Comparison Review: Corsair Vengeance K70 vs Razer Blackwidow Ultimate (2013 edition)

Whatup gamers!! Okay, so this is something I've been wanting to blog about for the last couple of days, because since the last time I talked about my Corsair K70, I actually got my hands on the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate. I thought this would be a perfect time for someone like me (a noob gamer/noob mechanical keyboard owner) to share with those looking to buy their first mech keyboard, some pros and cons of both keyboards. It seems like these two keyboards are running head to head in the "best gaming keyboard" competition, yet oddly enough, there are very few comparison reviews on them. So with that said, let's get into it!

BASIC THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE RAZER BLACKWIDOW ULTIMATE (2013 edition):

• Only comes in CHERRY MX BLUE switch (refer to my post about different Cherry MX switches)
• Fully backlit illumination (green color) 
• Has about 15 different brightness settings
• Has 5 custom macro keys on the left side of the keyboard
• Does not come with wrist pad 
• Has audio, mic, and extra USB port on keyboard 
• Full number pad 
• Adjustable macro settings 
• FN enabled media keys (meaning they are no dedicated media keys) 
• Sleek matte black design 

BASIC THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE CORSAIR VENGEANCE K70:

• Comes in CHERRY MX BLUE, BROWN, & RED
• Backlit illumination on all keys (color depends on the keyboard. Cherry mx blue has blue lighting, mx reds have the red lighting, and browns have white lighting) 
• 3 brightness settings 
• Custom lighting mode (lets you choose which lights you want lit on the keyboard) 
• Has extra USB port on keyboard 
• Full number pad
• Comes with detachable wrist pad
• Dedicated media keys 
• No extra macro keys
• Aluminum body design with matte keys 
• Heavy but sturdy keyboard 

As you can see, there are some additional 'special' things to each keyboard that you may want to consider. I think one of the coolest things about the K70 is the ability to customize the lighting mode. Although most of us don't need to look down at our keyboard to type, aesthetically it just made for a cool looking effect. 

Corsair K70 with CHERRY MX RED switches

I had fun customizing my keyboard so that it only lit up the keys needed to play League of Legends. Again, not really a functional perk. It's just kinda cool to have. 

Another thing I loved about the K70 was the dedicated media keys. This is something that the BWU lacks, and honestly, I was a little spoiled by the media keys on the K70. It takes a little getting used to, but I wish the BWU had at least a dedicated function for the volume. 

media keys on the Corsair Vengeance K70

Beyond the flashy perks on the keyboard, in terms of aesthetics, both keyboards look great. I mean honestly, you're talking to someone who is OCD about aesthetics. But to be honest, in terms of overall "LOOKS" I honestly think the K70 takes the cake. I know I know, everyone and their gamer moms love the look and feel of the BWU, but in my opinion, the aluminum body and clean, sharp edged design of the K70 just looks ultra sleek and sexy. And with the ability to light up only the keys you want, it becomes quite a looker on your desk. 

The K70 with custom lighting mode. Keycaps by Maxkeyboard.com 

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves here. The BWU is stunningly 'cool' looking with it's stealthy matte black body and matte black keys. As you can see here, I swapped out the alphabetical keys with this semi-translucent black keycap set from Maxkeyboard. As much as I like how the stock Razer keycaps look, I'm not a huge fan of how big the letters are. (Yes, please note that the keycaps you see above are not the STOCK keycaps. I bought these separately.) 

If you're a shallow gamer and just want the 'best looking' stuff on your desk, then that's going to be a challenge between these two. It's really subjective here on which keyboard LOOKS the nicest. Like I said, I opt for the look of the K70, but the BWU is just as nice honestly. 

Let's move on beyond aesthetics though. What about in terms of what you want out of a keyboard? 

Razer's logo on the BlackWidow Ultimate

Both keyboards are fully mechanical and are obviously used for gaming. But the first question you should ask yourself is, "WHAT KIND OF MECHANICAL SWITCH DO I WANT TO USE?" This is probably the most important part of getting a mechanical keyboard. Once you get through that dilemma, then you want to consider the best possible keyboard for YOUR LIFESTYLE. 

Let me now explain why I decided to switch from the K70 to the BWU. 

