For years, keyboards were just keyboards. Just the standard 104 key layout, and each key performed the expected function. Then we started adding new functions to the keyboard – media keys, keys to bring up specific applications, or pre-programmed alternate functions for keys. We even started adding LCD screens. Remember those $1200 Optimus keyboards that had an OLED screen in each key? Lately, though, the keys themselves have been taking center stage. Mechanical keyboard are the rage now. Membrane keyboards – the standard – work for most people, but serious typists and gamers started to demand more from their keyboards. While membrane keyboards feature a rubber membrane under the keys, mechanical keyboards use a separate switch for each key. Membrane keyboards are spill resistant and cheap to make, but don't provide the same satisfying tactile feedback that mechanical keyboards have. They're also not as reliable in the long term and require more force to use per-key. Now Corsair has entered the gaming market with its new Corsair Gaming brand. This isn't its first mechanical keyboard, but it is the first under this new brand. The new line of boards is made up of the K65, K70, and K95. I've been playing with the K70 for a few weeks now. The K70 has the standard key layout as well as the ten-key keypad. The K95 adds a few columns of function keys on the lefthand side of the plank, while the K65 drops off both the function keys and the ten-key for a much smaller footprint for those with a smaller workspace or a bigger mousepad.

The Switches and Keys

For the last ten years or so, I've lived and died by the Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard. It saved me from carpal tunnel and I've been adhering to it like I'd sworn a Wookie Life Debt. I've probably bought six different models over the years for work and home use. With that said, I've enjoyed my time with the K70 immensely. The switches that power the keys in this keyboard are Cherry MX Red switches. There are also blue and brown keys. Blue keys have a click to them that lets you know once they've activated, while brown keys allow a softer touch. Red is right in the middle – no click, but a bit more force to press the keys. The keys are incredibly easy to type on. One of the learning curves, aside from adjusting to a non-ergonomic keyboard for the first time in a decade, has been how I idle with the keyboard. I'd often rest my left hand on the keyboard while mousing with the right but I found myself typing entire lines of spaces one one monitor while I read something on the other – that's how little force the keys require. As a result, the keys feel great for typing and are especially responsive for gaming. I'm not going to pretend I'm at the professional level in Starcraft, League of Legends, or Counter Strike, but the durability and consistency of the keys as well as the board's n-key rollover (meaning you can press a whole bunch of keys at once and none of them get missed) should, I would think, satisfy even Starcraft players with the highest Actions Per Minute ratings. One side effect of the keyboard's lighting feature I enjoy is that the letters aren't printed on but are instead translucent plastic inserts that allow light to pass through. They might get grungy if you like Cheetos too much, but the letters won't wear off.

The Board