18.3.2018

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.

30.5.2019

Quite simply the best keyboard I've ever owned. I work off a Macbook Pro, and lately the 'e' key has jammed to the point where I need to slam it several times (hard) before it knows who's boss. Having to re-write every sentence three times got old fast, but writing code was especially tedious, where every character counts.Rather than suffer the downtime of a Mac repair (the keyboard issue is a known and unfortunately common problem), I decided to hook up an external keyboard and monitor and use the laptop more as a desktop. At first, I used an old wireless keyboard I had lying around from years back, that I bought in a kit with a mouse for about £20. The keys were flimsy and my typing accuracy left a lot to be desired.Apparently the test for a good keyboard is pressing the edge of the 'space bar' and if it only dips at the end you press, it's naff. This one was very much naff.Seeking a bit of nostalgia for the old days where keyboards sounded like keyboards, I decided to punt for a mechanical one, and settled on the K63 due to both the Corsair brand and the right balance of price. There's a ton of different models available and I wasn't totally sure what the difference was (I'm still not, to be honest.) So I went for something that wasn't totally the cheapest, but also wasn't an insanely high-end model intended for gaming. This keyboard would solely be used for bashing out heavy-duty code for 8-10+ hours a day, so I wanted something 'pro' that wouldn't light up all the colours of the rainbow or that I could play 'snake' on (apparently you can get ones that do!)In short, this keyboard is simply awesome. Every keystroke connects, and gives a deeply satisfying 'thud' and finger feedback. I can FLY through sentences like they're nothing, and when I look back at the screen, I'm amazed at the accuracy I've been able to achieve. Very rarely have I plugged in and a keyboard before and immediately felt right at home with it, but I did with this. Literally within 5 mins of opening the box, my productivity went up. No joke.I was also happy to find that the keyboard is WIRED. Call me eager, but I obviously didn't read the description, and based on YouTube reviews on keyboards I'd watched, I only saw the wireless K63 available. I wasn't looking forward to having to change batteries every day or two, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened the box to find it wired! Probably obvious to anyone that bothers to read the description, but for an eager skimmer like me it was a nice surprise.There are only two minor issues with this keyboard that aren't really issued at all, more like features:1. Keystrokes are LOUD. Unpacking it and using it in the living room on the first night was enough to cause a barney with my better half. Apparently it got in the way of her telly after a hard day of slaving away! That was quickly rectified by being 'moved on' to an outside garage to use as my office. Fine by me! Now I can type as loud as I want. Seriously though, if you're thinking of using this in an office or any type of shared space, make sure you either have a door separating you and other humans, or colleagues with less sensitive dispositions. It is a mechanical keyboard, after all.2. It's intended for use with Windows, so expect a Windows key. This might be obvious, but as a Mac user, the layout is ever so slightly different. Setting the Mac to 'British - PC' in System Preferences kind of worked. The Windows key is now a Mac Command key, but it and a couple of other keys are slightly out of place and don't map quite perfectly to the assigned keys. This hasn't gotten in the way of using the keyboard and can probably be tweaked further, but just a heads-up for Mac users.Overall, a pretty perfect keyboard. Oh yeah, I also wrote this review using it and (get me!) without looking down at the keys once. If I've made a bunch of spelling errors, you can blame me and my poor spelling. If I happen to have got the words mostly right, then consider that my best testimony. Great keyboard-- I'll make the £70 I spent on it back in productivity gains 100x over, I'm sure of it.

19.5.2015

Keyboards are difficult to review early on as only time will really tell how this holds up to continued heavy use. Regardless, my first impressions of this keyboard are very high. This is my first time using a linear key switch, having come from using blues and browns in the past and I have to say, I think I may actually prefer the linear switch despite this keyboard being used primarily for typing (for which blues are browns are more typically recommended).The build quality is great, if the keyboard is a little lighter that I might have guessed. The brushed metal top gives the board a sense of resilience that I haven't felt in other, strong, but ultimately still plastic boards.

7.4.2015

Best keyboard ever. Hands down.This is the first mechanical keyboard that I have ever owned and I have already taken a liking to it. Coming from a MacBook user which, of course, the sound from that laptop's keyboard is nonexistent, these are loud enough to annoy my parents when I use it. But that's not a big deal. The keyboard itself is a marvelous piece of kit for ~£70. The quality really rivals the high ends one (and yes I have had a look at those).This, as you should already know, is a Ten Key Less keyboard meaning it doesn't have the number pad which is a big plus for me. I put this directly on my MacBook unibody and it works wonders.

