HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard Review | BlizzardWares

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HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard Review

If you are looking for a sleek, sturdy, and colorful keyboard that feels great while gaming, then you should consider the HyperX Alloy Origins. It has a sleek, sturdy, and compact metal shell. The pre-travel linear switches are very responsive and need little force to actuate. This results in a great typing and gaming experience.

This keyboard has full RGB backlighting, which is great for gaming in the dark. Despite the backlighting, the sleek design also means that it could perfectly fit on your gaming desk.

While it does not have additional features like dedicated macro keys, volume dials, or USB pass-through ports, it is still a great mechanical keyboard.

This HyperX Alloy Origins review will help you decide if this is the right gaming keyboard for you. The first thing to look at is its specifications and pricing. Then, we will check out the pros and cons before discussing its general features.

HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard Specifications and Price

Materials	Aluminum casing
Dimensions	17.4 × 5.2 × 1.4 inches
Weight	2.4 pounds/1,075g
Software	NGenuity lighting and Macro Software
Switches	HyperX Blue, HyperX Red, or HyperX Aqua
Lighting	RGB Red
Connectivity	USB-C port
Cable	Detachable, braided 1.8m (5.9 feet)
Key Caps	ABD Plastic
Warranty	2 years
Price	$109.99

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Sleek, compact design.	No dedicated macro keys or USB-pass through ports.
Great RGB backlighting.	Customization software is only available on Windows devices.
Programmable keys.	The NGenuity software is newer so all of the bugs aren’t worked out yet.
Responsive typing experience.
Highly-adjustable feet.

Where to buy the HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard?

The Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard costs $119.99 on the official HyperX website. You can also get it from Amazon for $109.99.

Design

The HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard is one of the best-looking mechanical keyboards on the market. It is well-built and has no sign of flex, despite measuring 17.4 × 5.2 × 1.4 inches and weighing 2.4 pounds. The keyboard is quite slim for a full-size mechanical keyboard, and it has a detachable 1.8m long braided USB-C cable, which makes the keyboard travel-friendly.

The aluminum base is coated with a soft finish, which gives it a premium feel. Its mechanical switches are exposed, and the keyboard has vibrant RGB backlighting that is brighter than several RGB keyboards. The keycaps are double-shot and made of high-quality ABS plastic, so the letters do not rub off.

Although the keyboard does not have dedicated media controls or a volume wheel, HyperX integrated media controls into the function keys. This also includes basic lighting controls as well as a Game Mode switch.

Above the numpad is a little monochrome screen that serves as an indicator for the Game Mode, Num Lock, and Caps Lock.

The bottom of the keyboard is just a single curved-edge aluminum panel. This gives the underside the same premium and solid feel as the top. The back feet of the Alloy Origins can be raised to two different heights so that you can adjust the keyboard to 3, 7,and 11 degrees.

Typing and Gaming Experience

You can pick your choice from the three HyperX switches: Red Linear, Aqua Tactile, or Blue Clicky.

The HyperX Red switches have a 45g actuation force. It also has an actuation distance of 1.8 mm and a total travel distance of 3.8 mm. This means shorter activation points for the keys, which can give you an edge when playing against elite gamers.

Just like the Red switches, the Aqua Tactile has a 1.8mm actuation distance. It also has an actuation bump, which you will feel when you press the key and before reaching the bottom. When gaming, the Aqua switches feel slightly preferable in comparison to the Red switches in my opinion.

When the keys on the Red and Aqua switches reach the end of their travel distance, the sounds they produce are quite hollow and feel softer when compared to other gaming keyboards.

There are also the HyperX Blue switches, which have a 50g actuation force. However, they actuate at 1.8mm and their total travel distance is 3.8mm.

Unlike the other two, the Blue switches produce a satisfying sound that does not affect the game’s audio. The switches were easy to press and light, and the keys bounced back into place quickly. This is made for a great gaming experience, but might not be enjoyable if you wanted to press a key quickly or multiple times.

The keyboard is great for long typing sessions. The lighter force needed to actuate the switches ensures that your typing speed is ideal. Despite the fact that the keys are made of ABS plastic, they do not feel cheap during typing. The keys are well-spaced and stable to maintain your typing accuracy.

There is hardly any difference in the layout of the keyboard. But, instead of the typical placement of the primary and secondary functions of the keys above and below, they are placed side by side. This might not bother most people but could be visually distracting for others.

At the default setting, the RGB looks vibrant. However, it could be too bright if your gaming room is dark. You can turn down the brightness by using the function and down arrow keys. If you want to rest your eyes, you can switch to the reactive lighting preset using the Function and F3 combo. So, the RGB lighting will not come on until you press the keyboard, and it goes out a second later.

Software

You can perform basic lighting controls with a number of key combinations. But with HyperX NGenuity software, you can do much more. The software allows you to customize individual key lighting, create macros, add effects, and even save up to three profiles on the internal memory of the keyboard.

With NGenuity, you can also choose from 10 different lighting effects. It also allows you to adjust the speed, direction, and whether individual keys or the whole keyboard get lit. You can also use it to reassign keys.

The software looks good but is unintuitive. For example, it is difficult to choose from the presets available under the Library tab.

Final Thoughts

The HyperX Alloy Origins is a solid mechanical gaming keyboard. The keys and frame have a premium look and feel. The RGB backlighting is vivid, and overall, the keyboard is slim and comfortable during use.

The major drawbacks are the absence of dedicated media controls as well as a few other fancy features. However, if you’re a gamer looking for a functional premium keyboard without the fuss, the Alloy Origins is a great option.