Corsair Gaming K95 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Cherry MX Red Switches (CH-9000082-NA)

Pros: • Seemingly unlimited individual key color choices • Solid build with quality aluminum bezel • Palm rest that is actually more than an afterthought • Ease of setting color to the keys • Drag and cover feature to color multiple keys at once • Quality audio controls • Sturdy braided dual USB cable for data/power • Software is easy enough to dive into...

Cons: • …but pretty complex to master • Need to download the software from Corsair’s site to gain access to the K95’s full feature set • Very expensive ($190) – but you knew that going in • No USB pass through (previous K95 revision had this feature) • Not all keys are mechanical (“G” keys) • Not for small desks – beastly size • Tall keys with sensitive throw = tough to type on for anybody coming from a low profile keyboard (but you bought this for gaming, right?) Notes will start here: I’m a 46 year-old gamer who has little patience for learning “bells and whistles” type software. I want a nice quality mechanical keyboard so I can move freely on the battlefield. I currently run with a Logitech G710+ that has a lot less bling, but was easy to program macros to, has a great typing action with MX Cherry Brown switches, and plain white lighting. I love the G710+ -- best keyboard I’ve ever owned, and I got it for $60 less than the current cost of this Corsair K95. I think lit keys, and programming macros, are cool – but I would never have the patience to read through a 153 page PDF to figure out how to do it. So I thought a great first test of this board would be to forgo that giant PDF, and see how things went just diving in -- and going for it. Most gamers that I know would never even bother to download a massive PDF, so I figured that would be the best way to start this review – like the average Joe, who wants to use it – not learn how to use it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how things went. First impressions on removing the K95 from its box were solid, though there was a single loose media key laying in the bag. Think it was just a fluke, as it snapped right back into place, and everything else looked great. Very large keyboard with some heft to it. Great palm rest that screws in place, and has a little padding. I usually leave the el cheapo palm rests in the box – but not this one. I type on a low profile keyboard at work, so there was definitely a learning curve on the K95. Took a couple weeks before I started typing smoothly, without a ton of typos.

Overall Review: Feature-wise, you have plenty of “G” keys for dedicated macros, plus multiple profiles that you can toggle from with ease. Media keys – especially the volume wheel, feel great. I will say that the high keys on the K95 make them a little harder to reach, but not too bad. Only “gotcha” – and it was a big one for me, was no USB pass through. I really thought I was just missing it, like it was behind a hidden panel. The original K95 had one – but this board requires a lot more power for all of the lighting options, increased onboard memory, etc. I also use a Belkin n52te to game with. It has a short cord – and that single USB pass through port on my Logitech G710+ is perfect for devices with short cords. That missing feature alone will prevent the K95 from dethroning the G710+. Two pieces of good news go with that complaint: it’s the ONLY thing I don’t like about the K95, and it may very well be something you don’t care about. From a use standpoint, the K95 is excellent for gaming. Easy action on the keys, quiet enough to not drive my wife up the wall, and great illumination for playing in the dark. So how about that blind dive into utilizing the crazy lighting, and extensive macro programming features? So many reviews talk about the complexity of Corsair’s software; how glitchy it is; how clunky it is. I didn’t experience that at all. You pay a lot of money for a board like this because of the feature set, and when you have advanced features – you have to expect a learning curve + a little required effort. The software tabs all made sense, so navigation was easy. I first started playing with the lighting, and in no time at all I had created a sweet purple/green/white color scheme. It was all just clicking keys, and selecting colors, and then dragging the mouse pointer across banks of keys, for larger scale color changes. The macros were just as easy – right-click, select an option, and it takes you to the recording screen. I really liked the dedicated “text” screen. Took me a couple of minutes to program some lengthy comebacks to be used with the in-game chat of any FPS game -- for mouthy players that don’t know when to zip it. I think your average person can skim the K95’s manual, and really make this board sing – but you can still get advanced functionality out of it with minimal effort. That leaves something for everybody – definitely a good value. Overall, the K95 is a great piece of gaming hardware. Yes, it’s expensive, but an average standard black unlit mechanical board will set you back $100, so the added cost should be expected, considering the versatility of the lighting features. While the lack of a USB pass through was a put-off for me, the majority of the people I game with don’t ever use them – so no loss there. Heavy feature set, reasonable setup of those great features, a sturdy build, and great accuracy with the key presses = highly recommended for the high-end gamer that the K95 is designed for.

