Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Gaming Keyboard Review

By Meng Vang

Manufacturer: Corsair Components, Inc.
Product Name: K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Model Number: CH-9110014-NA
UPC: 843591082181
Price As Tested: $139.99 (Amazon | Best Buy)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Corsair.

Corsair and Cherry have been working together to make some of the finest mechanical switches for gaming. With the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE compact mechanical gaming keyboard, it comes with Cherry MX Speed switches. These switches have a silver colored stem and the actuation point is 1.2mm instead of 2mm on a standard Cherry MX Red switch. According to Corsair, this makes the switch 40% faster than a standard red switch. The Cherry MX Speed switch is similar to the standard Cherry MX Red switch, but the only difference is the shorter travel distance to the actuation point. At Benchmark Reviews, we will take a look at the compact Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE mechanical keyboard. Let’s take a quick look at the features and specifications.

Features

Ultrafast mechanical gaming switch. Ultrafast 1.2mm actuation and light 45g switch force for truly unrivaled response time
Fully programmable – assign macros to any key
Sturdy, rigid, brushed aluminum platform
100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover on USB
Detachable soft-touch wrist rest
10 keyless design for additinal space and mouse movement
USB pass-through and BIOS mode + polling rate selection
FPS and MOBA lighting modes

Specifications

100% Cherry MX mechanical key switches
32-bit ARM Processor
Up to 1000 Hz USB report raten
- Selectable 8ms, 4ms, 2ms, 1ms and BIOS mode
Product demensions: 356mm x 166mm x 37mm
Product weight: 1025g (without wristpad)

K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Keyboard: Overview

The Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE mechanical keyboard currently sells online for $139.99 (Amazon), and comes in a standard box with an illustration of the product. Features and specifications are listed around the box as well.

The keyboard is packaged in a plastic bag and is surrounded by the cardboard packaging of the box. The box may not offer the best protection during transit, but it arrived without any physical damage.

In terms of accessories, we have the quick start guide, warranty guide, and the detachable soft-touch wrist rest. Extra contoured key caps are included in the box for FPS (WASD) and MOBA (QWERDF) games along with a key-puller.

The K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE has a standard yet compact keyboard layout without the number pad. Since it does not have the number pad, there is more room for the mouse to move around on a desktop. The forged aluminum frame looks great and is extremely durable.

The keyboard stands on four rubber coated feet to ensure a firm grip on a smooth surface. Do note that cable routing channels are not present under the keyboard.

The K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE has two USB 2.0 plugs. One is to power the keyboard, while the other is for the built-in USB pass-through port.

Let’s jump into the next section where we talk about the features of this keyboard.

K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Keyboard: Detailed Features

When it comes to exterior design, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE maintains the same body shape and layout as the original K65 RGB. It also has the same key caps seen on the Strafe RGB, making it look like a TKL version of the Strafe RGB (does that even exist?) without the white back-plate.

At the top right, there is a brightness control button along with volume buttons. There is also a Windows lock button to disable the Windows key during a game. To the side are two white LED indicators for caps and scroll lock.

Unlike its predecessor, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE comes with a USB 2.0 port located towards the back. This is handy for a wired mouse, a flash drive, and even a USB sound device. Beside it is selector switch for the different polling rates to choose from. You may choose between 1, 2, 4, and 8ms as well as BIOS mode. In case you are using an older computer and the keyboard does not work in the BIOS, put the switch to BIOS and it should work.

Removing the key caps reveals the Cherry MX Speed switch. Unlike most mechanical gaming keyboards with 5mm LED’s mounted directly above the switches, Corsair has gone with their SMD LED solution, which features 3mm LED’s. This does protect the LED’s from any physical damage for long lasting durability. The housing surrounding the switch is clear to help distribute the light more easily across the keyboard.

