”, it’s actually easy to use because you will probably stick to the standard profiles and changing their colours.
This is also my first TKL (tenkeyless) keyboard, and I really like to be able to use my mouse much closer to it.
It is quite expensive, but in my opinion this is the best choice. I considered the Razer Blackwidow Chroma, the K70, the Strafe, but they had all different flaws or things I didn’t like. If you care about having a compact keyboard, built like a tank, with top german switches and full rgb backlit, this is the one you should get.
Ps.. The included wristrest is really comfortable as well.
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant. Durable, Clean & Professional
Had this for a year now (364 days, but close enough) and hasn’t had a single fault. Price is superb, it has a clean & professional look that you don’t get from the RGB line. You can easily clean it out with pressurized air because of the raised keycaps. I use my computer very frequently (Mainly for gaming) and have never once needed anything that was on the numpad. Your mouse can be closer to they keyboard because of it’s ten key less design which apparently reduces fatigue.
I wish there was a MX Brown cherry option though, still quite content with reds. If it’s too loud buy orings (Literally plastic rings, extremely cheap) and fit them on the keys, it makes it much quieter.
LED’s are vibrant, the keyboard looks bloody awesome
I have always used Membrane keyboards, why? No sound when clicking keys, or little to no sound, so why I have chosen to move to this new Keyboard the K65 RGB from Corsair? At EGX 2016 they were showcasing this little baby with the game ‘Unreal Tournament Alpha release’ and the keyboard was the only thing that stood out, along with their new MM800 RGB Polaris Mouse mat and I think it was the M65 Pro RGB mouse, all showing off a great light show. Both I and my partner fell in love with the keyboard straight way.
Now before we go into the sales patter, some basic facts about the keyboard, first, there is a total of three versions The Rapidfire, LUX and STD
For information on the STD version head here — […]
For the LUX version head here –[…]
For this review, we are checking out the Rapidfire, and here are the boring tech specs.
Now let’s see how they sell the product off the shelve, in the box, front of the box showcases the keyboard and the all NEW ultrafast switch designed for gaming with an actuation of 1.2mm which is 0.8 mm faster, as the average switch as an average actuation of 2mm. Other sales patter is the Multicolour per-key backlighting, Cherry MX Mechanical Switch, which this keyboard only uses MX RED and each other revision also uses only MX RED, may put off some gamers, for me, though, it’s not going to affect anything.
Turning to the back you get to see and read more technical information, which includes the likes of lighting modes suitable for different genre of games, for example, FPS and MOBA, now let’s go through all the rest and bullet points
Fully programmable — assign macros to any key,
Study, Ridged Brushed aluminium platform,
100% Anti-Ghosting with Full Key Rollover on USB,
Detachable soft touch wrist rest,
10 keyless design for additional space and mouse movement,
USB pass-through and bios mode + polling rate selector,
Multi-gaming devices full spectrum colour, one amazing show
Spectro syncing: shift colours with the rhythm of your play,
Triple rainbow: Three devices, three rainbows, shifting in perfect sync,
Ride the wave: Release vector lighting for brilliant light shows,
Reactive Ripple: Blast stunning colour ripples over your entire gaming setup,
One more bit of information this is as follows,
‘Not only German-built CHERRY MX switches rated for an industry-leading — 50 million operations they guarantee a lifetime of consistent, comfortable response as well’.
That’s the sales banter over and done with, what you think, impressed? I am, but for the newcomers, let’s look at some of the technical information provided and give you more of an idea of what they mean.
ANTI-GHOSTING.
Full key rollover and 100% anti-ghosting technology means that no matter how fast you’re in game actions, the RAPIDFIRE can keep up, registering every keypress correctly, every time.
USB PASS-THROUGH.
Pass through implies that the keyboard itself uses two USB ports with one of them functioning as a USB extension that has the input side of the keyboard which is different than a hub.
POLLING RATE.
Polling Rate refers to how frequent the computer checks the USB for data.
BIOS MODE.
The BIOS switch both adjusts the polling rate and allows you to turn off advanced keyboard features for compatibility with certain legacy motherboards. Settings of 1, 2, 4, and 8 millisecond polling rates (1ms = 1000hz). Switching to BIOS reduces the polling rate and turns off other features for maximum compatibility. By default we ship at 1ms (1000Hz) and most gamers will prefer to just use the setting.
So what is driving this keyboard? A mouse in a ball running after some cheese? Nope guesses we not that lucky, what drives all Corsair gaming peripherals is their Utility Engine also known as CUE.
I am going to look at the Lighting page, which is the fun page here you can choose from a number of pre-assigned lighting effects, or click the advanced tab and assign each key its own colour yourself, and if you feeling, even more, pro assign a game to that selection.
Under action, you can create pre-assigned functions for a game or program which include the following
Macro,
Text,
Keystroke,
Shortcut,
DPI,
Timer,
Mouse,
Media Control.
Now on to the keyboard, what’s in the box?
Keyboard obviously, Detachable soft-touch wrist rest, Warranty guide, and quick start guide, contoured keys to replace the original ones for FPS (WSAD) and MOBA (QWERDF) along with a key-puller.
