CORSAIR - K95 RGB PLATINUM XT Full-size Wired Mechanical Cherry MX Speed Linear Switch Gaming Keyboard - Black

Is a really good keyboard I love it, I bought one for me and my brother and they both have worked great. THIS IS IMPORTANT! To note for those of you buying a mechanical keyboard for the first time or are not an expert at knowing your types of keyboards. THERE ARE 3 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS KEYBOARD. Linear (Silver), Tactile (Brown), and Clicky (Blue). They look exactly the same! You can tell which type it is by the color in its name. This isn't a reference to the color of the keyboard but the color of the type of keys that the keyboard uses. There are actually 12 or more different types of mechanical keyboards in the world, however, this manufacture simplifies it and only produces one of each of the major types. FOR REFERENCE! Linear is Silver, Tactile is Brown, Clicky is Blue. LINEAR is designed more specifically for gamers, or people who like not to feel the keyboard respond to them. The keys are very smooth to push and give no response to being pushed. They are preferred by gamers who like fast responses as it doesn't take much force to trigger them. Also because the keys don't fight you much you can type on them for long periods of time without getting a workout. However, unlike Tactile (the Brown one), there is no response when you push them, so there is no click when you push them down, the key just keeps going down until it bottoms out on the base. This is the SILVER one. Sometimes however other manufacturers refer to this one as the RED keyboard, Red keys and Silver keys are basically the same keys, the silver one is just a special version of Red that responds a bit better. TACTILE is if you like it when you push the keys down you feel a click or a bump when the key is pressed. Almost like a 'click' feel when you push it. This is the most common type of mechanical keyboard out there. So for a lot of people, it feels really familiar. This is a really good keyboard for those who do a lot of typing work and is preferred by people who do things like coding or writing because the keyboard lets you know when a key was pressed, so it responds to you. This is the BROWN one. CLICKY is just as it sounds, it is a tactile keyboard but with a loud click. It's very similar to the brown one the only difference being is that is very noisy. This is for people who love the sound of their keyboards. However, it may also lead to becoming divorced, dismemberment, or cause you to become the most hated employee at work. So only buy this one if you are single, and like living alone. It's the same thing as the Brown one but is clickier. If you love the sound of clicky keyboards then this is the one for you. This one is the BLUE one. When discussing the different types of keyboards and which one you should buy, there isn't a correct answer here. It's just what you prefer. We also couldn't tell the difference in the types either when we were looking at keyboards so we bought a little test kit called a "mechanical keyboard test kit" to play with the different types. I preferred the Silver/Red one and so did my Mom and Sister, but my Dad and Brother preferred Brown. It's a little like a personality quiz. It's just a matter of personal preference. Both my brother and I are gamers, in fact, he does a lot of Twitch streaming and speedrunning, and yet he still prefers Brown, (even though Silver is for gamers). So it goes to show that you simply can't know by the description. I thought I would prefer brown but after feeling silver I loved it. So I bought one each, Silver and Brown, I bought a Silver for myself and a Brown for my brother, and we play on both. So having both and being able to compare them side by side to each other I would say there is a difference between them. They appear identical but feel different. My recommendation is if you going to spend $200 on a keyboard you might want to spend a few extra bucks and buy a kit because it really helps and is hard to tell which one you will prefer from just reading the descriptions. Plus you can keep the kit and when your friends come over you can blow their minds and show how knowledgeable you are with your superior knowledge about all the different types of mechanical keyboards there are out there in the world. (Actually it is fun, like one of those quizzes on Facebook, "Which button do you prefer?"!) As for the keyboards themself I really like them. The palmrests are really nice and the keys type great, they give a slight click sound which isn't so loud that it is annoying, but enough that it can be heard on our professional microphones, it's not annoying in any way, but for recording quality, we are considering buying the rings (You can buy to limit sound) to put under the keys so that when you push the keys down it keeps them quiet. As for the RGB lights. I'm not really a fan of RGB. In fact, I actually hate them and I think that they are kind of annoying. So when I bought this keyboard I thought I would just turn it off or flip it to a plain color, but actually now that I have had it for a bit, it's not so bad, in fact, I like it, it's kinda fun. I have my keyboard do a slow roll from left to right changing colors, it's a very slow transition and your keyboard is always changing colors, so every time you come back to the keyboard from a break it's a different color set, which is cool! Also, the lights on the keyboard are very nice colors and really are not annoying, I thought I would be blinded by them, but no they are very pleasant to look at, they did a great job on the colors, making them look nice. So if you worried about the RGB you shouldn't be, it looks great. Even if you don't like RGB you won't mind this design. So final thought on this keyboard, it's really great! It's a very premium keyboard. After all the research I did I picked this one as the one I wanted and I have no regrets, this is one of the best ones if not the best keyboard out there. That said while I myself wanted the keyboard to finish up my gaming computer and make it a premium working PC, as I am a very big computer geek. I would not recommend everyone because, for $200 it's great, I love it, but at the end of it all, it's a keyboard and that's all it is. If you're low on money this isn't a necessity. You should wisely spend your money somewhere else, like on a better graphics card or something. That said if you don't want to spend money on a K95 a K70 is only about $70 and has 90+% of all the capabilities of this one. So if you strapped on cash buy that one, the big difference is the macros on the side, which most people don't use anyway. So your not losing much by buying a K70 instead of a K95. That said the K95 is fantastic as I said no regrets, but if you low on cash it's cousin the K70 is a better bang for the buck. Would buy it again, in fact, I have I bought 2! It's a great keyboard!