Pros: First is that it’s a mechanical keyboard. Having used many non-mechanical Logitech and Microsoft keyboards over the last few decades going mechanical is huge. You can type faster and with higher accuracy which is great. Once you plug it in it’ll function instantly without driver installs. All keys independently have their own backlit LED and you get presets. It also has a dedicated button to light power to make it brighter, softer, or turn it off. That’s great for if you have it in a bedroom and want to get some shuteye. You can really easily select any color you want for any key. Some combos of course have a hard time noticing which color it is when it's next to another but when you group a few keys in a color it really stands out. The volume scroller has a nice feel as well. The cable feels a lot like the Corsair modular PSU casing which is a good thing. It’s durable and looks better than a regular cable. It feels extremely solid to use. It has a heavy construction that seems like it’ll last years. It’s actually pretty sensitive. Sometimes I’ll be reading things and suppose let down barely on a key and notice I just hammered out a good stream of W’s. The best features come when installing the Corsair software. You can set individual colors and macros to keys simply by clicking a key and selecting a color. I was able to Google and find a ton of macro templates online some that I wanted and some that I could use as a template to modify. It takes some effort which is likely known going in but just having templates to work from was pretty quick to pick up.

Cons: The hinge for the wrist pad on the left side actually didn't seem to come with all of the parts. My wrist pad doesn't properly slot in and was missing a screw for the left side so it comes apart. Given it takes 2 USB ports to function I was surprised it didn't have any USB 2.0 pass through port available.

Overall Review: Given it’s mechanical it is pretty loud when you type which can annoy those close by. You get used to it and it might be a pro for you. It takes a little getting used to having the added 18 programmable keys on the left as my hand over years wants to blindly feel for the edge of the keyboard for Esc or CTRL. I also have grown used to having a dedicated button for a calculator. Small gripe of course but there isn’t one and I guess I hadn’t realized how often I used it. I’ve been using this for playing Payday 2 which has been an awesome upgrade. Just the ease of the keys response time can sell anyone on mechanical. I’ve done some work in FFXIV which really makes the macros shine for me. I also work from home so typing on this all day has really gotten me used to the feel and I can just type so much faster and smoother now. The first time I installed the software on Windows 8.1 everything went wonky. My mouse stopped working, the keyboard wouldn’t work. A reboot fixed it all though, but it was strange to say the least. Windows kept finding and not finding the keyboard.

Pros: let me start off by saying this review may be a mixed bag. so I'm gonna give you the pro's and there are a lot. first off 16.8 million colors and it will do every one of them, and the light effects that this keyboard can do is simply amazing. there are a multitude of lighting effects and color combinations you can play with and make it do almost whatever you want it to do. the build quality is impeccable aluminum construction the keys are made better then previous versions (K70) the characters are more defined. it still has the dedicated media keys and macros buttons the black on the keyboard is gorgeous. comes equipped with cherry mx switch which to date no other RGB mechanical has it has a heavy duty braided cord and soft touch wrist rest, I personally have to have a wrist rest. the lights look good it is an exceptional gaming keyboard. even more so compared to my previous K70 which I loved.....please see cons now

