Review of the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB gaming keyboard. Review of the mechanical keyboard HyperX Alloy Elite Keyboard from HyperX Alloy Elite

Choose a keyboard with bright appearance and expanded functionality. The Alloy Elite RGB keyboard lets you customize each key color with easy-to-use HyperX NGenuity software and save your customizations to onboard memory. The model has a solid steel frame, thanks to which you will have a reliable and immovable device to control even in the heat of battle, while the game mode and N-Key Rollover and Anti-ghosting features will ensure precise keypresses. The full-featured keyboard is designed to meet the needs of all users with dedicated media control keys, pass-through USB port 2.0, buttons quick access and a wide variety of reliable CHERRY rocker switches. The keyboards also feature a comfortable, removable wrist rest and optional gray HyperX textured keycaps to help you find the keys you need faster.

Kingston Technology and its HyperX brand need little introduction. Under their banner, they offer the widest range of accessories and components for gamers and enthusiasts. And this despite the fact that just a few years ago, the American manufacturer successfully debuted on the gaming peripherals market with its headsets, which were guests of our test laboratory more than once and left the most positive impressions. But what about mice and keyboards - the main tools of gamers? To date, only one manipulator (HyperX Pulsefire FPS) and two keyboards have been presented - and the one that fell into our hands HyperXAlloyElite.

In essence, the new product is an improved and more functional version of the model we previously tested with the “FPS” prefix. What changed? How successful was the product? We will try to give comprehensive answers to these and other questions below. By tradition, we begin the story by considering the technical characteristics.

Specification

Delivery and configuration

The gaming keyboard is offered in a medium-sized box made of thick cardboard and decorated with high-quality printing in traditional black and red colors. The information content is good. In addition to images of the accessory, on both sides of the packaging you can find a list of its key advantages.

The HyperX Alloy Elite comes with a removable wrist rest, a set of replacement caps and plastic tweezers for removing them, as well as user documentation.

Appearance, arrangement of elements and operating impressions

The similarity of HyperX Alloy Elite is clearly visible in appearance and design. This is a mechanical keyboard of the skeleton type, that is, the key mechanism protrudes quite high above the body. Due to this, the thickness of the latter differs little from its membrane or scissor counterparts, but its affiliation is revealed by the high profile of the caps. As for the visual component, we have a completely classic and strict design, without unnecessary decorative elements and colorful colors, which will look equally good in an office environment or on a gamer’s desk. Among the innovations: a removable wrist rest, a number of additional keys, a USB port with the ability to connect peripherals and a thick connection cable, which is now non-removable. But first things first.

The main material of the HyperX Alloy Elite case is practical matte plastic with a slightly rough texture. The upper part is presented in the form of a thick steel plate of matte black color, but despite this, it is quite easily soiled. Thanks to the use of metal, the structure is characterized by excellent rigidity and even feels monolithic. The build quality is at the highest level, as evidenced by the absence of any sharp edges or gaps. During active use, the keyboard does not press at all, and there are no unnecessary sounds. Dimensions (444 x 226.8 x 36.30 mm) and weight (1467 g) are quite typical for accessories of this class, but noticeably larger than its predecessor.

A nice feature of the new product is the presence of a comfortable wrist rest, which is designed to relieve hand fatigue while working or playing. It is plastic, with a relatively non-marking soft-touch coating and an interesting division into two types of textures - tenacious and smooth. Fastening is carried out using two latches.

The base has seven large rubberized feet, including three on a wrist rest, as well as two folding feet with rubber pads, which provide excellent grip on the different types surfaces and the ability to change the keyboard angle. There is also a sticker here technical information and the manufacturer's logo. There is no drainage system, which means there is no protection from spilled liquids.

For connection, a thick and not very flexible cable 1.8 m long in nylon braid is used, which at the output is protected from bending by a stiffener rib. Unlike the previous model, the cable is now non-removable, and the USB port located nearby allows you to connect other peripherals to the keyboard, and not just recharge gadgets.

The HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard contains a standard set of full-size keys with trapezoidal keycaps. They are covered with a thin layer of soft-touch, which easily collects traces of use. The layout is presented in the classic American version (US ANSI), which eliminates the need for getting used to and allows you to immediately effectively interact with the device (both in gameplay and when typing). Symbols are applied laser method- the Latin alphabet is in the upper left corner of the cap, and the Cyrillic alphabet is slightly to the right and lower. Additional buttons include two blocks, separated from the main keys by a nice LED strip.

