Mice & Keyboards by stefan @ 2017-04-12
Besides the Cherry MX RGB Speed switches, the K95 RGB Platinum keyboard does also feature 100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover. These two combined do make the product ideal for professional, competitive gamers that need the smallest reaction time when pressing multiple keys at once, while the detachable wrist rest adds to the overall comfort of the product.
At first we would like to thank Corsair for offering us the K95 RGB Platinum Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for testing and reviewing.
"Founded in 1994, Corsair has grown from pioneering the high-performance DRAM market to one of the world’s leading providers of enthusiast-grade PC components and peripherals. Our groundbreaking technology and innovation can be found in our high-performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, PC cases, PC and CPU cooling solutions, and solid-state storage devices. Under the Corsair Gaming brand, launched in 2014, we provide gaming keyboards, mice, headsets and mouse mats to eSports professionals and anybody who is passionate about competitive PC gaming.
Corsair hardware is regularly featured in showcase “dream systems,” and we have earned the adulation and respect of the press, professional gamers and overclockers, high-end system integrators, and PC enthusiasts worldwide by delivering leading-edge technology backed by renowned service and support.
Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships, and our products are available through leading distributors and retailers in over sixty countries worldwide."
COMPETE. DEFEAT. REPEAT.
K95 PLATINUM takes CORSAIR performance to another level. Unleash unreal performance with CHERRY MX mechanical switches. Store and playback complex macros and lighting effects to any key. Battle on a keyboard that can withstand a lifetime of use.
RGB MX Speed | Ultra Fast Actuation | 1.2mm
SET YOUR LAUNCH CODES
Assign complex in-game macros to any of the 6 dedicated macro keys. Textured so you can easily find them, contoured so you don’t accidentally press them.
CUSTOMIZATION AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT
K95 PLATINUM launches the CORSAIR best-in-class keyboards into another dimension of customization. Our iconic aircraft aluminum construction now features innovative LightEdge technology, so you can light up your mission control in spectacular full RGB.
TAKE YOUR SHOW ON THE ROAD
K95 PLATINUM is also great on the road. Take your CUE profiles on the go with 8MB on-board storage. This means more time getting your head in the game, and less time setting up.
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame
Built to withstand a lifetime of gaming. Lightweight and rugged durability, necessary for a keyboard that’s going to see a lot of action.
8MB on-board storage
Access up to three stored profiles on the go, completely independent of external software.
Dynamic multicolor backlighting with LightEdge
Deliver dynamic and vibrant lighting effects with virtually unlimited customization.
100% CHERRY MX RGB mechanical keyswitches
Unleash blistering speed with the durability of gold contact CHERRY MX mechanical keyswitches.
100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover
Ensure your commands and simultaneous keystrokes always register the way you intend.
Detachable, dual-sided soft-touch wrist rest
The comfort to enhance your gameplay during marathon gaming sessions. Choose between two different surfaces for optimal comfort.
In this article we will cover the latest high-end keyboard from Corsair, the K95 RGB Platinum, which does incorporate most technologies from the previous launches. The keyboard is available with either Cherry MX RGB Brown or Cherry MX RGB Speed switches (as our sample right here). The Cherry MX RGB Speed switches are oriented mostly towards gamers that do aim of having optimal response by having a decreased point of actuation, in this case only 1.2mm, with an operating force of 45g.
K95 RGB Platinum is shipped in a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, which does show a photo on the top layer with the product in operation:
On one of the box sides, we will get to see a list of product highlights:
Nearby, we will also spot the list of technical specifications:
Even more information regarding the product can be found on the bottom area of the enclosure:
After removing the top packaging layer, we will end up with an all-black cardboard box, which does feature a central embossed Corsair logo:
Inside, it does hold the main product, along with its accessories and necessary documentation:
One of the K95 RGB Platinum bundle components is the wrist rest, which is initially sealed inside a thin and transparent plastic layer:
The main feature of the wrist rest is the fact that it’s dual-sided so you can choose between two different textures:
The textured rubber component does have metallic inserts and is held to the dock with magnetic force:
We can swap the wrist rest on the opposite side in just a few seconds:
The bottom area of the wrist rest is made of plastic and comes with its own rubber feet:
Some openings can be observed on the sides, which help with the rubber component swap:
Moving on, we’ve got a yellow envelope which holds the documentation:
Besides the Warranty Guide, the “Warranty Against Defects” leaflet and the Quick Start Guide, we will also receive a key puller along with some extra keycaps for different gaming styles:
The User Manual does show the installation procedure in multiple languages, so we can get all things operational in no time!