The Cherry MX Speed switch has the same actuation force as a standard Cherry MX Red switch at just 45g. It has a silver colored stem with a total travel distance of 4mm and no tactile bump or click, making it a linear switch. The only difference between the MX Speed and MX Red switch is the actuation point, which is just 1.2mm instead of 2mm. In games where the millisecond counts, gamers using a keyboard with Cherry MX Speed switches will be granted the first strike (that is assuming you and your opponent hit your keyboards at the same time).

The K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE sits well on a smooth surface and does not slide around thanks to its rubber coated feet.

Flipping out the feet does give some extra height to the keyboard. Some keyboards are not equipped with rubber grips on their feet, but the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE does have them to maintain a firm grip on a smooth surface.

Lighting effects can all be done through the downloadable Corsair Utility Engine software. Let’s take a look at it in the next section.

Corsair Utility Engine

The Corsair Utility Engine has a lot of room for customization. You may connect multiple Corsair devices to your computer and control them all through this one software. Your connected Corsair devices will appear near the bottom of the program allowing you to switch between them at any time. When multiple devices are connected, you can synchronize the lighting effects using the CUE LINK near the bottom left of the window.

Profiles can be created, imported, and exported using the drop down menu near the top left of the window. A profile can store multiple key assignments, lighting effects, and more. If you are not familiar with creating your own lighting effects, you can head over to the Corsair website where you can download some awesome lighting profiles from the Corsair community.

In the Assignments section under the Profiles tab, you can assign an action to any key on the keyboard. There are no dedicated macro keys on the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE keyboard, but the CUE software will allow you to assign a macro to any key.

In the Lighting section under the Profiles tab, we can change the lighting effects or create a static lighting theme. Lighting effects include, spiral rainbow, rainbow wave, visor, rain, color shift, color pulse, color wave, type lighting (key), and type lighting (ripple). Each key can be individually lit, but you can also click and drag the mouse across the keyboard to select multiple keys to light. If you want to customize your own lighting effect, you can do it by creating one in the Lighting tab. Come back to the Lighting section under Profiles and click on the “Advanced Settings” button near the bottom right to select the lighting effect you created.

In the Performance section, you can choose what you want to disable when the Windows lock key is enabled.

In the Actions tab, you can create, import, and export different macro functions, texts, keystrokes, etc. All actions listed here can then be assigned to any button on the mouse. Assigning actions to mouse buttons can be done in the Assignments section under the Profiles tab. Simply select which key you want to remap, right click, then select “Assign New Action…” to assign a new assignment to the key. Do note that the name of the key will change to whatever name the action is.

You can edit any of the eight actions via the Actions Editor. For example, you can record and edit a macro by giving the macro a name and record the keys you want to record. After you are done, you can come back to the Actions Editor and edit the macro. You can do this by rearranging the order of the steps and change their execution time.

In the Program section under Settings, we can have the CUE software startup with Windows as well as check for any updates to the software. Application profiles stored on the device can also be created automatically when the box is checked.

Under the Device section, we can disable the lighting, change the keyboard layout, and update the firmware when available. We cannot change the polling rate through the software since there is already a physical switch at the rear of the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE for this purpose.

In the next section, let’s take a look at how the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE performed.

Testing N-Key Rollover and Lighting

As expected, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE was able to register all of its keys. Since it has a TKL design, the number pad area could not be tested. I was able to press multiple keys at once without having any keys go unregistered.

I had a lot of fun typing with the Cherry MX Speed switches on this keyboard. They sound and feel exactly like a standard Cherry MX Red switch. Because of its shorter actuation point, I sometimes found myself pressing a key on accident as I was just resting my fingers on the keyboard. I was more familiar with blue switches, so this is not the fault of the keyboard. Computer users who are die-hard red switch fans, I suggest you give this switch a try.

This keyboard performed well for gaming and with the shorter actuation point reduced from 2mm on a standard red switch to 1.2mm, this could save a few milliseconds if the game depended on it. Registering the key could be done just by tapping on it instead of bottoming it out. Although my kill death ratio did not improve with this keyboard, I am sure the shorter actuation point can benefit a few hardcore gamers; that is if you can tell the difference between 1.2mm and 2mm.

