Corsair K65 RGB MINI 60% Mechanical Wired Gaming Keyboard - CHERRY MX RED Switches - PBT Double-Shot Keycaps - iCUE Compatible - QWERTY UK Layout - Black

Product Information

We've added a link to the newly-reviewed Corsair K65 PRO MINI to the Dimensions section of this review. That's why it's a shame that, for the life of me, I could not figure out a comfortable way to activate most of the K65 RGB Mini's keyboard shortcuts. For those who haven't used a mini keyboard before, you're required to use shortcuts for a lot of familiar functionality, from media controls to arrow keys. You do this by holding down a function key, then pressing a corresponding shortcut key elsewhere on the keyboard. The Corsair K65 RGB Mini performs beautifully in most games. This isn't terribly surprising, given Corsair's pedigree and Cherry's consistency. As with many mini keyboards, I was especially delighted with how the K65 RGB Mini handled Doom Eternal. Since FPS games generally require very few keys, not having to deal with a full-size model helped the action onscreen feel more precise and immediate, from scaling crumbling buildings to gunning down decaying demons.

That’s all just a matter of acclimation, though, even if Corsair decided to put the arrow keys all the way on the “UHJK” cluster instead of somewhere closer to where they’d be on a larger keyboard. Buying a 60% keyboard is making a commitment to learning how to perform everyday functions on that particular board, and I don’t recommend switching between various models. After about 5 seconds, release the ESC key. You will see the keyboard lighting flash if the reset is successful. iCue splits its settings into six categories: Key Assignments, Hardware Key Assignments, Lighting Effects, Hardware Lighting, Performance and Device Settings. Changes made via Key Assignments and Lighting Effects are only effective when the software is running; changes made to the other categories persist, as long as they’re saved to onboard storage first.

Not only are the keys comfortable; they're also efficient. On a Typing.com test, I scored 123 words per minute with 99% accuracy on the K65 RGB Mini. This is exactly the same as what I scored on my regular Logitech G915. Earning the same score on a review keyboard is almost unheard of, since I'm so much more familiar with the G915, which speaks to just how responsive and precise the K65 RGB Mini feels. Each key offers two levels of customization. The first is activated when the key is pressed by itself, so I wouldn’t recommend it for keys that see a lot of use. If you don’t use the right Shift key a lot, however, it might make sense to have it perform another function instead. The second level of customization performs the specified action when the key is pressed alongside the Fn and Menu modifier buttons, and Corsair said additional modifier keys will be available soon. Instead of having a limited number of keyboard profile slots, the number that you can create is predicated on what you change in each profile. Corsair claims you can make up to 50 profiles, but presumably those would each have only a few altered keys and no macros. The K65 RGB Mini is compatible with iCue, Corsair’s peripheral configuration software. The recently redesigned iCue app lets you create keyboard profiles with remapped keys and custom macros, change RGB lighting, and adjust other settings. With the revision, iCue is easier to read than before thanks to a larger, more visually minded interface. Corsair told me that keyboard hyperpolling isn't as system taxing as mice hyperpolling, and that the language will be changed to diminish the concern. Still, if the potential impact on performance is large enough that Corsair deems it necessary to include a message, then the company should also be more transparent about system requirements and provide recommended specs. A High Curve to Climb

The iCUE software is also important in that you can reprogram keys, which is something of a necessity if you want to play at a high level, or perform complex productivity tasks. Reassigning keys isn't difficult, although it can be a pretty deep rabbit hole, if you choose to create unique profiles for all of your favorite games and apps. The K65 RGB Mini, however, relegates its function key to the right side — along with the arrows, the media controls and the delete function. In other words: The finger you need for the function button is, in all likelihood, the same finger you need for the shortcut button. And if it's not, you'll still have to contort your hand into an uncomfortable claw. If you have a wireless keyboard, the steps for resetting it will vary slightly from a wired keyboard.The custom spacebar looks cool, even if I prefer the topographic design HyperX used for the Alloy Origins 60. Its light texturing adds a bit of flair without becoming a distraction every time the key is pressed. And it probably would’ve been enough to help the K65 RGB Mini stand out. Corsair didn’t stop there, however. The company also used a custom finish on the standard keycaps that makes it look like someone with severe dandruff scratched their scalp over the keyboard. My one issue with iCue and the K65 RGB Mini has to do with the keyboard’s 8000Hz hyperpolling. When you switch to 8000Hz, it triggers a warning that using such a high polling rate should be reserved for “higher-end systems.” Corsair doesn’t provide any information about what that precisely means. When gaming, the K65 RGB Mini feels a lot like other keyboards with linear mechanical switches but with the added bonus of leaving more desk space available to the mousepad. Its keys feel responsive, which is exactly what people expect from linear switches. Sometimes that led to mis-presses for me but not as often as when I’m just typing.

There is one flashy component, however. The space key features a unique fractal design that lets RGB light shine through. While it's look is unlike any keycap design I’ve seen, the concept of having RGB light pierce the spacebar is one already seen in the HyperX Alloy Origins 60. We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3, which overhauls how key input is evaluated. We've added new tests for Single Key Latency, Multi Key Latency, Data Transmission, and Chord Split. We've also introduced a new Raw Performance usage and adjusted how the Gaming and Office usage scores are calculated. You can see the full changelog here. In-game I didn’t notice any improvements either. I was still lumbering around the generations-old landscapes of Halo: Reach and accidentally using my utility before the round even starts in Valorant at exactly the same speeds that I was with other keyboards. That doesn’t make Corsair Axon a detriment to the K65 RGB Mini, though. It just means that it’s another spec that sounds impressive on paper but isn’t noticeable in-game. That doesn’t mean the K65 RGB Mini is perfect. The pinging on some keys is frustrating, the all-plastic build could raise questions about the keyboard’s durability and the cosmetic flaws in the keycaps take some getting used to. Here’s how the math breaks down: A 1,000 Hz polling rate leads to a 1ms delay between a key being pressed and a PC registering a keypress. The K65 RGB Mini’s maximum 8,000 Hz polling rate reduces that to a 0.125ms delay. Corsair has strayed from the 1,000 Hz standard before with the Corsair K100 RGB, but that much pricier keyboard’s maximum polling rate is 4,000 Hz.Settings that have been saved to the K65 RGB Mini’s onboard storage are easy to cycle through using various modifier keys. The default layout has profile settings, brightness levels, and lighting effects assigned to the “Z” to “B” keys. Keyboard shortcuts can also be used to record, assign, and delete macros without having to venture into iCue beforehand. On the other hand, Final Fantasy XIV presented some challenges. This game, like a lot of MMOs, requires a lot of button commands from across the entire keyboard. Having to learn (or program) shortcuts slowed down my skill rotation and just generally felt a lot less convenient than having a full-size, or even TKL, model.