Corsair K60 & K90 mech kb $67 & $83 @ Newegg after DC/MIR

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There is a red switch QuickFire... http://www.cmstorm.com/en/products/keyboards/quickfirerapidred/
There also is a red switch RK-9000 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201044

Extra features? You mean the dome function keys? I never understood the purpose of the function keys. I used to play WoW and I used modifer keys like shift and alt for extra keys. The QuickFire has multimedia keys, just like the K90.

I applaud Corsair for their efforts. I love the company. I, however, do not think their first venture into mechanical keyboards is worth the cash.
 
CM Storm QuickFire at newegg 79.99 regular price - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129002&Tpk=Cm%20storm%20quick%20fire. I've seen it for 60 some dollars on other webpages on sale. Rosewill RK-9000 has gone on sale for 79.99 at times too. So yes, there are better ones.

That's a tenkeyless model, no number pad, and the Rosewill that has gone one sale has almost always been the blue... Just saying. Plus neither is back lit... Next cheapest back lit mechanical is usually the $140+ Ducky (or the BWU but that has more issues than any of these). If you want a tkl and don't care for back light then CM's a great choice indeed tho.

Extra features? You mean the dome function keys? I never understood the purpose of the function keys. I used to play WoW and I used modifer keys like shift and alt for extra keys. The QuickFire has multimedia keys, just like the K90.

I applaud Corsair for their efforts. I love the company. I, however, do not think their first venture into mechanical keyboards is worth the cash.

Some people want a back light, at $83 it was like $50-80 cheaper than any other back lit mech kb. Some people want discrete multimedia keys (or at least volume keys imo) that don't require an awkward two hand Fn+F-key maneuver. Some people like the open aluminum back plate... You may not care for any of that, but that doesn't mean those things are devoid of value for others.
 
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the Rosewill that has gone one sale has almost always been the blue...

I've actually never seen the blues model go on sale. I've seen the red and black on sale with $20 gift cards from newegg but thats it.
 
Backlight is a must for me. Same with media keys. So yeah, it was a great deal.
 
I've actually never seen the blues model go on sale. I've seen the red and black on sale with $20 gift cards from newegg but thats it.

Hmm, I stand corrected, I just knew it wasn't the brown... Either way, my point still stands (no back light etc.). Altho the Rosewill keyboards were $85 this weekend too (with the 15% discount for all kb, $93 for brown), so there were plenty of choices out there depending on what you want out of a keyboard.
 
Guess I didn't preface my final sentence with enough reference to the fact that it was my opinion.
 
Guess I didn't preface my final sentence with enough reference to the fact that it was my opinion.

I understand that, I am just wondering why you are comparing the K90 to two completely dissimilar other models with less features and saying they are "better options". I guess if the only thing you care about is having every key be a mechanical switch then sure, those are what you have to get.

I guess I should have said that currently I have a Microsoft Reculsa and, while I really like this keyboard, I wanted to try something mechanical but with similar features. The CM Storm does have "media keys" but it doesn't have the volume knob which I really like. Also, neither of those have the 10-key pad, which is vital in games like ArmA 2 OA that I play regularly.

Plus the K90 has 20 KRO whereas those others have 6 KRO for USB.

Some of the random keys that I rarely ever use being dome keys is really not an issue for me at all.
 
Backlit + macros + light touch is all I wanted or cared about. None of the other mechanical ones Ive seen offer all of those under $100.

Macros are for more then just gaming. I usually use a set of them for my login names and passwords. So instead of typing out 10-15 characters and having to remember which is capped and which isnt, I press one key and its done.
 
Backlit + macros + light touch is all I wanted or cared about. None of the other mechanical ones Ive seen offer all of those under $100.

Macros are for more then just gaming. I usually use a set of them for my login names and passwords. So instead of typing out 10-15 characters and having to remember which is capped and which isnt, I press one key and its done.

Probably not the smartest tactic if your system is ever compromised, but I agree the macros keys are useful outside of gaming. I actually don't intend to use 'em much for gaming 'cept maybe if I get back into sims.

Right now I'm thinking I'll probably just set a whole column of them to open Computer, the calculator, and whatever apps I have pinned to my taskbar, and I'll go from there. What other use do people give the macro keys within Windows?
 
I wouldnt even be the slightest bit worried about it be compromised. I dont even use firewalls, AV, or whatever either, and never had a virus or issue. If anything did happen, no one is going to think to look and see if someone has a macro keyboard and happens to have them saved as log in information.

