CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Evaluation – A Full Measurement Gaming Keyboard In TKL Sort

The CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 mechanical gaming keyboard represents an formidable attempt to pack full-sized keyboard efficiency proper right into a compact kind problem with out sacrificing effectivity. Coming from the CORSAIR K70 PRO TKL, I was curious how this 96% construction would cope with the transition from a minimalist TKL to at least one factor that ensures “full keyboard with TKL measurement”. After a couple of weeks of intensive gaming and every day use, I can say CORSAIR has delivered one factor spectacular, though not and never utilizing a couple of compromises.

Retailing at A$269, the VANGUARD 96 positions itself as a premium gaming keyboard that objectives to be versatile adequate for every aggressive gaming and productiveness work. It’s an fascinating sweet spot on the market, notably for people who desire a numpad nevertheless don’t want an enormous full-sized keyboard dominating their desk space.

CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Evaluation – Unboxing and Packaging Contents

CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Evaluation – Design and Choices

The VANGUARD 96 incorporates a shiny, sculpted aluminium physique that immediately feels premium when you first cope with it. The assemble prime quality is powerful, with no flex or creaking when typing aggressively. It’s pretty spectacular how CORSAIR managed to swimsuit each little factor into this compact footprint – a full numpad, arrow keys, six programmable G-Keys, a rotary dial, and a 1.9-inch LCD show, all in a keyboard roughly the dimensions of a TKL.

As soon as I first be taught that promoting and advertising and marketing declare about “full-sized keyboard with TKL measurement”, I was sceptical. It looked like they’d each make the switches uncomfortably small or create an ungainly construction that will take months to manage to. I was flawed. The keys actually really feel pure and hold right spacing the place it points most. Nonetheless, CORSAIR did trim down some key sizes to appreciate this compact design – the “Numpad 0/Ins” secret’s narrower, as is the “Backslash or ” key. Some spacing between keys has been eradicated as successfully.

Are there compromises? Utterly. I found myself missing the “Numpad 0/Ins” key usually when punching numbers quickly on a spreadsheet. It took plenty of days to manage my muscle memory, nevertheless as quickly as I did, typing felt pure as soon as extra. The mandatory issue is that CORSAIR hasn’t sacrificed ergonomics for the sake of compactness. I like this 96% construction because of it affords me the numpad I depend upon for updating our family funds spreadsheets whereas searching for video video games, with out the massive footprint of a regular full-sized keyboard.

The low-profile G-Keys on the left side are positioned fully – simple to look out when you need them, nevertheless robust to unintentionally press all through intense gaming lessons.

The LCD Show display and Rotary Dial

The built-in 1.9-inch IPS colour LCD show (320 x 170 resolution) is eye-catching. It reveals useful data and positively makes the keyboard look premium sitting in your desk. Whereas the show includes useful data, I barely work along with it. After the preliminary novelty wore off, I found myself questioning whether or not or not we really need it the least bit. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, and it does enhance the final premium actually really feel of the keyboard, nevertheless it absolutely feels additional like a nice-to-have than an essential operate.

The rotary dial, nevertheless, is one factor I’ve always favored on gaming keyboards, and this implementation isn’t any fully totally different. With the flexibility to quickly regulate amount (I try this pretty usually) with a straightforward twist feels intuitive and helpful. The dial’s integration with the LCD show works successfully when you want seen recommendations in your modifications.

CORSAIR MLX Pulse Switches and Acoustics

The VANGUARD 96 comes equipped with CORSAIR’s MLX Pulse switches – linear switches with a 45g actuation drive, 2.0mm actuation degree, 3.6mm entire journey, and a formidable 80 million keystroke lifespan. These switches operate pre-lubricated stems and Fresnel lensing for enhanced RGB lighting.

