Today, we are writing our Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review to discuss another notable product from Corsair. This keyboard is the successor to its K65 RGB Mini and is a little mechanical keyboard sporting per-key RGBs.
It features pleasant acoustics, quality performance, and a no-nonsense approach to its design. Since the product is a refresh of its predecessor, it displays a slight increase in size. From a 60% keyboard, you will now have a 65% layout.
This extra size allows the integration of several arrow keys on the keyboard, including delete, page up/down keys, etc. However, the highlight is its acoustic profile, which we will discuss in this Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review.
Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Packaging
The product ships in a standard cardboard box sporting a yellow and black theme. The front shows an image of the keyboard, its name, company branding, and several features. There are also notes on its compatibility with various devices and the like.
The back of the box displays more information about the keyboard, such as its specifications. It also notes the uses of specific keys to make it easier to determine.
Inside, the K65 Pro Mini ships with several accessories, and these include the following:
- USB Type-C to Type-A cable
- Safety Leaflet
- Radiant Spacebar
- Warranty Card
Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review – Design and Functionality
We observed the K65 Pro Mini and the K65 RGB Mini for our Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review. Like its predecessor, this keyboard sports a simple design on its topside.
Its layout is the standard QWERTY (English) set. But what we love is it does not cut these short to squeeze them into the small form factor.
One side of the keyboard features the following keys: full-sized enter, backspace, and shift. It means you can familiarise yourself with its layout and type comfortably immediately.
You will find arrow keys plus a pg up/down/del, which also functions as a G1-G4. Because of its keys, the 65% format of the product is more efficient than its predecessor.
Its layout allows you to type comfortably without adjusting or learning the key positions. Some advanced functions are bound to specific keys, including the skip/play and print screen buttons.
You can activate these by pressing the FN button. We appreciate Corsair for lighting up the bound keys when activating these.
The keyboard has an aluminium frame with an anodised brushed black finish. It measures 315 x 105.4 x 35.8mm (LxWxH) and weighs 0.6kg. The product is slightly robust for its size, but its build and exterior are an excellent standard.
It sports PBT keycaps which are more reliable than ABS. Each of these also features smooth stabilisers to guarantee that they stay upright. Moreover, they help keep inputs precise and crisp.
Fortunately, Corsair provided foldable stands sporting a rubberised material along the base.
Key Features of the Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard
This section of our Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review focuses on the aspects of this product. We will share what makes it a keyboard worth considering for your setup.
Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Compact 65% Layout
The compact build of the K65 Pro Mini makes it fit on any desktop without taking up all the space. Despite its reduced size, it has all the vital arrow and utility keys with secondary functions for your convenience.
Laser-Like Inputs with the Optical Switches from Corsair
The K65 Pro Mini uses the Corsair OPX for incredibly smooth, linear, ultra-responsive keypresses. These optical-mechanical switches guarantee over 150 million keystrokes.
AXON-Speed – Eight Times Faster With the Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard
Corsair AXON Hyper-Processing technology registers your actions from the keyboard to the game. It works eight times faster than other keyboards and retains its speed while playing 20 RGB lighting layers.
Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard – A Satisfying Typing Experience
The K65 Pro Mini offers the ideal keyboard acoustics with its two layers of sound dampening. It softens keystroke sounds to make your typing experience more satisfying.
Stunning and Durable Aluminium Frame
This keyboard has a stunning brushed aluminium top plate that is durable and stylish. It has a solid and premium feel, making it suitable for any setup.
Double-Shot PBT keycaps
The K65 Pro Mini has durable and resilient double-shot PBT keycaps. These are 1mm thick to withstand pressure without cracking and resist wear, shine, and fade.
Keep up to 50 Custom Settings Conveniently Accessible
Our Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review will discuss one of the best features that increases convenience. Customise keyboard settings and RGB and save up to 50 profiles via the onboard 8MB storage
Detachable USB-C Cable of the Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard
We appreciate Corsair for making the USB-C cable of the K65 Pro Mini detachable. Plus, it has a compact body, making it portable and easy to carry.
