CORSAIR K65 RGB MINI (Updated)

[VSG]

CORSAIR goes from their largest keyboard, the K100, to their smallest yet. The K65 RGB MINI, a 60% keyboard with a minimalist design and an emphasis on portability, adopts the same PBT doubleshot keycaps with standard bottom-row spacing, AXON processing for up to 8000 Hz polling, and the all-new iCUE 4 software experience!

Show full review

 

[MDWiley]

By god, they finally did it. A standard bottom row AND a 60% option. Glad to see them catching up to the market. Shame about the defective sample though. It’s corsair’s first 60%, so my feeling is there will be many growing pains with it along with iCue. Still, a step in the right direction.

 

[Alexandrus]

The link to the supposed Reddit thread actually links to another TPU review. Again, does anyone proof reads these ?

 

[VSG]

The link to the supposed Reddit thread actually links to another TPU review. Again, does anyone proof reads these ?

That's my fault, and fixed now. Thanks!

 

[Cheeseball]

...standard bottom row AND a 60% option...

Yeah it's like Hell froze over for Corsair. LOL

All they need to do now is actually not make iQue suck so much and they've got a solid product here.

I would've preferred the keyboard have an open-edge and an option for Brown-equivalent switches, but this is a good step in the right direction.

 

[Mussels]

Hah, i left corsair because of a few problems and looks like they're on the way to fixing them

1. You mentioned reduced CPU usage which is amazing, because for over a year now icue has been NASTY with screwing with idle states on CPUs and preventing max core boosts on ryzen and intel.
2. HARWDARE PLAYBACK! It's insane how few products let you save hardware lighting to them, my corsairs let me save static lighting to them and my razers let me alternate between a few built in profiles but this is what we should have had all along
3. Standard spacing? gasp!


God my systems need that new icue (minus its crash happy nature) - and i'm glad to see corsair stepping up their game from both hardware and software perspectives
(Even if icue was still garbage, i'd consider a TKL keyboard in this vein due to the fact all its functions can be used without iCue thanks to the onboard storage)

 

[VSG]

The review has been updated based on testing of two replacement units that have arrived since the publication of the article.

 

[Mussels]

The link to the supposed Reddit thread actually links to another TPU review. Again, does anyone proof reads these ?

TPU reviews are done via templates, and you update as you go. Usually it's just the author that does the final go-over, so mistakes do happen.

 

[VSG]

TPU reviews are done via templates, and you update as you go. Usually it's just the author that does the final go-over, so mistakes do happen.

Depends on the editor, the default is a pretty blank template but we can import content from previous reviews. In this case it had nothing to do with the template at all, I had just shared the link of the other keyboard with the company after it had been published, thought I had copied the Reddit thread link but clearly did not, and then when I added a hyperlink it was the previous copied item rather than the correct one.

 

[Mussels]

Depends on the editor, the default is a pretty blank template but we can import content from previous reviews. In this case it had nothing to do with the template at all, I had just shared the link of the other keyboard with the company after it had been published, thought I had copied the Reddit thread link but clearly did not, and then when I added a hyperlink it was the previous copied item rather than the correct one.

fair, i havent been involved in the review process for a while - i just remembered making that mistake with importing previous reviews (and w1zz still does it all the time)


anywho, how much do you like the keyboard for your own use? I'm a fan of TKL over 60%, but i love the progress over my K65 rapidfire

 

[Yttersta]

I've never been into niche keyboard sizes as the necessity of an Fn key to access important keys, such as the F keys,
Page up/down, horm/end seem such a hassle to me. So I completely understood that these keyboards were often amazing with also very niche qualities, such as quick swap switches or incredible build qualities.

What is the point of a large scale manufacturer, and one with often mid levels of quality at best, tapping this group? Not one true enthusiast would go for this I reckon. Whilst also it being too, again, niche for the mainstream user.

The only possibly interested remains, then, would be those without interest in extreme quality keyboards and also do absolutely nothing but play games. I'd imagine that's a very very small group, no?

 

[Mussels]

I've never been into niche keyboard sizes as the necessity of an Fn key to access important keys, such as the F keys,
Page up/down, horm/end seem such a hassle to me. So I completely understood that these keyboards were often amazing with also very niche qualities, such as quick swap switches or incredible build qualities.

What is the point of a large, and often middle levels of quality at best, tapping this group? Not one true enthusiast would go for this I reckon. Whilst also it being too, again, niche for the mainstream user.

The only possibly interested remains, then, would be those without interest in extreme quality keyboards and also do absolutely nothing but play games. I'd imagine that's a very very small group, no?

