Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard

Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard


Corsair company is most renowned for its large line of flashy-equipped keyboards, but did you know it also has a single entry-level plasma gaming keyboard? Well, The Corsair K55 RGB, which serves as the company's entry-level offering, now has a main competitor.

Corsair K57 RGB


The recently released Corsair K57 RGB Wireless takes things a step further, offering appealing features that would normally be out of reach for economic gamers. That's because the K57 foregoes the most expensive aspect of high-end keyboards — mechanical keys selling for a relatively reasonable price of $99. But are these keys worth it? We decided to investigate more.



Design and Features


The K57 is large, even for a full-size keyboard. It measures exactly 19 by 9 inches, including the finger rest, which dwarfs the 17.25 x 8.4-inch  of Corsair K70. Anyone familiar with the Corsair style should be able to recognize the keyboard. The keypad contains the same media controls, with forwarding and backtrack controls next to function keys and volume controls in the top right corner. The K57 has a mute button and a pair of optional volume buttons instead of a dial or wheel for volume control. They aren't as easy as others, but they have reasonable trade for a lower price.


Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard


A macro recording button, a click for controlling the LED lights, and a Windows key lock for games are also located at the top. A column of six macro keys sits on the opposite side of the keyboard, waiting to be typed.

The wireless connectivity of the K57 is its major drawback. Corsair claims the keyboard boasts a sub-1 millisecond delay and uses adaptive frequency shifting to maintain the signal strong regardless of generated Electric activity, thanks to the company's new 2.4GHz "Linear acceleration" proprietary wireless technology. 

To allow Slipstream, this same K57 comes with its USB dongle, similar to the Xbox 360, that needs no software to set up and manage – simply connect it in and you're ready to go. You can also attach the keyboard via traditional Bluetooth, which is useful if you're using it on a Laptop with no extra USB ports. It also tends to work as a wired keyboard in a pinch, thanks to the provided six-foot micro-USB cable, which can also be used to charge the keyboard.

In terms of charging, the keyboard is evaluated to provide approximately 175 hours of runtime with the lighting turned off. When the LEDs are turned on, the performance drops significantly 35 hours at the dullest setting or just eight hours with the lighting turned up.

And, for whatever it's worth, thanks to the Capellix LEDs, it's probably the brightest lighting I've ever seen on a keyboard at the highest setting.

From the keycaps to the top plate to the backboard to the Its slightly soft rubber through to the palm rest, the keyboard appears to be made totally of plastic. The ABS keycaps are gorgeous right out of the box, with a crunchy, informative font that's large and highly comprehensible whether the LED lighting is turned on or off. However, given the nature of ABS, expect the keycaps to shine in no time.

Software


The K57 incorporates the same iCue software as Corsair's more expensive mechanical gaming keyboards, so it rewards from the same excellent user interface as its larger family members. It is very well modified, with tabs on the left for Actions, Illumination, and Performance, and a few menus all around the top for extras like an automatic lighting option that turns the entire base to a single color with a single click, and a dashboard that reports the battery level of the keyboard and someone's laptop, and also some fans activity to cool CPU temperature.

Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard


iCue has almost a dozen lighting profiles to choose from, including rainbows, waves, and pulses. Its per programming was somewhat time-consuming for many. Your lighting profile is designed in layers, with each layer portraying a different color or effect applied to various sets of keys. However, once you've grasped it, it's immensely effective and versatile. You can combine dynamic lighting in one section of the keyboard with multiple characteristics or dynamic lighting of another.

However, all of the most fascinating lighting effects, including many of the led lighting modes and per-key lighting, are only accessible when the keyboard is plugged into the laptop via the USB cable; when wireless, you get only a few effects. It was extremely disappointing to unplug the USB cable and see the large proportion of the lighting options vanish, especially since this keyboard is designed for use wirelessly the majority of the time.
You can use the macro record key on the side to set macros to the 6 different macro keys without using iCue. However, iQue is a powerful macro recording tool that is worth learning how to use. iCue allows you to assign up to two actions to any key on the keyboard. For each component of your macro, the recorder creates a visual script that you can modify line for line. You can track mouse activity, but it's all a small gap; there's no way to record activity based on observable mouse positions.

Gaming Feeling


We were extremely keen on how the K57's Slipstream wireless performed in combat, so we pumped up Call of Duty and Pubg to see if we might distinguish between this and a wired keyboard. We covered the wireless recognition light and left the USB cable connected to the keyboard at all times to ensure a fair and blind test. Then, while we were excluded, We asked the owner to either connect the cable to the computer's USB port or disconnect it.

Corsair K57 RGB Wireless Gaming Keyboard


As a result, Strangely, We couldn't tell whenever the keyboard was wired even though it was wireless – the performance was inseparable in my testing. It's possible that lab-style testing will reveal minimal redundancy that does not affect gameplay. To finish the test, We disconnected the Slipstream dongle like that of Xbox and connected the keyboard through the use of Bluetooth. There was minor noticeable lag when using Bluetooth – movements didn't feel as catchy, and We noticed a bit of a clue of lag when moving backward in a game or texting quickly in a chat window. It's satisfactory for everyday usage or comfortable gaming, but it's perceptible enough to avoid more serious play sessions.

Conclusion


We appreciate that  The Corsair K55 RGB has launched a keyboard with some fascinating features – such as a strong wireless keyboard, a mighty macro recording, and perfect lighting – at a low price of $99, allowing almost anyone to purchase.

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