In this article we will draw a comparison between K65 LUX RGB vs K65 RGB MINI.
DESIGN
Corsair K65 LUX RGB
It’s a TenKeyLess (TKL) keyboard that’s a tad smaller than the Corsair K63 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard. The Corsair K65 is well-made. It includes a plastic base and a brushed aluminum top plate that feels robust and does not flex. The edges of the metal top plate, on the other hand, are rather sharp and can cut your skin. The ABS plastic keycaps have a great, smooth texture and don’t wobble while typing; unfortunately, they have a cheap feel. There are four rubber feet beneath the keyboard and three more beneath the wrist rest, but they aren’t sticky because the keyboard slides about easily.
The wrist rest connections are brittle and difficult to attach. However, once attached, the wrist rest feels robust. It is ergonomically sound. It just has one incline level and comes with a soft plastic wrist rest. Although it isn’t as comfortable as the wrist rest on the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT, it still aids in fatigue reduction. The incline feet open to the sides, so they won’t retract as you push the keyboard forward. The Corsair K65 LUX RGB features complete RGB backlighting and individually-lit keys. The iCUE software allows you to adjust the colors and effects, and you can also regulate the brightness level directly from the keyboard.
Corsair K65 RGB MINI
The Corsair K65 RGB MINI is a little 60% keyboard that takes up little desk space. The Corsair K65 RGB MINI has excellent build quality, with a plastic shell and a white metal base plate that feels solid and does not flex. The keycaps are doubleshot PBT with a texturing that provides some grip. There’s an extra spacebar with no patterned RGB passthrough and one extra alphanumeric key with a Corsair logo added. However, both are made of ABS plastic. The keys are extremely stable, with only little wobbling on larger function keys, and four rubber pads on the bottom of the board feel gripping and don’t slip when you nudge the keyboard. The ergonomics of the Corsair K65 RGB MINI are mediocre. There are no adjustable inclination levels, and no wrist rest included. The RGB illumination of the Corsair K65 RGB MINI is excellent, with individually-lit keys, but the white backlighting has obvious blue tones.
CONNECTORS
Corsair K65 LUX RGB
The cable is sturdy and braided, although it has kinks in the packaging. It features two USB connections at the end, one for the USB passthrough and the other for the keyboard. This is a wired keyboard that cannot be used wirelessly.
Corsair K65 RGB MINI
A braided USB-C to USB-A cable is included with this keyboard. The Corsair K65 RGB MINI is a wired-only device that cannot be utilized wirelessly.
TYPING EXPERIENCE
Corsair K65 LUX RGB
Cherry MX Red switches are used on the Corsair K65 RGB. They take some force to activate and have a long pre-travel distance. This can improve typing accuracy, but it can also make the keyboard feel less responsive, especially when gaming. The pre-travel distance exceeds the specified 2.0mm. However, this could be due to manufacturing tolerances. Because the switches are linear and do not provide tactile feedback, it may be difficult to tell whether a keypress is registered. The Corsair K65 LUX RGB keyboard we tested provides excellent typing quality.
The ABS plastic keycaps are smooth and a touch slippery, and they, unfortunately, have a shoddy feel about them. They are stable and do not wobble while typing, which is a plus. The key placement is slightly more spaced out than standard spacing, which should not result in more typos but may cause finger fatigue because you may need to extend your fingers more than usual. Nonetheless, typing on this keyboard should not cause fatigue, especially when combined with the wrist rest. In an open office environment, the linear Cherry MX Red switches are quiet and should not bother those around you.
Corsair K65 RGB MINI
This keyboard features linear Cherry MX Speed switches that are very light and responsive but lack tactile feedback. The Corsair K65 RGB Mini has excellent typing quality. Even if you’re used to a full-size keyboard, the space between keys feels normal. The keycaps have a slight texture and are pleasant to type on, and all of the keys are very stable and actuate evenly. The Cherry MX Speed switches on our unit feel very responsive, but you may need to slow down while typing to avoid accidentally registering keystrokes when getting used to them.
Unfortunately, there are no adjustable incline settings, and there is no wrist rest so you may experience fatigue after long periods of typing. The Corsair K65 RGB MINI is quiet and unlikely to bother those around you. The Corsair K65 RGB MINI has extremely low latency. Using the companion software, you can configure the polling rate. The polling rate can be 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz, 4000Hz, or 8000Hz. We set the polling rate to 8000Hz for our tests, which should only affect the latency test. While we did not test lower polling rates, we do not anticipate significantly higher latency results at settings of 1000Hz and above.
SOFTWARE AND OPERATING SYSTEM
Corsair K65 LUX RGB
The iCUE companion software is excellent. You may assign macros or presets to any key and adjust the RGB backlight on each key. Unfortunately, for new users, the software is not very intuitive or user-friendly.
The Corsair K65 is entirely compatible with Windows, except for the Pause Break and Scroll Lock, which do not operate on macOS. Because the software is incompatible with Linux, you can’t change the settings, but all keys should still operate.
Corsair K65 RGB MINI
The iCUE software from Corsair allows for extensive customization of lighting effects, key assignments, Windows Key lock functionality, and other options. Certain settings can also be saved to onboard memory and used without the software. The Corsair K65 RGB MINI’s companion software is macOS compatible, although the Scroll Lock and Print Screen buttons do not function. In Linux, all keys work, but the program is incompatible.
CONCLUSION
The Corsair K65 LUX is an excellent gaming laptop. This well-made keyboard is easy to operate and has a wrist rest. You may completely configure the RGB backlighting and assign macros to any key. The Cherry MX Red switches have a modest actuation force but a long pre-travel distance, which is inconvenient for gaming. The Corsair K65 RGB MINI is an excellent gaming keyboard with a high build quality and low latency. It was one of Corsair’s first keyboards to be offered with an 8000Hz polling rate, and we tested it at that rate using our methods.
Nevertheless, we do not particularly test polling rates. The Cherry MX Speed switches on the machine we tested had a very short pre-travel and required very little energy to operate, resulting in an extremely responsive feel. It also includes complete RGB illumination and macro-programmable keys. However, the ergonomics are subpar, as there is no provided wrist rest or changeable incline settings. so, we expect now you know which one suits your requirement, between Corsair K65 LUX RGB vs K65 RGB MINI.