The keyboard itself is the same size as my full MSI GS70 keyboard on my laptop, which also has a number pad, the K65 does not have a number pad. The size of the keyboard is 35.6cm in length, width with palm-rest is 21cm, width without palm-rest is 16.2cm, depth at the back of the keyboard is 2.5cm, and the front of the keyboard is 1cm, compared to a full-size keyboard say the K70 you have more room to enjoy moving your mouse around. The keyboard has 4 rubber feet to stand upon, so it will not move around, and two feet at the back to adjust the height a little.
The keyboard has one of the thickest cables I have ever seen on a peripheral so far, it’s a braided cord which is also 0.8cm in diameter, has two USB 2.0 plugs one to power the keyboard and the other to power the USB input.
Let look closer at the keyboard, yep it’s nice, move on, joking, from the top right, two led light caps lock and scroll lock, windows lock button that disables the windows key, volume keys, mute volume and brightness control.
On the back of the keyboard, you get a pass-through USB 2.0 port, which I wish was 3.0, but it is very handy for wiring up a mouse, but rubbish for the SteelSeries Sentry (Tobii Eye Tracking) that requires USB 3.0. Next to that is the switch to control the polling rate 1, 2, 4 and 8ms and this so called bios mode, which I doubt many will be using. Bios mode is for gamers using an older computer, WTF what gamer uses an old computer, PC Gamers are skint for a reason, we spend too much bloody money on gaming shiz.
Now let’s take a look at these MX Switches, with LED’s mounted to them, the actually LEDs are called SMD LED an abbreviation for Surface-Mounted-Device Light-Emitting Diode. By using these types of LED’s are directly printed onto the circuit board which helps protect them from physical damage. Instead of a whiteboard behind the switches to help with illumination they are using a black background, but the clear housing surround thing switch and LED does a good just to distribute the light across each key.
Now I am no tech person that can tell you an in-depth guide on switches, but after some homework online and can discuss the MX Switch within this keyboard. Cherry MX Speed, same as the MX Red both switches have the same actuation force of 45g. The cherry switch is not red instead its grey, with a travel distance of 4mm, the biggest difference in the actuation point MX Red has a 2mm actuation compared to the MX Speed which has only a 1.2mm actuation.
Think that’s all the technical tat out of the way, now for GAMING, so I played some awesome games in my eyes, The Division, DOOM, Fallout 4 and HITMAN episode 5, I love these games, but I just remembered while typing this, I also played my game of the year, Witcher 3 Blood & Wine. I originally said, I have never liked a Mechanical keyboard due to the sound of the keys, and it has taken me some time to get used to these as well, not only can you hear me clicking when streaming, but they are very audible when typing out this review.
But I was well impressed with this keyboard, Small, unique and powerful I love it, controlling the characters in game felt perfect, felt more real and faster, than a membrane, not sure if that was just me, but in all honesty it felt bloody great, it felt great when using the keyboard over at EGX, it just looks and feel AWESOME.
So overall the LED’s are vibrant, the keyboard looks bloody awesome with its large bold letters etched into each key all attached to a beautiful brushed aluminium frame. The added extra USB is a nice touch and so are the added keys on the top right, with a comprehensive program that allows you to control every key, create macros and a shed load more, this is a bang for the buck, snazzy small, keyboard.
I only have a few issues, I still think the sound of the keys is rather intrusive and would not recommend using them if streaming, the braided cable is super thick for some reason as well, bit nothing to complain about much.
Oh yeah, after reading and doing some calculation I found out that the switches are about 40% faster than standard Cherry MX Red Switches if that means anything to you.
Nothing i type will be as technically detailed as anything else you can find on this page or the Corsair website, but i will say i love it. I’m using it right now and it even arrived the next day!
HOWEVER, the Corsair utility engine for the lighting effects on the keyboard does crash my OS when i try to install it. There is an alternative you can find on the corsair forums by downloading the installed files someone else has posted.
4.0 out of 5 stars Sturdy and a fair price for a full mech KB
Reminds me of my first couple of coding jobs where I was given a proper keyboard. A little noisy (as most mech keyboards are, and no number pad is an issue now and then). After a day or two getting used to it – it does feel very different from the bubble keyboards I’ver used for years now – it’s a good board for a decent price. Might make it my travel board as it’s nice and short and buy a full one with fell numberpad for my desk. Just have to make sure I get the old Corsair logo. The new one looks horrible.
Lovely Keyboard, Keys feel a pleasure, Backlighting is beautiful
I was very impressed with this keyboard, love the software, the backlighting is beautiful especially the rainbow wave effect setting. The wrist rest is a nice touch but for me the best thing is the keys. I’ve been through about 3 keyboards one of them being the Apex 350 from steel series which I thought was the cheaper alternative to this. However I couldn’t get along with it and hated the keys and the spongey space bar. I find this keyboard a dream to type on, I’m able to type 98wpm consistently with this keyboard. If you are like me and are wondering whether the extra cost is worth it, believe me it is, just for the feel of the keys alone. At first I was worried about having the less keys and the more compact keyboard, but I actually prefer it as it takes up less desk space.