Onboard Macro Recording
You can program macros from the keyboard or use iCUE software. Set the utility keys as custom macro keys to enhance your gameplay experience.
Customising the Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard in iCUE
iCUE Software is a user-friendly interface providing control and settings, including remaps, RGB lighting, and macro programming. It has plenty of tools to optimise and benefit from what the keyboard can offer.
Specifications
- Keyboard Matrix: 67 Keys
- Layout: NA (North America)
- Key Switches: CORSAIR OPX
- Onboard Memory: 8MB
- Onboard Profiles: Up to 50
- System Requirements: PC (Windows 10 or later), Mac (macOS 10.15 or later), Internet connection for downloading iCUE Software
- Keyboard Warranty: Two Years
- HID Keyboard Report Rate: Up to 8000Hz
- Key Rollover: Full-Key (NKRO) with Anti-Ghosting
- Keyboard Cable Material: Braided
- Connectivity: Wired
- Wired Connectivity: USB 3.0 or 3.1 Type-A
- Size: 65%
- Weight: 0.6kg
Hands-on with the Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard
Before discussing its performance, our Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review will look into its software.
iCUE is an excellent tool that lets you take advantage of the keyboard. Although Corsair makes plug-and-play keyboards that do not require software, downloading it can be beneficial.
Using iCUE grants you several more tools to boost the performance and utility of the keyboard. Fortunately, the company decided to decrease the amount of bloat on iCUE. Doing so makes setting up the keyboard more convenient and user-friendly.
With the software, you can change the lighting of the K65 Pro Mini. Aside from this, you can also alter its key assignments or create a new keyboard profile.
If you want to set up new macros for your lighting profile, it is possible. You can do this by taking advantage of every fancy lighting effect on iCUE.
We love that the keyboard can save up to 50 profiles on its 8MB storage. Generally, we do not create 50 profiles, but this amount of space is certainly nice to have.
However, the most vital aspect of iCUE is it lets you save settings on the integrated storage of the keyboard. You can set up the K65 Pro Mini however you want and save all your settings.
Once you save everything, you can delete the software, especially if you dislike having extra software on your PC. Since you can save your settings on the keyboard, it is possible to take your keyboard to LAN parties. Or you can also use it across various PCs while using your settings.
The responsiveness and tactile feedback of the switches impressed us when we tested the product. These boast a notably higher actuation point than other keyboards. As a result, typing on the K65 offers a responsive experience without any challenges.
By default, this keyboard uses a 1000Hz polling rate that you can change via iCUE.
While we tested the 1000 Hz and 8000 Hz polling, they did not necessarily enhance its responsiveness. But for eSports enthusiasts, the high polling rate should be adequate, especially when they need optimised performance from their peripherals.
Overall, the high actuation points, optical-mechanical switches, plus smooth stabilisers greatly impacted the responsiveness of this keyboard. It performed excellently and without issues, so we recommend the K65 Pro Mini from Corsair.
Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review Summary
The new K65 Pro Mini is an excellent upgrade from its predecessor, the K65 RGB Mini. It retains the essential keys while having a compact design that fits any desk. Plus, it has new and enhanced features to enhance the user experience.
When we tested the product for our Corsair K65 Pro Mini Keyboard Review, we enjoyed our typing and gaming experience. The keys were fast and highly responsive, making it excellent for fast-paced video games like FPS. Plus, the latest version of iCUE Software retained its intuitive, user-friendly interface, allowing easy navigation and configuration7.
Aside from superior performance, this keyboard has a stunning design, thanks to its brushed aluminium finish. Combining its customisable RGB, the K65 Pro Mini can suit any PC build aesthetic.
We highly recommend this product for its excellent design, build quality, and superior performance. Learn more about the K65 Pro Mini by visiting the Corsair official product page.
