Review on Corsair K100 Optical Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Heather Taylor

This is a Corsair K100 typing test. It is very different from the K95 Platinum. I don't know if I like it more or less than the previous version. I think it sounds a bit weird, but not that bad. The optical switches are insanely fast. I don't think there is much of a difference between polling at 1000Hz and polling at 4000Hz. I'd like to think I can see the difference between typing and playing, but I really can't. I don't seem to have too much trouble finding keys without looking at the keyboard, so that's a plus. I also only type with my thumb and two index fingers, so this keyboard feels better as the keys are spaced closer together than on the k95 Platinum. The "U" key seems to give me a little trouble. The scroll wheel is pretty pointless. I can't think of any real reason to use it, so it'll just sit on my keyboard and look snazzy. I think if you already have a k95 platinum board you should stick with it especially if you are thinking about getting speed switches for the k100 as they are the exact same switches. The only reason I might see an update is for the optical switches, which are very delicate. When detailing optical switches, I swore I wouldn't notice a difference, but I did notice a huge one. Luckily I'm already used to shifters so it won't be hard to learn. Anyone used to other switches should avoid this keyboard unless you're ready to get used to Speed or OPX switches. When I bought the k95 I came from Cherry MX Blues. Anyone experienced with blue switches will tell you they have an extremely clicky actuation point. They have 2.2mm of travel with 4.0mm of bottom and require 50 grams of force to activate. The speeds are much faster. They fire at 1.2mm with a total stroke of 3.4mm. The strength is similar to 45 grams, so as you can imagine it took a long time to get used to the speed and weight at which the speeds activated. Now the Corsair OPX switches push on the speed a bit. This is both impressive and intimidating, as Cherry MX Speeds were once thought to be the world's fastest mechanical shifters. OPX only fires 1mm, which is insanely small. I can lightly touch these switches without pushing them all the way down and they will work. My guess is that apart from being optical and having a faster trigger point, it's otherwise similar to the Speeds. I will say that due to the way the keyboard and keys are laid out compared to the k95, typing is a lot louder on the k100. I recommend some other or custom keycaps. It's a well-designed keyboard that's a bit pricey for what you get. I don't find the wrist rest to be as well made as on the k95. I hope we get a k95 like version for k100 in the future. The keys themselves can be felt. Thinner? I do not know. I do not think so. The audio scroll wheel definitely feels a little cheaper than its previous version. It's also pretty damn finicky, even more so than the k95, which was already a problem for me. The media keys have a more wobbly feel and wobble, which wasn't the case on the k95. The next option is just personal taste, but I think the glass element on top of the keyboard is unnecessary and not very attractive. I see no point in saying it has glass other than to push up the price of "premium building materials". I can't say much about the software. You need to get acquainted with the confusing and overly complicated iCue software. I will say that after updating the firmware for k100 I ported all my macros and lighting effects from k95 which was a big plus. If you read to the end, thank you. It was a writing test in Word that turned into a very long review. I enjoyed tapping on these switches so much that I just kept tapping and typing. I will continue to update this review as I come across any issues. Edit 11/19: After owning this keyboard for about a month, there was a slight or obvious bug depending on which key it's happening with. This can be avoided, but is still very annoying for such an expensive product. The palm rest moves up over time. Eventually, this will put a lot of pressure on the keys, making them either feel like they're not being pressed or that they're being held down. I ran into this problem a while back, but it was when I was moving the keyboard. This time it rose by itself, holding my alto down. It was painful to figure out why my keyboard wasn't typing. I seriously thought it was broken. It turns out that the left side of the palm rest was pressed against the left side buttons. Corsair if you are reading this please make a K95 style wrist rest. I'd love to buy it in place of that nightmare with memory effect you gave us.