Corsair K100 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (CHERRY MX SPEED Keyswitches: Linear and Rapid, Leatherette Palm Rest, PBT Double-Shot Keycaps, Elgato Stream Deck Integration) QWERTY, Black

Product Information

Like most other Corsair gaming gear, the Corsair K100 Air Wireless runs on the Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software. This allows you to reprogram keys, set up lighting patterns, monitor the battery level, create profiles for individual games and apps, and so forth. During our review period, iCUE was not yet compatible with the K100 Air Wireless, however. We can say that the software works well with other Corsair gear, and that it tends to be a little complex, particularly if you want to adjust the lighting beyond the basics. Overall then, this keyboard’s feature set is impressive, but I do have some criticisms, even if they are only minor. While it’s great that media keys are included, they do feel a little flimsy. And while I appreciate this keyboard including a USB port, it uses the slower USB 2.0 standard. The Corsair also requires two USB ports on your PC to function, and there’s no audio passthrough. Performance

First off, the key switches are arguably not that comfortable. With 65g of actuation force, 0.8 mm of actuation distance and 1.8 mm key travel, the Ultra Low Profile Tactiles are quite a bit shallower than, say, the Cherry MX Browns, which offer 55 g actuation force, 2 mm actuation distance and 4 mm of key travel. While this does mean you could rapid-press the Tactiles quite a bit faster, they don’t feel especially satisfying. The ultra-low-profile design makes sense in a gaming laptop; on a full-size keyboard, it feels unnecessary. The programmability of the keyboard also pays dividends if you’re a fan of macros or multiple keymaps for different games. The built-in macro keys mean that your most used custom commands won’t force you to give up other keys to assign them. These keys aren’t as convenient to press as the normal K100’s left-side macro row, however, forcing you to take your hand off the mouse to access them, which is never convenient. The Corsair K100 Air Wireless isn’t what I expected from the company’s first full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard. I had hoped that Corsair would adapt its K70 design, with its traditional keycaps and tried-and-true switches. However, if you’re willing to let go of some preconceptions, there’s a lot to like about the K100 Air Wireless. It performs well, but apart from that, it looks cool, lasts a long time on a charge and deserves some credit for trying something new. Playing a mix of first-person shooters, this turned out to be a good thing. I never once ran from cover or strafed in the shadows by accident. I usually game on full-size linear switches, and that little bit of pre-travel can make it difficult to know exactly when a key is going to actuate when you’re hovering, waiting for the perfect moment. The Cherry MX ULPs’ tactility (and higher actuation force) means your presses will be more intentional and precise. Once you’re used to it, typing on the K100 Air feels almost effortless. The combination of low height, “just enough” travel, and fast actuation creates a “best of both worlds” combination that’s fast and fluid while also satisfying and intentional.You can use iCUE to customize the lighting of your keyboard and create macros that can be assigned to your six dedicated macro keys. You can also configure the various modes for your iCUE control wheel, as well as create your own custom modes. The Corsair K100 Air Wireless uses Cherry’s latest and greatest low profile switches: Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile (ULP) Tactiles. It’s a mouthful but a descriptive one, because these switches are fantastic if you’re looking for an incredibly thin keyboard that also delivers a satisfyingly tactile yet fast and familiar mechanical switch feel. The Bluetooth mode also works as advertised, and lets you connect to up to three different systems. As such, you could theoretically connect the K100 Air Wireless to four different devices around your home, which is helpful if you have a desktop, a laptop, a game console and a mobile device. The optical-mechanical keyboard uses the CORSAIR OPX optical keyswitches. These keyswitches use a beam of infrared light to register a keypress, giving the keyboard a smaller actuation distance and a faster time to register keypresses. There is zero debounce delay and rapid keypresses will still register.

Of the many niceties the K100 AIR offers, it is missing one important feature: the ability to swap between Windows and Mac configurations. That is to say, you can easily switch between Bluetooth connections using the programmable multi-device "G1" through "G4" keys (atop the numpad), but the Windows key will always look like a Windows key, and you won't have Command or Option keycaps at your disposal. The keyboard is fully usable on Mac, but it can be confusing when the actions of the operating system don't match up with the keys under your fingertips. Gaming on the K100 Air Wireless is just as good as typing. Compared to the standard K100, there are a lot of features carried over. The choice between the two really comes down to how much you crave the low profile design or value the larger K100’s multifunction dial. The Corsair K100’s laser-based switches pair their impressive technology with a solid set of specifications. They have a 45g actuation force and 3.2mm of travel alongside a 1mm actuation point. The K100 also has full NKRO and anti-ghosting. The keys use a linear motion, which means that they press down smoothly, without the noticeable bump delivered by many other mechanical switches. Those travel, actuation and force figures are impressive when compared with conventional hardware.At 65 grams, the ULP switches require more force to actuate than their full-size counterpart, Cherry MX Browns. The difference is only ten grams (MX Browns require 55 grams of actuation force), but it’s noticeable. The flat design of the keycaps also makes the increased force necessary to minimize typos, but it’s not a complete solution. Bluetooth is best left for typing and slow-paced games. It doesn’t benefit from any kind of speed boost the way Slipstream does, which means you’ll be limited to the standard 125Hz, or 8ms, polling rate. That didn’t make much of a difference when I played slower games like World of Warcraft, but you can feel it when raising your weapon and firing in Battlefield 2042.

