Thank you Corsair for sending us this keyboard to review!

Corsair's latest in their K70 line of mechanical keyboards is their new Core TKL. There are actually two models, a wired and wireless version, though I was sent the the wired version to review. The K70 MAX is an incredible keyboard, though pricey. Given my experience with that impressive model, I was curious what the entry level in that line could look like. And while it's not quite as premium as the higher-end model, they've added some new features I just love.

The Corsair K70 Core TKL Mechanical RGB Gaming Keyboard is pretty compact for a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard. Looking at it, it's pretty close to the minimum viable size for a TKL keyboard; it could be a fraction of an inch smaller in each direction, but not much more than that. It does use full-size keys, so it's not low profile or anything. That does mean it gives a full-sized experience, as long as you don't rely on the number pad, since it doesn't have one. Like many gamer-centric TKL keyboards, the classic Break, Scroll Lock, and Print Screen keys are missing, and media keys (or in this case, a Play/Pause button and a multi-function rotary dial) takes their place. Scroll lock is still there by default, mapped to Fn + F1. But Print Screen is still commonly used, and isn't mapped to anything by default. I mapped it to Fn + F11 via the Windows software iCUE, and saved that to the onboard device profile, so now it works everywhere.

The keyboard is built well, with a sturdy plastic shell and an aluminum top plate. I can't tell how thick the top plate is, but typing feels sturdy. The plastic used has a texture that makes it feel a bit cheaper when you pick it up than when you actually type on it. There is virtually no twist or give in the chassis, and the top plate is extremely firm. While the plastic used may seem like nothing special, the implementation is well done, and leads to a surprisingly firm and sturdy keyboard, all of which contributes to what matters most, the typing feel.

It feels extremely good to type on, especially for a midrange keyboard. The keycaps are decent but not amazing; the specs list them as ABS double-shot shine-through plastic, though the texture feels a bit rougher than the more typical slick ABS I see more often. I do not yet have enough different keycaps samples in my collection to where I can be certain of the different types plastics used; I can identify hard/smooth ABS easily enough, but my 'PBT sense' needs work. Either way, the keycaps feel good but not premium; most should be satisfied, though.

The Corsair MLX Red V2 switches are shockingly near perfect for my tastes. They offer just the right amount of resistance, are very smooth without any scratchiness likely thanks to being pre-lubricated, have no wobble, and are super quiet except when bottoming out. There is an actuation point of 2mm, and a travel depth of 4mm. That's actually pretty common for linear mechanical switches, and is a good middle ground for those who wish to keep typos to a minimum while still feeling responsive for gaming. Regardless, I wish I could buy these switches for my modular keyboards; they are that good. Corsair really knocked it out of the park with these.

There are two sound-dampening layers, and along with the stiff chassis, makes for a typing feel that is remarkably firm, solid, and quick. It's also not too loud; you can hear them when they bottom out, and there is certiainly a stiff clack when they do so, but it's really not all that loud. There is very little resonance, and while I wish it sounded a bit deeper, it still sounds pretty good. I imagine the right keycaps might deepen the sound, but I can't be sure as I don't have many different samples on hand (yet?). In any case, they advertise sound dampening, and it's fairly quiet in operation, so it seems to be working as advertised.

While the TKL layout has the keys in their more or less normal places, there are a few bonus features with this one. On the upper-right, there is a media key that functions like Play/Pause, and ­a special new multi-function rotary dial. I love volume knobs, and this is certainly that. But it's also so much more.

Out of the box, by default, the rotary dial does indeed change the volume. And honestly, that is and would be enough; when you press down it mutes, and turning it raises and lowered volume with satisfying indentions as it turns. The sides of the dial is covered in little shapes that gives it a satisfying texture. There are three little yellow notches in equal distances from each other, and they give you a sense of reference when turning the knob. All is good here, except the knob does wiggle a little bit. I feel like it might be the most likely part to break in a fall, but outside of that, it looks and feels great and is oddly fun to use. Its functionality also goes beyond what I expected.

What's interesting is if you press Fn + F12, the function of the knob changes, depending on the color the F12 key is once it's pressed. This indicator, if white, is the default volume up/down. If it's red, you control the backlight brightness. For green, it's vertical scroll, like a mouse wheel. For yellow, it's horizontal scrolling. And with blue, you can instantly adjust document zoom level. I was surprised to see all of these dial modes work in both Windows and Linux, also. I found they work on macOS also, except for the zoom function, which requires checking a macOS compatibility box when configuring the keyboard in iCUE.