Cons: ok now for the cons of this keyboard of which there are a lot as well. lets start off with the hardware first. upon inspection of the lighting it is not as bright a previous versions and here's why the led's are attached to the pcb sorta below the switche's in the same general area as the other led's in previous keyboards but they are sunk in to the switch versus coming through the switch and right under the actual keys....this causes them to be dimmer the switche's casing is made of clear plastic that is sort of opaque and not crystal clear which does not let them glow as bright as well....if they might have used clearer plastic they would be brighter and if they would have used dome RGB led's they would have also been way brighter. now on to the rest. it does not have the USB pass through like previous gen I used the pass through for my venegeance 2100 headset wireless module it brought it closer to my headset but now I have to put it on the back of my pc or use the little dock that came with it. the next thing is and it doesn't bother me but it may bother some, the area under the g keys is plastic and not aluminum like the majority of the keyboard some people may not like that. and I know this is kicking a dead horse but the corsair gaming logo is not very pretty I like the old one it looks like a crab...and lastly but not least the most important part.....the software...is the most un user friendly I've ever used compared to the competition it almost requires someone from nasa to figure it out...I personally had to youtube every thing. you can download the manual but it its very hard to understand they do not put enough detail into explaining what to do and how to do it, and the diagrams are so small you almost can't see them, put simply its not to helpful. the first thing I had to do was update the firmware and even that was hard....see other thoughts now

Overall Review: so in summation this keyboard is a beautiful piece of hardware its absolutely gorgeous and mechanically sound perfect for gaming or any task. the software can be a bear but once you do get it figured out it gets easier to use I still don't know how to do things but I youtube it . newegg did an awesome job on their part, love newegg. corsair made an awesome peoduct it just needs to be easier to setup and understand the software....so I would definitely recommend this keyboard but I would also recommend having some patience for setting it up

Pros: Out of the box, without downloading software it’s very impressive (extraordinary after you do); it looks like it’d be at home at a strategic command center or NASA launch site. It’s difficult to visualize, from the written description and the accompanying video on the product page how good this looks; it isn’t photogenic; it looks far better than it’s pictured. There’s something to be said about bringing a dead keyboard to life > breath of fresh air compared to what we’re accustomed to. Marketed as a gaming keyboard, its way more than that; it’s stimulating in otherwise boring surroundings; no matter what your application/need, there should be no augment; this would be a welcomed addition. Folks who use keyboard's day in and out (likely) will appreciate the addition of a little spice to monotonous tasks. Example (default three) may sound tacky, it isn’t > keyboard stays dark until boot-up after which it turns red, enter the password; the color scheme changes; letter keys pulsate (@ approximate five-second intervals) between green and white and . . . The flexibility of its multicolor displays will delight tinkers. Its luminescence and superior feel very well may make this a high priority want. I’d speculate in a work environment it would enhance productivity, awareness and moral. People are more aware of their surroundings than you’d think. Imagine the subliminal impact coupling this with a curved 4K monitor in a people/computer interface environment, i.e., hospital admission desk. Things I’ve grown accustomed to like sticky/sluggish keys, unintended and repeated characters > problem solved. Planned for gaming double and triple taps translate well to rectifying key stroke glitches.

Cons: The accompanying booklet is overly simplistic; it’d be wonderful if a comprehensive quick-start manual was included. In the absence of the aforementioned, here’s a preview> be prepared to be impressed > go to the manufacturer’s web site; download Corsair Gaming RGB Keyboard Software User Manual > support > FAQs > Where can I download the complete manual as a PDF for the Corsair Utility Engine Software? > (click on) you can download the full manual as a PDF here.

