The Corsair Gaming K95 RGB Platinum Mechanical Keyboard Review

Per-Key Quality Testing

In order to test the quality and consistency of a keyboard, we are using a texture analyser that is programmed to measure and display the actuation force of the standard keyboard keys. By measuring the actuation force of every key, the quality and consistency of the keyboard can be quantified. It can also reveal design issues, such as the larger keys being far softer to press than the main keys of the keyboard. The actuation force is measured in Centinewton (cN). Some companies use another figure, gram-force (gf). The conversion formula is 1 cN = 1.02 gf (i.e. they are about the same). A high quality keyboard should be as consistent as possible, with an average actuation force as near to the manufacturer's specs as possible and a disparity of less than ±10%. Greater differences are likely to be perceptible by users. It is worth noting that there is typically variance among keyboards, although most keyboard companies will try and maintain consistency - as with other reviews, we're testing our sample only.

The machine we use for our testing is accurate enough to provide readings with a resolution of 0.1 cN. For wider keys (e.g. Enter, Space Bar, etc.), the measurement is taking place at the center of the key, right above the switch. Note that large keys generally have a lower actuation force even if the actuation point is at the dead center of the key. This is natural, as the size and weight of the keycap reduces the required actuation force. For this reason, we do display the force required to actuate every key but we only use the results of the typical sized keys for our consistency calculations. Still, very low figures on medium sized keys, such as the Shift and Enter keys reveal design issues and can easily be perceptible by the user.

There were no surprises here. Cherry’s MX switches are of excellent quality and almost always give us exceptional, consistent readings. Our measured average actuation force across the main keys of the keyboard was 45 cN, only slightly above the manufacturer’s specification (45 gram-force, or 44.1 cN). There disparity is minimal, at just 2.3% across the main keys of the keyboard, which is one of the lowest readings that we have ever recorded. Only figures above 8-9% could be discernable by touch and we consider everything below 7% to be a very good reading.  

Hands-on Testing

I always try to use every keyboard that we review as my personal keyboard for at least a week. My typical weekly usage includes a lot of typing (about 100-150 pages), a few hours of gaming and some casual usage, such as internet browsing and messaging. I personally prefer Cherry MX Brown or similar (tactile) switches for such tasks but I do not find linear switches to be uncomfortable either. However, I found that the Cherry MX Speed switches are not exactly ideal for typists. The main reason for this is the shortened travel distance, which significantly increases the stiffness rate of the springs. In simpler terms, the springs get stiffer faster to prevent the finger from bottoming down the keystroke. The high resistance of the springs across a short travel distance results to fatigue after long typing sessions, higher than that of even Cherry’s MX Black switches, which may be stiffer but have a longer travel distance and thus a smoother distribution of the force. This will not be an issue for simply writing a few emails or doing a few page’s worth of work, but professional typists will definitely want to look for the model with the Cherry MX Brown switches instead.

For gamers, the K95 RGB Platinum likely is one of the best keyboards that money can buy. The keyboard is both very practical and comfortable for long gaming sessions, especially on the software side, as the provided CUE software can be used to work miracles in more complex games, especially MMO games. It would be difficult to claim that the shorter actuation distance of the Cherry MX Speed switch actually makes any practical difference - it is a difference of a few milliseconds, at best. The stronger springs of the switch however exert significantly higher force, allowing each switch to reset faster once it has been actuated. In scenarios where rapid continuous keystrokes are necessary, only then the Cherry MX Speed switch can provide a measurable advantage.