The switches are exceptionally responsive and actually really feel significantly gap when you press them, offering straightforward, great tactile recommendations. The typing experience is clear and fixed all through all of the keyboard. Due to CORSAIR’s quad-layer sound dampening, the noise is form of subdued, and my partner, who sleeps behind my gaming chair all through late-night gaming lessons, in no way complained as quickly as regarding the typing noise. That’s an enormous achievement for a mechanical keyboard.

The marketed “thocky” sound profile is present nevertheless refined. It’s not the loud, resonant thock you’d get from some fanatic keyboards, nevertheless considerably a lovely, muted thock that gained’t disturb others spherical you.

Gaming Effectivity

I examined the VANGUARD 96 largely with Borderlands 4 and Overwatch 2, and the effectivity has been superior. I always set the polling cost to its most 8,000Hz for the ultra-responsive enter. There’s almost no enter lag (that’s wired, ideas you), and every keypress registers instantaneously.

My check out system consists of an Intel i7-14700K, 32GB overclocked DDR5 RAM working at 7200MT/s from Kingston, and an NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics card. The keyboard handled each little factor I threw at it with out missing a beat.

The FlashTap SOCD (Simultaneous Reverse Cardinal Path) coping with know-how is good for aggressive play. In Overwatch 2, the place strafing and quick directional changes are important, FlashTap improves your movement precision. The keyboard intelligently handles unintentional opposing inputs, letting you execute troublesome movement strategies additional always.

Nonetheless, I do miss one operate from my earlier K70 PRO TKL: per-key actuation degree customisation. The fixed 2.0mm actuation degree is fast and responsive, nevertheless the ability to fine-tune explicit individual keys was one factor I’d grown accustomed to. That said, besides you’re gaming at an knowledgeable esports stage, the 2.0mm actuation degree is bigger than fast adequate for each kind of video video games, along with fast-paced aggressive titles like Overwatch 2. It’s additionally attainable to go for the VANGUARD PRO 96 in case you really want it.

Software program program and Customisation

CORSAIR has launched the Web Hub as a result of the configuration instrument for the VANGUARD 96, and it seems like a quick decision. The online-based interface works optimistic for main customisation – programming macros, mapping buttons, personalising lighting, and adjusting settings. All of the items you need is there, and the 8MB of onboard memory means your settings journey with the keyboard.

Nonetheless, the Gaming Mode toggle on the keyboard feels unpolished. Each time I swap between gaming and non-gaming mode, I hear the USB reconnect sound, which breaks immersion and feels clunky. I moreover couldn’t uncover an auto-detection operate to mechanically swap to gaming mode when launching video video games. This appears to be like as if an oversight that have to be addressable by software program program updates.

One hopes CORSAIR will in the end mix the VANGUARD 96 into their established iCUE ecosystem, which might provide additional sturdy customisation selections and better integration with totally different CORSAIR peripherals. Let’s hope points improve on that entrance.

Additional Choices

The RGB lighting deserves some extent out – it’s vibrant, shiny, and the Fresnel lensing inside the MLX switches creates beautiful, even illumination. No complaints proper right here in anyway.

The keyboard helps hot-swapping applicable 3-pin and 5-pin switches, though I didn’t check out this efficiency all through my consider interval. For lovers who want to experiment with fully totally different swap varieties, this flexibility is efficacious.

CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 Evaluation Conclusion

The CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 succeeds in its formidable function of delivering full-sized efficiency in a compact, TKL-sized footprint. The 96% construction works brilliantly, sustaining pure typing ergonomics whereas offering you with the numpad and arrow keys that TKL keyboards sacrifice. The MLX Pulse switches provide responsive, clear effectivity with spectacular sound dampening, and the 8,000Hz polling cost delivers professional-grade responsiveness.

The software program program experience desires refinement, though, because of the CORSAIR Web Hub seems like a stopgap decision for the time being.

At A$269, the VANGUARD 96 represents sturdy value for gamers who desire a compact keyboard with out sacrificing the numpad or superior choices.

Disclosure: CORSAIR VANGUARD 96 consider sample was geared up for reviewing