Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard Review - Great Value for All Gamers

TweakTown Rating: 89%

Our Verdict

The Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard features excellent linear switches and even has Rapid Trigger support for FPS gamers. Corsair's more affordable K70 board is packed with features and customization options and is competitively priced.

Pros

• Great type feel and build quality
• Corsair's MLX Red v2 switches are fantastic
• Flash Tap/Rapid Trigger support
• Affordable price point

Cons

• No wrist rest
• Switches aren't hot-swappable
• Even with dampening, it can be a little loud

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon for $69.99 USD

Buy at Amazon for $124.99 CAD

Buy at Amazon for £65.92

Buy at PC Case Gear for $149 AUD

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Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

The quality of mechanical gaming keyboards has improved dramatically in recent years. When it comes to value for money, there hasn't been a better time to upgrade your keyboard, especially if you're a PC gamer who loves jumping into competitive or even single-player first-person shooters. The only problem is that there are now seemingly hundreds of options to choose from, and there can be a lot separating one keyboard from another.

The Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is available for $79.99 at most retailers. It impresses because it sees Corsair step up its game to offer advanced options and what were once premium-only features at a competitive price point. Yes, even though it doesn't come equipped with the same customizable magnetic switches found in the flagship Corsair K70 PRO TKL Hall Effect Gaming Keyboard we reviewed earlier this year, it still manages to feature Rapid Trigger or Flash Tap support for FPS gamers. Here, it's limited to the A and D keys, but it allows for the same rapid movement and strafing that is impossible to replicate on previous boards.

It's also packed with many of the same great features that we've grown to love in recent keyboards from the company, from the versatile Control Dial to the improved sound dampening to the excellent software support and customization available via the iCue app. And with Corsair's new MLX Red v2 linear switches, you've got a responsive keyboard built for gaming and day-to-day use. Is it perfect? No. The switches are soldered so they're not 'hot-swappable', and the double-shot ABS keycaps have a hard plastic feel that could be prone to wear and tear over time. Let's dig in.

Specifications & Close Up

Kosta's Test System

Best Deals: Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard

	Today	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$69.99 USD	$69.99 USD	$69.99 USD	Buy
	$124.99 CAD	$154.99 CAD	$154.99 CAD	Buy
	£65.92	£81.60	£65.95	Buy
	$69.99 USD	$69.99 USD	$69.99 USD	Buy
	$149 AUD	$149 AUD	$149 AUD	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 6/15/2025 at 10:17 am CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.

Design & Software

Design

The new Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard features a similar layout and look to other keyboards in the K70 range. Although the build quality is compromised in some ways, it is still commendable for the price point. Underneath the aluminum plate top cover, you'll find two layers of EVA foam sound-dampening on either side of the PCB, and Corsair's new custom MLX Red v2 switches rated for 80 million presses.

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Regarding linear switches, Corsair's MLX Red v2 switches have an excellent feel. They have a standard 2.0mm actuation point, 4mm total travel distance, and a 45g actuation force. These are standard specs for a linear switch in 2025, but the overall sound, feel, and responsiveness are right up there with more premium keyboards. Although the double-shot ABS keycaps have a stiff plastic feel, the matte finish and vibrant RGB lighting give the keyboard a premium look. Yes, there will always be a difference between a sub-$100 keyboard and one that costs double or triple, and overall, the new Corsair K70 Core TKL doesn't feel like a string of compromises to get the price down.

As a wired keyboard, USB Type-C to Type-A, with a lightweight 743-gram weight, most of the features and controls you need can be accessed from the keyboard without using software. From controlling the brightness of the per-key RGB lighting, to audio controls, to switching between the Control Dial's various modes, to activating Flash Tap, which changes the A and D key lighting to yellow, the plug-and-play game of the Corsair K70 Core TKL is strong.

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Plus, you've got everything you expect to find in a modern mechanical gaming keyboard, from full key rollover (NKRO) with 100% anti-ghosting to onboard profile support, with the Corsair K70 Core TKL including five. Although Corsair's new MLX Red v2 switches aren't hot-swappable here, they are pre-lubed and have an excellent type feel. If that's your thing, the RGB lighting is also impressively bright, with full iCue integration for in-depth customization.

