 Sometimes, we don't really need to upgrade our PC and what we really want is to make what we already have feel new again. Upgrading your keyboard is a great option if you're looking to feel refreshed with your PC setup without having to sell any organs in order to do so, well, depending on what keyboard you're getting. I'm Rafael from Hardware Sugar and this is our review of the Corsair K70 Mark II after 10 months of use. Corsair is a premium brand and the material used to form the K70 definitely reflects the price point. The top board is made out of brushed aluminum or a fancy way of saying that there are pink brush streaks across the metal frame. I like the lip above which juts out before its sharp edges that make the user feel as though he is gaming with the equivalent of a military-grade knife. A design choice you won't see in mini keyboards because they won't be minis or razors keyboards which prefer a more blockish and smooth shape. The bottom layer of the keyboard is made out of high quality matted black plastic and honestly I hadn't noticed it until I began formulating this review. While although plastic, it feels smooth to the touch as though I'm touching the delicately crafted wings of a stealth fighter. Weighing in at 2.65 pounds, the K70 feels substantial in the hands and every now and then I find myself picking it up just for the fun of it. The thick unbendable cable wire which connects to the computer is standard however I long for the day when all of these are replaced with more natural and flexible cables like the almost shoelace feel of the ROG Keras. I dislike the USB slot placed at the back of the K70 because it requires me to stand up whenever I want to plug something in. I very much prefer the way Razer has its USB ports placed on the side thus resulting in a quicker and more natural installation. However, it was pointed out to me by one of our viewers that this is to avoid any extensions from colliding with your mouse which makes sense. The length of the keyboard is just right. If you aren't into miniature keyboards and you really need the numpad on the right or if you just like seeing the additional numpad sort of like having a safety blanket which you never use then this keyboard size is for you. There is just enough distance for my fingers to travel which makes me feel as though I'm typing on the tech equivalent of a piano. This however may not be the most efficient outline for hardcore gamers who prefer a more compact system. If however you want the thicker version you should look into the K95 which has an additional 6 programmable keys on the far left for an additional $40 or 2000 pesos based on the local Philippine market rate. Personally, I wouldn't because the only difference between the K70 and the K95 is that there is an additional RGB light streak in front and the programmable keys both of which I can live without. What I can also live without are the optional textured extra keys for the WASD. They come free with the K70 which might appeal to a lot of gamers but not me because the grade detracts too much from the black design aesthetic. When it comes to more textures over a cohesive design I will always go with the latter. The height adjustment pads coupled with the wrist support provide an extremely comfortable typing experience. I don't feel a strain on my hand joints whatsoever. I definitely feel a strain though if I am using the wrist support without the height adjustment. If for any reason you prefer not to raise the height of your K70 then it would be best to enjoy the K70 naked for a more comfortable experience. The adjustment pads, wrist support and other key elements of the belly of the K70 have rubber layers which protect your table from scratches. Hey if you like what you're watching so far please consider liking and subscribing to Hardware Sugar where we generate regular tech content. The textured wrist support is made out of plastic instead of the usual fake leather which other keyboards provide. I however think that this is superior to fake leather because fake leather peels quite easily over a short period of time, maybe a year or two down the line. Peeling occurs due to the merging of body oil from your palms over time. Something which is impossible to avoid especially with an arm rest since your palms are meant to remain permanently on them throughout your use. The textured matted black plastic feels good to the touch and it acts as a form of grip to prevent sweaty palms from ruining your kill. It is worthy to note that the space bar shares the same texture design. I personally like a keyboard which gives me a diversity of different textures for me to touch. It breaks up the monotony of feeling the same things over prolonged work sessions. One major drawback of the wrist support is that it covers the RGB lighting of the bottom keys. I talked about this in great detail that the extremely more affordable ASUS TUF K3 keyboard's wrist rest got this done correctly. My only problem with that keyboard however is that the wrist support just had too much