Packing is very premium looking and in the box is keyboard in black adonized brushed aluminum color, keycaps, detachable wristpad . Detachable wrist rest is changed in this version compared to earlier models and the wrist pad is now a leatherette soft cushion which feels better. RGB lighting on this keyboard is very good and looks premium. There are 19 zones that can be individually customized with 16.8 million colors that can be selected on users choice. This keyboard is equipped with a double-shot PBT keycap set and six dedicated macro keys with Elgato Stream Deck software integration. You need to download the Elgato stream deck software from corsair website. But it works better once corsair ICUE software is downloaded for better integration. You can program special streaming commands and swap the included S-key keycaps for convenient command over your stream. You need to download the corsair iCUE software and once downloaded you can set different custom profiles to the keyboard itself that includes lighting effects, macros, settings. There are dedicated buttons on the top of keyboard where these custom profiles are saved can be stored to the keyboard. This is a great feature to store profiles to keyboard that way you don’t need to download the software for any machines you want this keyboard to install. This is achieved by its 8MB of internal onboard storage for storing profiles and macros to the keyboard itself that allows to take your profiles on the go. Lighting setting can be adjusted in advanced mode from static, gradient, ripple, solid, wave. Each individual key can be assigned to different color or effect. The volume dial on top looks very premium with dial and the dedicated media keys with play, pause, skip forward and skip backward and stop button is very handy for playing videos. There are 6 dedicated keys for storing micros with the textured keycaps on the left side of the keyboard. On the back of the keyboard there is a USB 2.0 passthrough that comes handy to attach mouse or usb headphone devices. On the back of the keyboard, there are grooves for cable management that can be used to route the headphone wires. Overall, great gaming RGB keyboard but this new version does not substantiate the price point of $199 when you can purchase the same functional keyboard K95 older model for much cheaper on sale.

The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT keyboard was designed with the must have features for competitive gaming and streaming. I think Corsair is a gold standard when it comes to making a quality and well thought-out product. Pros: * Cherry MX switches: As with other top keyboards, this keyboard boasts linear cherry MX switches. These are in my opinion the best switch for gaming as they are the most responsive. The keys are fairly quite and do not make the "traditional clicking sound" mechanical keyboards are known for. They also have a subtle texture (especially the space bar) which I found nice. * Aesthetics: All I can say is WOW. This keyboard is absolutely gorgeous. It has a nice dark brushed aluminum look with stunning RGB backlighting. * Software: It uses the Corsair iCUE interface which is user friendly and allows you to fully customize the keyboard. It has 5 preset profiles and of course the ability to add your own. There is an actions tab which allows you to macro any key with some pretty advanced commands. This comes in handy when performing combo movements/actions in games. Lastly, there is a performance tab that allows you to disable key combinations such as alt + tab and set the lock indicator colors. The iCUE software interfaces with other Corsair products for full system synchronization. * USB Passthrough: This keyboard requires 2 USB slots on the motherboard. It offers a USB passthrough on the back middle of the keyboard. * Media Keys: In the top right corner of the keyboard there is a rolling volume adjust and mute button. In the top left corner there are profile, lights on/off, and windows key lock buttons. * Packaging: A nice looking box with minimal packaging. This is always a plus for me as it is respectful towards the environment. Way to go Corsair! Intermediate: * Ergonomics: While this keyboard comes with a click in cushioned leatherette palm rest which I found nice, the key spacing feels off. I think this is because the Stream Deck software integrated buttons are to the left of the keys (TAB/CAPS/etc). When I place my hands on the keyboard, they do not line up with the asdf and jkl; keys naturally. I would prefer the stream deck keys to be placed on the top left and to move the three keys (profile, lights on/off, and windows key lock) next to the other media keys. This is my first keyboard with keys to the left of TAB so maybe with continued use I will get used to it. Overall: Overall, I think Corsair hit all the marks when designing a keyboard for gamers and streamers. It has nice integrations, easy to use software, and a high quality build. I have owned many Corsair products in the past and will continue to do so as they are leaders in the industry.