The K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE looked great when powered on. The wrist rest had a smooth rubberized texture that was comfortable on the wrist and the LED’s shined beautifully thanks to the clear housing on the mechanical switches. Although the dedicated LED’s for the caps and scroll lock were not RGB capable, I was happy to see they were white LED’s instead of another color.

Replicating a pure white color can be difficult for some RGB peripherals. When it came to color reproduction, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE did a good job displaying a solid white color and was able to display pretty much every color I threw at it. The only downside to this was the colors did not seem as vivid as I wanted them to be. This may had been because Corsair used their SMD LED solution with 3mm LED’s under a clear protective cover for durability, which was why the LED’s were not exposed when we looked at the switch in an earlier section of this review. As for most gaming keyboards, they would use the traditional method of just mounting a 5mm LED on the top of the switch.

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Gamdias Hermes RGB mechanical gaming keyboard, which had excellent color accuracy that was both bright and vivid. Putting it side-by-side with the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE keyboard, I preferred the lighting from the Hermes RGB instead. But of course, that keyboard had a 5mm top mounted LED on each key switch, unlike the more durable SMD design on the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE.

When setting the LED’s to white, I did notice a lot of red, green, and blue reflections coming from the LED’s and bouncing off the other key caps. This was not noticeable when I was using the keyboard in a normal fashion, but when looking at the keyboard directly from the top, I noticed a fair bit of colors reflecting off the key caps. This is not something new with the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE as I was able to confirm the same issue on the K65 RGB, Strafe RGB, and the K70 RGB. This is probably due to the way Corsair and Cherry designed their RGB switches, but let’s hope to see an improvement sometime in the near future.

The Corsair Utility Engine software allows for great customization on compatible Corsair peripherals. The fact that a user could use multiple Corsair devices and manage them all through one software is a plus to me. I believe the software is easy enough for a beginner to use, yet flexible enough for the enthusiasts to customize. There are plenty of tutorials online on how to take advantage of your Corsair product through the CUE software.

To run your lighting effects and animations, the CUE software must be open at all times. If you want your lighting effects to play at all times, you should start the program up with Windows. I personally do not like this as I prefer to have my computer up and ready to go the very second I turn it on. Even with a Core i7 5820K, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and an SSD, the software still took a few seconds to start up once loaded onto the desktop. When loaded, the lighting effects would play on the device. Lighting effects did not play from the hardware side, but from the software side instead, which would utilize the CPU.

Of course, we can never forget about the people using lower-end computing hardware. When developing software, we cannot assume everyone has high-end hardware. If the system requirements are too high, only a small group of people will buy it, resulting in less profit and revenue for the company. Let’s say you want to add some bling to your dual-core Windows 7 laptop. You may, or should I say you will, experience a nice slideshow with your Corsair device when watching an HD movie, performing a virus scan, or just doing something CPU intensive. Because lighting effects and animations run on the CPU through the CUE software, you will experience sudden lag and slowdowns of the animations on the device. Things may run perfectly fine when the CPU is at idle, but not so fine once the CPU is at load. I was able to simulate this scenario using an older laptop with a Celeron 877 CPU at 1.4GHz, 12GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 120GB Kingston V300 SSD.

There are plenty of gamers today who are running quad-core CPU’s, so having the lighting effects lag and slowdown due to the CPU handling a load should not be much of a problem. Most reviewers would not mention anything about the lighting effects running on the CPU and what can happen when the CPU is at load, but I think it is important to let my readers know about this when using the CUE software.

Mechanical Keyboard Final Thoughts

The K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE keyboard makes a great gaming keyboard on a small desk. With the Cherry MX Speed switches, computer users can expect a more responsive typing and gaming experience. The LED illumination looks great as the MX Speed switches have a clear switch housing to help distribute the light around each keys. Gamers coming from a keyboard based off the red switch should have no problems adapting to the MX Speed switches on the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE, but those coming from brown or blue switches may need some time to familiarize themselves to these switches. Lighting effects and key assignments can be customized through the Corsair Utility Engine software.

