Corsair VANGUARD 96 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard MLX Fusion – Black

A 96% board with a 1.9" colour LCD, a rotary dial and Elgato Virtual Stream Deck built in.

Quick Specs

• 96% layout, US English (NA)
• CORSAIR MLX Fusion tactile switches, hot-swappable
• 1.9" 320 x 170 IPS LCD and rotary dial
• Up to 8,000Hz polling, full NKRO
• Magnetic memory foam palm rest

A full keyboard, a bit narrower

A 96% layout keeps the number pad and arrow keys but squeezes out the gaps, so it takes up less desk width than a full-size board and leaves more room for your mouse. The MLX Fusion switches are tactile with a deeper, thocky sound: 40g actuation force, 2.0mm actuation and 3.4mm travel. Sockets accept both 3-pin and 5-pin switches, so you can swap them later without soldering. On top there's a 1.9" IPS LCD, a multi-function rotary dial, six programmable low-profile G-keys and a launch key for Elgato's Virtual Stream Deck, which suits streamers who want shortcuts without a separate device.

What to know before buying

This is the US (NA) layout, not UK ISO, so the Enter key is the wide single-row type and some symbols sit in different places. If you prefer a linear feel, Corsair sells the VANGUARD 96 with MLX Plasma, Pulse or Quantum switches instead. It's wired only, connecting through a braided USB cable, and setup is done in the browser-based CORSAIR Web Hub rather than iCUE. Hyper-polling at 8,000Hz only helps if your PC can keep up; most people won't feel the difference from 1,000Hz. FlashTap SOCD handling is useful for competitive FPS strafing.

FEATURES:

• 1.9" 320 x 170 IPS colour LCD and multi-function rotary dial
• Hot-swap sockets for 3-pin and 5-pin mechanical switches
• Six programmable low-profile G-keys and Game Mode button
• Elgato Virtual Stream Deck integration with launch key
• Quad-layer sound dampening and FlashTap SOCD handling

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Model: CORSAIR VANGUARD 96, MLX Fusion, Black (CH-91E901F-NA)
• Layout: 96%, US English (NA)
• Switches: CORSAIR MLX Fusion (tactile, 40g, 2.0mm actuation, 3.4mm travel, 3-pin)
• Hot-swap: 3-pin and 5-pin switch support
• Lighting: RGB with Fresnel lensing
• Display: 1.9" 320 x 170 IPS LCD
• Polling rate: Up to 8,000Hz
• Key rollover: Full key (NKRO)
• Onboard memory: 8MB, 5 onboard profiles
• Connection: Wired, braided USB cable (USB 3.0/3.1 Type-A port)
• Media keys: FN shortcuts plus rotary dial
• Wrist rest: Magnetic, detachable, leatherette with memory foam
• Adjustable height: Yes
• Compatibility: PC, Mac, Xbox One; Windows 10, macOS 10.15
• Software: CORSAIR Web Hub
• Colour: Black
• Warranty: 2 Year

WHAT'S IN THE BOX:

• VANGUARD 96 mechanical gaming keyboard
• Detachable magnetic cushioned palm rest
• Braided USB Type-C cable
• 2-in-1 keycap set
• Safety leaflet and warranty card

Why Corsair?

Corsair has been making mechanical gaming keyboards for more than a decade, and its MLX switch range lets you pick the feel you want in the same chassis. The VANGUARD 96 is backed by Corsair's 2 year warranty.