The supplied keycap replacements do feature a different texture and are contoured for an easier identification:
The build of the keycap allows the LED lighting to shine through:
K95 RGB Platinum does feature a premium look, by incorporating an aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame and does measure 465mm x 171mm x 36mm:
In the top left area of the frame, we have dedicated buttons for changing the current user profile, for adjusting the current LED brightness level, but also for enabling/disabling the Windows lock key:
On the left side, the K95 RGB Platinum does incorporate no less than six dedicated macro keys, which do feature custom-shaped keycaps as the ones we have described before:
Near the USB cable, we will be also able to spot the Corsair logo, which does also feature RGB LED lighting:
Moving further to the right, we will be able to spot the activity LEDs for the NumLock, CapsLock and ScrollLock functions:
A very handy Volume adjustment wheel is also available, along with a Mute button:
Dedicated multimedia keys are also available underneath, which resemble the look of the ones found with cassette players or some magnetophones:
As we have seen with other Corsair keyboards we have reviewed in the past, the Spacebar does come with a custom texture, which offers a better grip:
The supplied key puller must be operated correctly in order not to scratch the keycaps or damage the switches in the process of cleaning up the keyboard:
Cherry MX Speed switches do feature a clear housing so the LED light can shine properly, but this time they also come with a distinctive silver central stem. Regarding their behavior, they have the same actuation force as the MX Red and Silent MX, but the only 1.2mm actuation distance makes them the fastest around. This modification imposes a bit of learning curve while using the new switches:
The replacement keycaps can be easily installed on the fly:
Here is also a look on the side of the unit, which does show the height of the top aluminum layer, in comparison with the plastic bottom chassis:
In the front, Corsair has installed a dynamic multi-color backlighting bar (LightEdge technology) which is fully-customizable thanks to the dedicated application:
A single USB port pass-through can be also found here:
On the bottom layer of the keyboard, we will get to see multiple cable routing channels, a central sticker, but also large rubber feet:
The wrist rest mounting areas can be also spotted here:
Speaking of the wrist rest, it can be installed by using the clip system:
The central Corsair sticker does display the product power rating, but also the internal code name along with the serial number:
The thick, braided USB cable does end up with two separate connectors:
After properly connecting the K95 RGB Platinum to our system, the LED light show will begin!
In order to use properly the advanced features of the K95 RGB Platinum, it is required to install the latest version of the Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) software. This specific software is unified, meaning that it is supporting a wide range of peripherals and is also able to modify its GUI per each model. :
For the K95 RGB Platinum, we have multiple menus available on the left side, can switch between the simple and advanced, modes, configure some application specific functions and more:
The Profile selector is also available on the left side, and allows us to work with the hardware save slots but also with the profiles saved in our computer:
The keys can be remapped from the Actions menu; after selecting the desired key, we will be able to access the secondary menu, which holds the type of actions that can be programmed:
Next, we have the Lighting Effects menu, from where we can select from the presets and customize further:
Quite nice color schemes can be created thanks to CUE’s flexibility:
The Performance tab does allow us to customize the function of the Windows Lock key, colors of the Lock/Brightness/Profile indicators but also reset the values to default:
Certain application-related options can be also accessed from the small gear button; here is also the area for performing firmware and software updates:
Besides the Cherry MX RGB Speed switches, the K95 RGB Platinum keyboard does also feature 100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover. These two combined do make the product ideal for professional, competitive gamers that need the smallest reaction time when pressing multiple keys at once, while the detachable wrist rest adds to the overall comfort of the product. The only issue with the wrist rest is that it picks up skin oils and dust rather quickly so you would have to clean its surfaces more frequently.
We did test the keyboard in games such as GTA V, Wild Eight, Black Desert Online, FlatOut 4 Total Insanity but also Heroes of The Storm: we were happy with the very rapid response time, but since we were initially coming from a regular Cherry MX Red keyboard, we felt the need for some extra time to get used to the new switches. At first, not many times we were in the situation when we were resting our fingers in the WASD area and the keyboard started typing because of the only 1.2mm actuation distance, but after some time accommodation period, these occurrences started to disappear little by little.
Corsair Utility Engine does provide advanced customization possibilities for the K95 RGB Platinum, not only for key remapping but also for the LED lighting system; if we do not have time to create custom LED shows by ourselves, we have a ton of presets to choose from via Corsair forum. The LightEdge bar now ads an extra layer of RGB customization, which reminds us of the MM800 RGB Polaris Mouse Pad LED system.
If you go to a store in order to purchase this model and want to go with a more familiar type of switch, Corsair also builds these with Cherry MX RGB Brown, which is great!
The only real con we could think about would be the selling price, which is about 200 Euros; at this price range, we are thinking more about the enthusiast market rather than mainstream.
We would like to thank again to Corsair for making this review possible!