Corsair Raptor K40 Review

[section_title title=Performance] Performance

The Corsair Raptor K40 isn’t a bad keyboard to use by any stretch. Coming from a mechanical keyboard the rubber-dome base of the K40 felt a little odd at first but the keys themselves are extremely responsive and certainly don’t feel as though they’re taking any steam out of your typing of key presses. The rubber domes also feel like they could take a good battering from fast and heavy fingers for the next few years especially given Corsair’s penchant for good quality control. However, the actual layout of the K40 is odd and I’m not sure if it’s down to Corsair, me, or most likely, a bit of both.

First off, after two weeks of using the keyboard I still don’t feel like I can just use it without a 10 minute break in session so I can muscle memory my way back to optimum. The ‘W’ key is around 3/4″ into the keyboard and as a result, feels like my hand at least is always too far in. The result is a  feeling that requires me to awkwardly type with my elbows in. The reason for the the key being so far inwards however is to accommodate the ‘G’ keys running down the outside making a more cramped setup for the rest of the keys.

The G keys then creates two problems. One, I have made a lot of typing errors over the last week and as a result of that, a lot of gaming errors. Missing your W in League of Legends or your forward in an FPS is pretty fatal all things considered and definitely not ideal. Secondly, The G keys are too far away to use without you have to look where you’re pressing which for the most part renders them useless. The spacing also renders the keys in a secondary position making me question the inclusion of the keys in the first place. Stepping away from my grievances with key location on the Raptor K40, the feedback and response felt no different from my mechanical keyboard and I can definitely see it’s value as a gaming keyboard. Outside of the usual gauntlet of League of Legends and Battlefield 4, I found the ‘G’ keys to be of some use in slower titles like The Witcher 2 and Day-Z. Certainly in the Witcher 2, having potions and consumables assigned to the ‘G’ keys was advantageous and a new experience for me. Not to mention that there was a certain satisfaction in finally using the game’s mechanics to their fullest. I found all macros quick to execute including the in-game bank switching between profiles. It’s a similar story where Day-Z is concerned. Day-Z has a lot of questionable default button locations but having the various walking/running speeds and consumable slots assigned to the ‘G’ keys felt better than their normal layout across the keyboard and number keys. The K40 is certainly a potent keyboard no doubt, but due to various factors I just couldn’t extract the performance and features Corsair envisioned with the K40. Time to find out how I rate the Corsair Raptor K40 with this mind!