Razer introduced a widely available 8000Hz polling rate keyboard last year, so it’s no surprise that competitors have followed suit. Corsair today released the K70 RGB Pro mechanical gaming keyboard, which also tells the PC 8000 times per second instead of the standard 1000. But as with other 8000Hz keyboards we’ve seen, those stats may not be what they really are. deed sells you on the keyboard. In truth, most people won’t notice the difference between 8000Hz and traditional 1000Hz.
Corsair’s announcement of the K70 RGB Pro doesn’t focus much on the keyboard’s polling rate. The press release points to Axon’s technology, which the company says is “up to 8x faster than standard gaming keyboards,”but there’s no specific mention of 8000Hz or even the term “polling rate.”
Corsair also didn’t provide an input lag claim, but some 8000Hz keyboards report input lag as low as 0.125ms (1 second divided by 8000 reports = 0.000125 seconds). The K70 RGB Pro product page lists a 4000Hz polling rate and key scan rate (elsewhere on Corsair’s website, the company claims its Axon processor can deliver as little as 0.25ms input lag).
But before you get to that, the product page shows the double plastic PBT keycaps of the keyboard and the use of Cherry MX brand mechanical switches. Corsair’s product page also mentions an aluminum keyboard frame and per-key RGB before mentioning the Axon 8000Hz product feature.
Corsair’s press release also talks about the keyboard’s aluminum volume rocker and other multimedia keys, as well as software or built-in macro recording.
Other 8000Hz keyboards have also tried to offer additional eye-catching features beyond the high polling rate. For example, you’ll probably notice the Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate’s animated Mini LED Matrix first. And Asus has also made sure to include better quality keycaps (also double PBTs) and other features like sound-absorbing foam, an RGB-lit wrist rest, and a USB pass-through port.
This is not to say that 8000Hz keyboards are useless or manufacturers should stop trying to push the limits of keyboard speed. But most people do not need such a keyboard, and they will not notice the difference. For the average user, 8000Hz won’t be enough to lift one keyboard over another.
Of course, high polling rate keyboards like 8000Hz mice and 360Hz monitors are extreme gaming peripherals. But if there are areas in your system where latency can occur, reducing keyboard latency isn’t going to be a game changer. However, Corsair’s other 8000Hz keyboards have other gimmicks besides speed. For example, the Corsair K1 0 0 boasts its opto-mechanical switches, while the board boasts a large programmable RGB dial.
Similarly, Razer dedicates much of its 8000Hz Huntsman V2 product page to the product’s opto-mechanical switches, dual PBT keycaps, and sound-absorbing foam.
So while faster keyboards are an interesting development and a potential boon for those struggling with input lag, it’s good to see keyboard makers offering other features to justify those high prices – the Corsair K70 RGB starts at $160.