Final Words and conclusion

Final words and conclusion

It is quite staggering to see where we are with keyboards in the year 2020. We went from traditional dome/rubber membrane-based keys to Mechanical years ago. Optical keys always have been there, and a recent trend has been set by wooting for example. Corsair wanted a slice of the pie and started developing their own in-house mechanical slash optical switches, and they are surprisingly good. Now I am an old fart, and I just cannot be bothered about 4000 Hz polling rates over 1000 Hz similarly as to 20K DPI on a mouse, whereas 8000 DPI is more than adequate in my honest option. The thing is, people will always disagree with me :) And that's for a good reason as to when you are a hardcore gamer, you want the fastest and most daunting gear available. And yeah, Corsair did do precisely that, really stepped it up with the K100 RGB. In some way or form, I must have stated on other reviews already, I do not know how they can improve anymore. But they did. Granted, there is a thing about the optical tech we need to discuss. See, I told you that mech keys are binary, 0, and 1. On/off. With Infrared based Optical switches, you could introduce input level per key, e.g., much like when you break or push the gas pedal in your car, you can moderate and control your pace (acceleration). Advancing a bit more on that, let's take the WASD keys for example, and imagine a racing game. That's the one thing these OptX switches are not offering though; it's still on/off with a focus on longevity and speed... The last two certainly do deliver.

Can you feel a difference?

Hilbert, my man, did you notice a real difference? Eh, honestly, no .. they feel like Cherry MX red and SpeedMX switches. And that's a compliment to Corsair, as their switches last longer and should be faster. But would it gaming-wise make a difference? Ehm, I doubt it, then again, as stated, I am an old fart, and some youngster is already flipping his/her middle finger at me for saying this. You get the same functionality as a mechy; the key-presses felt slightly shorter and faster. 

Final words

The K100 RGB is the most premium of premium keyboards. I'd nearly say forget about the OptX switches, as what really matters is the performance the new processor delivers, the intense amount of storage for profiles, and then the sheer aesthetics and functionality and all PBT keycaps. The keyboard oozes quality with that new refined aluminum top plate. The wrist rest really, and I kid you not, is something so soft and comfortable that I'll actually like it for a change. Make it big enough, and I'd comfortably sleep on it. The intense colors from the deep RGB system for all keys and around the keyboard are breathtaking. The new dial button is programmable; I like it, but still is a bit of a gadget, I guess. Combine that with six programmable macro G keys that you could hook into Elgato gear as well is sweet as well. I would like to see at least one more USB port at the back and 3.x while they're at it?, though complaints wise that's as much I can think about. Oh, that and the price of course as 229 USD for a keyboard is just ginormous. But the second you lay your fingers on the double-shot PBT keycaps, you'll understand where the money went. Corsair keyboards overall all are well designed and comfortable to play your games on, plus you get the added benefit of one of the coolest LED lighting systems a keyboard can ever have. In terms of speed, features, aesthetics, and design, we have no complaints here. The technology in terms of switches remains to be a very personal choice.

Corsair's K100 RGB keyboard can be ordered now and costs $229.99 for either switch version from the CORSAIR webshop.

• Sign up to receive a notification when we publish a new article
• Or go back to Guru3D's front page.