Corsair K70 Max Review
A powerful legend returns, this time with hall-effect switches
Verdict
The Corsair K70 Max is a fantastic gaming keyboard. Coming with hall-effect switches and an 8000Hz polling rate makes it a game changer and a prime choice for competitive gamers who want to level up their game. It’s well made too, and offers powerful software to boot. Just watch out for that high price.
Pros
- Gorgeous looks
- Powerful and snappy switches
- Software provides good functionality
Cons
- Expensive
Key Features
- Hall effect switches:The K70 Max features magnetic hall-effect switches with adjustable actuation points to give gamers the edge.
- 8000Hz polling rate:A powerful 8000Hz polling rate can help to give competitive gamers the edge.
- Corsair iCUE software:It also comes with a powerful software suite for customisation.
Introduction
Keyboards have seen an impressive level of innovation in the past few years, and there’s no sign of that slowing down. The latest trend is centred on hall-effect switches, which is the headline feature of the Corsair K70 Max.
Priced at £219.99/$229.99/€229.99, it’s right in the mix with some of the best gaming keyboards that money can buy, complete with all the modern trimmings that any keyboard enthusiast can get behind including hall-effect switches, sound dampening foam, adjustable actuation points, and more besides.
Corsair’s K70 line of keyboards are the stuff of legend in their own right. Let’s just hope this new Max variant can continue that legend. After spending a week with the new keyboard, here are my thoughts.
Design
- Premium feel with no deck flex
- PBT keycaps and sound-dampening foam are a nice touch
- Convenient extra buttons and media controls
The Corsair K70 Max continues the same aesthetics laid down by previous models. Putting a picture of it side by side with last year’s K70 RGB Pro reveals how little has really changed.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. It carries with it a premium feel and an especially solid construction that has become the hallmark of the K70 range over the years. There’s no deck flex present at all, and the K70 Max is also well-finished with a blend of solid plastics as well as a smooth anodized aluminium top plate aiding in providing some suave yet purposeful looks.
The top of the Corsair K70 Max houses a triangular-tessellated pattern that looks excellent on its own, as well as a volume roller and a selection of buttons for quick access to functions such as locking your PC and changing brightness levels. This brings out its good looks compared to the plainer, previous generations of the K70 and is in-keeping with some of Corsair’s other recent peripherals, such as the excellent K65 Pro Mini.
A lot of other keyboards at this higher price tag offer some form of gimmick for aesthetics, such as the OLED screens featured on the SteelSeries Apex Pro and the Asus ROG Azoth, or the modular construction of the Asus ROG Claymore II. The K70 Max features none of those features, keeping things simple and effective, and leaving its party tricks to the switches, which I’ll come onto in a moment.
As was also the case with the K65 Pro Mini, this full-size option from Corsair is also thoughtful in featuring some sound-dampening foam on the inside to help with acoustic performance, and like the previous K70 model, also comes with a magnetically-attachable wristrest to help make typing more comfortable.
What’s more, the detachable USB-C cable that’s provided is braided, eking out the ‘board’s premium feel to every element. Its keycaps are comprised of textured PBT, which not only feel great under finger but also add an extra layer of durability and seeks to justify the keyboard’s higher pricer tag further.
Performance
- Hall effect switches offer a snappy keypress
- Adjustable actuation points are a game changer
- Insanely high polling rate
The big party piece of the Corsair K70 Max is its choice in switches. Where previous models have featured standard MX switches, this new Max variant opts for something a little more left-field, and perhaps a set of switches that are better for hardcore gamers.
The switches inside the K70 Max are hall-effect switches, which register actuations as a magnet is sent down the switch’s stem to a sensor, as opposed to traditional mechanisms. As there isn’t a physical mechanism for contact, nor a specific point down the key travel where the key registers an input, it allows for the actuation point of these magnetic switches to be adjusted.
The scope for this is virtually anywhere along the switch’s travel with the range of 0.4mm-3.6mm that can be adjusted in 0.1mm increments, meaning you can choose to have keys that require very little travel in order for an input to be registered. Conversely, you can also have keys that require a lot more travel to have their inputs registered – that’s particularly handy if there are keys you don’t want to accidentally mishit.
For instance, when playing some rounds of CS:GO, I mapped higher actuation points to my movement keys, so I didn’t have to push far down in order to move quickly. The same also went for when I was selecting a weapon, so you can draw any required firearm quicker.
