What Keyboard Does XANTARES Use?

XANTARES's keyboard history

XANTARES's keyboard history is short and tidy: two boards, one switch between them, and no going back. The Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 came first, from September 2022 to November 2023, which is 14.3 months (1.2 years). In November 2023 he moved to the Corsair K70 RGB TKL.

That TKL is now his longest stretch on any keyboard, at 35.0 months (2.9 years) and still going. Both boards come from the same K70 RGB line, so the change was a model step within one family rather than a move to a new brand.

Switches and actuation

The K70 RGB TKL is sold with two switch options, Cherry MX Speed and Cherry MX Red. Both are Cherry MX switches, so the main difference between them is how quickly the key registers a press. Red is the familiar smooth, linear switch. Speed is Cherry's faster-actuating take on it.

The PCB is non-hotswappable. Whichever switch the board ships with is the one you live with, unless you are ready to desolder. If you are buying this keyboard, pick the switch version carefully, because you cannot swap it later by pulling switches out.

Should you buy XANTARES's keyboard?

The K70 RGB TKL is a tenkeyless board, so there is no number pad. That leaves more desk space beside the keyboard, and it suits anyone who wants a standard full-size feel on the main block without the extra width. It has RGB and a fairly solid weight, so it sits firmly on the desk.

If you want something different, these are the closest alternatives:

• Logitech G Pro X Keyboard (2 pros use it now): 49 g heavier, 1 cm shorter, the same width and 0.4 cm lower. It is hotswappable and comes with GX Blue Clicky, GX Brown Tactile or GX Red Linear switches. That makes it the pick if you want to experiment with switches later.
• Logitech G Pro X TKL RAPID Black (2 pros use it now): 19 g heavier, 1.5 cm shorter, 0.3 cm narrower and 0.1 cm lower. It uses optical switches and a non-hotswappable PCB, so you get a more compact footprint but not a mechanical Cherry feel.
• Logitech G715 (1 pro uses it now): 44 g heavier, 0.8 cm shorter, 1 cm wider and 0.1 cm lower. It offers GX Blue, Red and Brown options on a non-hotswappable PCB.

In short, the K70 RGB TKL is the choice if you want Cherry MX Red or Speed switches. The Logitech boards trade that for GX switches, optical switches or a hotswap PCB, and all three are a bit heavier.