K70 Keyboard, Eleven (11) dead LEDs

[sievers808]

Well, I'm now a victim as well.

 

I ordered mine in early December last year, made it about 4 months without a single dead LED. About a week or two ago 2 lights went out, not a big deal, I was pretty much expecting it to happen.

2 lights wasn't a big deal, it was two keys I never use so whatever, I figured I'd get over it. But now 5 more have gone out (strange that they seem to go out in little batches) and it's much more noticeable.

 

It's too bad, too, because I love the keyboard so much... I don't really want to have to swap for red LEDs but I guess I'll get over it.

 

Anyways:

K70, Cherry MX Browns, silver with blue LEDs.

 

:/

[Relena]

I got my cherry MX browns when they came out. I love the keyboard, but it started losing LEDs so I RMA'd it. The replacement worked for a while, and then I lost the backlight on the l key. Ok, annoying, but I can live with one light out. It stayed like that for several days, but then the ~ key went. All right, two is bad, but still borderline. Now less than a week later o is gone and num lock looks like it's at half brightness or less.

 

I love this keyboard and have no desire to switch to reds (my brother has them and wishes he had brown or blue), but I'm really not looking forward to eating another shipping cost for another RMA. Not sure what to do :(

[benahh-x]

Had my first K70 for about a month, three LEDs died, so I returned it for a replacement which took over a month from my local store where I bought it from. Now about 3 months on the new keyboard, tonight turning my computer on I was presented with my 8/* key dead. :[pouts:

 

I love this keyboard but it's very disappointing that something so simple as lights die so quickly. Makes it look very cheap and poor quality when there's dead lights.

 

Lights are constantly on the lowest dim mode, with the entire keyboard lit up.

[cobalt_]

Another K70 owner with dead LEDs. I purchased my Corsair Vengeance K70 Cherry MX Brown keyboard about a month ago (product url: http://www.corsair.com/en-au/vengeance-k70-fully-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-cherry-mx-brown).

 

I noticed last week that two LEDs were dead so I did a quick Google and found this thread. Today a third LED has died and I suspect given more time even more will pop.

I must be the unluckiest Corsair fan and owner because I am now 3 for 3 in getting faulty Corsair products.

 

First my H100 had the annoying buzzing defect which Corsair denied there was a fault until they were blue in the face. That was until several hundred (possibly thousand?) people started complaining about it on Overclock.net (thread here http://www.overclock.net/t/1236923/corsair-h100-h80-h60-noise-grinding-pump-fix-official-corsair-response).

Then my AX1200 was struck with the buzzing fan issue which thankfully the local distributor was happy to swap over on the spot.

 

Now I see yet again Corsair is denying a problem with the K70 LED's, particularly the keyboards using the blue LEDs. A friend of mine with a K70 which has red LEDs hasn't had any go yet however it appears that there is a defect with keyboards using blue lights.

 

I really like this keyboard and would hate to have to change to another brand however I see no point in returning this keyboard for a replacement until the issue with defective LEDs (blue ones especially are addressed). I would hate to have to return the keyboard for a refund and change to another premium brand like Tesoro who have had no issues with their LEDs mysteriously dying.

[gpvecchi]

I'm with you. One blue dead led. Now, I open a ticked to know where I have to ship my keyboard; as I live in Italy, shipping overseas is too much expensive...

[cYcLoNe675]

I too have a dead LED already (less than 3 months) on my K70 gunmetal/browns.

I also have an MM200 extended mouse mat with glue failure where my wrist sits, also less than 3 months.

 

I was almost going to buy a M65 mouse (AU$72 thank you very much) to go with the rest of my gear but decided to really look into it after having two faults. Turns out that's a pile of excrement also.

 

I now consider Corsair to be very much like KIA cars, amazing designer of the outside but just cheap knock off internals.

You will have to try pretty hard to keep me as a customer, and charging me for postage from Australia just to be sent items with the same or greater chance of failure/disappointment isn't going to cut it.

 

Please excuse my anger, although I do believe I've kept within the rules. These items are not cheap and I wrongly assumed I was paying a premium for quality products.

[TheObjectivist]

I searched google hoping to find a solution and came across this forum

 

 

Same boat: K70 MX blue with blue LEDs.

 

 

Ive lost B, 5, F7 and F12 about 1 week ago

 

 

 

This behavior started after I removed my mouse USB receiver from the back of the keyboard. After a two week trip, I reinserted the usb receiver and within 5 mins the B key goes out. Later that day, the rest start going out.