You could also program them for long words you use often, or for easy feedback on ebay (quick shipping, good seller, A++ or something to one key). Lots of stuff to use them for.
 
Just got mine today. Gotta get used to typing on it, but I really like the feel of the keys. They are a bit louder than I thought, but that is just from the sound of the keys hitting the bottom of the switch. Also I think the keys are a bit closer together than on my Reclusa, but it feels nice and smooth to type on. Haven't tried gaming with it yet.

Also, the few keys that are silicone domes don't bother me at all. They do feel different but none of them are keys you regularly use for typing so it's a non-issue.
 
Yeah the domes don't bother me much (F5 might eventually, heh) and I'm actually enjoying the red switches quite a bit, even for typing... I've tried blues and while I do like them for typing I don't enjoy the noise at other times, not the best feel for rapid tapping in games either.

I just received a Rosewill with browns too and frankly I'm not crazy about those, the kb itself is great but I don't really notice the tactile bump on browns unless I'm typing slow or really looking for it... Which means they're fine for gaming and just about as quiet as reds but they're nowhere near as nice as blues for typing. A lot of people describe them as a good middle ground but frankly I don't see it, I think I'd rather go all nothing. Blues if you can stand it or really want that click, red/black for a much smoother feel if not.

I really like the rubbery soft touch coating on the K90 keys too, something I don't see mentioned much... It probably gets dirty quicker but for now it's nice. The feel of the volume drum's just sweet as well. I read some comments about the K90's bottom not being very solid but frankly I don't see it, feels just as solid as this Rosewill (which is a Filco rebrand I think?). The Corsair's got much better riser feet too, tho the Rosewill's got much wider rubber pads for traction.

The bottom of my K90 was kinda dusty, I think it's plastic residue or something, anyone else's?

The wrist rest is pretty nice, it's not padded but it has a soft touch coating to it too, good middle ground imo. All LEDs were fine out of the box. The aluminum plate looks even better in person (so does the Rosewill's inner red plate for that matter, tho much less visible obviously) and the lighting tho different across the domes looks very sharp overall imo (and way way bright on the highest setting).
 
One thing I did notice between the K90 and the Rosewill is that all keys on the latter seem to bottom out and sound the same... On my K90 the two Shift keys and Enter (largest keys outside of space) don't seem to clack as loudly as the rest when they bottom out, they might wobble a bit more too (tho the Rosewill has slightly more wobble in general).

It's not something that jumped out at me and bothered me, just kinda curious. Are those large keys stabilized different on these two keyboards? Anyone else notice those keys bottom out differently on the K90? (almost like they don't fully bottom out)
 
Yeah, a few more comments:

-The K90 feels plenty solid to me, but I don't have another mechanical KB to compare to.
-I don't think I'd like it if the keys made any MORE noise, so MX Red switches are probably the best for me (because they have the least "click", right?)
-I like the linear actuation of the MX Red switches a lot. They feel really nice.
-The wrist rest is definitely a nice inclusion but I do wish it was actually padded like my Reclusa. Not a big deal but would have been nice.
-The LEDs on the dome switches are definitely much less bright than the MX Red ones (I read this in a review). Also, the LED coloring for the G keys is more white than the others which are clearly blue. Again, not a problem at all, just an observation.
-Some people were saying the LEDs were ridiculously bright even on the lowest setting. I disagree, though I probably wouldn't use the brightness over the lowest setting as beyond that it does get pretty bright. If you are in a well-lit room that's fine, but in the dark where you would utilize the backlight more it might be overpowering.

Overall I think it was a worthwhile upgrade over my Reclusa. I just need to get used to the key spacing and feel of the mechanical switches, which shouldn't take too long. So far I just notice I will sometimes miss the "A" key and hit Caps Lock instead because of the tighter spacing of the keys over my old keyboard.
 
I understand that, I am just wondering why you are comparing the K90 to two completely dissimilar other models with less features and saying they are "better options". I guess if the only thing you care about is having every key be a mechanical switch then sure, those are what you have to get.

That's what I'd guess much of the 'informed' people care about. If I buy a 'mechanical' (I hate that word, btw) keyboard I want every keyswitch to be mechanical and of the same type. Why would I buy a car with three round wheels and one square wheel? Sure the three round wheels feel awesome but that one square wheel is going to totally throw me every time. Sure, it may have cool glowing ground effects but... daaaamn... square wheel, you know?

