Closer Examination

As we saw before, the K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile keyboard from CORSAIR comes in a plastic wrap to keep it pristine and free of dust out of the box. Removing it, we get our first good look at the keyboard, and it is on the lighter side of average even for full-size keyboards owing to the lower profile keycaps and switches, as well as the use of aluminium as opposed to a stainless steel case cover. Head on, this looks identical to the K70 RGB MK.2 without a low profile, even down to all the extra keys. These extra keys include a profile switch, LED brightness toggle, and Win lock on the left, as well as a volume scroll wheel alongside a mute button and playback controls in the top-right corner. The case is angled with a beveled edge as we proceed from the top to the bottom, which is how CORSAIR has had their recent aluminium frame keyboards be.

The numpad has secondary legends below the primary ones, and the alphanumeric section does the same. This and the location of single legends being 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. There is a pronounced CORSAIR logo, no doubt also backlit, in the middle at the top, which is the only visible branding in use. The typeface for the legends is identical to all the recent CORSAIR keycaps sans the PBT/doubleshot ones, with a relatively larger font to allow more light through.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle. There are four large rubber pads on the corners to keep the keyboard from sliding around on the desk, and two feet at the top open up sideways to optionally elevate the keyboard; these feet also have rubber pads to ensure they don't scratch easily. Missing here are the cable-routing cutouts we saw in the non-low-profile version, which is handy for any cables from other devices going to the USB pass-through port.


The keyboard cable coming out of the middle of the front is not detachable, and next to it is a USB pass-through port for other peripherals or even USB drives. As such, the keyboard cable is on the thicker side, comes braided in black, and terminates in two male USB Type-A connectors. Both connectors are USB 2.0 only, so be aware of this for the pass-through lest you expect USB 3.1 Gen 1 speeds from a portable drive. Also, the casing on these connectors is thick enough to where you may have a hard time plugging both into ports next to each other.


Installing the wrist rest is very simple because of the plastic tabs that can be pushed into respective cutouts. Once they click in on one side, do the same for the other and the wrist rest will stay put during normal use. Ideally, one should not use a wrist rest at all, but I understand that this is easier said than done for most people.


The K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile uses a variation of the tried and tested OEM profile with the keycaps. It still consists of the usual slanted rows and concave surfaces on top, but the keycaps of the bottom row are not "traditionally" sized if you go by the standard set by previous keyboards. This side view also shows the low-profile nature of the keyboard with low-profile keycaps that are effectively shaved from the bottom up. That having been said, this is not as low in profile as many other low-profile keyboards from other companies. You lose close to 1 cm in height/thickness at the top end, and the thicker case is partly responsible for it not being as low as it could have been. The stock keycaps are mediocre at best, with thin ABS construction and laser etched legends that will wear out sooner rather than later. Indeed, over the course of sparse use the last year, some keycap legends were already fading. These are compatible with backlighting, which is no doubt part of the RGB lighting feature here.


There are two Cherry MX switch options in the form of the Cherry MX Low Profile Red and Low Profile Speed RGB switch. The latter is one I have not seen used anywhere else to date, at least in a keyboard I have personally seen. These switches are compatible with Cherry MX keycaps, although the "non-standard" bottom row means you will have fewer choices, and none that are low in profile. The larger keycaps use Cherry stabilizers, which helps remove them in conjunction with the floating keycap design at the expense of that typical mushy feeling with these stabilizers.


Here is a look at the keyboard with the replacement keycaps. You can go with a WASD set for FPS games or QWERDF set for MOBA/RPG depending on how you map the keys.