Closer Examination

As we saw before, the CORSAIR K100 keyboard comes inside a shaped plastic cover to keep it pristine out of the box. Removing it, we get our first good look at the keyboard, and it is on the larger side of average as a result of all the extra keys. These extra keys include a column of six macro keys on the left, a profile switcher/brightness control/Win lock button towards the top-left corner, volume and media controls above the numpad and in the top-right corner, and the all new dial between the two buttons on the left. The dial is called the iCUE control wheel by the company and involves another tactile button between the rotary dial itself. The dial is metal with a textured gunmetal finish to match the replacement keycaps from before, as well as the keycaps of the G-keys to the left.

As part of the new branding exercise, the CORSAIR logo with its spelled-out company name is replaced by the sails logo on its own; in the top center, between the extra buttons and inside an acrylic inlay, which also has cutouts for indicator LEDs, now backlit rather than just with small lit up holes and indicators printed below as with older CORSAIR keyboards. The other big change from the K95 Platinum XT is that we no longer have a top light bar. Instead, CORSAIR has gone with light bars on the three sides, where it is practical. The side facing the user is tapered to a thin edge and fits into the accompanying palm rest.

The extra keys at the top result in some empty space there, so it does appear as if the keyboard has big bezels at first glance. Its weight is about average for a full-size keyboard or larger because of the anodized aluminium frame countered by the thick PBT plastic keycaps. There is no flex at all, so this is an extremely solid-feeling keyboard. The numpad has secondary legends below the primary ones, with the alphanumeric section alongside instead. This and the location of single legends in the top-center is indicative of where the backlighting will be more uniform, and those at the bottom may not end up as bright as those at the top. The font typeface is also a departure from before, even compared to their doubleshot PBT keycaps on the K95 Platinum XT. These legends are smaller throughout, which may be the company accepting feedback from the general audience that the previous legends were too large for many. The use of loop-less doubleshot injection also means some of the legends are different from their ABS laser etched ones, especially in the Ins-Pg Dn cluster.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle. There are four large rubber pads on the corners, along with two sets of rubber feet which can be raised for a choice of two steeper angles, another customization improvement relative to the K95 Platinum XT and K70, but not unique to the company by any means. Also seen here are cutouts for cable management, and those for the cable of a device you've plugged into the USB pass-through port on the keyboard, say a headset cable you would route through under the keyboard.


Installing the palm rest is trivial because of the magnets. Simply guide the plastic tabs in place as seen above and wait for magnetism to take effect! Ideally, one should not use a wrist rest at all, but I understand that this is easier said than done for most people. This is also one of the most comfortable palm rests to place your hands on for a typing break, making the decision even harder for someone who otherwise touch types with both hands hovering above the keys.


The cable is non-detachable, fairly thick, and braided. It terminates in two USB male type A ports with a marking for either the keyboard or pass-through port. It is recommended you use a USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1) port for the keyboard, which is not a big ask in 2020. The USB pass-through port unfortunately still USB 2.0 and is next to where the cable extrudes at the front, facing away from the user, which allows for good cable management through the channels on the underside. We also see one of the light bars here, which CORSAIR calls LightEdge, and there are a total of 44 LED zones just here compared to the 19 in total on the entire K95 Platinum XT—another way the company is justifying the existence of the K100 and its higher price point.


The CORSAIR K100 uses the tried and tested OEM keycap profile for all but the G-keys, which are their own separate thing to easily set them apart from others. This means the standard 104 keys have keycaps associated with the usual slanted rows and concave surfaces on top. More importantly, we have a CORSAIR mechanical keyboard that uses what is more commonly referred to as "standard bottom-row spacing", which means a lot of aftermarket keycap sets are compatible with the K100. Funnily enough, this also means all the keycap sets that were specifically made for the CORSAIR/Razer/Logitech spacing are not compatible with the K100. So you will still have to check compatibility, but knowing that certain one-off designer sets can be used with the K100 will improve its standing in the mechanical keyboard online community at least.


The provided keycap puller works adequately enough, although I do recommend using a metal wire-style puller if you often replace keycaps or simply remove them temporarily for cleaning. I do wish CORSAIR would include one of those instead, especially given the otherwise impressive feature set thus far. The stock keycaps sans the G-keys, which are similarly constructed to replacement keycaps from before, in the two-piece ABS manner, are all thick doubleshot-injected PBT plastic. So you also have durable keycaps out of the box if keycap replacement was never your plan. As with the ABS keycaps, the PBT keycaps are compatible with backlighting, which is a given for a CORSAIR RGB keyboard in 2020.


There are only two switch options for the CORSAIR K100, and there are no plans to add more at this time, which may well be a dealbreaker for those wanting a tactile or clicky switch. Indeed, both switches offer linear feedback only, with one being the Cherry MX Speed (silver) switch (not the low-profile version). That is the switch on my sample, and chosen at my request because the other option merits a closer look, which I will take when not bogged down in another country for months and away from my full photography gear. The other switch is CORSAIR's entry to optical switches, which the company calls the OPX optical-mechanical switch. It functions similar to other optical switches in that an interrupted light source triggers actuation and feedback is provided with mechanical components as applicable, although it is a linear switch only at this time. Look for more on this in an eventual follow-up review! The larger keycaps use Cherry stabilizers, and CORSAIR mentioned that they lubed the stabilizer stems and bars appropriately based on user feedback. In practice, I can only compare this to the K70 I have here also, and the different switch on the two keyboards is a larger differentiator than any lube application, even with the same keycap on the switch.


Here is a look at the keyboard with the replacement keycaps. You end up with a predominantly dark black and gunmetal design when not backlit, even with the G-keys at the left.

The absence of the tools needed for a non-destructive disassembly where I am currently, as well as the promise of a follow-up review on the other switch type, means I will skip the disassembly section here.