Like most other Corsair gaming gear, the Corsair K100 Air Wireless runs on the Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software. This allows you to reprogram keys, set up lighting patterns, monitor the battery level, create profiles for individual games and apps, and so forth. During our review period, iCUE was not yet compatible with the K100 Air Wireless, however. We can say that the software works well with other Corsair gear, and that it tends to be a little complex, particularly if you want to adjust the lighting beyond the basics. The Corsair K100 is the flagship wired keyboard from one of the world’s most prominent gaming hardware companies. I would offer one potential caveat about the extra keys, however. While I appreciate that Corsair offered a few programmable keys, I don’t see the utility of putting them near the numpad. They’re not easily accessible during gameplay, so I never found much use for them. Perhaps they’re better suited to productivity purposes, but I wouldn’t count on putting any useful macros or shortcuts there. Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: Verdict Speed isn’t the only claimed benefit. Fewer discreet parts results in improved reliability, plus you don’t suffer from debounce delay – the issue where mechanical keyboards wait for a short period before resetting because they don’t want to accidentally register a bouncing key as multiple keypresses.

The Corsair K100 Air Wireless uses Cherry’s latest and greatest low profile switches: Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile (ULP) Tactiles. It’s a mouthful but a descriptive one, because these switches are fantastic if you’re looking for an incredibly thin keyboard that also delivers a satisfyingly tactile yet fast and familiar mechanical switch feel. The programmability of the keyboard also pays dividends if you’re a fan of macros or multiple keymaps for different games. The built-in macro keys mean that your most used custom commands won’t force you to give up other keys to assign them. These keys aren’t as convenient to press as the normal K100’s left-side macro row, however, forcing you to take your hand off the mouse to access them, which is never convenient.The Corsair K100 Air Wireless isn’t what I expected from the company’s first full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard. I had hoped that Corsair would adapt its K70 design, with its traditional keycaps and tried-and-true switches. However, if you’re willing to let go of some preconceptions, there’s a lot to like about the K100 Air Wireless. It performs well, but apart from that, it looks cool, lasts a long time on a charge and deserves some credit for trying something new. With an unbelievably thin frame measuring just 11mm at its slimmest point and a clean, minimalist aesthetic, the K100 AIR fits right in on any desktop or workstation. Hyper-responsive CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile mechanical keyswitches provide the satisfying, tactile, and reliable keystrokes that users demand, without the height of a full-size keyswitch. Every key can be programmed and remapped, including the volume wheel. You can assign macros, key strings, launch programs, change profiles, and even control the mouse by assigning those functions in Corsair’s iCUE software. There are also built-in functions for changing between preset lighting effects (there are nine preset effects and eight static colors to choose from).

The K100 is also manufactured with CherryMX Speed Silver switches, and those switches have a 1.2mm actuation point and 3.4mm of total travel alongside a 45g actuation force – so they require a little more movement to register a press compared to the Corsair OPX hardware. In addition, those Speed Silver switches are shallow when compared to most traditional mechanical switches – popular options such as CherryMX’s Red, Blue and Brown switches need more movement and force. You can use iCUE to customize the lighting of your keyboard and create macros that can be assigned to your six dedicated macro keys. You can also configure the various modes for your iCUE control wheel, as well as create your own custom modes. There's no question that the Corsair K100 RGB is a colossus of a keyboard. Weighing just under three pounds, it's heavier than most full-sized boards, and the dimensions don't make the portability any better. Still, if you plan on setting and forgetting the K100, then your biggest concern should be making desk space to fit the keyboard and its accommodating wrist rest. The review unit that I tested came with Corsair's new OPX optical-mechanical switches, but the K100 also comes in a Cherry MX Speed variant. No matter which version you buy, you'll be typing on linear-based keys. Design Typing on the keyboard is a lot like typing on a laptop, with the added benefit of that improved key feel. Since the keyboard is so thin, it can lay completely flat or have a slight tilt by flipping the built-in feet. Unlike most laptops, there’s extra space between each key, so finger positioning stays consistent with other full-size desktop keyboards. So, opto-mechanical switches do deliver better speeds than conventional mechanical hardware, but there is a caveat: the difference between opto-mechanical and mechanical switches remains relatively small, with the optical improvement measured in milliseconds. While I do notice the speed improvement when gaming, the benefits are really only evident in fast-paced, competitive games, such as eSports and FPS titles.The Bluetooth mode also works as advertised, and lets you connect to up to three different systems. As such, you could theoretically connect the K100 Air Wireless to four different devices around your home, which is helpful if you have a desktop, a laptop, a game console and a mobile device. To elevate your workflow, the K100 AIR can seamlessly switch between wireless connections on your PC, laptop, tablet, and more with the press of a key for masterful multi-tasking, protected by AES 128-bit encryption. Four fully programmable macro keys enable you to perform complex macros, actions, and application launching, while dedicated media keys and a programmable aluminum volume roller give you convenient control. When connecting the K100 AIR to other devices, 8MB of onboard storage saves up to 50 profiles to keep preset macros and lighting effects always close at hand. In terms of typing, the K100 Air Wireless holds up pretty well. In a one-minute Typing.com test, I scored 105 words per minute with 98% accuracy on the K100 Air Wireless, versus 116 words per minute with 99% accuracy on my usual G915. This is not a big difference, considering how much more familiar I am with the latter. Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: Features The bottom edge of the K100 can be bolstered by a comfortable magnetic wrist-rest, and Corsair includes a selection of replacement buttons – I found six in the box designed for MOBA gaming and four that are more suited to FPS titles.