Corsair K95 RGB Platinum Keyboard Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

Corsair has a history of impressing us with its gaming keyboards. The new flagship, the K95 RGB Platinum, features per-key RGB backlighting, a new LightEdge LED bar at the top of the keyboard, as well as an aluminium body and dedicated media keys. There are actually so many features I could not possibly list them all in this introductory paragraph – so let's dive right into the review!

On paper, the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is a very impressive keyboard and you can bet I was looking forward to get my hands on it for this review. Read on for a complete look at all the new features, the software and the day-to-day experience of using the new flagship from Corsair.

Features

• Aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame, built to withstand a lifetime of gaming
• 8MB profile storage with hardware macro and lighting playback allow access to up to three stored profiles on the go, independent of external software
• Per-key RGB backlighting and 19-zone LightEdge delivers dynamic and vibrant lighting effects with virtually unlimited customization
• 100% CHERRY MX Speed RGB mechanical key switches with ultra-fast 1.2mm actuation
• 6 programmable G-keys for in-game macros
• USB Pass-through port provides convenient access to an additional USB port for your mouse or headset
• Detachable, dual-sided, soft-touch wrist rest provides two different surfaces for optimal comfort
• Dedicated multimedia and volume controls to adjust your audio without interrupting your game
• 100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover ensures your commands and simultaneous keystrokes always register the way you intended
• CUE support enables sophisticated macro programming and dynamic, multicolour lighting effects
• Windows Key Lock mode ensures interruption-free gaming
• Textured and contoured FPS/MOBA keycap sets provide maximum grip and enhanced feel

Specification

• Key Switches: Cherry MX Speed RGB, mechanical, 45g actuation force, 1.2mm actuation distance, rated at 50M operations, gold cross-point contacts
• Backlight: Individually lit and per key programmable
• LED Colour: RGB
• USB Pass-through: Yes
• Report Rate: Up to 1ms
• Matrix: 100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover on USB
• On-Board Profiles: Yes, Three
• Media keys: Six dedicated multimedia keys, incl. Volume Up/Down roller
• Windows Lock key: Yes
• Wrist rest: Full length, detachable, dual-sided with soft touch finish
• CUE (Software): Enabled
• Cable: Braided Fibre
• Dimensions: (w/out wrist rest) 465(L) x 171(W) x 36(H) mm / 18.3”(L) x 6.7”(W) x 1.40”(H)

The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum ships in a stylish and colourful box – Corsair are clearly keen to emphasise the RGB capabilities of the keyboard.

Inside, there is another box which holds the keyboard and the accessories.

Speaking of accessories, the K95 RGB Platinum comes with two manuals – one quick-start guide and one with warranty information – as well as 8 replacement key caps and a key-puller.

Also included in the box – but separate from the keyboard itself – is a detachable, full-length wrist rest. This alone is a good feature to have (though we would definitely expect it for £194.99) but this is not just any ordinary wrist rest.

As you can see in the image above, the main body of the wrist rest itself is actually removable.

This is a very neat feature as it allows the rest to be double-sided – and as you can see above, one side is more rough and textured, while the other side is dimpled and smooth. This just adds some extra flexibility – if you prefer a rougher wrist rest, that's fine, but if you prefer a smooth rest that is also catered for. It is good to see Corsair thinking outside the box with this, even if it is just a wrist rest.

Moving on to the keyboard itself. It is a full-sized board with about an inch of bezel at the top, while there is a standard numpad on the right-hand side.

Before diving in for a closer look, I will just point out that Corsair have continued to make their top-end keyboards from aircraft-grade, brushed aluminium (the image above and on the right demonstrates this). I am a big fan of these metallic frames – I have already seen the HyperX Alloy FPS and the ASUS ROG Claymore which have steel and aluminium frames, respectively. It is just something which adds a touch of class, while also ensuring that your keyboard is very sturdy and durable.

