 With its factory tuning and data center DNA, an Intel 730 series SSD is an amazing choice for gamers and performance enthusiasts. The Corsair K40's spec list has got some pretty good stuff going for it. It's got a 16.8 million color customizable backlight with cycling and pulsing modes, it's got N-key rollover and anti-ghosting over USB which is no mean feat, and its six programmable G keys with three different layers of functionality can be configured through software or on the fly using the MR button. Just press it, select a G key, type in your combo and press MR again. And on top of all that, Corsair software, which I just mentioned, has gone from needs work to actually pretty good in the last few years. And now we're at the point where changing the color scheme, managing the profiles on the PC and the ones saved to the keyboard's onboard memory, and programming the keys with alternate functions or macros is leg free and happens in real time without any weird behavior. The backlight configurator is especially fun to play with since it changes the colors and settings as you dink around with it, but honestly I didn't find the backlight itself to be that amazing. You can set it to whatever color you want, but it isn't super bright and, like I mentioned in my Corsair RGB mechanical keyboard coverage at CES, it's one of those lighting systems that is theoretically capable of 16.8 million colors, but in reality you can only achieve a handful of distinct vibrant colors. Now the keys themselves are not as linear like an MX Black or Red, but reminded me of Browns, if Browns were spongier, less tactile, and generally more membraney. Honestly it was a little weird going back to a rubber dome keyboard since I've been using mechanical for so long. I'm not used to needing to bottom out anymore, so that was an adjustment. It didn't slow down my typing much, which surprised me, but my wrists are noticeably more tired having used it for about a week at work. I'm not sure if that's directly related to the switches, but it's an observation nonetheless. The keyboard looks quite attractive, like Corsair's other offerings, but uses a matte black and silver plastic body instead of a metal body with a shiny Corsair logo. The layout is solid, I don't really have any complaints here, and includes dedicated media keys to go along with a dedicated Windows key lock, as well as a brightness key that goes from off to 1 3rd to 2 3rds to full strength on the backlight. But one problem with the layout that I actually didn't even notice when just looking at the keyboard is that I found the F keys are too close to the number row for me. It actually took me a couple days to figure out why I'd been mashing F11 and F12 all week when I was reaching for the backspace. So it's competitive landscape time. In this price range, there's some generic stuff like the Gigabyte Avia GKK8100, which I actually used for a while and kinda like, it's not a terrible keyboard. There's some unique stuff like the Razer Deathstalker with its low profile chiclet keys, and some downright goofy stuff like that cooling fan for your left hand on the TT Esports Challenger. But in my mind, some of the biggest threats to the K40 actually come from Corsair's own lineup and from the fact that no matter what checkboxes it ticks on a product matrix, it is still a membrane keyboard. And single-color backlit mechanical keyboards like the Quickfire Pro and Poseidon can be had for a mere $10 more. I mean, guys, the keyboard is alright. The feature set, particularly the RGB backlighting, is competitive if you like membrane keys, which some people do. But while I can't complain about this product, I guess if I had to complain about something, I have a bit of an issue with the design philosophy here. Normally, I wouldn't even mention this kind of thing in a review, but kinda like the coach's son on a baseball team, I've gotta make an example of Corsair once in a while to prove I'm not favoring them for being a long-time sponsor. The K40 feels like a very corporate-driven SKU. From the ground up, it is low-risk, it slots into a small gap in the product stack between the K30 and K50, it likely improves profitability at that price point compared to the K65 Compact, and it ticks all the right boxes on the aforementioned product matrix against its competition. But that's not supposed to be the Corsair way. Corsair is supposed to be a bunch of enthusiasts who build the coolest thing they possibly can and then price it at whatever they need to to support their business. And the K40 just doesn't seem enthusiast-driven to me. With that said, I can't go too hard on them because they are innovating in the category. Metal-finished keyboards weren't mainstream until Corsair did it, and their new RGB backlit mechanical is a quantum leap past what everyone else is doing for backlit keyboards. So maybe that's the problem. I mean, if it seems like I came into this review with a bit of a grumpy mindset, that must be the underlying issue. I'm sitting here waiting for the RGB mechanical, and they send me this to review in the meantime. Honestly it's fine. But you give a hungry dog a pat on the head, and you might appreciate the pat on the head, it might be an excellent pat on the head, but he's still waiting for his bone. Give me my bone, Corsair. I cannot wait. You are sitting over there on the most amazing keyboard I have ever seen and I want it now. Guys, we should start like a chant in the comments demanding the Corsair RGB keyboard. I know their PR guy watches these videos, so, you know, yeah. I'm on to you. Let's get it going. 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