Software

Unsurprisingly, all Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard customization is handled via iCue, Corsair's app, which automatically downloads and installs the keyboard's module once you connect it for the first time. You'll also be prompted to upgrade the firmware, if required, and from there you can move from the various options at hand - Lighting Effects, Key Assignments, Control Dial, Performance, and Flash Tap.

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Although limited to the A and D keys, which are predominantly used for strafing in first-person shooters, it's great to see Flash Tap functionality on a keyboard with more traditional linear mechanical switches rather than Hall-effect magnetic switches. This does mean that you are limited to two keys and choosing between last priority (prioritizing the last key pressed), first priority, or neutral (canceling both keypresses once the opposing key is pressed), but the functionality is still the same - rapid movement.

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Like other big names in the gaming peripheral market, Corsair's iCue offers a unique presentation and take on key assignments. The good news is that macro recording and triggering text strings are baked into remapping a key or creating a new assignment. The bad news is that, as powerful as it is, it's a little cumbersome with a somewhat steep learning curve. Unlike other apps where you select a key and customize its assignments, here, you create assignments using a visual keyboard representation and then go through them in a list.

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Although the Control Dial isn't customizable (in that you still can't assign a custom function, it gets its section in iCue so you can select which options you can cycle through and what color is associated with them, which is assigned to the F12 key. The Control Dial is an excellent addition to Corsair's keyboard lineup and quickly becomes a go-to for volume control and vertical scrolling through pages. Throw in a dedicated page for customizing the per-key lighting and one for adjusting what the Windows Lock key disables; there's a lot on offer.

Gaming Performance and Productivity

Gaming Performance

With dampening that delivers a satisfying sound, a snappy and responsive debounce, and fast and smooth linear switches, the Corsair K70 Core TKL is built for gaming. The responsive switches and excellent performance can immediately be felt when playing first-person shooters like the brand-new DOOM: The Dark Ages, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Counter-Strike 2. Enabling Flash Tap is simple, and for me, prioritizing the first keypress did add an extra layer of control in several games. Whether or not it's a must-have feature depends on how serious you are about FPS gaming, but its inclusion is a definite benefit.

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One thing we were a little worried about when connecting the Corsair K70 Core TKL for gaming was that the 750-gram or so weight might make it prone to movement or even rattling in those heated moments when you're pressing keys like a madman to avoid getting hit. Thankfully, when paired with a deskmat, this wasn't the case, and even testing with more heavy-handed keypresses showed that the Corsair K70 Core TKL remained solid. Like many, we still prefer a heavy board for gaming, but the lightweight build of the Corsair K70 Core TKL isn't an issue.

Productivity

Even though the Corsair K70 Core TKL features two layers of sound dampening, it's still a relatively loud keyboard compared to some, in that the keypresses deliver that satisfying sound with each keystroke. This can be detrimental for some, especially for those working or gaming in a quiet environment. On the plus side, fast and responsive linear switches are also excellent for writing and typing, and outside of the lack of a dedicated numpad, the Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard has definite productivity chops from the Control Dial to in-depth customization and macro support to onboard profiles and detailed app-free control over all its features.

Keyboard Click Sound Level

To test a keyboard's overall sound level, we use the Ozito Digital Sound Level Meter, capturing the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" multiple times and recording the maximum dB level. This indicates how "loud" the switches used are for everyday usage. The following chart showcases where the Corsair K70 Core TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard sits.

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Final Thoughts

Rapid Trigger or Flash Tap has become a marketing tool in recent months, where keyboards offering this feature have been labeled as 'for gaming' more so than those without it. Seeing this option on a more affordable keyboard like the Corsair K70 Core TKL with traditional linear-style mechanical switches is excellent because, for the most part, it's limited to more expensive boards with magnetic switches. Corsair's Flash Tap opens the door to rapid strafing and movement in a first-person shooter, but it's just one part of a greater whole.

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Although mostly plastic, the build quality here is excellent for the price point, and Corsair's MLX Red v2 switches have a fantastic feel when coupled with the keycaps and multiple layers of sound dampening. The per-key RGB lighting is also vibrant, and Corsair's Control Dial is quickly becoming one of our favorites for volume adjustment and scrolling. It might lack a few bells and whistles, like a dedicated wrist rest, hot-swappable switches, and a more weighted bottom plate, but it's got it where it counts - and it won't break the bank. In fact, at its current $79.99 price point, it's a value winner.