Starting at the top of the keyboard, on the left-hand side we find 3 buttons (pictured above, left). From left-to-right, these have the following functions assigned to them: change user profile, adjust brightness level, enable/disable Windows-lock key.

Over in the top-right corner there are dedicated multimedia keys – something which is always good to see, as having these share space with the Fn keys is just an extra faff. The metallic-looking wheel is a volume slider.

At the very front of keyboard, next to the cable, is a USB 2.0 pass-through port. This has been included after actually being removed from the previous K95 RGB model – this is a good feature to have back again as it can be useful for plugging in a mouse or headset.

Also visible in both photos above is a thin, light-grey strip which runs along the entire top edge of the keyboard. This is actually an LED strip which Corsair have called LightEdge. It is also split into 19 dedicated zones, all individually-controlled via the CUE software. We look at the lighting and software in more detail on the next page.

On the left-hand side of the keyboard are 6 macro or G-keys. This is another change from the K95 RGB Platinum's predecessor – the original K95 RGB featured 3 rows of G-keys, totalling 18 in total. I think reducing this number to 6 is smart – it makes the keyboard slightly more compact, while I also think that only serious MOBA gamers would actually use all 18 macro keys anyway. These keys are also textured and contoured to ensure you do not accidentally press one during a gaming session.

Removing the key caps reveals the Cherry MX Speed switches below. These are a relatively-new switch type and are designed to offer ultimate gaming performance by having a reduced actuation distance of just 1.2mm. By comparison, MX Red switches have an actuation distance of 2mm, so in theory at least, MX Speed switches should be 40% faster. The switches are also MX RGB switches – meaning the switch-housing is clear to better allow the LED to shine through and spread out.

Turning the keyboard over, the features keep coming! The ‘x' shape visible on the underside of the keyboard is a special cable-management solution implemented by Corsair. It is designed to allow you to clip a cable in-place underneath the keyboard, thereby preventing it from getting in the way while you are gaming – another great idea which shows Corsair are continuing to innovate.

Lastly, the braided cable is pretty thick as it splits out into two USB connectors – one for the USB 2.0 pass-through port and another for the keyboard itself.To test the K95 RGB Platinum, I used it as my daily driver for over a week. This involved me playing games, editing photos and using the keyboard for general office tasks as well.

To start things off, let's take a look at the included software suite. All of Corsair's peripherals use the Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) software and this is what I used with the K95 RGB Platinum.

The first screen that greets you is a simple home page. The K95 RGB Platinum is detected by the software and a thumbnail of the keyboard appears at the top of the screen to let you know it has been registered.

By clicking the small settings button at the top of the screen, users can control the polling rate, as well as check for software and firmware updates.

The keyboard-specific settings are divided into 3 tabs, visible on the left-hand side of the page. The first is the ‘actions' tab which lets you record macros and assign them to your desired key.

The next tab gives you control over the RGB lighting. The K95 RGB Platinum is very sophisticated in this regard, as there is simply so much control given to end-users. You can choose from one of several preset modes (including rainbow, wave, ripple, static etc) or even create your own effect.

The latter is a particularly neat option – I used it to stack effects on-top of each other which looks very funky. If you want some extra effects but do not want to create them yourself, Corsair also has a feature called ‘RGB share' which lets users share their own custom lighting effects. You can explore some of those over HERE.

The LightEdge LED strip at the top of the keyboard can also be configured independently of the keyboard itself, and it actually split into 19 separate zones – allowing you complete control over every aspect of the lighting.

It is also worth mentioning that the K95 RGB Platinum features 8MB of internal memory – meaning you can save 3 profiles directly to the keyboard and use them anywhere without the need for the CUE software. This is another feature I love to see as it is just so user-friendly – you can use the software for a one-time setup and never use it again which I think is great.

The last software tab is called ‘performance'. This lets you configure what the Windows-lock buttons does – it can also disable Alt+Tab and Alt+F4, for example – as well as change the LED colour used by the profile-switch button.