What’s also handy about these switches is that they support double inputs. In essence, this means that you can push the switch down to a certain level and get the initial function, and then go to the end of the travel and get the second. That proved especially handy when I wanted to walk and crouch with just one key – as opposed to enabling crouching with a modifier key as you normally would.
Otherwise, the switches inside the K70 Max feel especially smooth and are decent enough to type on with a light and snappy, linear keypress. Larger keys, such as Enter and the Space Bar do feature some form of dampening or resistance on them, which feels a little odd, but otherwise what’s on offer here is particularly impressive.
As if all of this clever switch-based trickery wasn’t enough, the K70 Max also features an 8000Hz polling rate, in line with some of Corsair’s other more pro-grade keyboards. Having such a high polling rate should translate to less latency. This results in a more responsive and perceivably less laggy experience – and 8000Hz is more than I’ve ever encountered on any other high-end keyboard.
It may not be a feature that mere mortals such as you or I will find makes much of a perceivable difference, but for the pros, where every millisecond can make a difference, an 8000Hz polling rate is a surefire hit.
Software and lighting
- iCUE is a large install
- Endless, but convenient customisation
- Vibrant RGB lighting
With a keyboard as powerful as the K70 Max, it’s perhaps little surprise to learn that its accompanying software, Corsair iCUE, is a formidable companion. iCUE, compared to other software suites from other manufacturers, makes for a sizable install on the first time around, but offers some of the vastest functionality available from peripheral software in 2023.
When paired with the K70 Max specifically, it unlocks the keyboard’s potential with convenient and accessible changes such as a switch’s actuation point, as well as the dual-actuation feature. Programming these is nice and easy, with a redesigned UI compared to older Corsair peripherals that feels a lot more responsive to use.
In terms of lighting, the out-of-the-box preset for the K70 Max spirals through a wide range of colours, and the lighting present is sharp and vibrant, as is traditional for Corsair keyboards. Inside iCUE, you get access to a manner of presets, as well as the ability to remap individual keys’ lighting for a truly custom effect. There is also 8MB of on-board memory that Corsair says can store up to 50 different profiles if you need it to.
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Should you buy it?
You want to try hall-effect switches: It’s what’s inside that counts, and the K70 Max’s hall-effect switches offer a responsive gaming experience, if you want to give them a try.
You want a more affordable keyboard: At its retail price, the Corsair K70 Max is only designed for those with deeper pockets. If you don’t need such an expensive keyboard, then you’re best looking elsewhere, such as the SteelSeries Apex Pro.
Final Thoughts
The Corsair K70 Max is certainly a worthy successor in its long line of the K70 range, bringing with it a slew of exciting features that put it amongst some of the best gaming keyboards money can buy today. Those hall-effect switches may not be the best for typists out there, but for the competitive gamers they’re designed for, they can make a tangible difference. Combine that with the power of an 8000Hz polling rate and a reliable wired connection, and you’ve got quite the package here.
The K70 Max also looks great, with more of a refined aesthetic, even for a gaming keyboard. The addition of a pair of layers of sound dampening foam helps with acoustics, while the addition of a magnetic wristrest also makes it comfortable to use for long periods of time. Its RGB lighting isn’t over the top and helps to bring out the best in the keyboard’s aesthetics, too.
The only thing to worry about is price – the £219.99/$229.99/€229.99 asking price for the Corsair K70 Max is a lot, especially when you consider you can get most of the same features on the SteelSeries Apex Pro, which undercuts Corsair’s offering as it’s a bit of an older product. That also offers a programmable OLED display, although doesn’t feature such a high polling rate. Then there’s also the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog, which features dual actuation, and the progressive nature of analogue inputs like a controller does, for a similar price to the K70 Max.
At its retail price, the Corsair K70 Max might initially be a hard sell considering the competition, but there’s no doubt it’s a seriously capable keyboard that the pros will love.
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by playing a variety of different genres, including FPS, strategy and MOBAs.
We also check each keyboard’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
Tested for at least a week.
Tested the performance in a variety of games.
Compared the build quality with similar priced keyboards
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FAQs
As the latest revision, arguably this Corsair K70 Max is the best version, with it bringing some notable upgrades including hall-effect switches and an 8000Hz polling rate.
Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
