Verdict
At just £ 40 , the Corsair K55 Core offers a good enough typing experience at a price that ’s easy to justify . you may get a more unequalled tone with off - make offerings , but its soft RGB lighting is delicious .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
There ’s always been a great focus on the high - last peripherals from manufacturers . But , the prey is the budget crew with the new Corsair K55 Core keyboard .
TheRazer Blackwidow V4 Pro , Asus ROG Claymore II , andCorsair K70 Maxare all price above £ 200 , rivalling some professional euphony equipment . But it ’s here at the low end of the market where thing can get interesting .
Sitting pretty at just £ 40 , the Corsair K55 Core is more than already half the price of the K70 Core . The biggest reasonableness for that ? No mechanical keys .
The hyper - specific sound and feel they pop the question are a major marketing compass point of any keyboard . But if you do n’t have the budget , or just want a keyboard with a soft glow and a little turn of utility , it ’s proof that you do n’t need to get hold away when picking one out .
Design
The Corsair K55 does n’t come in blanched . have ’s get that out of the agency first . There ’s a bootleg variant and a slightly less dark grey affair . There ’s very little conflict between the two . The biggest takeaway here is that it wo n’t suit a blank , bright , energizing sort of setup .
This full - sized keyboard is n’t hide much individual solar flare on its body . The outside is about as lean as you ’d expect , and there ’s no let in wristrest to spice it up .
There ’s no USB hub for your computer mouse , wireless receiver , or computer storage gimmick : but it does have dedicate media keys for control your playlists laid out in a four - section circle in the top right corner alongside a simple luminousness toggle switch and a Windows Lock key for disabling that potentially pesky menu push button .
On the back , thing are relatively dewy-eyed yet again . You have single - stage leg for wakeful angle adjustment and a pattern design that at least gives it a little bit of personality and eubstance across Corsair ’s mountain range of gaming computer peripheral .
For this keyboard , it point to stand out not by a complicated pattern philosophy , but through piano , balanced lighting . And it mostly follow . More on that in a bit .
The Corsair please with its canonic publicity . It ’s a svelte cardboard box seat . The cable system is tucked off , and the keyboard itself is wrap up in branded packaging paper . Take the merchandise out and the sleep is ready for recycle . prissy work , Corsair .
Performance
At around £ 40 , it ’s hard not to expect classic safety attic switches . That ’s exactly what you get with the Corsair K55 Core .
They ’re never going to offer the short and jaunty spirit of amechanical switch , nor the tactile bump and clack . But that ’s far from being a bad thing . Best described as a low thump , the membrane replacement of the Corsair K55 Core are amazingly satisfying to typewrite on .
The instinctive way the safety domes are forced to bulge back up after each chance event can feel a footling intrusive fare from mechanically skillful keys . footling key stabilisation leaves room for improvement , but the deck is solid enough under your chance event , making for a sturdy , consistent experience .
It ’s responsive . That ’s what matter . The clump of each samara as it pops down to bottom out and register is enough to confirm your intent . you could feel confident with it .
Across general typing and gaming , there is n’t much to worry about . The paint are nicely space apart and contoured to keep your fingers from lose their market alone . For a near week come from a Keychron Q1 Max , I had no issue writing up review and love some Crab Champions .
I was never able-bodied to get fully up to speed , but mistakes were few and far between . Unless you ’re gaming at a professional level , you wo n’t have an issue . It would have been squeamish to see a volume roulette wheel or some consistency between the popping master key and the loud , clicky media keys , but it ’s hardly a mass breaker .
As for longevity , 300ml water resistance should see it shrug off most major spillway . It ’s hard to say how long the caption on the key will last . There ’s little documentation on the fabric used . After a solid week of manipulation , however , mine still looks practically Modern . You might notice some fossil oil buildup over time . Just wipe it down and it ’ll keep on blend .
Software and Lighting
Again , the raw typewriting experience is n’t really what the Corsair K55 Core is concentre on . It ’s self-colored enough , but it ’s the RGB lighting that aid it endure out .
Although only addressable across 10 decided geographical zone – which is still somehow double that of the K55 RGB Pro – it ’s bright and , more significantly , diffused wonderfully beneath the keys , offer a easygoing and smooth glow . It is n’t jarring . Rather than command your attention , it blends in well with a suitable setup . Wavy patterns can be distracting as whole sections alter at once , but when go under to a strong colour , it ’s lovely .
Being iCUE enable , you’re able to apply Corsair ’s software to pair it with other compatible products . The 10 - zone limitation propagate across a full - sized display panel could look a trivial out of place against some more expensive add - ons within the ecosystem , but you ’ll seldom be pairing a £ 40 keyboard with a £ 120 solidifying of vertical lighting towers .
With the Corsair LS100 strips behind your monitor or desk and the Corsair MM700 mouse pad , you ’ll achieve a good , sportsmanlike flavour . You ’ll also come up a few minuscule holes on the underside for light to spill out beneath the deck and onto your desk . It ’s barely noticeable in most scenarios , but an attempt was made .
Through the software , you’re able to impute macros to any key you require ( admit the media course ) , assign a lighting consequence for the board to default on to when iCUE is n’t run , and change all the usual parameters of your instrument panel . imagine you ’ll profit by save some CPU hertz ? Crank the polling charge per unit down . It ’s a budget circuit board , but there ’s a good degree of customization .
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Should you buy it?
It ’s hard to blame the Corsair K55 Core . you’re able to find better typing experiences at this price , but you ’ll struggle to find this kind of gentle , diffused lighting . It ’s a honorable stocking stuffer for a unexampled gamer .
tissue layer keyboards can feel like the keyboard equivalent of walking in clay . It ’s potential , but it ’s not the best . If you ’re look for a competitive advantage , go mechanically skillful .
Final Thoughts
If you do n’t want to take a chance it with off - stain peripherals on Amazon , the Corsair K55 Core pairs a dependable enough typing experience with some luscious RGB flair for a buy terms . And given it ’s typically available in retail stores – already at a price reduction , too – it ’s bond to be easier to return if needed . If you’re able to pardon the gaudy pack of cards , theRoccat Magmaat least comes with a radiocarpal joint rest .
Suppose you do have a little more to spend , take a look at ourbest keyboardsguide , and , for the interest of versatility , consider the ergonomicLogitech Wave Keys . If you’re able to make do with down - profile keys , theJLab Epic Wirelessis another one to look at . But when it comes to gaming , the marvelous , chunky keycaps of the Corsair K55 Core are , no punning intended , a core part of the experience .
Trusted Score
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a week . During that time , we ’ll tick off it for ease of use and put it through its paces across game and typical PC use .
We also check into each keyboard ’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up .
FAQs
you may programme and customize your Corsair computer peripheral using its iCUE computer software , from programming macros to setting zone RGB .
Full Specs