On the left side of the keyboard there are keys for changing the brightness of the backlight, switching the illumination mode and activating the game mode. The latter blocks the keys in order to avoid accidental “dropouts from the game” during heated gaming battles. On the opposite side there is a place for the multimedia control unit: “Back”, “Play” / “Pause”, “Forward”, “Mute” and a volume wheel. Previously, all of these controls were available through a feature to maximize the size savings of the HyperX Alloy FPS. Now it has become much more convenient. But, as before, support for macros and proprietary software is not provided.

The rule of good form is full support for N-Key Rollover and 100% Anti-Ghosting technologies (the ability to simultaneously press an unlimited number of keys without blocking, for example, when playing four hands). This not only ensures correct recognition of all clicks, but also eliminates accidental ones. If necessary, the Key Rollover function will work in the “6KRO” mode, that is, it will correctly process only six simultaneously pressed keys.

The buttons themselves of the HyperX Alloy Elite model are based on the most popular and reliable Cherry MX mechanical switches of different versions. Our sample is built on the basis of Cherry MX Red, which are reminiscent of Cherry MX Black, but with even less force to operate (45 g versus 60 g), without click and tactile sensations. The actuation and release moments are at the same level, which is useful in games where you need to make a lot of frequent clicks. This option is great when switching from a membrane keyboard, reducing adaptation time. But it is precisely because of the very easy actuation that many users do not like this type of switches. In any case, we recommend that you try them out yourself and only then make your final choice. Let's remember that Cherry MX Blue switches have a tactile response and a loud click when activated (reminiscent of a typewriter) halfway through the travel - great for typing, somewhat worse for games. But Cherry MX Brown is a cross between the two previously mentioned options - they are quite quiet, the actuation moment is in the middle of the stroke, but the tactile response is not as pronounced as in Cherry MX Blue.

It should be noted that the delivery package includes a set of replaceable silver caps (in HyperX Alloy FPS they are red) - the WASD block is embossed, and the keys have a regular coating. The [F] and [J] buttons are also tactilely highlighted. All this will allow you to quickly distinguish the main gaming keys by touch or with a peripheral glance.

As befits a modern gaming device, the new product is equipped with LED backlighting. In our case, it is red, but at Computex 2017 a version with RGB illumination was also shown. The backlight has several gradations and operating modes.

It is quite bright (three levels), but traditionally not the most uniform due to the close arrangement of the symbols themselves. However, this does not cause any special problems, and everything looks quite nice.

Demonstration of different key backlight modes in a gaming keyboardHyperX Alloy Elite

Results

Summarizing all of the above, I would like to note that the gaming keyboard HyperXAlloyElite is not something innovative or revolutionary, but is a completely logical development of the ideas contained in. While its predecessor focused on mobility, which is important for gamers and e-sportsmen who often have to travel to tournaments and LAN parties, the new product is clearly designed for comfort during stationary use. Here you will find a comfortable wrist rest and a number of additional keys for controlling the backlight, multimedia and activating the game mode. It is also worth noting that the cable has become non-removable and much thicker, and an additional USB port now allows you not only to charge gadgets, but also to connect any other peripherals.

Otherwise, we have classic mechanics, which is characterized by a strict appearance using high-quality construction materials. In terms of equipment, we have the most popular and reliable Cherry MX switches, which are perfect not only for games, but also for work. You should also remember the complete anti-ghosting, replaceable caps for the main gaming keys and bright red backlight, and soon the manufacturer promises an RGB version will be available for sale.

Features of HyperX Alloy Elite include the lack of support for macros and any software for setting basic parameters. Overall, if you are looking for a modern mechanical keyboard for gaming and work, then the HyperX Alloy Elite is definitely worth your attention, at least to add it to the list of likely candidates for purchase. By the way, the start of sales of the new product in Ukraine is scheduled for August 21 with an estimated cost of $135. And those who have time to do pre-order until August 20, are guaranteed to receive a bonus in the form of an XL format playing surface.

Advantages:

• classic appearance;
• high-quality materials of construction;
• high quality workmanship;
• standard layout of the main keys;
• comfortable wrist rest;
• Cherry MX mechanical switches;
• presence of multimedia control keys and additional functions;

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Let's briefly outline what we're dealing with: This is another mechanical keyboard in a skeleton form factor that has a solid steel plate underneath as a body and is built with Cherry switches. And it differs from Alloy FPS in several ways key features: more home-oriented use (fixed cable), convenient media buttons for controlling music and sound, as well as separate keys for controlling the brightness of the backlight and its operating modes. To top it all off, there is a full-fledged USB port, which allows you not only to charge mobile devices, but also to connect a mouse, headset, and so on. Oh, and of course, for greater ease of use, they didn’t forget about the removable palm rest. And lastly: there will be two versions of the keyboard on sale - Alloy Elite and Alloy Elite RGB. The latter, as the name suggests, is distinguished by RGB backlighting (which is also configurable directly from the keyboard), but the first has only a single-color red backlight - this is what we will discuss further.

The HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard comes in a box made of thick corrugated cardboard, on top of which is stretched an equally impressive colorful “sleeve”, on which all the innovations of the keyboard are painted. Inside there is a very decent set of equipment: a keyboard, a removable palm rest, additional keycaps for various game genres, a tool for removing keycaps and simple but concise instructions for setting up the keyboard and backlight operating modes.

HyperX Alloy Elite is a full-size 104-key mechanical keyboard without macro keys. However, the keyboard has 4 more buttons for controlling multimedia, a kind of analogue volume control roller (on which, due to the smoothness of the adjustment, the volume level is selected purely by ear), and 3 additional keyboard control keys. The keyboard is built on Cherry MX Red switches (there will also be MX Brown and MX Blue), its weight is 1.5 kg, dimensions (in mm) are 444 x 227 x 37. The keyboard has full support NKRO via USB and it does not have software– it is completely customizable on the fly. This has both a plus (install and play - nothing else is needed), and a minus - there is no setting up macros and other things.

The previous HyperX keyboard, represented by the Alloy FPS, proved itself to be a very good design and a well-built frame, and here the Alloy Elite is in no way inferior, and in some places it turned out even nicer than its predecessor. Just as before, a solid steel plate is used, which is the body of the keyboard, therefore, as is typical for gaming devices, the keyboard is made in a frameless style. However, from a visual point of view, the keyboard began to look neater and more concise, although at the same time it grew in size. I would like to separately note the rounded front edge, which creates a smoothly flowing appearance of the keyboard, and besides, it is convenient to place your thumbs on it - I really love this feature. But they did save some money here and there: the upper part, which is separated from the main typing block, is made of plastic (like the rest of the keyboard body), which, in my opinion, slightly loses the sense of integrity in the perception of the keyboard.

The second thing that immediately catches your eye is the ideal layout and location of all the keys on the HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard. This is a standard ANSI layout, the row of F-keys starts exactly above the “two”, in addition, all the keys of the bottom row have the same proportions (except for the spacebar), which allows you to easily install a custom set of keycaps. Long shifts, one-story enter - everything is as it should be. There are no other elements that make the keyboard look heavier. And the company logo is used to highlight the product on the space. I would like to immediately say something about the stand: it is quite simple, but covered with soft-touch plastic, and therefore it is pleasant and velvety to the touch. Of course, it’s a long way from Razer keyboard stands, but it’s still very comfortable to type on. Although, given the fairly low profile of the keyboard, some may not need a stand at all.

The keyboard has a standard Cherry OEM keycap profile, so there are no surprises here - a classic of the genre. It’s all the more pleasant to see that despite the classic execution, everything is done very well and extremely carefully. The same applies to the localization of keycaps - the visibility of the letters is simply excellent, and this is one of the best localizations I have seen on keyboards. Both symbols are located at the top of the keycap and they are slightly different in size, which makes it easy to distinguish the symbols when printed. The caps are made from ABS plastic and are coated with matte black paint that is very smooth but incredibly durable. It is curious that there are LEDs on the right side for all keyboard modifiers, but the company did not consider it necessary to make an LED for Scroll Lock - who even uses this function now?

Each HyperX Alloy Elite switch contains a red LED, which ensures that the backlight operates. Interestingly, in addition to the keys, the keyboard above the main printing block has a long acrylic translucent strip through which light also passes, and at night the backlight looks impressive. Additional multimedia keys are also backlit, but for some reason the keys on the left side, responsible for the brightness and backlight, are not. The keyboard has 3 brightness modes, and the first of them is more than enough for night mode. However, the maximum brightness cannot be called too high, since due to the open body and the absence of a reflective substrate, a uniform and diffuse, but not the brightest, glow is achieved.