But for those of you who want a car with one square wheel but awesome looks, Corsair has a hell of a deal for you! :D


And as I've said I am no Corsair hater, quite the opposite in fact as I am downright religious about their PSUs. :)
 
That's what I'd guess much of the 'informed' people care about. If I buy a 'mechanical' (I hate that word, btw) keyboard I want every keyswitch to be mechanical and of the same type. Why would I buy a car with three round wheels and one square wheel? Sure the three round wheels feel awesome but that one square wheel is going to totally throw me every time. Sure, it may have cool glowing ground effects but... daaaamn... square wheel, you know?

But for those of you who want a car with one square wheel but awesome looks, Corsair has a hell of a deal for you! :D


And as I've said I am no Corsair hater, quite the opposite in fact as I am downright religious about their PSUs. :)

Lol. I see your point but I think that analogy is a little extreme. It's more like if your car has 4 cup holders but one of them is really small compared to the rest. Sure, it kinda sucks, but you can still use it and it's not that big of a deal.

I guess personally I just don't see the logical sense in paying twice as much money for an extra dozen or so mechanical switches in keys that I barely ever use. If it was like, some of the random letter keys, numbers, or Shift/Enter/whatever, I would probably feel differently. However, other than the occasional press in games, I rarely ever use the function keys or the Home/Insert block. Most applications (and games for that matter) don't ever use them. Maybe if you did a ton of coding or something it might be different. However, this keyboard is designed for gaming and it's great for that.

And I would MUCH rather have the features like dedicated media/volume controls, customizable backlight, and custom gaming macro keys over a few extra mechanical switches. It's all personal taste, but for the price alone I think it's hard to put this deal down.
 
That's what I'd guess much of the 'informed' people care about. If I buy a 'mechanical' (I hate that word, btw) keyboard I want every keyswitch to be mechanical and of the same type. Why would I buy a car with three round wheels and one square wheel? Sure the three round wheels feel awesome but that one square wheel is going to totally throw me every time. Sure, it may have cool glowing ground effects but... daaaamn... square wheel, you know?

But for those of you who want a car with one square wheel but awesome looks, Corsair has a hell of a deal for you! :D


And as I've said I am no Corsair hater, quite the opposite in fact as I am downright religious about their PSUs. :)

For a car to go anywhere, you have to use all four wheel almost all of the time. One square wheel keeps the other three from working right. That just is not the case with the Corsair mechanical models. The keys that use domes are keys that will rarely be pushed (F1-F10, etc), or will be pushed in an entirely context (macro keys). You won't use them much, and chances are that in action it won't be a big deal.

I realize that mechanical keyboard fanatics collectively feed off of their own extreme snobbery, but some of the fielded argument against these keyboards lack merit. I think the primary issue with not having a full mechanical keyboard is psychological. You know it's not all mechanical, and so do your friends.

Sure, it won't make a big difference in your day to day usage, but in your mind, you'll know . And that knowing will eat away at your elitist soul...
 
PC/car analogies are almost always dumb imo, and I'm angry because my tablet browser crashed and I'm rewriting this whole post asdf. If anything keyboard switches would be more analogous to the feel of a manual gearbox, not the tires. ;)

One thing I did notice between the K90 and the Rosewill is that all keys on the latter seem to bottom out and sound the same... On my K90 the two Shift keys and Enter (largest keys outside of space) don't seem to clack as loudly as the rest when they bottom out, they might wobble a bit more too (tho the Rosewill has slightly more wobble in general).

It's not something that jumped out at me and bothered me, just kinda curious. Are those large keys stabilized different on these two keyboards? Anyone else notice those keys bottom out differently on the K90? (almost like they don't fully bottom out)

I know we should probably not be bumping a dead deal thread (I marked it a such now) but you guys have already bumped it plenty today and it's my own darn thread anyway. :p I'm posting this for reference since I figured out the answer to my own question (above).

Apparently those keys feel different on the K90 vs the rest of the keys (or the Rosewill) because the K90 uses Cherry stabilizers, as do Leopold & Ducky, whereas the Rosewill uses Costar stabilizers (along with Filco, DAS, etc.). You can see the difference in construction on this review, read the picture captions carefully as sometimes they're out of sequence or referencing stuff not pictured:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/rosewill-rk9000-review/4

As far as the difference between them, it's just another personal preference thing. From what I've gathered Costar stabilized keys more closely resemble non-stabilized keys but they can be more fragile than Cherry's stabilizers and can squeak at times... Although the Rosewill I've got here doesn't have a hint of squeak, despite the fact that various reviews claimed the space bar does it when it's new.

