When thinking of a gaming keyboard, you don’t usually associate them with being slim or low profile, Corsair, however, is looking to change that with the MK.2 LP and they’ve done a really great job, yet it still has some quirks we need to mention. One of these minor issues is with the typing experience. As the keycaps are considerably larger than ones found on a traditional mechanical keyboard, we noted an increase of accidental key presses when typing. This is due to the gap between the keycaps being so small, meaning it’s so easy to knock two keys at once. On the plus side they are spacious and comfortable, so they do have that going for them. The media keys haven’t seen much of a change since the MK.2 Rapidfire, but this is okay as when paired with the low profile switches they’re easier than ever to use.
The wrist rest is a nice addition too as it helps with the comfort when typing long term, however, the rest isn’t without fault either. Given the price of the keyboard we were expecting a good quality rest, but what you get is very cheap feeling one that doesn’t tie in with the premium price tag. Also, the textured pattern on the top surface can cause some minor irritation when used for an extended amount of time.
As for the rest of the keyboard, the build isn’t an issue, the main chassis feels very solid, and the brushed Aluminium backplate further adds to the overall solidity of the MK.2 LP. The fit and finish are really top notch too as all the keycaps feel well planted, the media keys and volume control feel high quality and the membrane-based profile keys are nicely tactile and responsive. Corsair has also added to this with the included swappable keycaps, these again are good quality and provide you with a different feel when using the keyboard. The supplied keycaps are used for either MOBA or FPS games, but of course, you can swap them to whatever suits you best.
For gaming we did note that the MK.2 LP was different from what you’d expect from a traditional mechanical offering, this difference isn’t bad as such, but it does take some adjusting to. This is because the keycaps are set lower, so it feels odd, especially when swapping from a “normal” mechanical keyboard. However, after a few days heavy use we quickly became accustomed to this new experience, and we found it quite enjoyable. The wide keycaps are spacious so your fingers feel well situated on the key you are using, again though we noted that we accidentally knocked more keys than we did with a traditional keycap, but this does reduce over time as you get more customary to the spacing.
Currently, the K70 MK.2 LP is available with either the MX Silvers or MX Reds, and in terms of numbers, they aren’t wildly different to their full-sized counterparts. The MX Silvers have an actuation distance of 1mm, an actuation force of 45g and an overall travel distance of 3.2mm. The Reds are a touch different with the following attributes. The Reds actuation distance is 1.2mm, the force is 45g, and the overall travel is also 3.2mm. Other notable differences to the regular MX switches are the actual height of the switch and the fact they are designed to work with lower powered LEDs. The overall height of the new LP switches are 11.9mm in comparison to 18.5mm.
As for the switches, our sample is using Cherry’s Low Profile Silver Speeds, and these do share some characteristics with their full-sized counterparts, but they are different too. The things that are similar are the linear nature of them, this means that they don’t possess a tactile bump. They are also really fast which makes them ideal for FPS shooters and other genres which require rapid input. On the downside, the travel of the LP switch just doesn’t feel as smooth as the traditional MX Silvers do which are really smooth by design. This doesn’t impact their actual speed, though it does give the impression that they are slightly slower. In terms of noise, they are equally as quiet as the full-sized Silvers which is great for those that aren't a fan of traditional mechanical clicks and clacks.
Finally to the illumination and Corsair offers some of the best in the business. The lighting is vibrant, the colours are rich and have a really pleasing level of saturation. The light fill is great too, and there really isn’t any area on the illumination that causes concern. The effects are also extremely well implemented and the gradients produced are superb. Corsair also offers a comprehensive list of different effects with varying levels of customisation, so if you are a big fan of RGB, then the K70 MK.2 LP won’t disappoint.