The K100 RGB keyboard comes in two different types: optical-mechanical and mechanical. This article will detail the tech specs, features, and help articles for both versions of the K100. Typing on the keyboard is a lot like typing on a laptop, with the added benefit of that improved key feel. Since the keyboard is so thin, it can lay completely flat or have a slight tilt by flipping the built-in feet. Unlike most laptops, there’s extra space between each key, so finger positioning stays consistent with other full-size desktop keyboards. The feature set is rounded out by ample RGB LED lighting. Each key has its own customisable LED, and the keyboard’s edges are also illuminated. I think the lighting is superb – clear and bright. The Corsair looks fantastic overall, with a brushed aluminium top-plate and keys that stand proud of the metal to let the lights glow. The bottom edge of the K100 can be bolstered by a comfortable magnetic wrist-rest, and Corsair includes a selection of replacement buttons – I found six in the box designed for MOBA gaming and four that are more suited to FPS titles.

4,000Hz polling, optical switches and… Hyper-Threading?

The K100 uses an Arm processor that has multi-threading, and 8MB of on-board memory means that the K100 can have complex lighting effects and up to 200 profiles stored on the device. The CPU also means the K100 can use a 4000Hz polling rate, although it’s set to 1000Hz by default, which I found perfectly fine. This is another area where the Corsair is incredibly capable; but it will be overkill for most users. Corsair’s switches compare well to Razer’s opto-mechanical rival, too. The Huntsman Elite’s hardware has a 3.5mm travel distance and a 1.5mm actuation point, and they also use a tactile motion with a noticeable bump as you depress the keys. Corsair has created something unique here. While there are still some areas for improvement (like the shine on the keycaps), it’s the thinnest mechanical gaming keyboard I’ve seen from a large gaming brand, and Corsair has nailed the execution. The biggest thing I’m left wishing for is that smaller layouts were available at launch to make it my go-to travel keyboard. As it stands, this is an excellent choice if you’re a fan of chiclet-style keys and clean mechanical typing.

This keyboard has impressive overall build quality. The chassis is very slim and made of plastic, but it feels quite sturdy and isn't flexible. The top of the keyboard frame is made of aluminum and has a stylish brushed metal finish, but it easily shows any fingerprints. On the underside of the keyboard, there are two plastic incline feet and a long rubber strip that do a decent job of keeping the keyboard in place on your work surface. Corsair doesn't advertise what kind of plastic the keycaps are made of, but they feel more like lower-quality ABS rather than PBT. They have a pleasant texture and feel extremely stable while typing. They also have shine-through legends to let you see the legends lit by RGB lighting in darker environments.There's no question that the Corsair K100 RGB is a colossus of a keyboard. Weighing just under three pounds, it's heavier than most full-sized boards, and the dimensions don't make the portability any better. Still, if you plan on setting and forgetting the K100, then your biggest concern should be making desk space to fit the keyboard and its accommodating wrist rest. The review unit that I tested came with Corsair's new OPX optical-mechanical switches, but the K100 also comes in a Cherry MX Speed variant. No matter which version you buy, you'll be typing on linear-based keys. Design We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3, which overhauls how key input is evaluated. We've added new tests for Single Key Latency, Multi Key Latency, Data Transmission, and Chord Split. We've also introduced a new Raw Performance usage and adjusted how the Gaming and Office usage scores are calculated. You can see the full changelog here. Possessing a gorgeous aesthetic, top-tier performance, and advanced connectivity, the K100 AIR gives you an undeniable competitive and stylistic edge to elevate your work and play. Speed isn’t the only claimed benefit. Fewer discreet parts results in improved reliability, plus you don’t suffer from debounce delay – the issue where mechanical keyboards wait for a short period before resetting because they don’t want to accidentally register a bouncing key as multiple keypresses.