Honestly, if it seems like I'm more bias towards the Corsair K70 so far, it's probably because I am! I love the K70. The only reason I switched is because I wanted a CHERRY MX BLUE switch keyboard. I realized after using the K70 in MX RED for a while, that REDS were not the switches for me. I kind of extensively covered the topic of switches in my post (I'll link it HERE again just in case you missed it the first time) so you can refer to that if you wish. And you might be wondering, "then why not just get the K70 in BLUES?" To be very frank with you all, it was a for a completely shallow reason. The Corsair K70 with the blue switches only comes in the SILVER aluminum body with black keys, like so: 

Corsair Vengeance K70 in CHERRY MX BLUE with silver aluminum body and black keys

It's not that I think the coloring looks bad (hell, most people really like this coloring!) but as I said before, I'm very OCD about aesthetics. I don't like the two different coloring. I want it to either be all silver or all black. So I naturally went for the all black that only comes in cherry reds. Like I said, that's another factor in what keyboard you want. As dumb as it sounds, some people just want something that LOOKS to their taste. So maybe consider that as well if the coloring bothers you like it does me. 

Had this keyboard in blue switches be all black like the red switches, honestly I would've just gotten the K70 in blue switch. 

My current setup: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate keyboard, Razer Deathadder mouse, Dell monitor, and Steelseries mouse pad

Once you decide on which keyboard looks best to your liking, has better functions and perks you like, and you know what switch you want, the rest is easy. You simply just pick a keyboard and see if you like it. Considering that both keyboards are in the $120-150 range, it's not exactly a cheap decision. I know how hard it can be to choose one over the other, so if you still can't decide, I would focus on these few main points: 

Do you care about a set of dedicated MACRO keys? Do you play a lot of MMO's? Do you play a lot of FPS games? Do you like TYPING a lot? Do you love the sound and feel of TACTILE feedback? Do you like the color GREEN over red, blue, or white? Do you love RAZER products? 

If yes to majority of those, then you really can't go wrong with the Blackwidow Ultimate 

Do you care about dedicated media keys? Do you like being able to customize your LIGHTING modes? Do you like having a detachable wrist pad? Do you like your keys to be quiet, smooth, buttery like and stealthy? Do you play a lot of RTS games? 

If yes to majority of those, you can't go wrong with the Vengeance K70 with MX RED switches. 

If yes to majority of those, but want a tactile keyboard that clickety clacks everywhere, and you like the Silver and black colorway, then you can't go wrong with K70 in MX BLUE switches. 

If yes to majority of those, but you want something in between the loudness of blues and the quietness of reds, then you will probably like the K70 in BROWN switches. 

Comparing the K70 to BWU to my own lifestyle and how they own up:

Playing League of Legends: You don't use very many keys on LoL, but both keyboards are honestly just fine for the game. I like the blues a tad bit better, because I can actually 'feel' which skill I pressed.

Typing: Since I blog, naturally I type A LOT. And the ultimate reason I went for the blue switches over the reds, was because I kept making too many spelling mistakes with the RED switches. The reds on the K70 are raised fairly high, and I just found it too frustrating to try and type as fast as I do on a RED. That's just my opinion, however, blues are more known for typists as they have a better tactile feel. It's just loud so it can get annoying. Some people like the sound though.

Designing: I'm a graphic designer so I'm using my keyboard just as much as I use it for playing League, if not more. It doesn't really matter much but honestly, I sort of prefer the REDS for designing, because I'm constantly using multiple keys to function in Photoshop. For example, to save my files I use CTRL+S. Since the reds are so smooth, I felt it was more comfortable for using Photoshop. 

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TL;DR, both keyboards are excellent choices for your first mechanical keyboard, but ultimate it really is a matter of preference. The most important thing to ask yourself is which type of switch you like best. Honestly, that's the biggest part in making a decision. Everything else is just an added bonus. My best advice is that you go to a Frys or Best Buy or whatever electronic store that sells these keyboards, and test them out for yourself. If you go to Fry's, you can even ask them if you can test out the different keyboards that are not on display. It's best to have a feel for the switches in person. It really doesn't cut it by just reading about what the switches feel and sound like. Good luck guys! Let me know if you chose one over the other in the comments and how you like it! 

Until next time gamers,