At first we would like to thank CORSAIR for offering us their K57 RGB WIRELESS Gaming Keyboard for testing and reviewing.

 

About Corsair:

"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."

Product Features:

 

Light it up

 

Light it up anywhere with CAPELLIX LEDs, shining brighter and consuming far less power than conventional RGB LEDs – enabling wireless play with full RGB lighting for up to 35 hours (and up to 175 hours without lighting). Choose from 18 different lighting effects wirelessly or plug in for total control of each individually lit key.

 

Three modes of connection

 

1)Ultra-fast, sub-1ms SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS enables you to play to your full potential without the drag of a wire.

 

2)Convenient low-latency Bluetooth.

 

3)Stay in the game. Plug in for wired mode to keep playing while charging.

 

Intelligent Control. Unlimited Possibilities.

 

CORSAIR iCUE software enables vivid dynamic lighting control, sophisticated macro programming and full-system lighting synchronization across compatible CORSAIR peripherals, coolers, fans and more.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

Lately we have seen plenty of mechanical keyboards from CORSAIR, the exception being the K83 Wireless Entertainment keyboard that also featured an interesting trackpad for use with media centers. A new technology was introduced along with their latest wireless mice (SLIPSTREAM), but also the CAPELLIX LEDs along with the DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB memory modules.

 

The K57 RGB Wireless keyboard is taking the rubber dome route, but also incorporates the two technologies we have previously mentioned. This particular model does also add a separate column of keys on the left, to aid with macro programming.

 

The K57 RGB Wireless keyboard is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, which features the usual CORSAIR box art; on the top cover we will also learn that the product is fully supported by the iCUE customization software:

 

 

 

On the side of the box, we will be informed of the minimum system requirements:

 

 

 

For this keyboard, CORSAIR has picked up the “Play Through Whatever” saying, practically informing the user that K57 RGB Wireless is recommended to be used by casual gamers no matter the genre:

 

 

 

More product info is available on the back, along with a list of inside contents:

 

 

 

After unsealing the box and lifting the top cover, we will get to see the main product, fully covered in a transparent plastic bag:

 

 

 

Under it, we will get to see the rest of the bundle:

 

 

 

We have the documentation, a wrist rest but also the USB cable used for charging and data transfer (wired mode usage, firmware upgrades):

 

 

 

The documentation is composed of the small user manual, a leaflet with Safety and Compliance information, but also a Warranty Guide:

 

 

 

As seen in the manual, most of the keyboard functions can be accessed and programmed without using the iCUE software; here we can include navigating though the lighting mode presets, customization of the lighting modes (speed, duration, direction), but also macro programming. Depending on the lighting mode, the battery life will also count from 8 hours with the LEDs on maximum brightness up to an impressive 175 hours when the lighting is turned off completely:

 

 

 

The included wrist rest is like the one we are getting with higher-end keyboards from CORSAIR and features the same rubberized texture and pattern:

 

 

 

 

On the back side of the wrist rest we will be able to spot multiple rubber feet, but also the plastic mounting claws:

 

 

 

 

 

The included 1.8m cable should be long enough for most uses, but does not feature any braiding:

 

 

 

The USB connectors do feature the updated design:

 

 

 

 

On the first glance, the keyboard does feature a similar design to its higher priced counterparts from the same series, the exception being the top area made of shiny black plastic (which is a real fingerprint magnet). As we have seen with the Strafe models, the top layer is made of textured plastic and not brushed aluminum:

 

 

 

The logo sits nicely in the middle, but it is not RGB enabled:

 

 

 

Moving on to the right, we’ve got the Macro Record button, the LED Brightness mode selector but also the Windows Lock key:

 

 

 

Next, we’ve got four LED indicators:

 

-battery and wireless status

-NumLock status

-CapsLock status

-Windows Lock key and Macro Record status

 

 

 

In the top right corner, we no longer have a volume wheel, but separate -/+ buttons; these are accompanied by a Mute button:

 

 

 

The multimedia keys are also separate, which is better than having these on the function keys:

 

 

 

Having extra programmable buttons is handy, for both gaming and productivity:

 

 

 

The Wireless/Bluetooth1/Bluetooth2 interface keys are present on F5-F6-F7; we can switch between three connected devices with ease:

 

 

 

As we have seen with most keyboards, the top layer is a bit angled and by looking at the keycaps you could mistake this model with a mechanical keyboard:

 

 

 

In the front, the keyboard does feature an on-off switch, but also the USB port:

 

 

 

A special compartment is dedicated for storing the WiFi dongle with SLIPSTREAM technology:

 

 

 

The bottom area of the keyboard does feature a central sticker, but also the usual rubber feet of different sizes:

 

 

 

 

 

The kickstands do not have rubber tips on this model:

 

 

 

We can also clearly see the mounting areas for the wrist rest:

 

 

 

The wrist rest installation only takes seconds:

 

 

 

The provided WiFi dongle is the same format as we have seen with other mice featuring SLIPSTREAM technology:

 

 

 

 

The K57 RGB Wireless keyboard was detected by iCUE unified software right away and did also display the current operation mode:

 

 

 

We can configure different options, as shown on the left side menus:

 

 

 

As we have seen with other models, we can easily assign other functions to the keys:

 

 

 

Macro

Text

Media

Launch Application

Timer

Disable

People Switching

 

Remap A-Z Keys

Remap Num & Symbol Keys

Remap Function Keys

Remap Enhanced Keys

Remap Numeric Keypad

Remap Modifiers and Lock Keys

Remap Language Keys

Remap Mouse Button

Remap Keystroke

 

The Lighting Effects area proposes a selection from multiple presets, simplified from the ones we have seen along with the CORSAIR mechanical keyboards:

 

 

 

Spiral Rainbow

Rainbow Wave

Color Shift

Color Pulse

Color Wave

Visor

Rain

Type Lighting

Static Color

 

We do also have some miscellaneous options we can work with in the Performance tab:

 

 

 

Finally, we have the Settings are, where we can check the battery status, adjust the dongle polling rate, LED brightness, check the firmware versions and so on:

 

 

 

We have tested the keyboard in different games such as Control, Need for Speed: Payback, Metro: Exodus and Hitman 2: thanks to the SLIPSTREAM wireless technology, we did not feel any lag at all when using it, which proves that this tech is well applicable with gaming keyboards. This product was thought as a mainstream offering, judging by the inclusion of the rubber domes, but comes with the latest CAPELLIX LEDs which offer more efficiency in terms of battery life.

 

To make things even simpler, we can perform quite a bit of configuration right within the keyboard itself, without the need of iCUE. The keyboard can deliver impressive battery life if we do turn the lighting completely off and if we need to use it for longer time periods, without the possibility of recharge. If you are using it in wired mode, then the lighting can be used at maximum brightness without worries.

 

As we have been used in the past with CORSAIR reviews, we have composed a list of pros and cons:

 

Pros:

 

-integrated SLIPSTREAM wireless technology that works as advertised

-inclusion of CAPELLIX LEDs for less power consumption

-keyboard can be customized without installing iCUE

-dedicated multimedia keys

-free wrist rest of good quality and easy removable

-RGB per-key lighting customization possible

 

Cons:

 

-typing experience is not as good as when using mechanical key switches

-the top area of the keyboard is a fingerprint magnet because of the use of shiny black plastic

-LED lighting customization is a bit limited versus the mechanical keyboard versions

-the kickstands do not feature rubber tips

 

CORSAIR K57 RGB WIRELESS Gaming Keyboard is Recommended for:

 

 

 

We would like to thank again to CORSAIR for making this review possible!