Last verified 2026-07-21
By Adnan · Founder, letustype
The K70 is the board that got me into mechanical keyboards, and the line is still an easy pick: solid build, standout backlighting, and switches that make typing fun. One thing to know before buying: my K70 had tactile Cherry Browns, and today's K70 CORE ships with linear switches instead.
Hands-on: I've used the Corsair K70 (previous generation, Cherry MX Brown switches), my board for over a year and the one that got me into mechanical keyboards. Specs checked against Corsair's official page.
| Switches | Corsair MLX Red (linear), pre-lubed; 45 g, 1.9 mm actuation |
|---|---|
| Form factor | Full-size (K70 CORE) |
| Connectivity | Wired USB |
| Keycaps | Double-shot ABS |
| Backlight | Per-key RGB |
| Works with | Windows / macOS |
I used a K70 for over a year, with Cherry MX Brown switches, and it's the board that really got me into mechanical keyboards. Two things stuck with me: the tactile browns made typing feel alive after years of membrane boards, and the backlighting was amazing. Corsair's lighting still embarrasses most of the market.
The board you can buy today is the K70 CORE, and it's a different animal in one important way: the switches are Corsair's own MLX Reds, which are linear and pre-lubed. Tom's Hardware calls them some of the smoothest switches in any mainstream prebuilt. Smooth is the right word; the bump I loved on my browns isn't there.
So the advice splits. If you want a sturdy, great-looking full-size board with smooth quiet keys and the best RGB around, the CORE is an easy pick at its price. If it's the tactile feel you're after, the feel that hooked me, look at a brown-switch board like the Keychron Q1 Max or the C3 Pro instead.
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About the author
Adnan · I build letustype and type on these keyboards every day.
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