Skip to content
Nungeum

Tech head-to-head

Corsair K70 RGB PROvsKeychron Q1

Corsair K70 RGB PRO vs Keychron Q1, scored side by side on all 5 Tech axes. Overall 7.8 to 8.4.

Corsair K70 RGB PRO

Corsair

7.8

An aluminium-topped board built to outlive the software that drives it.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Keychron Q1

Keychron

8.4

A gasket-mounted aluminium board with QMK firmware, sold assembled instead of as a kit.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

Two products can average the same and still feel different, because the shape of the scores differs. Left of center is Corsair K70 RGB PRO, right is Keychron Q1.

Corsair K70 RGB PRO

Axis

Keychron Q1

  • 8.4
    Performance
    8.8
  • 7.2
    Value
    7.6
  • 8.8
    Durability
    9.0
  • 7.4
    Ease of use
    7.8
  • 7.4
    Design
    8.8

Which one to pick

Take the Corsair K70 RGB PRO

  • A keyboard that will be on the same desk in eight years
  • You want genuine Cherry switches rather than a clone
  • A physical volume wheel is worth desk space to you

Take the Keychron Q1

Leads on Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Design.

  • You want to remap every key without vendor software running in the background
  • Typing feel is worth more to you than portability
  • You expect to swap switches rather than replace the board

What each one gets wrong

Corsair K70 RGB PRO

  • You do not want iCUE resident in the background
  • Desk space is tight — this is a full-size board with a wrist rest

Keychron Q1

  • You need it to travel — this is close to two kilograms
  • Wired-only, or the wireless variant premium, is a problem

Specs, side by side

SpecCorsair K70 RGB PROKeychron Q1
LayoutFull size75 percent
Top plateBrushed aluminium—
SwitchesCherry MX, solderedHot-swappable
ExtrasDetachable USB-C, media wheel—
Case—CNC aluminium
Firmware—QMK and VIA

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Corsair K70 RGB PRO or Keychron Q1 — which should I buy?
Keychron Q1 leads on Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Design, and there is no axis where Corsair K70 RGB PRO comes out ahead.
How far apart are they overall?
Corsair K70 RGB PRO scores 7.8 and Keychron Q1 scores 8.4, a gap of 0.6. The total is the plain average of the 5 axes used in Tech.