Meanwhile Chery stabilizers are apparently more durable and easier to replace caps on (also easier to find caps for), but they feel more dampened when the keys bottom out. Key travel is identical imo, just as smooth (and linear in my case), it just doesn't clank as crisply when you bottom out those large keys... Supposedly they also loosen up with time tho (in a good way).

You can read more about stabilizers here (Geekhack poll), here (overclock.net discussion), here, and here (Ducky discussion at GH). Personally I kinda like the feel of it on Shift (particularly when gaming), since that's a key you'll always bottom out on, I'm more ambivalent about it on Enter. Oddly my Backspace feels a lot more like the smaller keys even tho I think it should also be stabilized, so either it isn't or it's already looser.

Buying a mechanical keyboard (or two!) sure turned into some kind of rabbit hole. :D This is worse than audiophile discussions, hopefully they last as long as a good pair of headphones tho!
 
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For a car to go anywhere, you have to use all four wheel almost all of the time. One square wheel keeps the other three from working right. That just is not the case with the Corsair mechanical models. The keys that use domes are keys that will rarely be pushed (F1-F10, etc), or will be pushed in an entirely context (macro keys). You won't use them much, and chances are that in action it won't be a big deal.

Actually to me, and again this is just my opinion, I think it's a huge deal. And it's the 'seldom used' nature of the rubber dome keys that make the difference all the more noticeable. For me with my K90 I can be typing along, have the need to use one of the rubber dome keys, and then be left with a short-lived 'that felt weird' feeling after hitting the key in question and resuming normal typing. To use another analogy It's sort of like jogging along a smooth path with my favorite pair of shoes on and then stumbling over a section of different asphalt or something.

What's worse is in the two months I've been using the K90 the difference between the mechanical switches and the RD are becoming more apparent, almost as if the RD are wearing differently. In particular the Insert and Delete key (which I use quite often) are getting mushier.

Probably getting out of the scope of a Hot Deals thread so I'm going to shut up now, but I just have this to say: Corsair: give me a similar keyboard with all mechanical switches and you'll have me opening my wallet much more easily. And don't lose that volume drum, I like it. :D
 
I love my k60, been using it since they launched. Solidly built, 20-key rollover over USB (yes i actually do play fast enough for the standard 7-key rollover over USB found on nearly every other mech keyboard to be limiting). Great deal on a great product.
 
And don't lose that volume drum, I like it. :D

Agreed, the media keys in general are solidly built. I've never used media keys on the keyboard before because they were just so crappy. The ones on these keyboards are great.
 
Actually to me, and again this is just my opinion, I think it's a huge deal. And it's the 'seldom used' nature of the rubber dome keys that make the difference all the more noticeable. For me with my K90 I can be typing along, have the need to use one of the rubber dome keys, and then be left with a short-lived 'that felt weird' feeling after hitting the key in question and resuming normal typing. To use another analogy It's sort of like jogging along a smooth path with my favorite pair of shoes on and then stumbling over a section of different asphalt or something.

And to me there is no "stumbling" at all between the two. I honestly think the difference in feel between the two is not enough to warrant either the car wheel or the jogging analogies.

Let me be clear though; would I prefer all the keys to be mechanical? Sure. Do I think that it in any way detracts from this keyboard, especially at this price point? Not at all. At $130 MSRP I would probably be more likely to think it was a big deal, but at $83 it's a no-brainer.
 
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Gearbox analogy fits best... Maybe DSG vs traditional? or 4-speed vs + ? paddles vs stick? slushy box vs a good one? It fits better half a dozen ways, none of you drive stick? Omg, you're using the membrane keyboards of auto transmissions! Jk

The different stabilizers stand out just as much to me, tho it's not a full on negative like the dome keys are, just different. /shrug For $80-ish I'm quite satisfied, a Ducky isn't perfect either (even ignoring the lack of discrete volume keys) and it would've set me back twice as much after shipping.
 
oh wow you guys are still talking about this? I come here only to find the deal is dead :(
 
Yeah, probably this discussion should go elsewhere at this point. Sorry.

EDIT: Maybe a mod could move it over to Hot Deal Discussion instead?
 
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