Common Corsair Keyboard Questions

Corsair Keyboard Commonly Asked Questions

There has been lots of interest with our line-up of gaming keyboards. Here are some common questions people have been asking along with some additional information about the products.

Q: What is the difference between a mechanical switch and a membrane switch?

A: Our lineup of Corsair Gaming Keyboards use mechanical key switches, specifically Cherry MX switches. Our K65 and K95 use Cherry MX Reds while our K70 has Cherry MX Red, Blue, or Brown available. Our latest line-up of RGB Keyboards exclusively use Cherry MX RGB switches with Cherry MX Red RGB available with K65/K70/K95 RGB and Cherry MX Brown available with K70/K95 RGB.

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Corsair Raptor keyboards use a rubber membrane switch, similarly found in most other keyboards in the market. Membrane keys are quieter than mechanical switches and are what most people are accustomed to.

Q: What does Cherry MX Brown/Red/Blue mean?

A: All Corsair mechanical keyboards use Cherry MX switches which differ on actuation force and feedback. Despite the fact that the switches are referred to by color, Cherry actually does not identify them as such.  However, as it is easier to say Cherry MX Red (representing linear feedback and 45g of force for actuation) than it is to say Cherry Switch MX1A-L1XX.

Here is a good visual example of what each switch does.

Cherry MX Red: Cherry MX Red is the switch we use the most on our Corsair keyboards. It has linear feedback which means that the key when pressed will not have a bump or click to it. Most gamers prefer this switch because it makes double-taps quick and easy. Since the actuation at 45g is relatively small, the keys are also easy to press and register for quick actions.

Cherry MX Blue: Cherry MX Blue (only available on the K70) is the mechanical switch that is less sensitive as the Cherry MX Red and uses tactile feedback with a click. Requiring 60g of actuation force, this key switch is popular for those who prefer to hear a click when a key is pressed. While not as optimal for gaming, some people prefer the blue switch for typing since it is not as sensitive as the reds.

Cherry MX Brown: Cherry MX Browns (only available on the K70) is the mechanical switch best described as being a compromise between Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Blue. Requiring 55g of actuation force, the Cherry MX Brown uses a tactile switch for feedback similar to a bump as you press the key (similar to that of a membrane keyboard). Some people prefer the browns because they dislike the clicking of the blue but prefer the reduction in sensitivity of the red switches.

(thanks to Manyak at overclockers.net for the guide and Leathal Squirrel at keyboardlover.com for the gifs):

Q: What is N-key rollover?

A: These terms are often used to describe keyboard features and both refer to how many keys can be simultaneously pressed to register input. Some keyboards may only have 6-Key Rollover which means that the keyboard may only be able to display 6 simultaneous keys at once. Corsair mechanical keybaords use N-key rollover which means that you can use any number of simultaneous keypresses and all will register properly at once. Here is a link to a good test to see what your keyboard is capable of, and to test your Corsair keyboard as well: http://www.microsoft.com/appliedsciences/content/projects/KeyboardGhostingDemo.aspx.

Raptor keyboards as membrane units do not use N-key rollover but have anti-ghosting capabilities built in as well so that simultaneous keypresses will also register correctly.

Q: Why does my scroll lock LED flash?

A: All of our new mechanical keyboards now come with the option of changing the polling rate in addition to enabling "BIOS mode." While the values refer to the polling rate (ex: 1 = 1ms = 1000hz), BIOS mode is a special setting that allows your mechanical keyboard to work with legacy setups. If you have an older system that does not detect our keyboard correctly through USB, setting to BIOS mode will configure the keyboard to act as a standard 108-key peripheral so it will work. However, in BIOS mode, many features (like n-key rollover) are disabled. The scroll lock LED flashing is to remind you that you are not in standard mode and should switch back to it once you do not need to be in your BIOS anymore.

Q: What does the 1, 2, 4, and 8 setting mean?

A: This value (measured in milliseconds) is how often the keyboard is polled and sends information to your computer. Most users will leave it at 1ms (1000hz) for the lowest polling but it will consume additional CPU resources.  If you find your system is slowing down while using our keyboard, you can increase this polling rate to decrease the CPU resources.

Q: Is the USB port for USB 2.0 or 3.0?

A: The USB port is a passthrough for USB 2.0. It is also compatible with USB 3.0 but you will only get USB 2.0 speeds while using the port. The passthrough uses it's own USB cable as well so if you do not need it or do not have enough USB ports avilable, you will not have to connect it to your system.

Q: How do I configure the LED backlighting on my keyboard?

A: Hold down the button shown in the image above. This is the LED configuration button found on the K70 and K95. Continue to hold this button down until the ring around the button flashes red. Once it flashes red, you may release the button. You should now be able to configure which key is lit or unlit by pressing on the key you desire to change. You can also press on the dimmer switch next to the LED button and enable all lights on or off to start your configuration without having to press all the keys to turn them on or off. Once you are satisfied with your pattern, press and hold down the LED button until it is no longer flashing red.

Q: How do I enable Reactive Typing* and what does it do?

A: As a hidden Easter Egg, our non-RGB gaming keyboard LED's can be configured such that the LED for the keys will only light up when the key is pressed and then turns off shortly after the key is released. Simply hold the CTRL key down, and while keeping it depressed, press and hold down the LED configuration button. Then release both keys. You should notice (if they were on) all of your keyboard LEDs turning off which confirms the reactive typing mode.

To disable it, simply press the LED configuration button and it'll revert back to normal. Please note though that if you restart the system or unplug the keyboard, the reactive typing mode will have to be re-enabled again.

Q: What does the Windows Lock key do?

A: The windows lock key located next to the dimmer button enables and disables the Windows key next to the ALT buttons. This prevents accidental pressing of the button (which brings you back to the desktop/home screen) while in a game.

Please feel free to comment or ask any additional questions you may have below and I'll be more than happy to answer them as well (and update the guide accordingly). Happy gaming!