At a look
Knowledgeable’s Ranking
Execs
- Spectacular analog-style switches
- Cozy wrist relaxation
- Main physique enhancements during the last K70
Cons
- Complicated software program
- Very area of interest
Our Verdict
Whereas it’s dear and intensely area of interest, essentially the most hardcore avid gamers who’re prepared to place in main tweaking time will respect how the K70 Max RGB helps you to create an extremely personalized management setup for every recreation. The supplies and design have proven main enhancements over final 12 months’s mannequin, too.
Worth When Reviewed
$219.99
Greatest Costs As we speak: Corsair K70 Max RGB keyboard
$229.99
$229.99
Mechanical keyboards are all over, particularly in gaming circles. It’s getting laborious for an organization to face out, which might be why some have turned to throwing each doable function and gimmick on the wall to see what sticks. Corsair is taking a extra centered method with the K70 Max. It’s the corporate’s first keyboard with “magnetic MGX” switches, which permit for variable actuation factors and twin assigned capabilities on each key press.
That alone can be price a glance, if not an computerized advice. However the K70 Max additionally piles on a bunch of gamer-friendly, high-end options, like a full 100% format, PBT keycaps, a brand new dampened physique, a super-comfy wrist relaxation, and good media controls. And it does all this with out being overpriced in comparison with the competitors…although on this extremely particular area of interest, there isn’t that a lot competitors available.
It’s the corporate’s first keyboard with “magnetic MGX” switches, which permit for variable actuation factors and twin assigned capabilities
All that mixed earns this keyboard a advice, albeit a conditional one. In the event you’re wowed on the thought of variable actuation for key switches and two capabilities on the identical key press (and also you’re prepared to pay for it), then the K70 Max is the keyboard to go for.
Corsair K70 Max RGB design
The K70 Max RGB has a basic gamer keyboard look. It’s full-sized, so put together a reasonably large chunk of your desktop for it, and slightly extra in order for you the included wrist relaxation too. Additional media controls are above the quantity pad, plus a quantity wheel and profile/lighting/Win lock buttons on a good larger strip, which it shares with Corsair’s shiny strip of LED indicators for num lock, mute, et cetera. That quantity wheel is metallic, non-clicky, and doesn’t have a recessed button. Additionally be aware the tasteful hexagon printing on this raised metallic shelf, a pleasant contact.
Michael Crider/Foundry
The wrist relaxation deserves specific reward. I’m of the thoughts that any keyboard on this worth vary wants to incorporate one, and Corsair didn’t skimp right here. Its barely rubbery triangle texture grips my palms whereas the soft foam beneath is tremendous plush, and the entire thing simply sits on the excellent spot to make gaming or typing for hours on finish comfy. It’s saved in place with magnets and a few foam pads, which means it’s each cosy in place and simple to take away if you happen to ought to need to. Simply aces throughout, and a notable enchancment over final 12 months’s mannequin.
The perimeters of the keyboard beneath the sandblasted aluminum deck are naked, whereas the highest has a “match mode” toggle subsequent to the detachable USB-C cable. This change will disable and lock any consumer customizations or macros (together with lighting) and repair it in place with slightly plastic bracket. I haven’t been to any PC gaming tournaments recently, so I can’t communicate as to whether that’ll fulfill any sticklers for match guidelines.
Michael Crider/Foundry
There’s slightly extra considerate design happening beneath the keyboard, too. Along with sturdy dual-stage ft — a necessity for this three-pound chonker — there are angled grooves for rerouting the USB-C cable, additionally seen on the K70 Professional. Additionally, the best way the change LEDs shine by way of the translucent plastic on the underside is tremendous cool, regardless that you’ll by no means see it whereas truly utilizing this factor. It brings again fond recollections of an Atomic Purple Sport Boy Shade.
Different notable bodily options embrace good, thick PBT keycaps (an absolute must-have at this worth level), that are rather less “tough” than some comparable examples; double-layer inner foam for sound dampening; and eight,000Hz polling for the superhuman esports varieties. The important thing format and change stems are customary, so this board ought to work with any customized keycaps, however the fancy switches don’t enable for hot-swap sockets. Talking of which…
Michael Crider/Foundry
What in regards to the K70 Max RGB’s magnetic switches?
Alright, it’s time to get down and soiled with this board’s defining function: the “Magnetic MGX” switches. In the event you don’t set up Corsair’s hefty iCue software program, you then’ll by no means know there’s something notably exceptional about them. They’re linear (which means no click on or bump from prime to backside), with a typical 45g spring. They really feel clean and satisfying if slightly extra “rattley” than regular switches, as a result of they lack a bolstered box-style stem. Oh, and Corsair has fastened that annoying “ping ping ping” drawback from the final model of the K70.
Michael Crider/Foundry
The magic in these switches is that the actuation level might be set magnetically, anyplace between .4mm and three.6mm. In layman’s phrases: It helps you to choose how gentle or laborious it’s a must to press the important thing to ensure that it to register. You’ll be able to set it from a fairy gentle contact to a full, Beethoven’s Fifth smash, in additional than 30 increments. And this setting might be personalized for each single change on the board. So for instance, in order for you your WASD directional keys to reply to a feathery faucet however you favor a tough press on “G” for grenade, that’s straightforward to perform. Maybe extra virtually, you may set the Caps Lock or quantity row to solely interact with a full 3.6mm press.
