iCUE K55

Not sure if anyone has noticed, but the new ICUE update has given users with some of the lower end keyboards (Myself included, i use a K55) a whole ton of new lighting options that it didn't before.

I'm definitely not complaining, I had just noticed not many people, if any had posted about this. I don't believe corsair even really touched on this in the release notes. either way, the improvements for a keyboard with only 3 lighting zones are actually quite game changing as far as the whole setup is concerned.

Everything I had read, had also told me the K55 was not able to sync up to my other lighting link enabled devices but now it does flawlessly. In the end i was considering buying a better keyboard as my whole setup is kind of dependent on all of my Lights syncing up (and trust me i have a lot of them). I no longer am considering this option as this update has pretty much given me a brand new keyboard, as far as the software side is concerned at least.

This is not necessarily a review, just more of a post to inform some of the users of the less expensive products out there that don't get quite the recognition they deserve.

I have seen people complain that there isn't a lot of content devoted to some of these products, so just though i'd give a heads up to anyone who hadn't really looked into it yet.

Hey glad you like it! There are some effects that don't work properly or won't show correctly since there are only 3 lighting zones, but it is a big upgrade

Really? i hadn't really noticed any issues with any of the lighting options available. Either way you probably know better than I would. In the end, the software gives the keyboard options it had a fraction of before. Allows people to start "bawlin on a budget" or so to speak. I don't really feel a need to get salty about all the things that don't work 100% or are not in there right now. I'm to busy with all the stuff it DID bring to the table.

Really not too worried that it can't do EVERYTHING. if you're buying a k55 you should understand that you're limited to 3 lighting zones and limited effects. I bought the keyboard knowing that. People need to do their research before buying something like this if they want it to work the way they want. whats already been added here is nothing short of remarkable. I am aware of the limitations of the keyboard, but I would imagine the average user or buyer of this keyboard is really not going to care about the very limited few options that do not work. I used the old version of CUE and the options for this keyboard were very limited and could not sync up properly to my Corsair harpoon, St100 and MM800. This update allows the keyboard to link up to everything else with the same patterns (for the most part) and effects. to me what was added was enough to justify at least a slight price increase on corsairs part. Long story short. I'm VERY happy with what the software does and think that corsair is the way to go for anyone that wants to put some RGB into their setup and not have it look tacky and like a child build it.

 

I'll end this by saying this, despite the issues you claim, it's not a high end mechanical keyboard. it's designed to sit in a certain place in the market for the budget enthusiast. Yes the software has a few bugs, and i'm sure they will be fixed over time. But as it stands right now i really dont feel that anyone that owns a k55 or is considering purchasing one has anything to complain about as far as performance per dollar is concerned. this software makes the k55 an insane bang for your buck.

my k55 do a bunch and work awesome with the RGB lights FANS

K55 sadly doesn't support the lighting effects you see that are derived from the mechanical keyboards and is a bug. It isn't that we don't want you to do so but rather the K55 hardware isn't capable of actually playing the lighting.

 

Sorry about that.

 

when this "bug" was not "fixed" i could perfectly sync my keyboard, but now that option is not available. there is no reason that this keyboard can't sync with my other corsair products,considering it has synced before.

Hey All, I just figured I'd post this in case anyone might be interested, or moreover, anyone from the Corsair team is reading this:

 

I just stumbled across this thread and wanted to say that it literally just made my decision to buy a Corsair K55. Thanks for the information, and the comments!

 

I've been nursing an old Ideazon (before they became SteelSeries) MERC Zboard for a long time and have been quite happy, except for the fact that updates to Windows 10 have seriously broken the functionality of the keyboard... and with it being EOSL, there are no new drivers to be had and no fixes to be expected, only partial workarounds. So, I'm in the market for a new keyboard.

 

The problem is that despite the movement towards mechanical keyboards, I (and I know I'm in the minority here) strongly prefer a membrane keyboard because of the softer & quieter key presses, and I actually really don't like the sound of a mechanical. I know membrane keyboards have become the unloved kids of the gaming community, but I want one, and they're really all I will consider - that, and the price point is in my range. I don't beat on my keyboards despite a lot of regular, daily use, so there isn't enough reason for me to want to pay more for something that has added durability, but is also something I won't like.

 

I've been considering a number of different makers (Logitech, Red Dragon, SteelSeries, Corsair, Razer) after some research, but haven't been able to make a clear decision.

 

So, enter this thread: Every article or review I had read or watched on the K55 indicated it didn't need any special software (which is great, generally) to control the RGB backlighting, however I recently also sprang for a Corsair Void Pro RGB headset and have been using the iCUE software. After reading this thread, I just realized that there was a significant value-add in the iCUE updates for the K55, and I could effectively sync lighting and control the keyboard through iCUE (as I do now for my Void Pro RGB headset) while also eliminating the need for the Ideazon Zboard software.

 

So, I'm going with the K55, purely because, besides the features, Corsair made the decision to invest time and effort into the support & software for this board. It's only one sale to start, but if this is what I can expect, I'll be continuing to seek out Corsair for other peripherals, and memory too.

 

TL;DR - Corsair made the decision to invest in & enhance significant features for their less expensive /entry-level keyboards. This attitude (and those enhancements) made me decide to buy one. I might turn into a Corsair customer for life because of it.

K55 sadly doesn't support the lighting effects you see that are derived from the mechanical keyboards and is a bug. It isn't that we don't want you to do so but rather the K55 hardware isn't capable of actually playing the lighting.

 

Sorry about that.

would the K55 still work with wallpaper engine?