Corsair has added another high-end prospect to its expanding K70 lineup. The new Corsair K70 RGB PRO offers a substantial upgrade to the established K70 RGB MK.2 and the K70 RGB TKL Champion Series, with the main draw being the implementation of Corsair's AXON hyper-processing technology that promises lightning-quick inputs. It's touted as the ultimate upgrade to the K70 series and looks to combine (and upgrade) all the elements from past K70 releases.

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Right out of the box, it's the perfect upgrade in terms of visual presentation. A full-sized keyboard with a sleek black aluminum frame, the K70 RGB PRO offers all the media buttons, functionality shortcuts, and visual flair of its predecessors, with subtle yet powerful upgrades that bring it into the modern age of PC gaming while still maintaining the identity that has made the K70 line so successful over the years.

Corsair K70 RGB PRO Box

Right out of the box, it's clear to see that the K70 is a quality product. Its brushed aluminum casing looks strong, a visual detail that's underlined as soon as it's picked up. It's hard not to notice the immediate weight of the K70 RGB Pro, which is hefty at almost 2.5 lbs. After the board has been removed from the box, an inner flap opens up to reveal a 5+ foot long braided USB cable, which is independent of the board itself and plugs snuggly into a port located near the center on the back edge. Although the cable seems to snap in securely, this type of disconnect-able braid can be a bit of an annoyance for gamers that find themselves constantly moving their keyboard or repositioning it during particularly active play sessions. It is possible for the connection to lose its tight grip over time, as opposed to keyboards with fixed cables.

The braid itself is a bit of an annoyance too, as it's prone to kink up and bend awkwardly, which becomes a nuisance for players that have to constantly disconnect it from both the keyboard and PC to unravel it as much as possible. It also comes packed with a rather nice, sturdy wrist rest. Unfortunately, there is no padding on the rest itself, but the top does feel relatively soft when using it and there are small holes littering the surface for breathability. It even connects magnetically to the bottom of the keyboard itself, helping it to snap securely into place. There are also rubber feet that line the underside at strategic points to keep it as stationary as possible when in use.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro Front

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Those looking for a gaming keyboard that is just as useful when surfing the web or checking their email will fall in love with the performance of the K70 RGB Pro, which features a wide array of switch choices (chosen during purchase). The model we tested came with traditional Cherry MX switches, which offer a nice middle ground between a looser switch and something more tactile, as they don't require much force to push them all the way down. The Cherry MX provides solid feedback, which feels amazing when gaming and pretty great when simply typing. The keycaps themselves are a PBT material and feature a slight stipple-style grip on them that actually helps to keep a player's fingers firmly on the key they intend to press. This will keep fingers from accidentally slipping off the keys, as they aren't overly glossy or slippery like some other available gaming keyboards.

Corsair K70 RGB Pro Close Side Butttons

When it comes to performance, the biggest draw for the K70 RGB Pro is Corsair's AXON technology, which proudly boasts an 8000Hz Polling Rate. While this isn't a big deal for Corsair K70 TKL owners (as the board features the same Polling Rate of 8000Hz), it stands as a pretty significant jump for those that have any of the older K70 boards in their arsenal. These original boards polled at about 1000Hz, making them far from as powerful as the latest AXON tech hidden within the K70 RGB Pro. In Laymen's terms, that means the PC will be able to recognize a player's inputs around 8 times faster than the old K70 series. This is a pretty big step forward and might be a justifiable upgrade for those that love the look and feel of a K70 but want a performance boost (and some other helpful features).

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There is quite a bit of increased functionality with the K70 RGB Pro thanks to its size and number of media buttons. Players will have access to a full number pad, as well as a Function Key (next to the right ALT key) that will open up additional options when held down. Although there is a lot of increased customization unlocked in the board's companion iCUE software, it already has some built-in functionality concerning the FN key, as well as some stock RGB profiles that players can cycle through by holding down FN and hitting the number keys (1 through 0) just below the F (F1-12) keys at the top of the casing. The functionality continues in the top right-hand corner of the keyboard, where players will gain access to some useful Media keys, including Stop, Pause/Play, Rewind, and Fast Forward. There is even a mute button, along with an elongated wheel that can quickly and easily control the PC's volume slider.

Corsair K70 RGB Media Closeup

The iCUE software that users can download for the K70 RGB Pro unlocks a myriad of available options that turn this otherwise traditional gaming keyboard into something truly customizable. There are so many options to sift through within the software, allowing the user to change everything from individual key lighting to the actual functionality of the keys themselves. This will allow gamers, designers, or everyday users to create a color scheme that appeals most to them, with add-on effects that will animate the RGB palette with things like "breathing mode" or "pulse," which adds even more beauty to the already sleek and stylish board. Gamers can even add custom macros to rattle off specific moves in games, or to write preset messages into a chat.

Overall, the K70 RGB Pro is a beautiful, sturdy, and heavily customizable keyboard that offers immense gaming performance thanks to its improved AXON technology. Although this board is perfect for those that love to play games, especially competitively, it should still appeal to non-gamers, casual players, and even designers and typists, thanks to its beautiful design, bright RGB keys, and tactile switches. There's a switch type for everyone, giving even more choice when it comes to crafting a K70 RGB Pro that looks and feels as if it's tailor-made for the user. This is definitely one of the best boards that Corsair has produced in recent years, showing that the company is focused heavily on performance, while still providing gamers and PC enthusiasts with an immense amount of functionality and user-friendliness packed in.

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