Corsair’s mechanical keyboards have been sitting on the desks of many gamers (both pro and casual) for years and years now, and the brand has arguably been the most well-known keyboard manufacturer in the gaming scene for quite some time. Their large, full-featured gaming keyboards are what they are most known for, but given the fact that the keyboard scene has been trending towards smaller form factors it only makes sense that Corsair has been diverting some of their attention towards that end of the market.
The Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless is the first of those small-form factor Corsair boards that can be called ‘flagship’ if you’re asking us. It comes packed to the brim with exciting technology and features, such as a wireless connection, 8000Hz (in wired mode) polling rate, a hotswappable PCB, and PBT keycaps. All of this in a 60% form factor, complete with Corsair’s famous customization options. In theory, this has all of the specs and features to be the endgame 60% board for a lot of people, but seeing as practice can be far from theory we’ve sent one over to our reviewer to answer all of your questions. Read our full Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless review to find out if it’s a hit or a miss!
At A Glance
Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless
Used by 1 player ()If you are looking for a wireless keyboard and/or you’re looking for a premium 60% board for gaming then this should be on your radar without a doubt. It’s got all the basic features that you’d want out of a keyboard and implements it well, and it compliments that with a host of exciting technologies to make for an exciting gaming keyboard that’s, as far as I’m aware, pretty unique in the gaming scene right now. It’s certainly not without its faults, but those faults don’t hold it back from getting a Staff’s Choice award for combining a whole bunch of interesting technologies to make for a very interesting product.
Pros
- Hotswappable
- Flawless wireless connection
- Possibility to use 8000Hz polling rate (wired mode only)
- Very decent PBT keycaps
- Receiver storage on the keyboard itself
Cons
- Stabilizers are rather rattly
- Slight case ping
- Extra keycaps are of noticeably lower quality than the standard ones
Specs
| Form Factor | 60% |
|---|---|
| Switches | Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Brown, Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Speed |
| PCB | Hotswappable |
| RGB | Yes |
| Height | 4.1cm |
| Width | 29.6cm |
| Length | 10.9cm |
| Weight | 645g |
First Impressions
One of the first things that I noticed when I looked at the keyboard (or rather: its spec sheet) is that Corsair seems to have gone all out with this one. In the recent past, I’ve been rather frustrated with some of Corsair’s releases. The keyboard market has made tremendous moves in the past couple of years (PBT caps as the standard, a focus on acoustics, …) and it seems as if Corsair didn’t fully commit to those new standards, but that seems to have changed with the K70 Pro Mini Wireless. It even has a hotswappable PCB, which is a first for Corsair as far as I know.
Aside from the specs it’s also interesting to see how plain this keyboard is. In its ‘normal configuration’ (as it comes out of the box) this is an unassuming-looking mechanical keyboard with, when viewed from the front, no discernible logos visible. There is of course the strip of LED lighting that runs around the entire chassis but aside from that the K70 Pro Mini looks very minimalistic.
Like pretty much all of Corsair’s keyboards, the K70 Pro Mini Wireless has a plastic chassis and an aluminum top plate. The top plate is bead blasted and has a matte finish, so it doesn’t reflect a lot of RGB lighting, but it does make for a sleek and minimalistic looking case if you ask me. This aluminum top also makes the board feel sturdy. I can get it to flex just a tiny bit by applying forces that are frankly unrealistic under normal usage, but there’s no creaking at all to be found here so as far as I’m concerned the build quality is up to par.
The RGB, as we’ve come to expect from Corsair, looks nice. The keycaps don’t allow for a ton of light to shine through (though you can easily swap these out since the K70 Pro Mini Wireless has a standard bottom row) but the LED light strip really elevates the RGB game. If you’re into a light show then you won’t be disappointed.
Packaging
Inside the box there is, along with the usual documentation, a keycap puller, a switch puller, a braided USB-C cable, and two replacement keycaps; one for the escape key (or really any other key if you really want to) and one for the spacebar. Sadly, those caps seem to be of lesser quality than the ones that are on the board by default. The spacebar in particular feels noticeably less thick and substantial, so I am not very keen on using that one instead of the more luxurious feeling standard spacebar.
