Corsair Vengeance K60 Mechanical Keyboard & M60 Gaming Mouse Review

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Corsair has always been a company close to gamers and hardcore enthusiasts. Although the company is primarily focused on delivering high speed RAM modules, SSDs and power supplies, today we are going to have a look at two products which literally place the company in direct contact with the gamers; the Vengeance series K60 mechanical keyboard and the M60 gaming mouse. Although they are sold separately, both products are specifically developed for hardcore first person shooter (FPS) gamers. We will closely examine both of Corsair’s latest additions to the Vengeance series in this review.

Manufacturer’s features and specificationsVengeance K60 Performance FPS Mechanical Keyboard

• Light, responsive Cherry MX Red mechanical switches for fast, efficient gaming action
• Ø 45g actuation Force
• Ø 2mm to actuation and 4mm to bottom
• Ø Rated for 50 million operations
• Ø Gold contacts
• Tuned silicon dome keyswitches: F1 through F12, Esc, PrtScn, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Insert, Home, Page Up Page Down, Delete, and End
• Ten (10) additional sculpted FPS keys (W, A, S, D and 1 to 6) for superior reaction and control — interchangeable with the standard keyboard keys Gaming palm rest with soft-touch surface for superior gaming comfort
• Ø Storage for ten (10) sculpted FPS keys
• Ø Key extraction tool included and storable in palm rest
• Six multimedia keys — Stop, Previous, Play/Pause, Next, Mute, Volume Up/Down — with Solid metal, weighted volume "drum roller"
• Windows Lock key for uninterrupted game play
• Metal top plate for increased strength, durability and rigidity
• USB pass-through connector giving easy access to a USB port on the back of the keyboard (USB 2.0/1.1/1.0)
• USB Connector with gold plated contacts
• 2m non-tangle cable

Vengeance M60 Gaming Mouse

• 5700 DPI — Avago Technologies ADNS-9500 LaserStream Gaming Sensor
• Adjustable DPI in 100 DPI increments
• 1000Hz/500Hz/250Hz/125Hz (1ms/2ms/4ms/8ms) selectable response time
• Tracking up to 165 inches per second, up to 30g acceleration, and automatic frame rate control
• Adjustable lift distance — five selectable levels to fit your play style
• Surface quality detection
• 8 individually programmable buttons
• Side mounted sniper button provides user settable DPI change while pressed for enhanced precision targeting
• Comfortable ergonomic design with soft-touch surfaces and grip improving textures
• Omron left and right click switches rated for eight million operations
• Aluminum metal frame and base for improved rigidity and mass distribution
• Solid metal, weighted scroll wheel with rubberized scroll surface for improved finger traction control and feel
• Ultra Low Friction PTFE pads for smooth performance and accurate gliding
• USB Connector with gold plated contacts
• 1.8m lightweight non-tangle cable

Read more: Corsair Vengeance K60 Mechanical Keyboard & M60 Gaming Mouse Review by VR-Zone.com

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Corsair supplies the K60 keyboard inside a large cardboard box with an interesting, futuristic theme. About a quarter of the top side of the packaging forms a small window, revealing part of the keyboard and a four out of the 10 “special”, sculpted keys.



Despite the size of the box, inside it we found only a warranty card, a basic quick start guide and a wrist rest.



The wrist rest also serves as a storage compartment for up to 10 keys, as well as for the key replacement tool. It is where you may store either the sculpted keys or the normal keys which they replace.



Unlike the grand package of the K60 keyboard, the M60 mouse is supplied inside a rather basic blister plastic package. The one good thing about this type of package is that it allows a clear view of the product without having to open it.



Much like with the keyboard, inside the plastic packaging we found a warranty guide and a basic quick start guide.

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From the very first look at the K60 keyboard we realized that this was not “just another” keyboard. The K60 features a brushed aluminum chassis combined with standard size black keycaps. The logo of the company is engraved at the middle top part of the chassis, while the USB cable is hardwired on the keyboard. It is interesting to note that this keyboard requires two USB ports for all of its features to function properly.



Unlike any keyboard we have seen before, the keys are not embedded inside the aluminum chassis but rather “float” over it. This design grants the users of the K60 keyboard a grant advantage when it comes to cleaning, since it is now extremely easily to keep the area beneath the keys perfectly clean by using cans of compressed air or even by simply blowing debris away. It is also interesting to note that not all of the keys of the K60 keyboard are mechanical; the ESC key, the F keys and the page navigation keys are old-fashion rubber dome keys.



As for their mechanical keys of choice, Corsair went with the Cherry MX Red keys only. You will not find the Vengeance K60 keyboard supplied with any other mechanical keys on board; at least for the time being. The Cherry MX Red keys are considered (arguably) to be the best keys for gaming, requiring little and linear actuation force.



Above you may see how the K60 looks like with the 10 special sculpted keys installed. The keycaps of the red keys not only offer a different, textured feeling but they are oblique instead of flat. The W, A and D keys are facing towards the center, flat S key, the 1 key is tilted slightly to the right and the 6 key slightly to the left.