This keyboard is for FPS gamers - the kind that dont use all the extra keys on the keyboard and want a compact layout.

I prefer the TKL size because i use the F keys a lot, with spare keycaps i can totally rebind the ins/home/etc keys into whatever key i'm missing from the numpad

 

[evernessince]

I've never been into niche keyboard sizes as the necessity of an Fn key to access important keys, such as the F keys,
Page up/down, horm/end seem such a hassle to me. So I completely understood that these keyboards were often amazing with also very niche qualities, such as quick swap switches or incredible build qualities.

I've found that it's faster to hit those important keys on a 60% keyboard. The point of a 60% keyboard is that every function of the keyboard is at your finger tips. For TKL or full size board, you have to take your hands off home row if you want to hit delete, arrow keys, ect. You then have to go back and reposition your hands to home row again. Why when with a 60% I can hit the FN key with my right hand and the 1 key with my left hand in a fraction of the time without ever having to move my hands out of position. I have always hated the gap between the number keys and function keys on a full sized and TKL keyboard. Why would you intentionally design a product that requires your hands to travel extra distance?

Heck if you want to you can get a keyboard like the anne pro 2 that lets you use the function keys one handed and has the magic tap feature. You can assign functions to keys when you tap them and when you hold them down. For example, right ctrl can be page down when tapped and right ctrl when held.

 

[lemoncarbonate]

anywho, how much do you like the keyboard for your own use? I'm a fan of TKL over 60%, but i love the progress over my K65 rapidfire

I still prefer TKL too... Currently using Logitec G Pro, amazing but also a bad quality keyboard at the same time.

I definitely need arrow keys for daily use, seeking video in Youtube and media player, typing, and controlling vehicles in racing or GTA-like games. It's essential for me.
But 65% keyboard sounds good too, like 60% but with arrow keys.

 

[evernessince]

I still prefer TKL too... Currently using Logitec G Pro, amazing but also a bad quality keyboard at the same time.

I definitely need arrow keys for daily use, seeking video in Youtube and media player, typing, and controlling vehicles in racing or GTA-like games. It's essential for me.
But 65% keyboard sounds good too, like 60% but with arrow keys.

Bottom right four keys can be remapped to arrow keys in any decent 60% keyboard. I'm using them right now on my anne pro 2. Can't say I've ever seen much use for the right shift, right ctrl, right alt, and menu key anyways. A 65% includes a few other keys in addition to arrows like delete, home, page up, page down. I have an iGK64 that does that. Great board. Don't get the razer huntsman mini though, it's the only 60% keyboard I've ever purchased that doesn't allow you to remap a majority of the keys. Razer has some products that are close to good but they always go and make some bone headed design decision that ruins the whole thing. The Huntsman TE for example is the loudest keyboard I've ever typed on. There's no reason a keyboard should be that loud. That said the switches are perfect. On the flipside the Huntsman mini doesn't allow you to remap squat and they made the keys quiet at the cost of actuation weight and feel. Mushy and more like 45g instead of the 40g quoted.

 

[Mussels]

Bottom right four keys can be remapped to arrow keys in any decent 60% keyboard. I'm using them right now on my anne pro 2. Can't say I've ever seen much use for the right shift, right ctrl, right alt, and menu key anyways. A 65% includes a few other keys in addition to arrows like delete, home, page up, page down. I have an iGK64 that does that. Great board. Don't get the razer huntsman mini though, it's the only 60% keyboard I've ever purchased that doesn't allow you to remap a majority of the keys. Razer has some products that are close to good but they always go and make some bone headed design decision that ruins the whole thing. The Huntsman TE for example is the loudest keyboard I've ever typed on. There's no reason a keyboard should be that loud. That said the switches are perfect. On the flipside the Huntsman mini doesn't allow you to remap squat and they made the keys quiet at the cost of actuation weight and feel. Mushy and more like 45g instead of the 40g quoted.

*raises hands*

I have two huntsman TE's here now, lol. It's a little louder than my corsair K65 rapidfire was, but its honestly not that bad at all... we are talking about the red optical switch arent we?
I can remap any of the keys and save it to the board, the only thing i cant do is save animated profiles to it and run software free (but it has stock RGB animations you can cycle, at least)

 

[evernessince]

*raises hands*

I have two huntsman TE's here now, lol. It's a little louder than my corsair K65 rapidfire was, but its honestly not that bad at all... we are talking about the red optical switch arent we?
I can remap any of the keys and save it to the board, the only thing i cant do is save animated profiles to it and run software free (but it has stock RGB animations you can cycle, at least)

Tom's did an article on this: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/newsnew-razer-optical-linear-switches-2nd-gen

The community made razer well aware of the noise issues with the gen 1 switches. If you look halfway down the page you can see a sound analysis of the difference. The new switches seems to cut noise to 1/4th of the original. The noise is more pronounced for gen 1 switches if you put the keyboard on it's legs as well.

