Custom PC - UK (2020-06)

T

heK55RGBisoneofthecheapest
keyboardsinthistest,whichmakes
itsfeaturesetallthemore
impressive.Despiteitspriceofjust£40,this
istheonlykeyboardherewithdedicated
macrokeys,andit alsohasbuttonsfor
macrorecording– tochangethelighting
brightnessanddisabletheWindowskeys–
alongsideseparatemediabuttons.
Thesixmacrokeysareinstalledina
columnontheleft-handside,withtheother
buttonsinthetop-rightcorner.
Themacrokeysandmediabuttons
bolstertheCorsair’smainbuttons,which
areexcellent.They’remembraneunits
thatoffermoreweightanda morereliable
typingactionthanmostoftheother
keyboardsinthisgroup,andtheypairtheir
solidactionwitha noticeabletactilebump
andimpressivelyquietoperation.

CORSAIR GAMING

K55RGB/£40incVAT

SUPPLIER game.co.uk

t

h

sh

ce

e ofthebetter

membranedesignsinthisgroup– these

buttonsarecertainly faster and more

satisfying than most. They’re easily good

enough for mainstream gaming and esports,

and they bounce back rapidly without

becoming too spongy.

However, the affordable K55 still can’t match

the clinical speed of the HyperX mechanical

unit, and membrane devices like the Razer

are lighter and softer. Both the Corsair and

Razer are easily better than the bouncy and

unsatisfying MSI, which has a similar price.

The Corsair has a good range of features

elsewhere, even if there are compromises

throughout. The RGB LED lighting is only

available in three zones, but it’s more solid

and consistent than the lighting on the Razer.

The installation of the lighting beneath the

translucent membrane base layer also adds

an attractive, ethereal glow to the K55.

Customisation and custom effects are

available in the Corsair iCUE app, which is

a boon – it’s far easier to use that tool than

the clumsy and restrictive shortcuts on the

keyboard itself.

The Corsair only has eight-key rollover,

which is a low figure. Most people won’t be

impacted by this, but bear it in mind if you play

complex or competitive games where you

push lots of buttons simultaneously.

The Corsair’s font could be an issue, too –

it’s very small on many of the supplementary

keys, which makes them tricky to read.

d,with

e,rubberisedwristrestand

smartplasticthroughout,butbuildqualityis

middling.Themediakeysfeela littleflimsy,

andthey’renotbacklit,andit’stooeasytoflex

the plastic chassis back and forth. Units like

the HyperX Alloy FPS Pro, which bolster their

plastic designs with metal, are stronger.

The glossy band of plastic above the

keyboard looks slightly incongruous, too,

and it’s a fingerprint magnet.

Conclusion

The Corsair is an excellent membrane

option. It has a weighty, consistent, and fast

typing action that isn’t far away from the

best mechanical units – you’ll only want to

head to a keyboard like the Razer if you want

a lighter, softer feel.

Elsewhere, the Corsair has more features

than its rivals and good software, even if its

rollover and build quality isn’t particularly good.

Still, those are acceptable compromises

at this price. The Corsair may be one of the

cheapest keyboards in the Labs, but it’s one

of the best too.

VERDICT

Loads of features and great typing make

this a tempting bargain.

BLACKBEARD

• 
  

  Well-balanced
  typing action

  
  


• 
  

  Decent RGB LEDs

  
  


• 
  

  Loads of extra features

  
  

JACK SPARROW

• Mediocre build quality


• Some font issues


• Middling rollover figure

SPEC

Connection Wired, USB

Cable 1.8m, unbraided

Material Plastic

Switch type Membrane

Backlighting 3-zone RGB

Extras Wrist rest, macro keys, media keys

DESIGN

32 / 40

FEATURES

32 / 35

OVERALLSCORE

87 %

VALUE

23 / 25

TheK55’skeysarefast,firmand

tactile,andthey’recomfortable:the buttons

vea soft-touchfinishanda concave

hapethatdoesa greatjob of securing and

ringyourfingers.

e Corsairhas eofth

mbra

TheCorsairlooks od

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