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Corsair K68 Ultra-Durable Mechanical Keyboard Review – Testing / Conclusion
Testing
To test the K68 I considered giving it a spray or splash with water to demonstrate. After much deliberation, I decided I don’t need to get the K68 wet to understand how the protection works. Looking at the rubber gasket below the key switches there are no entry points to the inner frame on the bed. The gasket goes up to the top of the switch, under the key cap. The keycap extends outward giving an umbrella-like effect. It is clear to see that if a liquid is spilled on the keyboard from above there is not much chance of it getting under the key cap and up to the top of the gasket. A user would have to introduce a pretty heavy amount of liquid to accomplish that task. Honestly, I am beyond curious to see what stories users report with the K68. Anytime something has a protection rating that includes liquid, people just jump to “It’s waterproof” and the madness begins. To be clear, the K68 is only Resistant to liquids, not waterproof.
In the performance department, the K68 operates and functions identically to the K63. Straight forward, simple, effective. As the K68 is so similar to the K63 my assessment is almost identical. the K68 is a nice keyboard with a solid feature set. The Cherry MX Red keys are so light and fast there were a few times I didn’t realize I was hitting a button with my finger. Just resting your hand on the keys is nearly enough to activate the switch.
Corsair’s Utility Engine – In the past, we have seen great hardware get its thunder stolen by clunky or flat out irritating-to-use software. It’s a shame when this happens. We bring this topic up because that is not the case in any way with CUE. We find CUE to be just as simple and just as complicated as it needs to be. The software is easy to navigate and responsive. Changes made to your device are shown in real time and the software doesn’t lag, have application issues, or saving issues. All in all, CUE makes the entire K68 experience a pleasant venture and doesn’t hold the hardware back in any manner. Good job Corsair.
Conclusion
The K68 left me in a really hard position when it comes to value. Looking at just the K68 alone I feel the keyboard with its particular features is worth the current $100USD pricetag. The keyboard has a lot going for it. When you factor the almost never ending list of keyboards on the market, even others in Corsair’s lineup, the value starts to get a little wonky for me. Let’s assess just other Corsair keyboards. The K63 is $20(+/-) cheaper than the K68 and gives an almost identical experience, only missing the ten key section, wrist rest and IP rating. But for only $20 more, I would choose the K68. At the same price, you can also choose the Strafe keyboard which has a few features I really like such as USB passthrough and extra keycaps. However, the Strafe does not have dedicated media keys so I personally would still choose the K68. Then comes the kicker, for only $20 more at $120 you can grab a K70 LUX which bumps you up to a brushed aluminum frame among other features. For me, I would spend an extra $20 and grab the LUX, but the K70 LUX still does not have the K68’s IP resistance. So the subjective value cycle continues. What it boils down to is the user’s needs, usage patterns, and of course their wallets. Whichever Corsair keyboard you choose, the quality stays consistent throughout the line and I really don’t see any chance of buyer’s remorse. The K68 will do exactly what it’s advertised to do, and quite well.
The K68 earns the Bjorn3D.com Seal of Approval for the same reasons we loved the K63 – giving gamers a good option to get Cherry MX switches at a decent price, with the power of CUE.
We are also awarding the Bjorn3D.com Silver Bear Award to the K68 for being the only keyboard on the market (we are aware of) to boast an IP32 resistance rating.
| Corsair K68 – Pros |
Corsair K68 – Cons |
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