Speaking of iCUE, that is the software Corsair offers for all of their hardware. There is a version for Windows and macOS. If you are a Linux user like me, then be aware iCUE does not seem to work in a Windows virtual machine, so you will need a proper barebones install for iCUE to launch. The good news is once you configure the keyboard, it has five onboard profiles that supports extensive customization. So if you know what you want, you can easily set it and forget it.

You can customize lighting effects, key assignments, the control dial, and set other miscellaneous performance settings. For all of these, running in iCUE mode does offer more features, but I found everything I needed was covered by 'Device Memory Mode', which is a setting that adjusts the onboard profiles, rather than overriding it via software. Since I connect my keyboard to multiple computers and operating systems (I work from home and use a KVM), this is important functionality for me.

The RGB LED lights are quite flexible, and you can customize them in almost any way you can imagine, even per-key. You can set it to a static color, or one of many color patterns. In the 'Lighting Effects' section of iCUE, you can set it to over a dozen different lighting types, per LED region. There are a ton of options. These include static colors, watercolor, color pulse, color shift, and many more. I'm a simple guy and like static colors, but if you want wild colors, feel free - and if iCUE is running, you have lots more options.

If you want to, you can customize every key on the keyboard; for example, if you want to make a DVORAK layout with just keyboard profiles rather than checking a box in your operating system, I'm pretty sure you can do that. There is also a 'Fn' key that has the entire keyboard available for macros or any other customized function you can think of. As I mentioned earlier, I mapped Print Screen to Fn + F11, using this interface. The neat thing is any key that has something assigned to it will glow white when you hold down the Fn key. So while F11 doesn't glow white out of the box, it does now! When run in iCUE mode, it supports more features like launching programs, but even without that you can do a whole lot, including complex keyboard macros; once they are stored on the keyboard, you no longer need iCUE to execute them.

The rotary dial gets its own tab in iCUE, called 'Control Dial'. This section allows you to customize what features and options are available when you press Fn + F12. By default it offers volume control, brightness control, and vertical scrolling, but horizontal scrolling and zoom are there to be enabled if you wish. In my case, I disabled brightness control since there are dedicated Fn + F3/F4 macros for dimming and increasing brightness out of the box, so that functionality feels redunant to me. I enabled the rest of them because it's cool, though in reality I use volume control 90% of the time, and occasionally vertical scroll. I still love that it's there, though.

The rest of the useful settings are in the performance tab or the device settings screen. There you can set polling rate between 125Hz and 1000Hz, as well as update firmware, not to mention enable PlayStation mode, if you need that. You can also enable or disable blocking certain common Windows features when Game Mode is enabled, like Alt + Tab, the Windows key, and Alt + F4.

I also appreciate that the keyboard has a detachable cable, with a USB-C connection port on the top left. I often use keyboards in a keyboard tray, and already have a custom extension cable ran there, so being able to use my own USB-C cable of the appropriate size is a huge benefit for me. It includes a nice fabric-wrapped cable that feels nice and sturdy, though a bit bulky on the connectors.

There is a feature currently available but not fully baked yet as of this writing. It's called FlashTap. Right now, it's a 'hidden' feature without an indicator, which makes it hard to know if it's working or not. You activate it by pressing Fn + Right Shift. What it does is make sure that between the A & D keys, whatever you press last always has priority even if both are pressed. This helps advanced maneuvers in first-person shooter (FPS) games be easier to execute. I can certainly see the value and appeal, but it's not yet configurable at all, doesn't work with any keys but A & D, and you are never sure if it's enabled. I do look forward to seeing it implemented into iCUE soon, because it has the potential to really be a differentiator for some competitive gamers.

I am pleased to say the Corsair K70 Core TKL exceeded my expectations, especially at the price point. The typing feel is great, and I really like the feature set included with the rotary dial. I look forward to seeing the improvements they make in the software, especially around the FlashTap feature. If you are looking for a gaming-focused mechanical TKL keyboard, the Corsair K70 Core TKL is an excellent choice. Recommended!