The heart of the keyboard is Cherry MX Red mechanical switches. A classic of its genre for gamers. These are linear and fairly light switches with a uniform actuation force, the actuation force is 45 grams. The total key stroke is 4 mm, operation is at half the total key stroke. The resource of pressing is 50 million times for each key. Cherry stabilizers are located under the long keys, and their implementation is quite good - when pressed, you can only hear a slight metallic sound, which does not interfere with typing at all and does not distract from work. However, for obvious reasons, such a keyboard as a whole cannot be called quiet - to soften the presses and reduce the sound produced, you can try using rubber O-Rings.

From the bottom, the ergonomics of the HyperX Alloy Elite keyboard are more than good: 4 soft rubber pads combined with a large mass make the keyboard as stable as possible on the table. The retractable legs also have rubber pads, so stability is maintained in any position. In addition, the legs extend with a slight, neat click - the esthete soul in me was extremely pleased. With a stand, the keyboard is no less stable, since there are already 3 more rubber pads of impressive size located on the bottom of it.

The rear end of the keyboard is notable for only two details: a cable outlet and the presence of a full-fledged USB port. The cable comes out exactly in the middle, it is quite thick and wrapped in a fabric braid, but at the same time it is very soft and pliable, and there will be no problems with its installation. The cable length is 1.8 meters, at the end there are two USB plugs. One for connecting a keyboard, and the second for a USB port. The only pity is that the USB plugs are not marked in any way, so if you don’t want to use an additional USB port, you have to connect the keyboard blindly.

The first thing I did after connecting the keyboard was to look at the backlighting options, and I was surprised at quite a few modes (this is taking into account just a single color!) Among them are static backlighting, breathing mode, reactive mode (keys light up only when pressed), ripple effect ( when pressing light seems to spread in all directions), wave mode and its own setting of the backlit keys (its setting, by the way, is also described in the instructions). On the one hand, this is quite a sufficient number of modes, but on the other... The possibilities are extremely limited. For example, you cannot set the speed, direction and other things that distinguish advanced lighting. However, for people who do not have such high requirements, this set of effects will be more than enough. Also next to the backlight adjustment keys is a game mode key that disables both Windows keys.

But the greatest pleasure you get from this keyboard is simply typing and playing. Simply put, in everyday use this is a very pleasant keyboard to use. The keys are pressed quickly and easily, responding clearly to even the slightest pressure. Moreover, each press is clearly felt due to the slight roughness that occurs when the key is lowered all the way. In general, a little friction is typical for all Cherry switches, and this time is no exception. Separately, I would like to note not only the excellent implementation of the switches, but also the pleasant sound when the keys hit the substrate. The keys are pressed with a light, neat, quiet and muffled click, which only complements the aesthetic component of the keyboard.

Based on the totality of its characteristics, HyperX Alloy Elite is one of the best mechanics designed for home gaming. Literally everything about it is good - the appearance, the small well-thought-out details, the ergonomics, the capabilities, the lighting, the switches, and the feel. This is a classic keyboard design done at the highest level. Combined with the Cherry switches, this keyboard is a benchmark in gaming mechanics. And therefore we can safely say that this is one of the best and well-built keyboards on the market at the moment. And guess what? There is simply nothing to complain about - this keyboard simply gives the most pleasant and positive experience when working with it. But a couple of additional features, like the same multimedia functions and the presence of a USB port, make communicating with the keyboard even more convenient.

HyperX™ Alloy Elite RGB is a full-featured RGB keyboard that stands out in both appearance and functionality. The entire keyboard or individual keys can be highlighted with RGB backlighting, which is easily customizable using HyperX NGenuity software. The solid steel frame gives you reliable, stable control even in the heat of battle, while Game Mode and N-Key Rollover and Anti-ghosting features give you precise control over every keystroke. The Alloy Elite RGB keyboard is designed to meet the needs of all users with dedicated media control keys, USB 2.0 pass-through, shortcut buttons, and a wide selection of durable CHERRY® keyswitches((Footnote.N41375)). After customizing the lighting and effects to suit your preferences, you can save them directly to internal memory keyboards. The Alloy Elite RGB keyboard also features a comfortable, removable wrist rest and optional gray HyperX textured keycaps to help you find the keys you need quickly.

Advantages

• Unique light strip and dynamic lighting effects
• Solid steel frame
• CHERRY® MX Mechanical Key Switches
• Dedicated media control buttons and large volume wheel
• Shortcut buttons for adjusting brightness, lighting effects and game mode
• Conveniently connect devices via pass-through USB port 2.0
• 100% Anti-Ghosting and N-key Rollover functionality
• Comfortable, removable, soft-touch wrist rest
• Optional gray textured caps and HyperX cap removal tool