Overall Review: Putting aside bling and it being an excellent gaming keyboard, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a top tier, quality keyboard with superb functionality. I haven’t seen anything quite like it. It rightfully commands a premium price > you get what you pay for here (a touch typist may have a different opinion). Contemplating the purchase of something this unique/expensive likely will require some sort of rationalization. Keyboards are subliminal things, like a desk or chair, taken for granted. Look at it this way, the lowly underappreciated keyboard is used to unlock a door of sight, sound, imagination; keep records and act as a personal assistant; an essential tool isn't the place to be frugal. The cylindrical volume control is especially neat; the programmable 18 G keys on the left have an impressive presence visually balancing the numerical key pad on the right. Its quality of this is superb; it has a substantial military-grade appearance, is relatively heavy, feels and looks right. Attention to detail is awesome, i.e., cloth sheathed cord and the way the wrist rest is affixed to the keyboard with screws. I’ve used a countless number of keyboards, none of which have come close to this. I do a great deal work in a dark room where a lighted keyboard is essential; this is a delight to use. My old lit key board was a well-worn @*%$ with some of the letters wearing off and thin; I assume it won’t be a problem here. Its perceptible quality appears to be on a par with other Corsair products which I own; none of which failed. Look at > The Practical Book of Color Therapy, by Simon Lilly (Author), Susan Lilly (Author); and/or the numerous books on the subject > then > speculate on the product's relevance. Candidly, acquiring this was a stroke of unexpected good luck; I love it! Without a pointer to it, I would have never known it existed; it’s a joy to behold/use.

Pros: Fantastic build quality. Big, beefy, heavy. The keys, cables and volume dial are all of very high quality. It looks and feels as expensive as it is. The backlight is bright and the colors are vivid. In fact, if backlighting and color choice is a priority, this keyboard is an easy winner. The backlight level is easy to adjust and customize. Metal volume dial works great. Adjusting the sound level is seamless and the texture on the dial provides just the right feedback. Keys provide great feedback and resistance. Red switches don't click but are still firm and substantial. The software, while complex, does allow for massive customization. Between the colors, macros and binds, it's hard to imagine a circumstance that this board doesn't cover. Palm rest is actually decent and has some padding to it. It's not just a plastic bar.

Cons: The software is not very user friendly. It does a lot, but could have been organized in a more coherent, explanatory way. Whoever designed it didn't give enough regard for ease of use, therefore it takes longer than usual to understand how to customize all the features you may be interested in. This is not a plug-n-play experience. Expect to spend at least an hour fiddling with the software to customize your profile. Corsair could really stand to learn a thing or two from Logitech in this regard. The G-keys aren’t mechanical, which is the one bit of obvious cost-cutting.

Overall Review: Bear in mind there are two USB cables needed to provide power to this beefy board. It shouldn't be a problem for most desktop PC's but if you game from a laptop it might be a problem. There are no passthrough ports. A few words on the G-keys, because I feel they are a bit of a missed opportunity. G-keys are nice but they are not arranged in an ideal way. If you use WASD for movement (as in common in FPS and RPGs) they don't provide a lot of extra functionality because they are difficult to reach on the fly. Other genre's like RTS will see more usefulness from them as they are, but there’s room for improvement. I feel Corsair could better differentiate themselves with a 5x3 key horizontal layout, to replace the WASD-Spacebar configuration that so many FPS and RPG games use for movement. That would make the G-keys truly useful. Overall though, this is a really solid keyboard. It’s definitely for the kind of person who likes to customize every aspect of the experience and has the patience to take the time to really learn how to configure everything. Highly recommended as long as you know what you’re getting into.

Pros: This is my first mechanical keyboard, honestly is it a pleasure to type on. I end up looking forward to typing on this keyboard. The individual key lighting is very nice, compared to keyboards which have a bunch of LED's all over the place. Volume nob is really nice, I honestly prefer a scrolling nob over the physical buttons for changing the volume level. It has a switch on the edge of the keyboard which allows you to adjust the response time of the keys to 1ms,2ms,4ms,8ms and a BIOS mode which will allow the keyboard to function in older BIOS's where it would not otherwise. USB pass through is also nice but not a feature I would end up using, the braided cable is a plus but it at awfully thick. Only having it for 2 weeks it seems like it was build rather well.