The only down point I can think of is the USB cable isn’t particularly long although it’s very heavy duty and the fact it also requires two USB slots although these are minor points.
small form but big quality
I picked one up from the warehouse on amazon and…. wow am I glad I did. Got it for half the price but works like a charm. I was concerned there would be something wrong with it due to it having been returned but so far nothing has presented any issues at all. All the LEDs work and tinkering with the programmable lighting has entertained me for hours. Highly recommend if you want a good quality, sturdy mechanical keyboard but don’t have room for some of the bigger models (this model has no numpad but retains all the essential keys). It looks nicer with the wrist support on (as in, more balanced) but even with that taken off it just looks good.
I haven’t messed about with the macros yet, but you can assign different functions to keys using the corsair utility engine, switching between profiles and modes of lighting. Everybody compliments how amazing this keyboard is. Now I just need to complete my gaming rig to justify having such a brilliant keyboard.
Great keyboard
I was searching the keyboard market for a while and I stumbled across this, the compact k65 is the perfect keyboard for me because:
-it hasn’t got a number pad which allows you to have the keyboard close to your mouse which I think feels more natural and it comfy
-cherry mx reds are a really nice input to the keyboard allowing the nice feel you would expect when buying your first mechanical
-the aluminium finish is a really feature as it looks and feels very robust
-no wrist support but it surprisingly gives a good position to use the keyboard with your fingers
To be honest, it did take about a day to get used to but that is a usual trait when buying mechanical keyboards
I rated a 5 star as it was everything I was expecting which is cool
One thing though. The cable at the back is hard to put into the slot because it’s trying to be concealing but other than that the keyboard acts like a charm!
This is a real nice mechanical keyboard
My first Mechanical Keyboard, NEVER GOING BACK TO MEMBRANE!
This is a real nice mechanical keyboard, quite solid, got a good weight to it too 🙂
The picture was of the American layout but I was hoping for a UK layout and lucky enough I got a received a UK layout 😀
I only use 10-key-less keyboards ‘cos 10-key-less is the best layout for a keyboard all keyboards should be like that, it’s often hard to find mechanical 10-key-less keyboards, and this keyboard was just right 🙂
Only 2 cons I can think of:
1. no-matter what BIOS setting I set it to, the Caps-Lock and Scroll Lock lights do not work :/ doesn’t really impede the functionality though, I use a special script to disable Caps Lock and Scroll Lock anyway ‘cos I find those keys useless and annoying if anything.
2. the brushed metal finish looks cool, but all those grainy grooves attract sticky dirt/food/crumbs like a mo-fo., hard to wipe off.
Is it worth the 65 price?, f*** yeah it’s worth it!, go buy it! ..NOW!
5.0 out of 5 stars Borders on lifechanging
Rarely does a daytime hour go by without me touching a keyboard. And if you have to touch a keyboard that much, you really want it to be one like this. In fact, take care: getting used to a good mechanical keyboard (and it does take a bit of getting used to) may make it hard to use any other. I have a (poor) standard keyboard at work, and typing on it now feels like a real chore. I love this keyboard. I don’t know what else to say. I use it’s big brother (K90) for my gaming PC and this one for home working at a desk with limited space. I have a wireless number pad for the odd occasions when I’m working with a lot of numbers.
I miss the analogue volume wheel from the K90, but can’t find fault apart from that. Thoroughly recommended!
K65 red mx 10 key less format keyboard
I owned multiple mechanical keyboards before (Qpads, Das, Stellseries and Razers) and this is my first Corsair.
This keyboard is great to travel with and is light and small. It’s not only small before there is no num pad, all the keys are very tightly spaced as well.
The good things:
– Build Quality is one the best I know of, on par with Qpad at the very top.
– Good rigidity
– Bios switch
– detachable braided USB cable
– Aluminum chassis.
The things not so great:
– Keycaps, the only thing that could be better quality wise
– Grey keys, no replacement or key cap remover
– Very tight spacing.
– a bit light / need bigger rubber feets
– no n key rollover over USB, no PS2 connection.
I highly recommend this mechanical keyboard, it’s the best compact one on the market I know of.
You probably get most of the tech info on Corsair’s website or google already , so i just gonna say how i feel about this TKL keyboard :
– Keys are raised as shown in pics , so it’s kinda wierd at first, but getting used to it.
– Ten Key Less layout so just like a laptop keyboard , quite compact and handy
– the K65 is supprisingly light for a mechanical keyboard , so you can bring it around without a fuss + detachable cable
– WASD and arrow keys is grey, not black, and there is no alt to change, but not a big deal to me
– Coming from the Razer Blackwidow ( my old keyboard), the K65 makes less noise thanks to the red switch => less pissed room mates
Overall, great for gaming and casual user. It is small so can be tucked away easily if you need some space on the desk. Quality sure is a high standard for Corsair , you can feel it when touch it.
Great service from amazon and lighting fast delivery from Royal Mail. Feel free to ask me anything. I also add a pic to help u compare the size of this keyboard. Cheers !