branding. However, if you are in the market for a good keyboard which doesn't cost too much but is great, you should take a look at that and I'll leave a link to our K3 review above. One of the biggest reasons why I will always have a large keyboard is because of dedicated media keys. I hate having to ever use the function button of the keyboard for anything. And volume, believe it or not, is always something that you need to tinker around with almost every time. There is also a mute button and the basic stop, pause and so forth buttons. However, it is the volume scroll wheel and the mute button which are essential. I am however very disappointed in the fact that the scroll wheel's input gets stuck permanently on either bringing the volume up all the way until 100% or down to 0%. The physical wheel will still move of course, it's just that the computer will just have it stuck in a single direction. The only solution would be to unplug the K70 entirely from the PC and plug it back in or to restart your PC. It doesn't happen all the time but it has happened easily at least 12 times. Nevertheless, the choice of a scroll wheel as opposed to volume buttons is very much appreciated. Again, different textures, like a fine dining meal, make using the K70 more enjoyable. A bonus I just discovered was that if I'm using Spotify on my phone while it is attached to my Bluetooth speakers, I can pause the song or skip back or forward to the next song through the K70's media keys. ASUS sent us over the ROG Falcon wireless keyboard and it has a different take on the media keys which is a touchscreen slider which glows a different color when it is in use. This is a novel alternative if you want a different kind of volume controller. Stay tuned for our upcoming review of this keyboard in the future. The K70 uses Cherry switches and you have your choice of getting the K70 in blue which mine is, silent, brown, speed and red. If you don't know the differences, the blue is loud and extremely tactile. If you have thin walls or if you have roommates, I strongly advise against this keyboard. When Anton comes over to use my keyboard sometimes, I can hear him two floors away with the door open. It is irritating for everyone else but music to my own ears when I use it. The red switches are what most professional gamers use because they require less feedback. The ROG Falcon which has Cherry switches and these are how they sound like. If you're coming from a Razer keyboard which uses green switches like how I was, then the most similar switches would be the blue switches. The RGB is controlled by Corsairs IQ, however I have discovered that the keyboard also responds to basic RGB profiles used by ASUS or ASync. There are three brightness settings for the RGB which you can control at one of the buttons above, I just leave it on the maximum setting. You can change profiles by tapping on the profile button. If you plan on taking the keyboard away from your computer, you can install three profiles which the keyboard will remember, even if it is plugged into a different system. Corsair has a lot of RGB profiles you can download, I'll leave a link in the description below. I won't delve much into how to use the Corsair IQ system but safe to say that I have a lot of Corsair hardware and I rarely encounter problems. So far, the only hardware giving me problems is my Corsair ironcloth mouse which is a different matter and which I house able to solve eventually. In terms of richness of color, I believe that the ROG Falcon 7 and even my old Black Widow Chroma version 2 gives brighter colors as opposed to the K70, however it isn't by much. The K70 retails for 8,500 pesos locally or 160 US dollars and if you take into regard that a lot of people would be happy to afford a Ryzen 3300G for 6,350 or even a Ryzen 5 3600 for 11,600 then in that case this keyboard is insanely expensive. But if you have a great gaming rig already and are in the budget for a premium experience, consider the Corsair K70. I would not however say that this is the best keyboard in this price range but it is definitely a great choice within it. In conclusion, the Corsair K70 is a sexy piece of hardware which is reliable, sleek and is something you should definitely consider if you have a lot of Corsair products already like myself. To me, what makes it stand out from the Razer keyboard is that Razer has failed me and my brother too many times to count over the duration of 10 years. And so I just don't trust the brand. The Asus K3 is a budget yet premium looking keyboard with the drawback of it being too brandy. If you are looking for a medium sized keyboard which is great to look at and type with, then the Corsair K70 is definitely something to consider. Just keep in mind that you are spending a little more for the name but also the durability. And we want to give a special shout out to our top fans, Liam Magnaje, Ian Meru, Richard Ronkinko, ITX Addict, John Ocea and Christian Espinosa. Again, thank you so much for your support. It really helps us out a ton. Thank you so much.