INTRODUCTION
Compared to even just 2 years ago the market is not filled with mechanical gaming keyboards that promise superior durability, improved typing speeds and tactile/audible feedback for when you play your favorite games (always compared to regular membrane models). Now although there are currently many manufacturers out there that try to cut corners and reduce costs by either by developing and using their very own mechanical switches or by using one of the Chinese made models by Kailh, Gateron and Outemu some keep using the ones gamers trust most by Cherry. Of course features too play a huge role when deciding which mechanical keyboard to get but for people who have space issues on their desktop and people who attend LAN events size and enclosure quality are the two things that matters the most (after the type of switches used). HyperX entered the gaming peripherals market not too long ago and today we're testing their first mechanical gaming keyboard the Alloy FPS.
HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology, the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer. Started in 2002, HyperX began with one line of high-performance memory and has grown over the years to encompass multiple product lines of memory modules, solid-state drives, USB Flash drives, headsets and mouse pads. Featuring best-in-class components that have delivered superior performance, quality and aesthetic design for more than a decade, HyperX products are the choice of top-rated gamers, tech enthusiasts and overclockers worldwide. From setting memory world records to achieving the most stringent product certifications, HyperX is committed to delivering reliable products with the highest performance standards. In addition, HyperX is the proud sponsor of over 20 gaming teams globally and the main sponsor of the Intel Extreme Masters and DreamHack festivals. HyperX products are designed to meet the most rigorous demands of professional gamers to give them the winning edge and help gamers stay on top of their game.
The Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by HyperX uses the tactile (and clicky) Cherry MX Blue switches which require 50g actuation force, have a durability of up to 50 million keystrokes and feature "self-cleaning" golden contacts. For good or bad although backlit these are not of the RGB LED variant so the only illumination color available with the Alloy FPS is red (6 modes with 5 brightness levels). Other features include the usual N-Key / 6-Key rollover, 100% anti-ghosting, 1000MHz polling rate, detachable braided cable and even a USB passthrough via which you can recharge your mobile devices. What stands out the most however is the size of the Alloy FPS since thanks to the lack of dedicated macro and media keys and a wrist rest its' a lot more compact than most of its competition. The Alloy FPS however scores high in build quality too since it features a metal alloy top plate which not only improves its looks but also adds to its durability. Let’s take a closer look at the Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by HyperX shall we?
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
The keyboard arrived inside a long black box that has a large product picture at the front along with the switch type used and the layout.
The main features are listed in depth at the base of the box while at the top listed are the package contests.
HyperX bundles a nice high-quality mesh travel pouch with the Alloy FPS and that's placed on it in the box.
Packing is excellent mainly because the keyboard is placed inside a thick piece of foam.
Aside the Alloy FPS mechanical gaming keyboard also contained in the box are the travel pouch, 1.8 meter long detachable braided cable, keycap puller and 8 red painted textured keycaps.
THE ALLOY FPS
The black Alloy FPS weighs 1049g and measures just 441.65mm in length, 129.38mm in width and 35.59mm in height.
As usual since the Alloy FPS doesn't have dedicated media keys you can use F6 through F11 instead (previous/play/pause/next/mute/volume up and down - with the FN key) while the F12 key enables gaming mode (disables windows key).
You can rotate the available illumination modes by using the FN key with the arrow keys.
Turning the keyboard over we see 4 rubber feet and two height adjusters.
These height adjusters raise the highest end of the keyboard roughly 12mm from the desk.
At the front of the keyboard we see the detachable braided cable port and a USB port which can only be used to charge mobile devices.
The extra red textured keycaps are unfortunately made out of plastic and not metal (i was hoping that they'd be metal).
Still i can't deny that the keycaps look nice and when playing the textured area does make it easier to tell them apart.
For good or bad in terms of size/height however they are exactly the same as the others.
Finally here we see the LED Cherry MX blue switches.
HyperX has used 5 different brightness levels and above you can see the lowest and highest ones.
There are also 6 different modes available and we've showcased some of them here.
AUDIBLE FEEDBACK
Many people ask my opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test keyboards by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this may not be 100% accurate but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.
CONCLUSION
HyperX has hit most bases with the Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and for their very first try that’s not a small accomplishment. First of all the quality of the keyboard is excellent (the metal alloy plate at the top certainly stands out) and that along with the Cherry MX blue switches used are enough for us to recommend it to anyone who’s not looking for a keyboard with many bells and whistles. On top of those HyperX also gave the Alloy FPS 6 different LED modes, 5 brightness levels, detachable braided cable, USB port for when your mobile devices are running out of juice, high-quality mesh travel pouch and 8 red textured keycaps (unfortunately not metal ones). Now I don’t know if a USB port just to recharge your mobile devices was the right call on their part (I would had also made it work as a regular passthrough USB port) but it’s not like most gaming keyboards have USB ports. Being driverless is also something that will come down to personal preference since some people will probably like it while others will probably not since things can sometimes get less complex by using a control panel (not to mention you can perform FW updates easier that way). The single key color is something i personally don't have a problem with (i also like black and red as a combo) but some people just might since most gaming keyboards right now feature RGB key illumination.
With so many mechanical gaming keyboards currently in the market it only makes sense that a big player like HyperX wouldn’t ask much for their own and that’s partially true since currently the Alloy FPS retails for USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 119Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). For a limited time Amazon.com also bundles the HyperX FURY Pro Gaming Mousepad with the Alloy FPS for the same price of USD99.99 (different offer). Now although the price inside the USA is actually pretty good I can’t say the same about the EU and this is why I said “partially” and because of that I truly hope HyperX can cut down its price a bit. Regardless however the Alloy FPS is a solid mechanical gaming keyboard with just all the things a keyboard should offer and since we all liked it enough to consider using permanently in the lab it gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Excellent Build Quality (Metal Alloy Top)
- Overall Size
- Cherry MX Blue Switches (50 Million Actuations)
- N-Key / 6-Key Rollover
- 6 Illumination Modes & 5 Brightness Levels
- Removable Braided Cable
- Bundle (8 Extra Red Painted Textured Keycaps & Mesh Travel Pouch)
- USB Recharge Port
- Price (USA)
CONS
- No Macro Keys
- Single Color LEDs
- Price (EU)