 

 

I purchased the keyboard from amazon Sep 2013 - have never had a problem with it. Funny though, I bought it to replace a K90 that had a problem with the E key not registering keystrokes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's true what people say: corsair products look wonderful but their internals are poor. One of the worst vendors for reliability. What a shame.

 

If there were only alternatives, i'd be willing to spend twice as much. I just want it to work. Sighhh

[EXILE157]

WoW! :eek: I was getting close to buyin' the K70's but since Corsair can't or won't update their details on availability on the particular K70 anodized gray mechanical keyboard cherry mx blue, I've been on paused :...:

for about 2 months with no information at all :thinking: whether it will be coming soon or it's been discontinue!?:thinking:

 

Reading about these defected K70's products now has me thinking twice about getting the K70's :hmmm:

[lagasi]

All the blue LED K70's are discontinued. Confirmed through my RMA on gunmetal, blue LED, Cherry MX Brown. They are being replaced with the black ones with red LED's that come in Cherry MX Red, Blue, or Brown. The blue and brown ones haven't shipped yet so I'm still waiting on my RMA.

 

They could be because of the failure rates on the blue LED's and/or the new RGB ones that are coming out later.

[gpvecchi]

They said that replacement for blue leds keyboard may arrive at the end of may. I don't want a red led one...

[cobalt_]

So Corsair will not admit there is a problem with the blue LED's in their keyboards but are mysteriously discontinuing blue LED models? Suspicious.

 

However based on previous incidents it usually takes a few thousand people complaining in one place before they will admit there are any faults with their products.

 

All the blue LED K70's are discontinued. Confirmed through my RMA on gunmetal, blue LED, Cherry MX Brown. They are being replaced with the black ones with red LED's that come in Cherry MX Red, Blue, or Brown. The blue and brown ones haven't shipped yet so I'm still waiting on my RMA.

 

They could be because of the failure rates on the blue LED's and/or the new RGB ones that are coming out later.

[Toasted]

From the horse's mouth:

 

We are consolidating our line in preparation of the RGB keyboard launch. The most requested color combination was black/red and in the Cherry MX Blue and Brown switches. By popular demand we created these keyboards.

 

In otherwords, yes, the following models are EOL:

[TABLE=head]Name | Part Number | Switch Type | Color | Lighting

CH-9000019 | K70 | Cherry MX Red | Silver | Blue

CH-9000045 | K70 | Cherry MX Blue | Gunmetal Gray | Blue

CH-9000050 | K70 | Cherry MX Brown | Gunmetal Gray | Blue

[/TABLE]

 

Source: http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showpost.php?p=707157&postcount=19

[EXILE157]

I originally wanted to go with the K70's :cool: but I guess it's time to look into other brands making Mechanical Gaming Keyboards with Blue led Lights!

[CodsterTX]

I'm currently waiting on an RMA for CH-9000019-NA (red switch/blue led). I will not accept a red LED replacement board. Will they let us pay extra to get a RGB board?

[Technobeard]

I'm currently waiting on an RMA for CH-9000019-NA (red switch/blue led). I will not accept a red LED replacement board. Will they let us pay extra to get a RGB board?

I'm sorry but we do not have an upgrade program. It is not possible to receive the not yet released RGB model as a replacement. FYI your ticket was responded to last week.

[CodsterTX]

I'm sorry but we do not have an upgrade program. It is not possible to receive the not yet released RGB model as a replacement. FYI your ticket was responded to last week.

 

Will blue led boards be coming in? I really dont want red LED's, my whole computer theme is blue.

[Relena]

You're not the only one to try and ask to pay extra to get that RGB model when it comes out. No luck for me either though. Seriously though Corsair, you say you don't have a program to let us do that, why not set one up? I'm willing to wait on my pending RMA and pay the extra to get the new model. I'm sure others are too. Why not let us?

[CodsterTX]

You're not the only one to try and ask to pay extra to get that RGB model when it comes out. No luck for me either though. Seriously though Corsair, you say you don't have a program to let us do that, why not set one up? I'm willing to wait on my pending RMA and pay the extra to get the new model. I'm sure others are too. Why not let us?

 

We paid for blue led boards with 2 year warranties, we shouldn't have to accept red LED's. Hopefully they'll take care of us.

