Keyboard, Mecahnical, K70, K95, Corsair

[bobowyc]

Alright, as of now, I am deciding on two keyboards, both are the same brand, Corsair, but which shouold I get? According to the website of Corsair, it says that the K70 is meant for FPS gaming while the K95 is meant for MMO and RTS, which, I play all three types of games, MMO, FPS and RTS. I like the design of the K95, but the K70 looks more solid but bulky. Also, I prefer a full sized keyboard. So please guys, help me weigh the pros and cons of both the keyboards as the price different in my country is around RM50-60, which is pretty little or no difference to me. lol. Anyway, thanks for the replies in advance! 😀

 

[iceclock]

whats rm adn whats website u will be ordering from

 

[Guest]

Here's roughly the jist of it:


Corsair K70 - This is the keyboard best loved by many people. It has a much wider choice in colours, switch types and LED colouring. Pretty much every keyboard in the Corsair mechanical line features the same heavy aluminium design, both the K70 & K95 are no exceptions.

Corsair K95 - This is basically a K70 with an extended bit on the left side for Macro's. You'll have to decide if it's worth the extra desk space. Macro's allow you to program them to do an action when you hit it. This is why it's marketed as an MMO/RPG keyboard, because you can use them in the crucial moments to switch weapon or something.
It's basically a K70 with that extension. There are two important differences though -

1. Only white LED lighting (There is an RGB version coming very soon, but it's likely to be expensive).

2. Only Cherry MX Red key switches. I really like my K65, but I do so wish I spent a bit more and went for a tactile key switch. The red is linear (Supposedly better for gaming).

Other than that, aside from price, they're all but identical. If I was making the same choice my brain would be telling me to get the K70, but my ego would be saying "Yooo, dat K95 will look l33t on ur desk brah". Due to its larger-than-most design.

Word of note btw, there are multiple stories of the LEDs on both versions failing, supposedly put down to static, due to the all-metal frame. This is going to be adressed in the RGB line coming out soon due to the way they're placing the LEDs inside the key switch itself rather than right next to it. Like I said though, they're not out yet - and they're likely to be expensive.

 

[bobowyc]

whats rm adn whats website u will be ordering from

FYI, RM is the currency in my country, Malaysia. I will not be ordering from any website, as the retailer here do sell Corsair Vengeance K70 and the K95.

 

[bobowyc]

Here's roughly the jist of it:


Corsair K70 - This is the keyboard best loved by many people. It has a much wider choice in colours, switch types and LED colouring. Pretty much every keyboard in the Corsair mechanical line features the same heavy aluminium design, both the K70 & K95 are no exceptions.

Corsair K95 - This is basically a K70 with an extended bit on the left side for Macro's. You'll have to decide if it's worth the extra desk space. Macro's allow you to program them to do an action when you hit it. This is why it's marketed as an MMO/RPG keyboard, because you can use them in the crucial moments to switch weapon or something.
It's basically a K70 with that extension. There are two important differences though -

1. Only white LED lighting (There is an RGB version coming very soon, but it's likely to be expensive).

2. Only Cherry MX Red key switches. I really like my K65, but I do so wish I spent a bit more and went for a tactile key switch. The red is linear (Supposedly better for gaming).

Other than that, aside from price, they're all but identical. If I was making the same choice my brain would be telling me to get the K70, but my ego would be saying "Yooo, dat K95 will look l33t on ur desk brah". Due to its larger-than-most design.

Word of note btw, there are multiple stories of the LEDs on both versions failing, supposedly put down to static, due to the all-metal frame. This is going to be adressed in the RGB line coming out soon due to the way they're placing the LEDs inside the key switch itself rather than right next to it. Like I said though, they're not out yet - and they're likely to be expensive.

Ah, i might get the K70 then. But just a curious question, what is the difference between the MX swtiches? Say like MX Blue, Red and Brown? Is it just the clicking sound which is different? And also the difference between a tactile and linear key switches? Sorry as this is my first time purchasing a mechanical keyoard. :\

 

[Guest]

No worries. Different key switches are designed to fit different typing styles. Everyone has a preference.

The Reds are linear switches. This means that there is no bump or sound, they just go straight down and straight up with nothing in between. Supposedly these are better for gaming since they allow for extremely quick movement.

The Blues and Browns are tactile switches, this means that there's a small bump that you can feel around mid-way before bottoming out the key, they both share similarities on this front, the difference is that the Blues have a very noticeable 'click' sound when you reach that point. The click is fairly loud which is why some people complain about the noise.
The Browns are essentially the solution, by offering the same 'tactile bump' without the audible click. This has made them quite popular.

There are other switch types out there. For example, the Greens and Blacks, but for the most part they're all just combinations of the above, offering different weights (For people that are heavy typer's). The Blacks for example require nearly double the pressing power of a Red switch. They're a bit more rare though.

If you Google each different switch type, you should come up with a detailed animation of what goes on inside the key as you press to give you an idea of why it feels the way it does.

Of course there are also non-Cherry key switches about, these have become quite popular by some brands recently, presumably because they're cheaper to manufacture. Razer are now offering a few keyboards with their take on mechanical, using non-Cherry branded Green and Orange - Apparently found out to be manufactured in China. This makes the market a little bit more confusing.
Cherry is the German manufacturer btw.

 

[iceclock]

nice explanation sir

 

[bobowyc]

Ah.. I just found out, that the current K70 is only available in Red and Blue backlight. I will wait for the K70 RGB end of this month ( I think..?). lol. 😛

@Distello, thank you for your explanation. Now I understand much better on the cherry switches. And i just got to know about the Razer Green and Orange keys. lol. Youtube really helps. haha.

Btw, any ideas on how much would the K70 RGB cost? If its in between USD150-USD180 i will consider getting it. More than that I will get the normal K70. lol. 😛