STACK #151 May 2017

GAMES REVIEW

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AVANT GARDE are one of Australia’s leading esports organisations.Their Rohan Bruce took Corsair’s latest gaming keyboard, the K95 Platinum, for a test drive.

I t’s no secret that Corsair make some of the best mechanical keyboards in the gaming industry, and any serious aspiring pro gamer will want the best hardware they can get their hands on. From the K65 to the K70 Rapidfire, Corsair has consistently produced the highest

really feel how accurate and reactive it is in game. The K95 comes with a comfortable detachable wrist rest that has two different surfaces; one a soft mesh pattern, and the other a flat hard surface, allowing you to choose which you prefer or remove it altogether depending on personal preference. Build quality is a huge factor when I’m looking for a keyboard, and the

Rohan Bruce

quality keyboards, and the most recent addition to their K-Series mechanical keyboard line, the K95 Platinum, does not disappoint. Corsair mechanical keyboards are known to have some serious eye candy built onto them, and the K95 is no exception. Each button has its own multicolor LED backlight and is fully programmable inside the Corsair Utility Engine software to flash in whichever pattern you see fit. Making its colourful debut is the backlit Corsair logo and the 19-zone LightEdge LED that runs along the top of the keyboard to really give the hardware an edge. The K95 features Cherry MX Speed switches to allow for faster response time – pair that with the built-in anti-ghosting technology and you can

mouse buttons with tasks like opening the shop, menu and scoreboard as well as to use the laugh emote at my enemies. I’m known as a pretty notorious button masher when a big teamfight starts and not once did I notice an unresponsive spell cast due to me mashing two buttons at once. Counter-Strike is where the macros really shone; having six macro buttons allowed me to bind six different buys to them, making it very easy to have a wide array of quick purchases available at the start of a round. The keyboard’s responsiveness is extremely evident when you move quickly and peek in and out of cover, which is a huge part of winning a fight in CSGO. Ultimately, I found the K95 to be an excellent addition to Corsair’s K Series and a worthy successor to the K70 Rapidfire. I’m a big fan of the LightEdge and lit up logo, as it really makes the keyboard stand out. The macro buttons have a ton of potential and the responsiveness is unparalleled to anything I’ve used before. If you’re looking for mechanical keyboard that’s visually appealing yet durable and packed with features, I strongly recommend the K95. After testing the K95, it’s definitely becoming my own personal keyboard of choice, and likely the keyboard of choice for all pro players under AVANT GARDE.

K95 is superb. The cool brushed aluminium frame is lightweight enough for me to move and carry around comfortably, but also durable enough to withstand some serious gaming. Additionally, the K95 has six programmable macro buttons that are grooved so you can easily locate them in the heat of the moment. I had the chance to try out the K95 with League of Legends as well as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive . In League of Legends I found the keyboard to be very responsive, the macro keys were nice to have as it allowed me to clear out my

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MAY 2017

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