Mechanical key switch keyboards are all the rage today among gamers and casual users alike. The quick response time and tactile feel of mechanical key switches give gamers the competitive edge and increase productivity by letting you type quicker.
Corsair has made its debut in the keyboard market with the Vengeance K60 and K90. Gamers Daily News has already reviewed the FPS geared K60, and Corsair has also sent us the MMO themed K90 to try out as well. Take a look and see what we thought of this new board.
Vengeance K90 Design
In keeping with the use of brushed aluminum for Vengeance line, the K90 uses the same aluminum frame that the K60 uses, but has a few extra holes on the top left for macro buttons. Like the K60, all of the keys protrude from the frame so that seem to float above the board. You still have the full layout with QWERTY, arrow, and 10 key sections using Cherry MX Red mechanical switches for optimal performance. Above the 10 key, you have 4 multimedia buttons for navigating videos, and the volume control scroll wheel and mute button. The indicator LEDs for Scroll, Num, and Caps lock still light up white next to the Windows key lock out button. You even have the non-tangle cable and USB hub built into the top. All in all, the basic features of the Vengeance K90 are identical to the K60, so I will not bore you with the same information, when you can read the K60 review here. Rather, I would like to focus on the 3 main differences that the K90 has; backlit keys, full wrist rest, and macro and profile keys.
The wrist rest on the K60 was geared towards FPS gamers with its placement at the left hand and contour to allow easy jumping with the spacebar key. The Vengeance K90 offers a wrist rest that spans the entire length of the keyboard. This rest is notably shallower than the K60 and attaches securely by two thumb screws in the side. This gives it a snug fit, but prevents you from quickly disconnecting it during transit.
Each key on the K90 is illuminated. The main part of the board lights up a brilliant blue, hue while the G keys (macro keys) to the left have a white backlight. You can quickly adjust the brightness with the illumination button next to the Window key lock out. Though the light is bright, it is not overpowering and will not be a distraction in dark room.
The final difference between the K60 and the K90 is the addition of the G keys. On the left hand side, you have 18 G keys to program to any macro or function that you like. Just above the Escape and first F keys, you have 4 buttons that control these G keys. The first button acts as on on-the-fly macro record function. The 3 buttons to the right allow you to switch between 3 profiles, effectively tripling the number of functions you can add to the G keys.
Technical Specifications
Light, responsive Cherry MX Red mechanical switches for fast, efficient gaming action
45g actuation force
2mm to actuation and 4mm to bottom
Rated for 50 million operations
Gold contacts
Tuned silicon dome key switches: F1 through F12, Esc, PrtScn, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Insert, Home, Page Up Page Down, Delete, and End
Three banks of eighteen G Macro Keys with Macro Record and Bank Select hot keys
36Kb of onboard memory for storing up to three sets of eighteen G keys for gaming on the go
On-the-fly, macro recording
Laser-etched, backlit keys with four illumination levels (off, 66%, 75%, and full illumination) selectable from the keyboard
Six multimedia keys — Stop, Previous, Play/Pause, Next, Mute, Volume Up/Down — with Solid metal, weighted volume “drum roller”
Windows Lock key for uninterrupted game play
Metal top plate for increased strength, durability and rigidity
USB pass-through connector giving easy access to a USB port on the back of the keyboard (USB 2.0/1.1/1.0)
USB Connector with gold plated contacts
2m non-tangle cable Adjustable feet tilt for optimum personalization and positioning
Testing, Software, and Use
According to everything on Corsair’s website, the key switches on K60 and K90 are supposed to be identical. However, I found them to feel noticeably different. They both use Cherry MX Red switches, have a 45g actuation force at 2mm, gold contacts, and 4mm bottom out, but for some unknown reason, the keys on the K90 seems much more rigid and not as precise in their detection as the K60. Perhaps it was just the board I received, or perhaps it has something to do with the blue LEDs integrated into the switches. Whatever the reason, the K90 did not feel bad by any definition of the word, but simply not as good as the K60.
Playing through a few games, the Vengeance K90 performed well for the couple of FPSs that I tried, but this keyboard was designed for MMO players. Even so, I always test macros on Paradox’s Magicka because of the sheer volume of key combinations in the game. With a little trial and error, I finally figured out how the software works. It is not that the software is complicated that took me so long, but that it is simpler than expected. Just push the macro record button, select your key, and type your macro. What I really like about the K90, is that it has onboard memory for storing the macros. Just unplug your keyboard and carry your macros with you to another desktop. You can also record your macros on-the-fly with the record button on the keyboard.
It should be mentioned that the G keys are not equipped with mechanical key switches. Instead they are all silicone dome contact keys. This means that you must bottom out the key for them to activate. I know that you won’t be using the macro keys as much as the QWERTY keys, but it seems to me that the G keys would have been better with the Cherry MX Red switches. Instead, the two different switches left me feeling like the G keys were an afterthought that they slapped on the board in the final design stages.
Overall
GDN silverThe Vengeance K90 is a solid keyboard that will do well for most gamers. The sleek design and blue backlit keys are real attention grabbers. Even though the K90 is a great keyboard, after using the K60, I found myself a little disappointed. I know that there are different strokes for different folks, but if you put the K90 and K60 side by side, I believe most people would prefer the feel of the K60 and the look of the K90. I suppose that in the end it all comes down to price. The Vengeance K90 retails for $129.99 MSRP which is $20 more than the K60. If you think that the macro keys and backlighting is worth the extra money, then the K90 is for you. But if not, I think most gamers would be happier with the feel of the K60 keys.
Source:http://www.gamersdailynews.com/article-3321-Corsair-Vengeance-K90-Mechanical-Keyboard-Review-Hardware.html
