Introduction

When we posted our review of CORSAIR's iCUE Nexus companion screen, there was mention of how the included keyboard brackets were for their K70 and K95 keyboards. I ended up with a few messages about what the third keyboard bracket was for, and of course I was not able to say more at the time. I can now, however, with another keyboard release from CORSAIR. Enter the all-new K100, and thanks again to the company for sending a sample to TechPowerUp!


With no more words such as "STRAFE" used, CORSAIR keyboards have recently been simplified somewhat in their naming scheme, as all now go by the Kxx version. Typically, the higher the number the more featured it is. The K95, for example, is their flagship keyboard range and towers over the enthusiast-grade K70. Well, the K100 somehow aims to out-flagship the flagship. CORSAIR is addressing arguably the biggest complaint from keyboard enthusiasts with the K100 by adopting the more "standard" bottom-row keycap spacing. I use quotes for a reason—if the largest players selling mechanical keyboards today adopt another spacing, is that not the new standard? Regardless, this means a lot of third-party keycap sets are now in play. That dial in the top-left corner is another feature that no doubt is attention-grabbing, and we will talk about everything in detail in this review beginning with a look at the specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

International travel limitations and lockdowns due to COVID-19 meant I was residing in Taiwan temporarily and had no access to my usual photography setup. Packaging for the CORSAIR K100 is in my opinion unfortunately again a confirmation of the new branding by the company that involves this faded yellow color scheme that looks even worse in real life relative to digital captures. All it does is make the box seem like it has been left out in the sun far too long, and I do hope the company rethinks this sooner rather than later.

There is a plastic wrap over the box, and the design is practically similar to other keyboards from the company. On the front is a large render of the keyboard, all lit up for RGB action, with the company and product name along with the switch type and iCUE support spelled out. This continues on the back and sides with more renders and features, along with marketing talk in multiple languages. There are two plastic seals on either side of the back, with signs indicating how to remove them easily.


Removing the seals, we see a two-piece packaging with the top simply lifting upwards and away to reveal the keyboard held snugly between more cardboard and a plastic cover underneath for protection, with the attached cable in the compartment above and accessories all underneath. This layered approach makes for a more premium unboxing experience and is part of the halo product experience CORSAIR wishes to present with the K100, and is quite similar to what we saw with the K95 RGB Platinum XT released earlier this year, which feels like a decade ago now. There is a smaller package within which CORSAIR includes a warranty guide, safety information, and a multi-language manual that summarizes the various parts of the keyboard when it comes to functionality. It can be a handy resource as there are so many things pre-programmed onboard outside of the standard keyboard keys themselves, making it well worth a look early on.


The next set of accessories includes replacement keycaps, and we see a two-part ABS plastic composition with black for the base and a more lustrous gunmetal gray top with textures and laser-etched legends. These are also aggressively sculpted to feel different not just compared to the stock keycaps, but also within each other. CORSAIR includes W/A/S/D as well as Q/W/E/R/D/F to allow for FPS/MOBA style game key mappings here. There is also a plastic ring-style keycap puller, which can potentially scratch the sides of keycaps when used but is still better than nothing. As seen above, these keycaps are backlighting-compatible, but a downgrade in durability compared to the stock keycaps promised to be doubleshot injected PBT plastic. No S-key keycap set included here, and there is no mention of Elgato Stream Deck compatibility with the K100 G-keys in the product manual or reviewer guide at all.


One of my complaints with the K95 RGB Platinum XT was the downgrade in the palm rest compared to its predecessor, and now we see why. The wrist rest included with the K100 is one of the ways the company aims to justify the price gap between the two. It consists of a softly cushioned top surface that does feel nice to rest your wrists on if you are inclined to do so. There is also CORSAIR branding on this surface, with a finer texture akin to leather rather than the dimpled surface on the K95 palm rest. The underside continues to have multiple rubber pads for friction against the resting surface, and another difference compared to the K70/K95 palm rest is the use of magnets and soft guides rather than the hard plastic clips to connect to the keyboard.