Key remapping comments were in reference to the Huntsman mini. There's not much of a need to remap keys for a TKL keyboard but for the huntsman mini, you literally cannot remap the bottom right function key (among other apparently hard coded keys). If you frequently use arrow keys for gaming or browsing, you are SOL with that keyboard. If it wasn't for that I might be using that keyboard right now.

What Razer need to do is find a middle point between the Huntsman TE's switches / mini's switches and enable EVERY key to be remapped and put that into a 65 or 60% keyboard.

 

[InhaleOblivion]

Appreciate the updated review.

 

[lemoncarbonate]

Bottom right four keys can be remapped to arrow keys in any decent 60% keyboard. I'm using them right now on my anne pro 2. Can't say I've ever seen much use for the right shift, right ctrl, right alt, and menu key anyways. A 65% includes a few other keys in addition to arrows like delete, home, page up, page down. I have an iGK64 that does that. Great board. Don't get the razer huntsman mini though, it's the only 60% keyboard I've ever purchased that doesn't allow you to remap a majority of the keys. Razer has some products that are close to good but they always go and make some bone headed design decision that ruins the whole thing. The Huntsman TE for example is the loudest keyboard I've ever typed on. There's no reason a keyboard should be that loud. That said the switches are perfect. On the flipside the Huntsman mini doesn't allow you to remap squat and they made the keys quiet at the cost of actuation weight and feel. Mushy and more like 45g instead of the 40g quoted.

Do you need software to remap the key? And how do you feel about using wide Shift key as an Up arrow? I imagine it would be quite awkward especially in gaming, no?

I'm not a fan of razer products anyway so I won't ever buy Huntsman mini
Currently thinking of switching keyboard to HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL red switch, my G Pro's blue leds are dying here and there, this is my 3rd unit replaced under warranty. I like Romer-G switch a lot though.. it's a shame.

For me, TKL is still perfect, I'd like to try 65% someday though.

 

[evernessince]

Do you need software to remap the key? And how do you feel about using wide Shift key as an Up arrow? I imagine it would be quite awkward especially in gaming, no?

I'm not a fan of razer products anyway so I won't ever buy Huntsman mini
Currently thinking of switching keyboard to HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL red switch, my G Pro's blue leds are dying here and there, this is my 3rd unit replaced under warranty. I like Romer-G switch a lot though.. it's a shame.

For me, TKL is still perfect, I'd like to try 65% someday though.

Most keyboards will require you use the software to remap but once you've done so, the changes are saved on the board so you can uninstall it after that. Keyboards like the Ducky Mecha mini can remap without software but is limited compared to software solutions.

The larger shift key really isn't that different than the regular up arrow. It's easier to press due to it's size, that's about it.

HyperX makes good boards, can't go wrong there. You may also want to try out the G915 TKL.

 

[lemoncarbonate]

HyperX makes good boards, can't go wrong there. You may also want to try out the G915 TKL.

I've been interested in HyperX for long. Although I'm so done with Logitech's board, I will not risk it again especially with G915 TKL's price after my experience with G Pro and G304.

Thank you for sharing your experience with 60%. Good to know.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Corsair’s new 60-percent keyboard is a rare and overpriced misstep

Corsair's new 60-percent mechanical gaming keyboard isn't really bad, but it also isn't particularly good either.

www.engadget.com

 

[VSG]

Corsair’s new 60-percent keyboard is a rare and overpriced misstep

Corsair's new 60-percent mechanical gaming keyboard isn't really bad, but it also isn't particularly good either.

www.engadget.com

Any particular reason this was shared here?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Any particular reason this was shared here?

Yes, I guess I should've added a couple of words.
It seems like some other reviewers take issue with it, in ways that seem quite odd, as none of that reviewers conclusions seem fair or right.

 

[VSG]

Yes, I guess I should've added a couple of words.
It seems like some other reviewers take issue with it, in ways that seem quite odd, as none of that reviewers conclusions seem fair or right.

Eh, with keyboards it comes down to how long the person has been doing it, what other brands/products they've used etc. I find that it's easy to get impressed in the beginning, then criticize a lot once you know about other options, and then become a sage with wisdom as experience grows and you realize what really sells lol.