Gadgetory

with its factory tuning in data center DNA and Intel 730 series SSD is an amazing choice for gamers and performance enthusiasts the corsair k 40 spec list has got some pretty good stuff going for it it's got a 16 point 8 million color customizable backlight with cycling and pulsing modes it's got n key roll over and anti-ghosting over USB which is no mean feat and it's six programmable G keys with three different layers of functionality can be configured through software or on the fly using the M R button just press it select a G key type in your combo and press M R again and on top of all that Corsair software which I just mentioned has gone from needs work to actually pretty good in the last few years and now we're at the point where changing the color scheme managing the profiles on the PC and the ones saved to the keyboards onboard memory and programming the keys with alternate functions or macros is leg free and happens in real time without any weird behavior the backlight configurator is especially fun to play with since it changes the colors and settings as you dink around with it but honestly I didn't find the backlight itself to be that amazing sure you can set it to whatever color you want but it isn't super bright and like I mentioned in my Corsair RGB mechanical keyboard coverage at CES it's one of those lighting systems that is theoretically capable of sixteen point eight million colors but in reality you can only achieve a handful of distinct vibrant colors now the keys themselves are not as linear like MMX black or red but reminded me of Browns if Browns were spongy or less tactile and generally more membrane II honestly it was a little weird going back to a rubber dome keyboard since I've been using mechanical for so long I'm not used to needing to bottom out anymore so that was an adjustment it didn't slow down my typing much surprised me but my wrists are noticeably more tired having used it for about a week at work I'm not sure if that's directly related to the switches but it's a knob servation nonetheless the keyboard looks quite attractive like coursers other offerings but uses a matte black and silver plastic body instead of a metal body with a shiny corsair logo the layout is solid I don't really have any complaints here and includes dedicated media keys to go along with a dedicated Windows key lock as well as a brightness key that goes from off to 1/3 to 2/3 to full strength on the backlight but one problem with the layout that I actually didn't even notice when just looking at the keyboard is that I found the F keys are too close to the number row for me it actually took me a couple days to figure out why I've been mashing f11 and f12 all week when I was reaching for the backspace all right so it's competitive landscape time in this price range there's some generic stuff like the gigabyte a via gkk 8100 which I actually used for a while and kind of like it's not a terrible keyboard there's some unique stuff like the Razer Deathstalker with its low profile chiclet keys and some downright goofy stuff like that cooling fan for your left hand on the TT eSports challenger but in my mind some of the biggest threats to the K 40 actually come from Corsairs own lineup and from the fact that no matter what check boxes it ticks on a product matrix it is still a membrane keyboard and single color backlit mechanical keyboards like the Quickfire Pro and Poseidon can be had for a mere $10 more I mean guys the keyboard is alright the feature set particularly the RGB backlighting is competitive if you like membrane keys which some people do but well I can't complain about this product I guess if I had to complain about something I have a bit of an issue with the design philosophy here normally I wouldn't even mention this kind of thing in a review but kind of like the coach's son on a baseball team I've got to make an example of course there once in a while to prove I'm not favoring them for being a longtime sponsor the K 40 feels like a very corporate driven SKU from the ground up it is low risk it slots into a small gap in the product stack between the K 30 and K 50 it likely improves profitability at that price point compared to the K 65 compact and it ticks all the right boxes on the aforementioned product matrix against its competition but that's not supposed to be the coarser way coarser is supposed to be a bunch of enthusiasts who build the coolest thing they possibly can and then price it at whatever they need to to support their business and the K 40 just doesn't seem enthusiast driven to me with that said I can't go too hard on them because they are innovating in the category metal finished keyboards weren't mainstream until Corsair did it and their new RGB backlit mechanical is a quantum leap past what everyone else is doing for backlit keyboards so maybe that's the problem I mean if it seems like I came into this review with a bit of a grumpy mindset that must be the underlying issue I'm sitting here waiting for the RGB mechanical and they send me this to review in the meantime honestly it's fine but you give a hungry dog a pat on the head and you might appreciate the pat on the head it might be an excellent pat on the head but he's still waiting for his bone give me my bone Corsair I cannot wait you are sitting over there on the most amazing keyboard I have ever seen and I want it now guys we should start like a chant in the comments demanding the Corsair our GB keyboard I know they're PR guy watches these videos so you know yeah one two you let's get it going anyway guys like and share this video if you liked it dislike it if you disliked it and leave a comment on the Linus tech tips forum linked in the video description if you want to discuss this product or if you have constructive criticism for me and my team also linked in the video description is our support link with options to buy t-shirts give us a monthly contribution or give us a kickback whenever 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