Corsair Gaming STRAFE Mechanical Keyboard Review

Introduction

The latest Corsair mechanical gaming keyboard is here at last! The Corsair Gaming STRAFE is their first new keyboard brand in years, although given the success of their K-series keyboards, as well as the RGB editions that followed, it’s easy to understand why Corsair haven’t been rushing to release a replacement.

This keyboard is designed for gaming, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t promise to offer a lot to day-to-day desktop users. Mechanical keys offer premium build quality that should last many years without the keys response fading, as you often find with membrane keyboards. We’ve got the MX Red edition of the STRAFE in the office today, so those fast keys should be quick and super responsive, which will be great for typing, such as the review I’m using it for right now, or for gaming, especially if you play frantic games such as DOTA II.

The STRAFE doesn’t bring a lot of new technology to the table, but it does pack some promising specifications that should satisfy the needs of any keen PC user. We’ve got super quick Cherry MX Red, Blue or Brown mechanical switches, per-key red LED programmable lighting, onboard memory, Cue-Software customisation and more; that’s certainly all the basics covered!

Here is quick video from Corsair to discuss some of the features of the STRAFE and there’s also a nice section that shows off the LED lighting features of the keyboard. Now, let’s jump right to it and take a closer look at what this keyboard has to offer.

The packaging features the new Corsair Gaming branding, that’s right, no more “tramp stamp”. We now have the faster-looking version of the old Corsair ships logo and it looks great!

All the major features are detailed on the box, perfect for those picking one up at retail who want to know a little more. The packaging looks pretty fancy, usually a good first impression that you’ve got a premium product in your hands.