Cons: The keys are too sensitive for me. I end up depressing them with just my fingers resting on them, which is a bit frustrating when playing FPS games or really any game where you are constantly at the WASD keys. Coming from a non-mechanical keyboard (Sidewinder X4) where I could rest my fingers on the keys no problem this has become and issue for me. The left hand side of the keyboard with the G keys feels like it was added on as an after thought, on the top surface there is a visible line dividing the keyboard and the G keys and the brushed aluminum surface turns into plastic on the G keys. I was hoping there was a way to remove the G keys but that is impossible, as I have my keyboard under my desk I end up sometimes hitting the G keys instead of the normal keyboard which is what I was aiming for. The placement of the volume keys and other keys at the top edge of the keyboard is a little difficult to get at when you are using a keyboard on a keyboard try under a desk with about 3-4 inches of distance between the desk and the tray.

Overall Review: It is a little strange to me that the there is northing around the edges of the keyboard, however this makes it much easier to clean under the keys and remove them, without damaging the plastic of the keys. Make sure when you download the software get the software tor the K95 (non-RGB), I by accidently downloaded the wrong one and the software would not work. The software allows you to record macro's, and adjust a few other small settings and have hardware playback of the macros instead of software playback. Overall this is a decent keyboard, but for my gaming I would probably end up getting a keyboard with different switches.

Pros: First is that it’s a mechanical keyboard. Having used many non-mechanical Logitech and Microsoft keyboards over the last few decades going mechanical is huge. You can type faster and with higher accuracy which is great. Once you plug it in it’ll function instantly without driver installs. All keys independently have their own backlit LED and you get presets. It also has a dedicated button to light power to make it brighter, softer, or turn it off. That’s great for if you have it in a bedroom and want to get some shuteye. The volume scroller has a nice feel as well. The cable feels a lot like the Corsair modular PSU casing which is a good thing. It’s durable and looks better than a regular cable. It's also quite long. I sometimes jack this into a PC using a TV as a monitor and it gives enough length to sit at a distance. It feels extremely solid to use. It has a heavy construction that seems like it’ll last years. It’s actually pretty sensitive. I just started playing FFXIV again after some patching and gave this a great multi week test through its paces. It's really nice. Fast and responsive. The macro buttons are easy to setup and register in the game. This really changed it up from a standard keyboard. I remapped almost all of the keys to make better use of the G keys on the left side. I tried going back to my old keyboard and it felt like rusty buckets. There is no chance I can go back to a non mechanical keyboard now.

Cons: The keys even after weeks of use sometimes are almost too responsive. I often accidentally hit CTRL and random keys on which my hands set like J/F. Just barely putting weight on them will fire them off nonstop. I'll notice sometimes while I'm reading I ended up having a page of F's being typed. It doesn't feature USB pass through. It takes up two slots and no pass through available to help alleviate that.

Overall Review: Lots of people have been having LED issues. I don't have many months of testing to see how mine fares but the LEDs are all lighting well. They are really bright so I often keep it in the lowest dim setting to give just enough if I have to glance down for something. The way the keys are raised can be slightly uncomfortable if you use this in a lap. I know that most will have it on a desk and on a desk with the wrist pad it works well. I use it this way for most uses. However if I drag it to a living room to sit on a couch you end up angling your wrists in a way that makes it tiring to use. Overall this is a very sturdy keyboard that types well. I'm pleasantly surprised at the build sturdiness of this keyboard.

Pros: This is sophisticated keyboard that has an ARM microprocessor and display controller inside, and requires 2 USB connection to supply power to it. Body of keyboard is made of high quality, nice-to-touch black anodized aluminum, optional wrist rest is included. Buttons are made of quality plastic. Each individual button can be easily programmed with included software. Keyboard was recognized and functioned properly with MacBook Pro. 4-position switch lets user to choose how fast keyboard responds to key press, fastest rate is 1000 times per second and slowest rate is 125 per second.

Cons: Included software lets you program static colors for each key or groups of keys easily, but programming any type of animation requires user to have time and patience. I ended up downloading user-made files from corsair website.

Overall Review: This keyboard is available in red, brown and blue variants. Color indicates type of switches installed in keyboard: red switches are commonly used in gaming keyboards due to low actuation force, brown switches are best option for typing keyboards because they do not click and finally blue switches require additional force to be activated and are relatively loud in operation.