Corsair Raptor K40 review

The Corsair Raptor K40 is a mid-range gaming keyboard that keeps costs down by using rubber dome switches instead of more expensive mechanical hardware. The result of this is a quiet key action; even when you’re hammering out documents or fighting an intense battle, the noise never gets overbearing. Despite its lack of precise mechanical switches, we loved using the keyboard, experiencing neither missed keypresses nor rattling from the well-seated keys.

On the right of the board are media control buttons, while over on the left there six programmable “G” keys that allow you to create up to 18 of your own custom key macros using Corsair’s PC software.

The keyboard has anti-ghosting technology, to help eliminate the problems caused by pressing multiple keys down together in close proximity. This is another useful feature for gamers who often need many keys to be pressed at the same time or in quick succession, such as when ducking, moving forward and reloading at the same time. There’s also a handy button to disable the Windows key for gaming sessions, so you won’t find you switch to the Windows Desktop mid-game.

Corsair’s software also allows you to set up the keyboard’s coloured backlights, which illuminates the symbols on each of the keys. Sadly, this backlighting isn’t particularly bright and, in even moderately lit conditions, the backlights appear pale and washed out. They look great in the dark, but we’d have liked them to be a little brighter.

At £50, the Corsair Raptor K40 is fairly expensive for a non-mechanical keyboard. However, it’s still about £25 less expensive than comparable mechanical keyboards, and still has many gamer-oriented features, making it good value for those on a budget.