7.12.2019

This keyboard puts a lot of it's eggs into it's official Cherry MX Red switches and media keys and slim profile, which are great and all, but there are a few downsides that even budget keyboards have remedied. For example, the cables are not braided and could be susceptible to damage if constantly being rubbed against a harsh surface.It's also great to have the lighting, but the brightness options are redundant as there is no reason not to use the brightest option over the 2 lesser ones. Also, the lighting is red only, which is a big benefit if you have a red themed set up and want to save on having to buy a full colour keyboard, but it may stand out like an eyesore amongst a more diverse setup.The keys are ideal for gaming if you like red switches,

17.11.2019

Made even more perfect if you pair it with the Corsair lapboard that I also bought with it. I suspect that's a question a lot of people ask as I know I did. As already stated here, I just thought I'd cement that statement - this works flawlessly with the Corsair lapboard. The rear clips on the lapboard can be removed as the front clips where the writs-wrest would normally go are plenty strong enough to hold it in place. Failing that you could drill holes into the keyboard at the rear for the clips if you really wanted for that little bit of extra lateral support.As for the keyboard itself, it's a gaming keyboard by Corsair and so by default it's going to be great...depending on if you like Cherry Red switches or not.

16.1.2016

Although the K65 can be seen as the 'little brother' to Corsair's much loved K70, it is a very good product itself.Packaging:The K65 came in attractive, protective packaging that had little waste material. Included was the keyboard itself, the braided usb-to micro usb cable, and instruction manuals.Setup/First Impressions:The K65 was incredibly easy to set up, with little more than just plugging in the micro usb cable required to begin use. The brushed gunmetal of the K65 is very aesthetically pleasing, and looks high quality. The keys are Cherry MX Red switches, and provide the distinctive sound of mechanical keyboards whilst also being easy to type on. The WASD and arrow keys are grey coloured,

2.5.2014

It took three of these before I got one I was happy with. The first one developed a fault with the Fn key and had to go back, while the second one had been dropped in the factory, and had a ding in the metal corner. This third one works well, and has a nice action, courtesy of the Cherry red Mx switches. The media controls aren't mechanical, but I don't find that an issue, and I'm just glad they're there, so I don't have to faff to change the volume or mute it.A few of my keys hadn't been pushed down firmly onto their pegs, but other than that I have no complaints. There are no feet on the bottom of the keyboard to adjust your typing angle, but this suits me anyway,

27.5.2017

bought this keyboard on amazon now and it arrived in 2 hours which was awesomeThis is the first RGB board i've ever owned and i wanted something that didn't take up too much space and this fits the bill nicely. I read up on a few different boards and checked out some reviews as i do with most of my pc components.Build qualityThe build quality is great. it's solid and doesn't feel cheep. However it's not without its flaws (which there aren't many) I think the space bar still feels mushy compared to the rest of the keys. I guess it has to feel a little diferent to the other keys but it still feels bad compared to the rest of the keyboard.

1.9.2015

Wasn't sure about the odd size and missing number pad, but in the end it actually works out great and leaves your mouse hand much closer to the keyboard in what feels like a more natural, relaxed position. I love the coating on the space-bar and the mechanical switches are very fast to return to their home position. Full size keys loan themselves well to fast typing and unlike some other mechanical keyboards this doesn't have the 'click' (like cherry MX Blue/Brown switches do) but as the chassis of the keyboard is metal, you get a nice re assuring *clunk* sound when the keys are fully depressed - this is somewhat more desirable in my opinion as it's less of an abrasive noise than the mechanical

13.2.2015

I bought this keyboard to replace a membrane-style keyboard that I was using with my Windows computer and laptop.I decided to get a mechanical keyboard fairly soon after trying one for the first time. When trying a mechanical keyboard, I found it was much nicer to type on compared to other keyboards. Unfortunately, mechanical keyboards are expensive compared to membrane style keyboards, and I didn't really feel like spending more than £60 - £70 for a keyboard.I'm very impressed with this keyboard. The brushed aluminum material provides the keyboard with a very nice looking finish; the keyboard fits well with the rest of my peripherals. As well as looking for a new keyboard to fit well with the rest of my setup,

22.11.2017

Bought this keyboard to go with my new pc setup and being a bit of a gamer and a software developer I wanted a nice mechanical keyboard but not something that took up the entire desk.This keyboard is nice and compact as it's missing the numeric keypad, has a nice brushed metal faceplate on it that just makes it ooze quality. The keys aren't lit up which is a shame but they're really nice and responsive. It's got a couple of extra buttons on it to lock the windows key on the keyboard and control the volume level of you sound which is a nice touch.It's loud, but no where near as clacky as some mechanical keyboards I've heard - I've had this a while now and I did experience a stuck key issue

5.2.2016

Comfy and a quality item but it moves about on a wood desk so you need to sit it on a rubber mat,it weighs a ton but still slips if you mount it on a xxl mouse pad.I have bad hands and painful knuckles the position of the keys (angles) is far better then any other keyboard i have tried.I have always been put off mech keyboards by the price but this was a good investment.This version is the non-macro model, the macro version is double the price.I also own a cooler master cm storm which sweeps up more and the key position causes me pain.The only thing with it is the metal edges can scratch things,

13.9.2013

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 matesOverall, great for gaming and casual user.

13.5.2017

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,

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