All-in-all, the software is great success. There is control over the essentials – like polling rate and macros – but the lighting control is where the software truly excels due to its incredible granularity.

Moving on to the physical testing of the keyboard.

I will start by saying I used the detachable wrist rest the entire time I used the K95 RGB Platinum – it is a great inclusion with any keyboard. What makes it even better is the reversible soft-touch padding – I used it on the side with the smooth surface, but if you prefer a rougher texture then you are in-luck, too.

The Cherry MX Speed Switches are also noticeably different to MX Reds, too, thanks to the lesser actuation distance – I definitely picked up on the fact that there is a bit less key travel. I can't say it made a big difference to my gaming performance, but I am not the most competitive gamer out there anyway. If you taking your gaming seriously, though, this could be a very useful feature for you.

Typing is slightly less satisfying with the Speed switches though, as I prefer MX Blues due to the tactile feedback and the audible click. However, that is just my personal preference – and, in any case, the K95 RGB Platinum is available with MX Brown switches too, so that option has the serious typists covered.

It may also be a feature many of you use already, but I have never actually used a keyboard with a volume wheel. After a day or two of reminding myself that it was there just for the volume (I am used to media keys that share space with the Fn keys) it quickly became second nature to use, and it is just so practical and handy. It makes me wonder how I ever managed without one.

When it comes to gaming, it is good to have N-key roll-over (NKRO) as well as a Windows-lock key. In-fact, the Windows-lock key can also be configured to disable commands such as Alt+Tab and Alt+F4, too, which gives you even more peace-of-mind about being taken out of your game at crucial moments. The 6 G-keys are also useful for gaming – while I do not normally use macros as I mostly play FPS games, it is definitely an important feature for many. The G-keys are also textured so if you accidentally reach for one, you should be able to tell it is a G-key and prevent yourself from pressing it.All-in-all, the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is another great keyboard from Corsair.

It keeps the familiar, brushed aluminium look of the K70 or K95 RGB (non-Platinum) while enhancing the design in other areas. For example, there is a reversible wrist rest included which allows you to choose if you want the rest to feel smooth or more textured.

Dedicated media keys are also mainstays of Corsair's keyboard line-up, while the addition of a USB 2.0 pass-through port is great for those who want to use it to plug in a headset or mouse.

The RGB lighting does steal the show, though. CUE gives incredible control over how the lights are configured, while the LightEdge LED strip at the top of the keyboard looks very slick when cycling through the RGB spectrum, for example. For those who do not like the ‘RGB-everything' trend I would say this, too – you can turn the LEDs off!

Elsewhere the number of macro keys has been reduced from 18 on the K95 RGB to just 6 on this Platinum model. This definitely a smart move as it saves space – and who really uses 18 macro keys anyway?

Lastly, the use of Cherry MX Speed switches is also a gamer-friendly feature as the lesser actuation distance should help you be up to 40% faster in-game. That being said, if you are a casual gamer like me, your gaming performance is unlikely to be transformed by these switches alone.

Overall, then, the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is a great success. It has a lot of new features, yet it retains the core of what has made Corsair keyboards so successful in the past.

As it is the new flagship model from Corsair, it does cost a fair bit at £194.99. I have always said, though, that if you are looking for the best-of-the-best then you have to be prepared to pay, so I think the feature-set justifies the price. The RGB lighting alone goes a long way to making it worthwhile.

You can pick one up for £194.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Pros

• Lovely aluminium body.
• Reduced number of macro keys saves space.
• USB 2.0 pass-through port.
• RGB lighting is excellent, especially with the new LightEdge feature.
• Dedicated media keys with a volume wheel.
• MX Speed switches are noticeably quicker than Reds.
• Reversible wrist rest.

Cons

• It is a lot of money.

KitGuru says: While it may not be for everyone due to its high price, the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is seriously good and packed with tons of features.

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