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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Sabresiberian - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
When I first read about the Corsair Vengeance keyboards, I was pretty excited. Could this be a mechanical-switch keyboard that would replace my excellent but membrane keyed Logitech G15s?The answer is - no. The G keys, which I use extensively when playing World of Warcraft, are membrane switches, not mechanical. It's a big let-down, for me. The keyboard looks beautiful, but it's going to take one heck of a keyboard for me to give up the ones I have. Really, I have no reason to replace them other than getting more coolz toyz anyway, they are going strong and I expect they will last quite a long time. They are both 3 years old, and if they continue the way they have, I don't expect to actually need to replace them for another decade, or more.
Why have any membrane keys on the board at all? Why the cheap finish on the keys? I can just see some accountant, or marketing, whining and crying about how expensive a keyboard is going to be if it has all mechanical switches and high-quality key caps, but to me, it's the height of ridiculousness to make an enthusiast-level keyboard and cut corners.
If Corsair really wants me to give up my G15s (clearly the K90 is aimed right at the heart of the market here as it's extra key bank is identical to Logitech's, and they even call them by the same name) and buy one of theirs, or two since I have 2 gaming computers, they need to:
1) Make ALL the keys mechanical
2) Put key caps on that will look good for the decade or more my G15s are going to last; no cheap finishes or lettering! (I actually don't think I'd like that the G-keys are lower than the rest of the keyboard. When I play, I use the whole keyboard - the left side of it with my left hand, of course, which must go back and forth from the standard keys to the G-keys.)
3) Provide a variety of Cherry switches to choose from
4) Do something about the lighting issue. The G15 keys are a bit dim for my tastes at their highest setting, but bright enough I can see them fairly easily. I'm not keen on the idea of a light that doesn't shine through the keys, either, though I haven't used a keyboard with the kind of back-lighting the K90 has. It seems to me though that lighting the spaces around the keys would actually make seeing the faces of the keys harder. Being that I still need to orient myself by sight - I know, learn to type! - seeing the face of the keys is rather important to me.
5) Clean up the software interface
I'm sure there are plenty who would squeal at having to pay $150 or more for such a keyboard, but considering how long a good one lasts (or even a cheap one), the cost over time is reasonable enough to me. That being said, I'd like to see a warranty that reflects the lifetime a mechanical keyboard should have. The one provided for the Vengeance series is twice that Logitech provides for the G15, and I get that warranties have to consider idiots that abuse their devices, but I'd really like to see Corsair show high confidence in their high-end keyboards by providing a long warranty. 2 years certainly isn't a deal-breaker for me - but, as I said, I need some serious reasons to stop using my G15s in preference for another keyboard.
As it stands, I'm still hoping Logitech will start building mechanical versions of the gaming devices I've come to enjoy so much (the G15 and G13).
;)
Sabresiberian - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
Ah I see now the light does shine through the keys, it just also lights up around them, too. Not the best thing in my opinion, but not as bad as I thought. Looks like they mostly need to tone it down. I'd prefer the light only came through the characters though.mbraun - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
I really appreciate that mechanical keyboards do get some attention lately. Everyone who's a serious computer user should think about getting one, i bet the vast majority won't ever buy some 10$'ish excuse for a keyboard again.However, i doubt that professional users (sysadmins, programmers, writers...) would/should consider a Corsair oder Razer branded keyboard. They may look fancy and have a ton of worthless features like a bazillion extra keys, displays, multicolor illumination etc. but they are still cheap consumer products with low quality keycaps and overall construction that may only last a few months at hardcore usage. $100 is the entry-point for mechanical keyboards, low-end so to speak. It's even more money when thinking about the average lifespan of such consumer products. What about reviewing some serious keyboards like a Realforce?
Kiste - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
Why are these things named "Vengeance"? I don't get it. It's a keyboard, just a damn keyboard.This is a pretty moronic product name, though the Powercolor "Evil Sniper" videocard from way back still takes the cake.
Sabresiberian - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
Hey, cut them some slack, will ya?Not everyone can come up with a super-cool name like "Kiste".
Kiste - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
That's kind of the point:Why does a keyboard need a "super-cool" name. I'm getting sick an tired of gaming hardware with product names and package designs specifically targeted at 15-year old boys.
The average age of the PC gamer is probably 30-something and some companies like Logitech get it. Razer is sort of unoffensive. Garish nonsense like "Vengeance" keyboards and "Fatal1ty" soundcards and "Killer" NICs on the other hand I find bordline insulting and I would never buy it, even if it was the proverbial Jesus of it's respective product category.
Sabresiberian - Monday, February 20, 2012 - link
Put that way, I tend to agree with you. Corsair started the "Vengeance" name with their memory sticks. We have "HyperX, "Ripjaw", "Xtreme" from other RAM companies - it's all rather silly, I mean, we aren't talking spaceship drives or chainsaws, we're talking RAM.I guess the best thing to do is laugh at it. Or with it, maybe it's a big joke to the marketing people at Corsair, too.
;)
eXces - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
What about ghosting? How many simultaneous key press will the keyboard register?mrbean1500 - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - link
20 key rolloverDanNeely - Monday, February 20, 2012 - link
Are they using a custom driver; I thought 6key was a limit of the standard cross platform spec? If so, do they have mac/linux drivers as well, or does the keyboard fall back on a default 6 key mode?