The CUE software is simple enough for beginners, yet flexible enough for enthusiasts. The software must also run in the background at all times to animate the lighting effects, which is something I personally do not like as this defeats the entire purpose of portability. However, the CUE software is one of the most sophisticated gaming software for managing Corsair keyboards and mice.

Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE Conclusion

In terms of performance, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE does great in this category. Gaming grade Cherry MX Speed switches will register at 1.2mm, making it 40% faster than a standard Cherry MX Red switch. In games where every millisecond counts, the Cherry MX Speed switches will register first compared to other Cherry mechanical switches, which can possibly lead you to victory. A Windows lock button is available and the lighting effects transition smoothly across the keyboard.

The keyboard looks great with its large bold letters on the key caps and the durable brushed aluminum frame. Color accuracy is spot on, but I really wished the LED’s were more vivid. When the LED’s are set to white, we can see some red, green, and blue reflecting off other keys. This seems to be a common problem with the Cherry switches used on Corsair keyboards as this is present on the older K65 RGB, the Strafe RGB, and the K70 RGB. But on the brighter side of things, all of the lighting effects look great and there is flexibility in the CUE software to create custom lighting effects.

The forged aluminum frame not only makes the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE keyboard look great, but it also provides long lasting durability to the body of the keyboard as well. The aluminum frame is lightweight but can be hard to clean especially since it has a brushed texture. The Cherry MX Speed switches are rated at 50 million keystrokes, giving the keyboard an incredibly long lifespan.

When it comes to functionality, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE does well in this category. Polling rate can be adjusted through the keyboard and a USB 2.0 pass-through port is available for a wired mouse, flash drive, or a USB sound device. It would have been nice to see a USB 3.0 pass-through port instead, but perhaps Corsair was expecting us to use this port for a wired mouse. In this case, USB 2.0 is good enough. The CUE software is great to use and I like how flexible the software is to the enthusiasts. One thing I did not like about the software was it must run in the background for the lighting effects to work. If you are using an older computer with a low-end CPU or are stress testing your computer and it ends up crashing because of a bad overclock, you will experience the animations slowing down, lagging, and sometimes not working at all since the animations are done through the software, which runs on the CPU. And if you like to run the lighting effects and animations at all times, you must start the application with Windows. To most people, it may take 10 to 30 seconds for the CUE software to start; no big deal, just grab a beer to past the time. But for someone who needs their computer up and running the moment it gets into Windows, well you may want to stick with a static color theme.

As of June 2016, the Corsair K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE mechanical gaming keyboard sells for $139.99 (Amazon | Best Buy). Although it may not be the most affordable keyboard, do consider the excellent build quality, great RGB lighting effects, Cherry MX Speed switches, and the Corsair Utility Engine software for taking full advantage of all of your Corsair devices. If you are interested in the non-TKL version of this keyboard, Benchmark Reviews has a review of the Corsair K70 RGB RAPIDFIRE mechanical keyboard priced at $169.99. For those looking for a compact mechanical gaming keyboard with enough bells and whistles from the higher-end models, the K65 RGB RAPIDFIRE is definitely a keyboard to consider.

Pros:

+ Great RGB color accuracy
+ Simple yet elegant space saving design
+ Cherry MX Speed switches with clear switch housing
+ Optional FPS (WASD) and MOBA (QWERDF) key caps
+ USB 2.0 pass-through port for other devices and peripherals
+ CUE software is extremely flexible for both beginners and enthusiasts

Cons:

– Not the most budget-friendly keyboard
– Illumination could have been more vivid
– CUE software must run to have lighting effects work
– SMD lighting solution causes LED’s to reflect different colors on other key caps when set to white

Ratings:

Performance: 9.50
Appearance: 9.00
Construction: 9.50
Functionality: 7.75
Value: 8.50

Final Score: 8.85 out of 10.0.