I like the fact that Corsair includes extras with their keyboards, but it would be nice to see them step up their game with the extra caps. The spacebar in particular has a pretty cool look to it, but I prefer performance/feel over looks so it’s a bit of shame that I won’t be getting to use that one. All of the other extras are up to scratch (the switch puller is also of noticeably higher quality than what you usually find included with boards) so it’s not a huge deal at all.
Features and Build
The K70 Pro Mini Wireless is jam-packed with technology, but the most eye-catching feature (if you ask me) is the fact that it’s wireless. Obviously there is less need for a keyboard to be wireless than a mouse or headset, but it is a bit strange to me to see how long it has taken companies with already established wireless technologies to jump onto the ‘no cables’ train with their keyboards.
This K70 Pro Mini Wireless uses Corsair’s SLIPSTREAM Wireless technology. This will ensure a lag-free sub-1ms connection. I have no way of verifying that last claim, but I do know that the K70 Pro Mini Wireless feels every bit as consistent and responsive as my wired keyboards, and that I’ve never experienced any connection dropouts or laggy moments during my testing. As far as I can tell, the wireless implementation is flawless here. There is also the ability to connect the board via Bluetooth, but I would only recommend that for productivity purposes due to latency considerations. It’s nice to see it included though.
While we’re on the subject of responsiveness: the K70 Pro Mini Wireless has a polling rate of up to 8000Hz thanks to Corsair’s AXON technology, though you can only go that high if you have it connected via a USB cable. I’ve already tested this on other boards and I have to say that it’s not really something that I notice, so I wouldn’t sacrifice the wireless aspect for the higher polling rate. Again: it’s nice to see it included though.
Something that’s not so nice is the fact that the cutout for the cable isn’t all that big. This means that some of my custom cables wouldn’t fit. You might think that this is a moot point given that we’re talking about a wireless keyboard here, but I just find it a bit puzzling that companies don’t just make the cutout for the cable larger to accommodate all kinds of cables. What do they have to lose by doing that? It’s not a huge deal of course, it’s just a bit of a bummer.
What is nice is that Corsair have provided a spot to store the wireless receiver on the board itself. I know that some people don’t give a hoot about that, but these wireless receivers are so small (rightfully so; they should have a small footprint if you ask me) that it would be extremely easy to lose them if you’re gaming on the go. Having a place to store the receiver on the peripheral itself drastically reduces those chances, so it’s nice to see that Corsair have thought of this.
The keycaps on the K70 Pro Mini Wireless are double-shot PBT and they feel really nice to me. There’s a lot of texturing to them so if you like smooth caps these might not tickle your fancy, but they are thick, nicely finished, and a far cry from the thin ABS caps of the past. If you don’t like them you can swap them out anyway: Corsair is offering a bunch of replacement caps in different colors, and aftermarket sets will also fit just fine.
On the bottom of the keyboard there’s one thin rubber strip all across the lip of the chassis, and two rubber pads on top where the flip up feet are. These do a fine job at keeping the keyboard exactly where you’ve put it. It has to be said that the grip material on the flip up feet doesn’t feel as grippy as the rubber pads that surround the feet but I didn’t encounter any issues on that front.
Performance and Everyday Usage
Seeing as the K70 Mini Pro Wireless has a hotswap PCB I won’t spend a lot of time on the switches that I found inside the board. These are standard Cherry Red switches, and they’re pretty much the industry standard as far as linear switches go. They feel fine to me and I don’t have anything against them, though they’re not my linears of choice. Thanks to the hotswappable PCB it is now extremely easy to fit your linears (or tactiles, or clickies) of choice though: just pull out the switch, replace it, and off you go. No soldering or screwing required.
Replacing the switches for the entire board is something that can be done in under ten minutes. I love that Corsair has included that here. This might be something personal, but no matter how much I love a switch: I get tired of it after a while causing me to use something else until I inevitably switch back again. It’s cool that you can switch it up without having to solder or buy a whole new keyboard.
What’s interesting here is that, contrary to what you see with some competing brands, the stabilizers aren’t factory lubed. To be complete I should say there’s a tiny drop of lube on the wire but it’s so little that I don’t really consider it ‘lubed’. They’re plate-mounted clip-on stabs though, so if you really want to lube them it’s extremely easy to take them out and do just that. Given what I’ve seen on factory lubed keyboards in the recent past I’m not sure whether I should treat these mostly unlubed stabs as a pro or a con. On the one hand you don’t have to suffer through muddy stabs (and the included cleanup headaches should you want to properly lube them with a lube of your own choice) but on the other hand a correctly applied dab of lube (on the relevant parts) would’ve prevented some of the obviously present rattling with the stabilizers.
