Corsair Vengeance K90 Review

The keyboard might be one of the most ignored pieces of hardware for PCs, even though it’s among those most interacted with. Everyday PC users tend to skimp on keyboards and mice, but it’s the gamers who are particular about their peripherals. Mice obviously help in improving aim in competitive games but the keyboard has traditionally been the less important of the two. That however, is changing as mainstream gaming brands start selling keyboards designed for the gamer. One of the newest trends is the rebirth of mechanical keyboards and every popular brand has a few of them for sale. 

Corsair, a brand that’s synonymous with power supplies, memory and chassis has got into the enthusiast and gaming side of things. It has recently launched headphones, mice, speakers and even keyboards. Their Vengeance line of hardware is specifically for gamers, and the K90 is their top-of-the-line product amongst keyboards.

Design and build quality

The Corsair Vengeance K90 means business and it’s clear from the look of the product. There are no fancy, colourful buttons, everything seems to be designed to last, and to perform flawlessly. The frame of the keyboard is made of brushed metal and the usual set of keys are placed on the them. There’s a separate plastic panel that attaches to the main frame of the keyboard and this setup has some 18 customisable keys on them. 

Backlighting for the keys

The keys are all sturdy but have a light feel to them unlike most other mechanical keyboards on the market today. They’re not as noisy as some of the mechanical keyboards either. The cable on the K90 is thick and well sheathed. The cable ends in two USB ports. The keyboard requires a little more power, due to the backlights embedded within it and it also has a USB port that can be used to connect other devices to the PC through it. 

The keyboard also takes care of ergonomics by giving users the option to attach a palm rest, which makes typing a bit more easier. The palm rest has a fine chequered pattern with a matte anti-bacterial treatment given to it. Screws on either end ensure that the palmrest doesn’t detach from the keyboard.

Features

The K90 has a whole bunch of features. For one, it’s a full-fledged keyboard with all the keys in the right places and the right sizes. There are two Start buttons, one on either side of the spacebar. The keys are nicely isolated and raised to the right height with little space for dust to end up into the crevices. This means that there is very little sideways movement of the keys, and it also makes cleaning the keyboard very easy. 

A complete gamer's keyboard

Some of the nifty features include a Windows lock button whicih stops the Windows keys from working when the keyboard is operational. This is particularly handy while playing games. Most gamers use the WASD keyset to navigate around the map and there’s a tendency to press the Windows key by mistake while pressing the Ctrl or Alt keys. This locking feature is convenient and lets you play with a certain peace of mind. 

Adjustable height

The other button next to the Windows key lock button is the backlight button. The K90 looks like a simple keyboard but press this button and you’re able to enable the backlight. There are three brightness levels for the backlights. Next to those are the multimedia buttons for media players. There are also a mute button and a rather uniquely designed volume control button in the shape of a roller.

Two USB ports to power for the K90

To the extreme left end of the keyboard lie 18 customisable keys, which can be specifically setup using the software drivers as per your requirement. The customisations include doing simple tasks such as launching certain applications or doing certain keystrokes with different delays. These settings can be saved along with a custom lighting setup to one of three profiles. Switching between these profiles is also simple, using the three preset buttons on the keyboard.

Performance

The Corsair V90 Vengeance is a great keyboard for both typing and gaming. Typing is effortless because of the mechanical design of the keys. The feel is just right and there is no wear and tear over a period of time.

Typing is comfortable, as is gaming

Membrane keyboards in general get a little sluggish and difficult to type on, but it isn’t the case with the V90. Those who are looking for really quiet keyboards might find this to be a little noisy, but it’s not the noisiest keyboard around.

Verdict

The Corsair Vengeance V90 sells for a price of Rs. 7,280, which in our opinion is very expensive for a keyboard. Sure, it is a great performing keyboard, and is built really well, but this is something we’d recommend to someone who’s got a really massive budget for a gaming PC. As far as those looking for a good keyboard to type a lot on, but not game, we recommend looking at cheaper mechanical keyboard options on the market, which are usually a third of this price or lower.