[Relena]

Yeah, red isn't my favorite LED color either, but it seems like there's no choice. Now I figure red LEDs are better than the blue with 8 missing LEDs (and counting) I have now on my currently already RMA'd once keyboard. Seems like the only way we'd get blues though is that RGB that we set to blue.

 

And like I said, if Corsair would set up some program I'd be glad to pay whatever the difference is to get that as a replacement for the blue I have now (I have an already accepted RMA for this keyboard that's waiting for replacements to reach Corsair). I'm betting I'm not alone in this either. It seems only fair if I'm sending a keyboard in either way, why not let me step up to the new one if I'm willing to pay for it. Come on Corsair, please set something up for us to do this.

[Technobeard]

Will blue led boards be coming in? I really dont want red LED's, my whole computer theme is blue.

From the horse's mouth:

 

We are consolidating our line in preparation of the RGB keyboard launch. The most requested color combination was black/red and in the Cherry MX Blue and Brown switches. By popular demand we created these keyboards.

 

In otherwords, yes, the following models are EOL:

[TABLE=head]Name | Part Number | Switch Type | Color | Lighting

CH-9000019 | K70 | Cherry MX Red | Silver | Blue

CH-9000045 | K70 | Cherry MX Blue | Gunmetal Gray | Blue

CH-9000050 | K70 | Cherry MX Brown | Gunmetal Gray | Blue

[/TABLE]

http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?p=707157#post707157

[cobalt_]

Technobeard you haven't really answered the burning question. Has Corsair recognized that there is a problem with their Blue LED keyboards? You say all models using blue LED's have now been discontinued?

 

Surely Corsair should go out of their way to accommodate inconvenienced customers for a problem which appears to be a manufacturing and quality assurance failing.

 

http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?p=707157#post707157

[Technobeard]

I don't have any information as to why products are EOL'd, sorry.

[megaapfel]

The LED's on my K70 with MX Brown Switches are dying too. Does anyone know how long it takes to replace the keyboard?

[alienmuppet]

I was that close to ordering a Corsair K70 with Brown MX keys, blue LEDs and gunmetal gray. I liked the idea of that colour combination..

 

I've found some black versions out there - I'm assuming these are the new versions with the red LEDs?

 

I can live with that as long as I know it isn't going to start failing. Shipping stuff back and forth is not fun, especially something as important as a keyboard (keeping one on standby for when the "prestige" keyboard fails just makes me think it is pointless to spend so much in the first place).

 

I find this problem odd. I'm a Software Engineer and write a lot of firmware for companies that produce electronics. When a problem like this comes up, a competent electronics engineer works hard to diagnose the problem, and engineer a revision, and the recipients always appreciate the honesty. I can't see why a company such as Corsair do not have the resources to do this. It would sure restore some faith in their customers and add some very loyal ones too. I always respect and go back to companies that admit their mistakes and correct them. The short term cost may be more but the long term impact surely is worth it?

 

For instance - I would have bought this keyboard by now. Now I have doubts about Corsair especially seeing their responses in this thread, and now always will have.

[Dr_SnM]

I had a silver/blue K70 and a LED died. My RMA process so far has been slightly frustrating but also slightly positive so I thought I'd share it. I initiated the RMA in Dec of 2013. I was strung along for months because I insisted on waiting for a silver/blue replacement instead of the black/red keyboard I was offered. I waited and waited until quite recently when I was informed that they no longer produced the silver\blue keyboards. I got pretty angry as I think it is reasonable to be provided with an exact replacement. We are all PC enthusiasts, that why we bought an enthusiasts product, so it's a given that we are going to be particular about appearance as much as performance.

 

Anyway, they eventually offered me a K95 as a replacement. This clashed with my system far less that the red LEDs and it is a very fine keyboard, so I accepted.

I got it under an express RMA and it arrived quite quickly. I am now annoyed that I should have to foot the bill for returning the old one. This would almost be acceptable if not for the rather obvious fact that there have been many failures with the silver\blue K70 and I suspect (given it's removal from their product line) that this was a particularly high incidence, at least with respect to their other products.

 

Corsair are the only ones with that data and they are unlikely to share it. That said, this and other forums provide a glimpse of the problem they had with this keyboard. It is my feeling that in the case of the silver\blue K70 the shipping cost should be covered by the manufacturer. I will be requesting as much.

 

So far my experience with Corsair's RMA process has been mixed. I have felt like the genuinely want to help and look after the customer but I also feel like this particular product has made it difficult for them and that those difficulties have lead to a less than happy experience.