This may seem to be a gimmick. And for lots of customers, it is going to be, particularly in the event that they’re not curious about diving deep into software program customization. However there’s so much you are able to do with this if you happen to’re the sort of gamer obsessive about perfecting each final side of your expertise, notably for esports. On prime of customizing the drive wanted for every particular person key, you may set some (or all) keys to double actions. A gentle press prompts one perform, a tough press prompts one other, once more, each of which might be set to customized actuation factors. That is just like some high-end recreation controllers, which might detect a number of ranges of strain on the buttons. So for instance, you may press that “G” button frivolously to throw a flash grenade or roughly to throw a frag grenade (assuming the sport will allow you to bind these actions individually).
Michael Crider/Foundry
Make no mistake, it is a deep gamer rabbit gap to go down. So as to use this function successfully you’ll have to arrange a customized profile for every recreation, and possibly do a number of very finicky testing to see which one works finest for you. In the event you’re not ready to spend precise hours making an attempt out completely different setups, the a number of actuation level perform most likely isn’t that helpful for you. Ditto for the “Fast Set off” perform, which Corsair didn’t have prepared in time for this overview. Fast Set off permits for an instantaneous reset perform as quickly because the keyboard detects both downward or upward movement on the change, very best for crazy-fast strafing.
Corsair’s iCue software program
So as to set any of those capabilities, you’ll have to dive into the iCue software program, below the Key Actuations menu. For the standard single-key perform, it’s fairly simple, with a helpful illustration of exactly the place in the important thing press it’ll be activating. You can too arrange a customized reset level — this allows you to launch the activation instantly or with a slight delay because the spring pushes the stem again up while you launch strain. And you may arrange the identical customized activation and reset on a second perform, sometimes the “more durable” setting, for every key.
Michael Crider/Foundry
iCue handles a staggering quantity of knowledge and settings, so it may be forgiven for being lower than user-friendly. However I discovered that having to maneuver between two completely different menus to set a number of actuation factors, and the precise capabilities that they set off, considerably tiring. And that’s on prime of a strong 20 minutes of poking round to see how this course of truly works. The software program additionally has the standard instruments for managing lighting results with plugins obtainable for Lenovo, Asus, MSI, and Nvidia {hardware} (there are even two completely different zones only for the Corsair brand on prime—good grief) and numerous {hardware} toggles.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Once more, this most likely received’t deter anybody who’s truly within the K70 Max for the variable actuation function. They had been going to spend a major chunk of time customizing this board in any case. And if all you actually need to do is play with slightly customized lighting and set all of your keys to the identical gentle or laborious actuation level, it’s straightforward sufficient to do. So there’s room for enchancment, however those that get deep sufficient to search out iCue irritating most likely knew what they had been in for.
How does the K70 Max RGB examine in worth?
Keyboards with user-selectable actuation factors, typically going by an “analog” shorthand, are nonetheless extraordinarily skinny on the bottom. SteelSeries makes one, the Apex Professional for $200/£199 with a stylish OLED display, and there’s the considerably area of interest Wooting Two HE at $195. Razer, to nobody’s shock, has the most costly providing at $250/£249 for the Huntsman V2 Analog with some extra-fancy lighting. (Technically this makes use of optical switches fairly than magnetic, but it surely presents the identical customized actuation and twin actuation capabilities.)
Not having examined the opposite choices on this section, I’ll need to fall again on pure specs. Corsair’s $229/£219 K70 Max has Razer beat in pure {hardware} functionality, as its customized actuation settings begin at simply .4mm, versus a a lot deeper 1.5mm on these optical switches. I’m ready to knock the Wooting Two HE out of the worth argument as a result of its full lack of a wrist relaxation or any media controls. And I’m inclined to present the K70 extra props for its comfortable wrist relaxation than the laborious plastic on the SteelSeries.
You should purchase the Corsair K70 Max from the official retailer in addition to Amazon.
Michael Crider/Foundry
The SteelSeries additionally cheaps out slightly by having adjustable actuation solely on its major alphanumeric key part. After all, having that sort of customization on the remainder of the board is of questionable utility…as is the OLED display on the Apex Professional.
See the Asus ROG Azoth for one more instance of a keyboard with a display nobody requested for. Name it a wash. In the event you’re ready to spend $200/£200 on a keyboard with customized actuation keys, then I don’t assume a $5/£5 low cost will sway you, or a $50/£50 premium will flip you off.
Try our chart of the perfect keyboards for extra choices.
Must you purchase the K70 Max RGB?
As soon as once more I ought to stress: “Analog” keyboards are an extremely area of interest product, and one which solely essentially the most demanding, tweak-happy avid gamers will be capable of make use of in full. In the event you’re a fan of Corsair’s keyboard designs and options (and don’t thoughts the physique ping), the common K70 Professional will serve you simply advantageous at a $60/£50 low cost with quite a lot of Cherry switches to select from. The one factor you’re lacking out on is that new padded wrist relaxation.
In the event you perceive the enchantment of the magnetic switches, and also you need a keyboard that’s stuffed to the brim with different options, the K70 Max will do properly. Not solely does it debut the customized actuation function surprisingly effectively in Corsair’s line (complicated iCue software program however), it additionally improves upon the earlier K70 in small however significant methods, with a quieter physique and a super-comfy wrist relaxation.
In the event you perceive the enchantment of the magnetic switches, and also you need a keyboard that’s stuffed to the brim with different options, the K70 Max will do properly.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Go for it if you happen to like the thought of customizing your switches with out changing them, or hitting two capabilities on the identical key press. Understand that if you happen to desire a smaller TKL or 65% design, Corsair will most likely have these choices obtainable inside a number of months.
This overview initially appeared on PC World.