Custom PC - UK (2021-05)

LABS TEST / MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS

W

e first looked at the Corsair K100 in

a standalone review back in Issue

208, where we were impressed by

its combination of premium features and

impressive performance. Stacked directly up

against the very best competitors, though,

does it still impress?

Perhaps most obviously, this keyboard

has quite a few extras that put it above many

of the others on test. Down the left edge

of the keyboard is a column of six extra

gaming keys, which are ideally positioned

for firing off macros and other extra game

commands. Then, in the top left corner, there’s

a dedicated button and dial that works in

conjunction with Corsair’s iCUE software to

provide extra features, such as backlighting

brightness control, skipping music tracks and

switching apps.

In this location there are also buttons for

switching profiles and locking the Windows

keys. In the top right, there’s a handy volume

wheel and mute button, while at the back is

a shiny black plastic section that hides the

indicator lights for the Windows key, Scroll,

Caps and Num lock buttons. At the back of the

keyboard is a USB pass-through, although it’s

only USB 2.

CORSAIR K100

RGB /£229 inc VAT

SUPPLIER scan.co.uk

All told, it’s quite a useful selection, although

the quality of the buttons along the top edge

is a bit disappointing – they’re akin to mouse

buttons, with a very shallow clicky feel that

feels slightly out of place against all the heavy-

duty mechanical keyboard switches.

The gaming keys on the edge also have

pros and cons. They’re undeniably useful as

extra keys, but they’re not really close enough

to be practical to hit mid-game while still

trying to keep your hand largely hovered over

the WASD zone. I also found that, even after

prolonged use, I’d occasionally place my left

hand too far to the left, as my little finger would

head for the gaming keys rather than the left

Ctrl key, which is the usual reference point for

placing my hand during gaming.

Elsewhere, this is a stylish and well-built

keyboard, with its brushed aluminium top

giving it a premium feel, although it can’t quite

match the look of previous Corsair keyboards

with their even thicker slab of aluminium, even

if the new design has a much smoother finish.

You also get masses of RGB lighting, with all

the keys backlit, in addition to a 44-zone strip

of lighting around the rear and side edges of

the board.

For key switches, Corsair offers its own

OPX optical mechanical switches, which have

a very light and tight 45g actuation force and

1mm actuation point (3.2mm total travel), or

you can get Cherry MX Speed Silver switches

that are similarly fast (45g, 1.2mm, 3.4mm).

We tested the OPX switches and we found

them a touch too light at first – they’re rather

unforgiving of even the lightest accidental

touch, but they’re clearly very fast and ideal

for gaming. Plus, once we got the feel for the

keys, they proved very speedy in our typing

tests, though not meaningfully quicker than

other more tactile alternatives. Finishing

off the premium feel, the keycaps here are

doubleshot and use PBT plastic, so they

should last a lifetime.

Conclusion

This is a premium keyboard in all the ways

you’d expect, with a solid, attractive design,

RGB lighting and plenty of extra features.

But then you’d expect that for a non-custom

keyboard costing £230. At that price, it’s hard

to call this keyboard a bargain, but when

keyboards that still cost the better part of

£150 offer just a basic set of keys, this board

certainly doesn’t offer bad value either.

VERDICT

With its style, features and blistering typing

speed, this is a capable if pricey keyboard.

KEYLESS CAR

+ Good build quality

+ Stylish design

+ Loads of extra features

+ Very fast

optical switches

KEYED CAR

• Expensive


• Light switches
  are divisive

SPEC

Dimensions (mm) 471 x 165 x 40 (W x D x H)

Weight 1.35g

Format Extended – 111 keys

Connections USB

Switch type Corsair OPX or

Cherry MX Speed Silver

Switch life 50+ million keystrokes

Backlighting RGB

Extras USB 2 pass-through, 44-zone RGB lighting

strip, multimedia buttons, six gaming keys

DESIGN

22 / 25

PERFORMANCE

21 / 25

FEATURES

21 / 25

VALUE

18 / 25

OVERALL SCORE

82 %

All t ld it’ it f l l ti lth h KEYLESS CAR KEYED CAR