It has short throw switches. 1.2mm compared to the 2.0mom I been using for over a year. Took a day or 2 to adjust to it. Now that I have....they call them MX speed for a reason. LOL The improved padded wrist rest is a huge improvement. You can but white key caps or use hyper x pudding top caps (black on top white on bottom) just understand that corsair keyboards are not bottom row standard. So 4 caps will not work in that hyper x kit. The keys that dont work are both windows keys spacebar and 1 next to the windows key. (See pictures below) The effect is awesomeness. even with them keys still present. Beats having to spend 115$+ on a full set like them. The hyper x kit is 25$ and corsair doesnt make pudding top caps. Corsair ice is great has its issues mind you.....like all software does.

Gorgeous and performs beautifully! It's a bit pricy but you get what pay for.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Let's see if that's still true in a couple years!

When I first tried 2015's Corsair K95 RGB with Cherry Reds, it was like a revelation from the membrane keyboards I had been using at work and home for so long. I'm a pretty fast typist and can still sustain between 80-90 wpm despite what more than 30 years behind a keyboard has done to my hands and fingers. I really liked the smooth, linear travel of MX Reds for regular productivity and straight-up typing, but went all-in for what was, at the time, the TOTL model for those 18 macro G keys to accompany my first high-end gaming rig. I had visions in my head of giving those macro keys quite a workout, but in the end I only filled about 4 or 5 with any additional functions and keybindings as I ended up favoring a controller most the time. Flash-forward a few years and I found myself needing another keyboard at work so I sprung for my own Corsair K70 MK.2. Still the satisfying keystrokes and smooth travel--but no macro keys at all (which I ended up kind of missing just a little). Fortunately, my daughter wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I passed her my old K95 for her gaming PC and decided to try out the new Platinum XT with Speed switches. Was it worth the upgrade over my old K95 RGB or even the newer K70 MK.2--absolutely! Will it be for everyone...well, maybe. First off, all the good bits. Corsair continues its tradition of what seems like rock-solid construction with a metal shell; heavy duty braided cable; nice, solid-feeling keycaps; and some gorgeous per-key LED lighting that ups the ante from simple backlights to an additional razor thin LED strip along the top edge of the keyboard. It's not overblown, but the effect beyond the dark, plain-Jane perimeter of the K70 is definitely a welcome sight. There's a pleather padded snap-on wrist rest with perforations across the surface to help with air circulation. I haven't had a marathon gaming session using the K95 yet so I don't know how much it would really prevent sweat and heat build-up, but it's a bit more comfortable than the textured hard surface of the K70's rest. The column of six grey G keys down the left side of the keyboard are textured just like the spacebar while the rest of the keycaps are glasstop smooth. There's a keypuller included with two sets of replacement keys for either FPS or MOBA style play--these keys are grey and textured the same as the G keys and spacebar to easily find what you need in the dark. At first I wasn't wild about the extra crosshatch texture on those keys but they've really grown on me, and now the smooth-topped spacebar on other keyboards feels almost foreign. Corsair also included a sail logo Escape key and an extra set of blue colored G keys to let you personalize the keyboard even further. Around back is a pass-through USB port to make up for one of the two ports the K95 eats at the PC, and the bottom features two VERY small fold-out legs for a slight elevation. I love the dedicated media playback keys and the giant mute button and cylindrical volume roller are about the most intuitive ways to control playback volume as you can get on a keyboard, even more so than a rotary volume knob because you don't have to reorient your hand to grip and operate the control. Finally, there's are a few keys near the top for profile cycling and brightness level and a Windows key lock out button that you can configure in iCUE to keep from accidentally hitting the Windows key during a game and being thrown back to the desktop. Physically, the keyboard feels reassuringly worth the price; it's very well appointed while not being littered with a bunch of additional nonsense keys, and it looks every bit both gamer and professional at the same time. It's hard to know what to say of value that hasn't already been said about Cherry's mechanical keyswitch performance, so I'll simply say this of the change going from Reds to Speed Silver...if you're new to speed switches, like I am, you WILL notice a difference immediately. I didn't find the difference subtle the way browns differ from reds...that tiny bit of linear travel and slightly less actuation force, especially if you're already accustomed to more traditional mechanical switches, is going to feel almost too sensitive until you train your fingers to the keys. For the first week or so, I was constantly typing multiple characters at the same time because my fingers were just barely glancing past or depressing neighboring keys during regular typing. But as I became accustomed to the feeling of the keys, I started to like it better for both gaming (super sensitive, ultra-responsive) and typing (not fatiguing because eventually I was training myself not to hit the keys quite so