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Multimedia controls can be accessed through the top right side of the keyboard. Four keys control media navigation (Play/Pause, Stop, Forward and Back) while a fifth key above them serves as the mute button. A metallic wheel next to the mute key controls the volume levels. Finally, Corsair implemented a small round key which allows the users to render the Windows keys inactive.



The three small indicator LEDs can be found between the multimedia controls and the Windows key lock button. Corsair went with discreet white LEDs, fitting the futuristic theme of the keyboard.



Corsair also installed a standard USB 2.0 port at the right back side of the K60. The port may be used to connect a gaming mouse or any other USB device.



The plastic rear of the keyboard is not uninteresting as well, with Corsair having installed four height adjustment legs instead of only two. This way users may lift the front part of the motherboard as well as the back, adjusting the tilt to the setting they find it to be the most comfortable for long gaming hours.



The large wrist rest may only be installed at the left side of the motherboard, which will disappoint (the vast minority of) gamers who are not using the WASD keys. Corsair implemented corona treatment on the plastic wrist rest, giving it a “rubberized” feeling and making its surface soft and comfortable.

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Just as the Vengeance K60 keyboard is designed with FPS gamers in mind, so is the M60 mouse. As a matter of fact, it is surprising that these two products are not sold together as a set. The Corsair M60 sports a rather strange, futuristic design, in the form of a steel structure partially enclosed by plastic shells. Corsair treated the top shell so that it would feel soft and cozy, while the side covers are harder and offer a better grip.



By flipping the M60 mouse around, we discovered that a large portion of the body is made out of aluminum. Large PTFE slip pads allow the M60 to offer minimal friction. There are also three weights, designed to be removable by using a coin. Of course, you may also use a large flat headed screwdriver, a large key or anything else of usable shape.



After removing the cover, a circular weight drops off the mouse. While it is the circular weights that do most of the difference it is possible to install the screw back without the weight in place, allowing the user to perfectly fine-tune the weight of the mouse if they wish to do so.

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There is literally nothing inside the lower part of the mouse. The aluminum structure is forming vented ribs, which should increase comfort after long hours of gaming by allowing the lower portion of the palm to breath.



At the left side of the mouse, Corsair discreetly placed the classic back/forward keys above a large, red “sniper” key which reduces the sensitivity of the M60 for as long as it is being held. The reduction of the sensitivity, which can be compared to a very low DPI setting, allows for precision movements and aiming. Although it sounds quite difficult to use this button in-game, the learning curve is very short due to the position of the button and the simplicity of the function.



Once powered, the wheel of the M60 and the buttons beneath it lights up blue. The three level gauge between the two small buttons is the DPI indicator, displaying the current DPI setting. Obviously, the buttons at the top and the bottom of the indicator change the DPI settings by default but they may be programmed to perform any function the user desires.

[siopao1984]

Corsair would never disappoint an enthusiast and the products we reviewed here today are proof of that. After several days of using both the Vengeance K60 keyboard and the M60 mouse, we were undeniably impressed by both the performance and the exceptional quality of both products. Regular FPS gamers are bound to be far more impressed than us, since both the K60 keyboard and the M60 mouse are designed specifically for enhancing the gaming experience of this particular gaming group.

A simple look at the Vengeance K60 mechanical keyboard tells you that it is a top quality product. The aluminum body and the reinforced metallic plate beneath the keys make the K60 virtually indestructible. Features wise, the K60 is the first keyboard we have ever encountered capable of both positive and negative tilt adjustments, which FPS gamers might actually find convenient. The red keys are quite enjoyable during gaming. The oblique shape of the red gaming keys disrupts typing during normal use but swapping them with the normal keys is a matter of half a minute. Furthermore, the multimedia keys make the K60 a very convenient keyboard for normal everyday use.

It is a shame however that this model has no extra macro keys; by adding just 3-5 macro keys Corsair could have raised the value of this keyboard dramatically. And the Vengeance K60 could certainly use a value boost, since the price it retails for at this point of time is very high. We found the Vengeance K60 retailing for about 110 USD (140 SGD at the time of this review), which is a competitive price when compared to other mechanical keyboards but 3-4 times more expensive that rubber dome gaming keyboards. Of course, no enthusiast who ever used a mechanical keyboard would accept moving back to a rubber dome keyboard, yet the high price will refrain many gamers from taking the big step into the world of mechanical keys.

The Vengeance M60 FPS gaming mouse is an entirely different matter. Unlike the K60 keyboard which sports mechanical keys, the M60 is not all that much different than other laser mice; save for the aluminum structure, the excellent design and the exceptional laser sensor, of course. It certainly is not your average everyday mouse, not even a common gaming mouse. The quality and feel of the M60 is beyond exceptional and the mouse feels comfortable even after hours of continuous use. It is no secret though that the strongest feature of the M60 is the implementation of the large “sniper” button, which greatly enhances the gaming experience in FPS games. Most people would think that learning to use this button in game would be troublesome or even impossible, yet we were surprised about just how easily and quickly we got used to it. As a matter of fact, after using the mouse for a couple of days we caught ourselves using the “sniper” button even for performing menial tasks, such as in office and scientific applications whenever precision selections were required. If we were able to get attached with the M60 so deeply in just a couple of days, we suspect that it would easily become the second right hand of any FPS gamer out there.