Capsule Review: Corsair's Vengeance K60 and K90 Keyboards
by Dustin Sklavos on February 18, 2012 9:22 PM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Peripherals
- Corsair
- Cherry MX
- Input Devices
Conclusion: Strong Out of the Gate
I'll come right out and say that I've been looking for a new keyboard to replace my aging and decrepit Microsoft Reclusa for a long time, and for me, the Corsair Vengeance K90 is it. The backlighting, the wrist rest, the mechanical switches, the recessed configurable keys, the USB 2.0 port built into the top using a passthrough...the K90 is definitely an excellent piece of kit, and it feels like it was designed by people who used other gaming keyboards and felt like those products just weren't cutting the mustard. With all that in mind, I think there are still some reservations.
I have concerns about the paint and treatment used for the keycaps on the K90 being able to hold up over time, and I feel like the software definitely does need a little bit more work and fine tuning. The USB passthrough is appreciated, but with a dedicated connection wouldn't it have been just as easy to offer more than one USB port on the keyboard itself? Right now I'm using the single port for the Vengeance mice I'm testing, but it would be nice to have a second port: one for the mouse, and one for flash drive and other USB peripherals.
The price difference between the K90 and K60 is also a little too small; in my opinion the K90 is just more preferable to the K60 and absolutely worth the extra $20 for the substantially improved functionality, comfort, and aesthetics. If anything the K60 just seems to exist to make the K90 look like a better deal, which is impressive when you're talking about keyboards that cost north of $100.
With all that in mind, it's pretty clear that despite these nitpicks Corsair has once again entered a brand new market with some very strong products. For first attempts, the Vengeance K60 and K90 both get an awful lot right, and the typing and user experiences on both of these keyboards are definitely a step above what you'll get from a garden variety membrane keyboard.
It's up to you to decide if they're worth the investment; I think the $109 and $129 price tags are both a little too steep and the keyboards would both be more compelling at $89 and $119 respectively, if not $79 and $109. If you're willing to shell out for one, the K90 is pretty much directly superior to its less expensive sibling and worth the extra $20. But really, I wouldn't fault anyone for buying either one despite the prices: these are excellent keyboards and, in my opinion, a cut above any gaming keyboards anyone else is producing.
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Omega215D - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
That's what I noticed as well. It seems like it would be easier to clean and keep it that way. Just a shot of compressed air and boom, no more crumbs/ dust.DanNeely - Monday, February 20, 2012 - link
Look at pictures in the gallery. The K90 is built the same way.http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1748#2
Mikuni - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
Would love a K60 + the K90 backlighting. Got a Logitech G510 and very rarely using all those macro keys, would be better off without them without making the KB so large.Mr_Bird_Man - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
Not all of us are gamers, I am looking forward to a review of the only buckling spring keyboard I know of on the market today. I am curious what technology from the dawn of the PC era looks like to all you young kids out there. I have mine, and it is going no where.Funny how something like a keyboard can elicit such a strong emotion. I have laptops, monitors, all sorts of other toys and trinkets, but it is my office keyboard that I feel the most attached to, and it is my keyboard that I show off more than dual monitors, docking stations, internal 3G, or any other gizmo out there.
Oh, and when you do the review, test one in the old-school beige color. They look much better than the black/gray that is common for most keyboards today.
Mr Perfect - Monday, February 20, 2012 - link
Actually, have you checked out Unicomp's black/grey boards? Black housing with grey key caps, and the caps have metallic flakes in them. Subtle, but classy. Now if only I could type on it for more then fifteen minutes without my finger joints hurting. Why can't they make low force buckling springs?mi1stormilst - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
I spent between $30 - $69 before pounding on a Logitech K120 at Staples. This thing cost me $15.00 and I love it.modsci - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
It's just a keyboard, it's not a cpu, a gpu or anything remotely close. Yes if you write code or some similar intense input job then sure fine get what makes it easier. The majority of general computer users aren't effected by this and I have to wonder why it's been put on a site that is supposed to review tech for enthusiasts and gamers.Have we lost our way? Are we now becoming an infomercial? Just seems like there's some other under lying purpose here that is off course of what I'm used to seeing from a review site. Have to wonder if there's an incentive for the number of units sold due to certain articles. And it's sad having come to this site for over 10 plus years for information it has evolved into something like this.
cmdrdredd - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
This is tech for gamers. So...why not tell you if it's worth looking at?DanNeely - Monday, February 20, 2012 - link
AT caters to power users who aren't gamers. See their reviews on high end servers for virtualization clusters and the like.erple2 - Monday, February 20, 2012 - link
Then look at the reviews for CPUs and GPUs, and you see that there are a lot of gaming benchmarks in the lot, so ...Looks like there are plenty of gamers out there in Anandtech land.
While the Server reviews are marvelous and insightful, I'd say that I really come here for "what GPU to buy today and tomorrow" more than which virtualization tech to use.