hard). The reduction in force required to register a keystroke made up for a LITTLE bit of the additional clicky sound of the Speed Silvers over something quieter like the Browns, but they are still mechanical keys so you still get that satisfying click if that's what you're after. If you're still using a straight keyboard (not split/ergo) and are already a pretty fast typist, you might actually end up liking the Silvers for improving your productivity performance, not just your game! I know some people complain about the iCUE client being buggy or hard to use, but I've never found it to be a problem at all, other than once in a blue moon you might not find the color setting you're after for a particular key/location under the RGB lighting zone section; instead you have to go to key functions or assignment. But I have to admit, having the Scimitar mouse, the K95 keyboard, and even the Virtuoso RGB Wireless (although that headset is still just a bit harsh on the clamping force) all cycling, pulsing, or flashing in sync is pretty darned cool to see in action. Keybinding and macro recording in iCUE for the G keys (or pretty much anything else) is quite painless, but if you're even remotely familiar with the concept of keybinding or macros in the first place, I think you'll find the iCUE client presents no challenge to get everything dialed in as you'd like. But what you're probably MORE interested in is whether the Stream Deck integration introduced in the K95 Platinum series works as advertised. In short: it's seamless. I'm not a streamer or content creator though my daughter and I are starting to experiment with some home video production, but as an IT geek and avid gamer since even before the Atari 2600 went mainstream, I'm always jazzed to explore new ways to enhance and extend my relationship with technology. I'll simply say this of the built-in Stream Deck functionality--if you had your eye on a $100 Stream Deck mini (the 6-button stand-alone control console)...don't bother; save your money by subsidizing your purchase intentions with one of the Corsair K95 Platinum models to get yourself into a top flight gaming keyboard that gives you virtually all the functionality of the Mini anyway. Okay, yes, the little OLED buttons on the Stream Deck console are cool--but that control box (even the mini) takes up extra real estate on your desk and if you're already at the keys typing or gaming, you have to take your hand WAY off the keyboard to tap one of the physical buttons on the console. With the K95's Stream Deck integration, the software client recognizes the keyboard as a Stream Deck device and you simply drag and drop the plugin functions you want onto an overlay of the G Keys on the screen--that's all there is to it. Once you've got your 6 Stream Deck functions defined, a floating "action bar" appears on the desktop that mirrors the layout of the G keys (with the relevant icons for Stream Deck actions). It's actually kind of handy because most content creators or streamers are probably going to have their cameras near their screens anyway--by keeping the action bar visible on the desktop, you don't have to take your eyes off the camera to see which button you need, and you only have to throw out a pinky to hit the proper key while keeping the rest of your fingers engaged on the keyboard. About the only drawback I could see here is that the action bar isn't visible if you're gaming in full-screen mode; it has to be windowed/borderless. Now, we are talking about only 6 G Keys here...once you've got the functions down, you can obviously hide the action bar while Stream Deck is still active as well. So is there anything not to like--not much that I could find. I suppose some might bemoan there's not a full 18-key Stream Deck-compatible version at the ready (a la previous iterations of the K95's 3 columns of G Keys), but I don't know how user friendly it would be to clog up the desktop with a floating action "window" that had THAT many buttons on it...the thin column of 6 Stream Deck icons is just about perfect for staying out of your way until you need it. The only thing I'm not 100% sold on is the shift-text layout on the keycaps themselves. The font is nice and bold and VERY easy to read, but the shift-text characters for the number and punctuation keys are printed side-by-side rather vertically (though this is not the case for the dedicated numpad keys). It's a bit of an atypical design choice that makes those keys look kind of crowded and just a bit "wrong" to me...but it doesn't affect functionality in the slightest, and it's not like I'm confused by the change (i.e. hey, what happened to the ampersand?). That incredibly minor stylistic quirk aside, the K95 RGB Platinum XT is one amazing piece of gaming finery that happens to pull double duty as a very satisfying keyboard for regular productivity work, and again as a Stream Deck mini for those of you in the market. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The most expensive and colorful key board I’ve ever bought. Works really well and has a lot of functions with it. But if your a gamer. I feel like they could have done a little more with the layout. More for gaming functions.

I came from an older K70 with cherry red switches that died (cat spilled a drink on it). Feel wise, I prefer the reds, tho these speed switches are growing on me. So much so that I enjoy typing on it as much as I ever did my old K70. Aesthetically it's great. Palm rest is real comfortable. Extremely well built. But so much of mechanical keyboards comes down to the feel you want. If you like the feel of these speed switches you'll love it.