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Tech head-to-head

Corsair K70 RGB PROvsKeychron Q1

Keychron Q1 leads all 5 Tech axes, 8.4 to 7.8. Corsair K70 RGB PRO comes closest on Durability, 9.0 to 8.8.

Corsair K70 RGB PRO

Corsair

7.8

An aluminum-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 aluminum 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

The widest gap is Design, Keychron Q1 ahead 8.8 to 7.4. They come closest on Durability, 9.0 to 8.8. Left of center is Corsair K70 RGB PRO, right is Keychron Q1.

Corsair K70 RGB PRO versus Keychron Q1 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Corsair K70 RGB PRO run left from the axis labels, bars for Keychron Q1 run right. Corsair K70 RGB PRO: Performance 8.4, Value 7.2, Durability 8.8, Ease of use 7.4, Design 7.4. Keychron Q1: Performance 8.8, Value 7.6, Durability 9.0, Ease of use 7.8, Design 8.8.Corsair K70 RGB PRO (left)Keychron Q1 (right)PerformanceCorsair K70 RGB PRO — Performance 8.4 out of 108.4Keychron Q1 — Performance 8.8 out of 108.8ValueCorsair K70 RGB PRO — Value 7.2 out of 107.2Keychron Q1 — Value 7.6 out of 107.6DurabilityCorsair K70 RGB PRO — Durability 8.8 out of 108.8Keychron Q1 — Durability 9.0 out of 109.0Ease of useCorsair K70 RGB PRO — Ease of use 7.4 out of 107.4Keychron Q1 — Ease of use 7.8 out of 107.8DesignCorsair K70 RGB PRO — Design 7.4 out of 107.4Keychron Q1 — Design 8.8 out of 108.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

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 aluminum—
SwitchesCherry MX, solderedHot-swappable
ExtrasDetachable USB-C, media wheel—
Case—CNC aluminum
Firmware—QMK and VIA

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is there any case for Corsair K70 RGB PRO?
Not from the scores. Keychron Q1 leads all 5 axes and the closest Corsair K70 RGB PRO gets is Durability, 9.0 to 8.8. The case, if there is one, is what the Keychron Q1 gets wrong: You need it to travel — this is close to two kilograms.
How wide is the gap?
Corsair K70 RGB PRO averages 7.8 and Keychron Q1 averages 8.4, 0.6 apart. The spread runs from 0.2 on Durability up to 1.4 on Design.
Which one ranks higher in "Three things retire a mechanical keyboard"?
Keychron Q1 sits at #1 in "Three things retire a mechanical keyboard", Corsair K70 RGB PRO at #3.