Corsair K95 mechanical keyboard - durability update

[TeaLeaf]

Is that a software result not a hardware issue?

[Gorion]

I don't have any keyboard software installed, just the default OS driver.

[TeaLeaf]

I bought a Corsair K95 keyboard earlier this year, it was my first mechanical keyboard purchase so I thought an update on its durability was in order.

Durability - Scientific Testing Methodology:
This keyboard has been great so far with nothing breaking and the keyboard responsiveness from the Cherry MX Red switches being brilliant throughout.   As I don't have a suitably sized blender and was therefore unable to do the usual 'does it blend' test, I thought I'd go a different route with this durability test.

Requirements:
one-third of a bottle of rose wine
a pint glass
one slightly careless keyboard operator (me)

Testing Procedure:
Put all the rose wine into the pint glass.
Accidentally pour the one-third of a pint of rose wine into the middle of the keyboard making sure to cover the majority of the qwerty layout and the function keys above.
Then call Whitey and let him know that 'rain stopped play' and tell him about the unusual localised meteorological conditions on the keyboard.
The keyboard is then placed in a warm, dry place (i.e. on my underfloor-heated kitchen floor tiles) and left to dry overnight.

Results:
After dunking -
Almost immediately and very predictably the back lighting for the keys and buttons started shorting out, the keyboard became unresponsive as it was shorting key-press signals at higher than maximum rate and various lights all over the keyboard were flickering on and off randomly.   The keyboard was unplugged after letting it broil its electronics for 90 seconds.

After an overnight drying -
The keyboard was then plugged in again next day (this morning) to see if it still worked.
All the back lighting still works, all the programmable keys work and after a wipe down with a clean cloth no stickiness seems to have remained on any of the keys or typing actions (probably because they are mechanical and the switch is protected like an umbrella by the key shroud) and there so far seems zero performance degradation post-dunking.

Conclusion:
This keyboard is one durable sob.   It is the first and only keyboard I have owned that has survived the 'third of a pint' dunking test with no ill effects (and I usually dunk 2-3 keyboards per year so I have amassed considerable experience here).   For just surviving the test it deserves praise, but as it still works perfectly I'm giving it top marks and a 'Platinum Award' for sheer ballsy performance in the face of a torrential rose downpour.   Thoroughly impressed and highly recommended for gaming use in unusually damp conditions.

Score:    5/5 - Most Recommended! :thumbsup:

Well, it's almost 4 years to the day now since I bought this keyboard and it has been in daily & heavy use ever since.

The first spillage incident was almost immediate, and it has since had several more.  This morning it was the recipient of a full mug of tea - and I really mean the full mug, not just some splashing over the side, I managed to get the whole mug onto the keys which then drained down into the keyboard.  

As before the keyboard started weird flashing, phantom key presses as it shorted out, so I got it unplugged and swore to myself that this time, surely this time, I had killed it.

So, I removed all the keys.
Unscrewed the base and opened and drained any tea out.
Dabbed any obvious wet places as dry as I could get them.
Gave it a general clean with the vacuum cleaner, cotton buds and a cloth,.
Put the PCB and  frame outside to dry in the sun for 90 minutes at sun factor 30.
Decided to wash all the keys whilst doing this.  
Put them out to dry next to the PCB and hoped the magpies didn't fancy the odd letter or three for their nest collection.

Two hours after  the incident, the keyboard is put back together, I'm plugged in again and everything is working just fine.

I've been pretty damn amazed at the durability of this tough sob of a mechanical keyboard.  

I was worried about the price initially, it was a huge amount to pay for a keyboard (I was used to paying £30-40 for a keyboard, so paying £127.33 felt like a massive gamble/waste), but it's lasted long enough that I would have spent way more in replacing failures of cheaper nasty rubber dome keyboards over the time I have had it, and I would not have had a great mechanical keyboard with cherry red switches in the meantime.

If you're hesitating about buying a good quality mechanical keyboard, all I can say is go for it, a good one is truly worth the price.  As for Corsair, the abuse this thing has taken is immense, but it has just got on with it and I am now a firm brand advocate of Corsair mechanical keyboards.  Highly recommended!

[albert]

Like +1 ðŸ˜,

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[Penfold]

Has it been superseded by another Corsair keyboard?

[OldBloke]

Personally, I'm concerned by how much TL spills his drink :flirty:

[TeaLeaf]

Nope, this K95 is still running strong.  It has however prompted me add 3 Corsair keyboards in other strategic PC locations that I use!

[TeaLeaf]

Personally, I'm concerned by how much TL spills his drink :flirty:

Spilling is fine, so long as your mouth catches it........ :norty:

I'm my own worst enemy, I'll often place a drink down between my hands whilst typing, so the obvious happens all too often.

[BrotherTobious]

I think along with the drinking problem the amount of drink he spits out too that keyboard is rock solid

[Sneakytiger]

i have a corsair strafe rgb and i can agree the durability is very good.

[albert]

A clean spill is better than my recent titanic sneeze with a mouth full of stout. Believe me...I'll be finding that on stuff for years for come. Also most keyboards can handle girlie drinks like rosé wine...russian imperial or a simple oatmeal stout are a tad stickier!

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