Know Your Type: Five Mechanical Gaming Keyboards Compared
Corsair Gaming K65 RGB Performance
Key Switches
Cherry MX Red key switches are known for delivering smooth key action. They're not loud like Blues nor do they offer a tactile bump, so the only real feedback is visual -- what you see on the screen. So, why do gamers like them?
For one, they're relatively quiet. Don't confuse that with silent. You can still hear someone pecking away at a keyboard with Cherry MX Red key switches when bottoming out, though it's not a particularly bothersome sound, not unless the curmudgeon you're irritating needs complete silence for some reason.
The second reason gamers like these switches is because they can double and triple tap slightly faster, whereas keys with tactile bumps can theoretically slow you down or fatigue your fingers faster. In reality, however, if your fingers are getting tired from gaming or typing, it's time to take a break and go exercise, no matter which keyboard you're using.
Software
Out of the three TKL keyboards in this roundup, Corsair Gaming's K65 RGB is by far the most robust in terms of overall features and customization options. The downloadable software is your portal into the many settings, giving you access to the backlight controls and its 16.8 million colors, lighting effects, macro recording, and more. You can also create profiles and import/export settings.
That's the good. The bad? It can be a bit dizzying navigating the menu. At a glance, it seems like a straightforward design, though even some simple tasks can at times be complicated to configure. Thankfully Corsair offers a detailed instruction manual you can download in PDF form.
Performance
As a gaming keyboard, the K65 RGB is one of the most well-rounded TKL planks around. Corsair Gaming took the opposite approach compared to Tt eSports, and instead of trimming features for a lower price tag, Corsair Gaming included as many as it could fit in a compact keyboard. It even managed to include a set of dedicated buttons above the Function keys.
We don't know if the Cherry MX Red key switches actually make us faster at reacting to in-game scenarios, but they do function as intended. It's also helpful being able to give certain keys or key clusters their own color. It's a convenience we can manage without, sure, but since it's there, we find ourselves taking advantage of it.
For daily typing, our complaint here is the same as every TKL keyboard -- no number pad. Not everyone will care, but if you work with a lot of digits during your typical work day, well, a TKL keyboard probably isn't for your.
Otherwise, this is a solidly built keyboard that looks great and is comfortable to boot.