Given the fact that more and more companies are paying a lot of attention to the stabilizers I think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity here for Corsair. I would personally expect the stabilizers to sound better on a keyboard in this price range that’s released in 2022, so hopefully this is a point of critique that they take on board.
Rattly stabs are a pretty easy fix, but something that’s a bit more difficult to fix is the (mild) case ping: I would have liked to see some foam or dampening materials included in the case. Perhaps I’m asking for a bit too much here given the fact that this keyboard is already overflowing with technology and features, but if they’re really trying to put out an endgame 60% keyboard this is something they can consider adding as well, even though it’s not nearly as important with this keyboard as lubed stabilizers if you ask me.
Some case foam is of course easy to add yourself but that’s a bit more difficult with plate/PCB foam. I am well aware that this is a bit nitpicky and that all of these foams aren’t the standard, but the addition of these materials would’ve really raised my enthusiasm for this board even higher and I believe it would upgrade the acoustics.
Because don’t get me wrong: I am definitely very enthusiastic about this release. Straight out of the box this is a very good gaming keyboard, and combine that with the additional features that you get and you’ve got something that’s very exciting. I’m just zooming in on the details here because the basics are already covered by this board.
All in all, though, the typing and gaming experience is pretty nice. It sounds a bit pingy and the stabilizers could use work but when compared to other mass produced gaming keyboards this serves up a very palatable acoustic and tactile (thanks to the quality keycaps) experience.
If you want to further customize this experience you can turn to Corsair’s iCUE software. This is one of the most expansive pieces of software on the market, and the customization options are, as far as I can see, virtually endless. You can add layers upon layers of lighting effects as well as create macros to your heart’s content, so if you’re someone who likes to tinker with their boards you’re good with the K70 Mini Pro Wireless.
Last, but not least: the battery life. Corsair advertises up to 32 hours with the RGB on and 200 hours with the RGB turned off. I didn’t exactly verify that second number but I can attest to the fact that the K70 Mini Pro Wireless lasts well over 24 hours of usage. You’re good to go for an extended gaming marathon, in other words. And should you forget to fill it up you can always use it in its wired mode, though it doesn’t fit all cables so be wary of that. All in all, though, Corsair have delivered a very satisfactory wireless keyboard experience here.
Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless Review – Conclusion
The Corsair K70 Mini Pro Wireless is a very impressive product. It’s on the higher end of the spectrum as far as its price goes, but you get a lot of bang for your buck here if you’re looking for a premium wireless keyboard. This performance-over-aesthetics keyboard delivers in spades, with a hotswap PCB (meaning that you can swap switches on the fly), a flawless wireless connection, the possibility of raising the polling rate to 8000Hz, nicely textured PBT keycaps, and small touches such as the ability for you to store the receiver on the board itself when you’re traveling or on the move.
If you ask me, they could’ve focused on the ‘enthusiast crowd’ a bit more by applying some lube to the stabilizers and adding some foam inside the case to minimize case ping, but I am well aware that these are features that most regular consumers don’t really care about, and even without those features the K70 Pro Mini Wireless delivers a satisfactory typing and gaming experience for a mass produced keyboard. I am adding that last disclaimer because enthusiasts often make the mistake of comparing a board like this to a custom built, hand-lubed keyboard (that often costs a lot more) and that’s just a completely unfair comparison. To be fully complete I will also say that there are mass-produced boards out there that sound better: I’m not giving this board a free pass for the subpar stabs or anything.
If you are looking for a wireless keyboard and/or you’re looking for a premium 60% board for gaming then this should be on your radar without a doubt. It’s got all the basic features that you’d want out of a keyboard and implements it well, and it compliments that with a host of exciting technologies to make for an exciting gaming keyboard that’s, as far as I’m aware, pretty unique in the gaming scene right now. It’s certainly not without its faults, but those faults don’t hold it back from getting a Staff’s Choice award for combining a whole bunch of interesting technologies to make for a very interesting product. If you don’t specifically want the wireless aspect there are plenty of other options to take a look at (with most of those costing less) but if you want a customizable wireless keyboard for gaming this is one to look at. Just please lube those stabilizers properly next time around, Corsair.
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