Corsair STRAFE RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Cherry MX Silent) Review

Others/Mice & Keyboards by stefan @ 2016-02-16

The upgraded STRAFE which is now baptized STRIFE RGB is built on the same chassis, but it does also come with important improvements like the latest generation of Cherry MX Silent switches which are also RGB LED-enabled; the inner support plate is now white for allowing the LED light to shine through the switches. The keyboard left and right sides are now white and get accompanied by a string of white LED lights.

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Packaging, A Closer Look Part I

Last time we have taken a look at the STRAFE mechanical keyboard from Corsair, it was featuring a single color LED scheme and was also incorporating Cherry MX Red, Brown or Blue switches; dynamic backlighting was customizable via the CUE software but because of a single LED color it was not that spectacular. While the first edition was an excellent addition to the previous offerings, Corsair did not stop developing and after a short time frame we were able to see the STRAFE RGB model, which besides multicolored LED lighting it is also featuring a brand new Silent switches from Cherry; of course, we also have the ability to select from Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Brown or Cherry MX Blue (RGB versions), but let’s dig in and check out the actual product! The STRAFE RGB keyboard is shipped inside a quite compact enclosure, which is showing one photo with the keyboard in operation along with some of the main highlights:

 

 

 

Some of these features can be also spotted as pictograms in the top right corner:

 

 

 

We can confirm that the sample we have received is the one with the Cherry MX Silent switch, a brand new design which is meant to minimize the sound produced by the assembly. This particular switch has the same activation force as the standard MX Red, the only difference being the manufacturing technique which involves the injection of a shock absorber made out of elastomer into the plastic cladding of the switch. We can also mention that the Silent switches have a shorter key travel of 3.7mm versus 4mm of the standard models:

 

 

 

The main features and specifications are also mentioned on the sides, in multiple languages:

 

 

 

 

Corsair offers a more in-depth look on the back side of the box, where it also describes the main keyboard components:

 

 

 

After unsealing the box and lifting the top cover, we can take a look inside:

 

 

 

As with the previous models, we salute the inclusion of the wrist rest:

 

 

 

 

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