REVIEW: CORSAIR K83 Wireless a wireless keyboard for multimedia and gaming

CORSAIR K83 is the keyboard of which today we present its review or analysis, a model with a great design and high-altitude specifications that can be used in multiple scenarios. This keyboard with touch control allows us to use it in different systems such as Windows, Android, Smart TV and devices with Linux. A model that can be used for both gaming and multimedia control, includes a 2.4Ghz RF adapter with a response of only 1ms and has two independent Bluetooth 4.2 channels that allow us maximum flexibility in connectivity. Let’s see how it is defended in our review.

CORSAIR K83 Wireless can be purchased in Amazon.com only for 99,99$.

Table of Contents

PRODUCT DETAILS

Model	CORSAIR K83 Wireless
Basic Specs	Communication: 2.4Ghz 1ms with USB adapter 120bit AES / 2x Bluetooth 4.2 / Cable. Materials and weight: Aluminum and plastic / 381x125x28 mm / 480 g. Internal Battery; Up to two months / Charge microUSB. Autonomy: 40 hours continuous use / 60 days with auto off. Keyboard: QWERTY in Spanish 76 keys Anti-Ghosting / Key size 15×15 mm / Space 19 mm Multimedia: Roller for volume control / Multimedia control keys / Access direct OS. Trackpad: Multi touch on Windows / With lighting. Sensors, led and lighting: Led charging, Wifi and Bluetooth / Backlit. Systems: Windows, Android, Linux, macOS, Apple tvOS or SmartTV. Contents: Keyboard / USB RF Adapter 2.4GHz 1ms / MicroUSB cable to USB / Manual in Spanish.

Description

The CORSAIR K83 keyboard with full QWERTY distribution has a very careful design where the upper side is made of aluminum with a sanding finish that gives it a very solid appearance. In the upper part there are several shortcut keys to multimedia functions, status LED for the battery and different connectivity indicators. In the right area we have the circular trackpad with two mouse keys, brightness control button, mode change key and volume roller with pushbutton.

In the rear area we have a microUSB connector, power button and two buttons marked as R and L that are used for the gaming section or other functions that we will define. In the lower area we have two rubber strips that make the keyboard does not slide on the surface where we have it supported and there is also a small hole for the reset button.

Along with the keyboard we have a microUSB to USB Type-A cable included, we also have a 2.4Ghz RF adapter with up to 10 meters range with only 1ms lag and several manuals with basic explanations of use, in the digital documentation we have much more detail than this printed manual.

HARDWARE TESTS

Keyboard

The CORSAIR K83 Wireless can be connected to any compatible device by means of its RF adapter 2.5Ghz at 1ms or with its two Bluetooth 4.2 adapters. We test in different computers, Android TV-Box and Smart TV, in general it works correctly including the multimedia keys in addition to the other special functions when pressing Fn. The keyboard is comfortable to use and the sensation when clicking on the keys is correct (see video review), it has an Anti-Ghosting system to avoid double pulsation in the Gaming aspect, the set is very rigid thanks to the upper aluminum structure .

Dimensions keys: Key size 15×15 mm / Spacing between them 19 mm.

Touchpad and analogical pad

In the CORSAIR K83 Wireless we have a fairly large round touchpad, at the top we have the key to change gaming mode, lighting control, volume roller with push button and analog gamepad. The combination of the analogical gamepad and the two R / L buttons give us a very comfortable access to the Gaming aspect of this keyboard.

Windows: We can make gestures and zoom by pinching up to four points.
Android: As it happens with all the trackpad in this system we do not have multi-touch and just emulate a mouse pointer.

We have a complete list of gestures compatible with the different touch controls in the detailed manual that we can find online. As we see the touch controls are different depending on the Windows version.

Special and multimedia keys

The special function keys are available depending on the status of the F-LOCK key, we have the classic shortcuts to go to start, multitask and search. We also have keys to connect via Wifi and the two Bluetooth connectors, in this same area we have different direct access multimedia controls.

The F-LOCK key in the trackpad zone allows us to change the behavior of some special functions, define how the joystick behaves, the back action buttons and the Windows key. An interesting feature because depending on the system or program that we run we are interested in one system or another.

Backlit

The lighting system is powerful at the maximum level, from the brightness control button we can adjust it between 0, 33 and 66% intensity, only using the Windows software of the system we can take it up to 100% although it is something not necessary to see it well since it is with the default levels it is perfectly visible.

CONNECTIVITY AND BATTERY

Connection options

As we can see in the documentation of the CORSAIR K83 Wireless we find different levels of compatibility, the one that offers more compatibility is the Bluetooth. We have verified that in the Android TV-Box the system does work with the 2.4GHz RF adapter even if it is indicated otherwise, this depends on whether our Android device supports OTG or not, which is the case for all TV-Boxes.

In the indicators of the zone of function keys we have LEDs that indicate the state of the connections by means of colors and pulsations, we can control both wireless and wired connections

Battery

The CORSAIR K83 Wireless built-in battery lasts between two months and 4 days depending on the daily use that is given. We have a battery control indicator between solid green to red blinking for the critical state.

Brightness 0% = 40 continuous hours
Brightness 33% = 18 continuous hours
Brightness 66% = 12 continuous hours
Brightness 100% = 8 continuous hours (Only accessible from software)

ICUE AND GAMING SOFTWARE

To control the CORSAIR K83 Wireless keyboard, we have the iCUE software that offers complete control over all the device’s features. In the general settings we have control over the information LEDs plus automatic shutdown time of both the keyboard and the information LEDs, from here we can update the firmware.

Within the keyboard settings we have functions such as recording macros to perform complex operations and we have lighting control in detail both in intensity and range of targets.

In this same program we have control of the tactile section and the rear buttons to define their functions or characteristics. We also have performance control to control the lock key and the F-LOCK options.

CONCLUSIONS

Score

Opinion

The keyboard CORSAIR K83 Wireless as we see is a very careful product in all aspects, we highlight the design of this model that has a sanding aluminum body that gives high rigidity, the finish of the volume control roller and the analog pad They also stand out for their design. As control for games we also have two buttons in the rear area defined as R and L that facilitate the use with games.

In the CORSAIR K83 Wireless we have compatibility with multiple systems such as Windows, Android, MacOS, Linux and for some SmartTV. This model integrates a battery that gives many hours of use and recharges very easily with the included USB cable, the battery life can vary depending on the intensity of the selected lighting system. The iCUE software also offers many options for configuring and personalizing this keyboard efficiently.

Without a doubt, the CORSAIR K83 Wireless keyboard has interesting features and careful design, if we are looking for an all-terrain keyboard that will help us in multiple devices and areas it is a proven quality option. You can compare this product with our recommended models to know alternatives.