Nothing is used more than the keyboard. It’s our default communication device to people on the internet and valuable to gamers to send inputs to their games.
Keyboards for gamers can vary greatly and each is different in their own way, but how they perform is more important than anything else out there. Making sure each and every key press is recorded can literally be the difference between life and death within the game. In some cases, it may even be whether you win the game or not.
I recently reviewed a new performance gaming mouse from a brand that is growing in popularity in the professional gaming market. HyperX is Kingston’s gaming division that is releasing new products left, right and center with unmatched quality for the price.
After my hundreds of product reviews, Kingston have always been a pleasure to review for, mainly because of their renowned products and the fact that they are priced in a range that is accessible by everybody. This time is no exception.
For the past few weeks, I have been using the latest HyperX keyboard every day for both typing and gaming. Using German made Cherry MX key switches, followed by a neat new design, this Elite edition of an already existing keyboard brings in some new and powerful elite features.
Welcome to my review on the Kingston Alloy HyperX Elite Keyboard.
Design
Just a couple of months ago I reviewed the HyperX Alloy FPS, HyperX’s first entry into the keyboard market. Using Cherry MX key switches, I concluded that this keyboard was perfect for those who are looking to get into PC gaming.
Up next for HyperX is their latest Elite edition of the Alloy FPS keyboard. Being an Elite edition of an already existing product, we are bound to see some carryover of the other model.
An immediately noticeable carryover is the keycap layout. The key layout is standard and with each key being positioned where you would expect it to be. There are even dedicated FN keys for special macros in gaming. Additionally, each key is well sized for your fingers and you won’t find any special trickery like when certain manufacturers shorten the backspace, enters, or shift keys.
While the positioning of each key on the keyboard is as expected, I do find that the keycaps are a little tight to one another. While typing this review on this keyboard, I would occasionally hit F12 rather than backspace. Closer keycaps may be preferred for less travel distance during a gaming session, but it is something that may take a little getting used to for typing.
The keycaps themselves are constructed out of plastic and are concaved so that your finger hits the key in the center of the cap, rather than the side and potentially making you miss your key input.
Each keycap is individually backlit with an adjustable brightness red LED. These red LEDs sit above the Cherry MX (Red, Blue, Brown) switch; with my review keyboard being an MX Red model.
Holding the keyboard together is a solid steel frame backplate that adds weight and durability to the keyboard. This steel frame is then moulded into the plastic keyboard body. While both gaming and typing, the frame withstands the abuse of hitting each key hard. Moreover, the added weight from the frame helps position the keyboard on the desk without it moving about. It will only move when you want it to move, not by accidental bumps or shoves.
A staple of the Elite Alloy keyboard is their new red LED light bar at the top of the keyboard. It’s for aesthetic purposes only but does add this neat glow at night from the back of the keyboard. My only suggestion for it would be if you could add custom LED light effects to it without having to change the entire keyboard’s light effects. Speaking of which, the keyboard has an upper row of buttons. On the far left are a four-position brightness (off, low, medium, and high) button, an LED mode control button, and a gaming button that disables the Windows keys.
Then, on the right of the keyboard are media controls for back, play/pause, forward, volume mute, and a satisfying volume wheel that I wish could be included with all keyboards.
Something I find odd is that every key on the keyboard is lit with an LED except those three buttons on the top left. I’m not sure if I would prefer them to be lit or not, but it seems out of place that they remain dark. It would have been neat if the gaming button was lit when active, rather than a white LED lighting up above the caps lock and numpad indicators on the other side of the keyboard.
Another strange design thought is those white LEDs to indicate gaming mode, caps lock, and numpad lock. They are in a vertical stack, which may not sound too bad, but when caps lock is turned on the ‘-‘ key on the number pad blocks the LED from my seating position. I have to bend forward to see if the LED is on or not. Also, why it’s white is a mystery to me.
Included in the box of this keyboard are some additional attachments. There is the inclusion of new custom titanium-tinted keycaps for the 1 – 4 keys, as well as the WASD keys. With the WASD titanium-tinted key caps being textured, I really like the look and I think HyperX should consider selling a titanium-tinted keyboard with white LED lights.
The next attachment is a keyboard wrist rest that covers the entire length of the keyboard. For a keyboard of this price, including such an attachment is fantastic to me. In fact, this is the first detachable wrist rest I’ve ever used on a keyboard. More on the ergonomics below.
Lastly, the keyboard is connected to the computer using a braided 5.9-foot cable that terminates to two USB 2.0 ports. One USB port is used for powering the keyboard while the other is for the rear USB passthrough jack on the Elite Alloy.
Functionality
In a brief comparison between the Elite edition and standard Alloy keyboards, I much prefer this Elite Alloy over the FPS model in almost every way.
I prefer and use Cherry MX Brown key switches, but after using the Elite Alloy with their Cherry MX Reds, typing on the keyboard became so satisfying and comfortable. I’m still getting used to the clustering in the Elite Alloy and I have hit backspace more often than I normally do when typing a review, but each click has a great linear feel to it.
Another thing I enjoy about the Elite Alloy over the FPS model is the improved weight. Typing on the Alloy FPS is still enjoyable, don’t get me wrong, but the Elite’s 3.23-pound weight really plants it into place and doesn’t budge at all.
The ergonomics of the keyboard are fairly standard with rear feet raising the keyboard upwards ever so slightly. These feet only have two positions, up and down.
I have memorized the keyboard so using my middle and pointer/index fingers I can type by hitting the key exactly on point without looking at the keyboard. In tests, I can normally type faster than those using the home row keys.
That said, I can type and play on the Elite Alloy quickly and accurately. When I had somebody try using the keyboard with the home row keys, they found it to be a little discomforting, but something that they believe they’d adjust to. A little bit of the discomfort for them came from the wrist rest, whereas my typing methods improved with the wrist rest. Your typing results may vary.
The ergonomics of the wrist rest are acceptable to me, but the design of it is not. There is this great textured finish covering most of the wrist rest, but then it stops before it finishes; it transitions into a smooth surface. Then, there is this weird indented channel that separates the textured finish from the smooth side. Annoyingly, my wrist bones sit right on that channel and it does rub against you.
I like using the wrist rest and the rubber texture and rubber smooth surface is great on your wrists, but that separation channel needs to be removed. As I mentioned before, the wrist rest is a detachable piece.
There isn’t any special software that you’ll need to download to adjust the keyboard’s LED profiles. Everything is done right on the keyboard itself. There are six selectable profiles to choose between when cycling the LED mode button mentioned earlier.
Solid color is the default setting that then moves to a breathing effect, a trigger effect which lights up keys for a brief moment after they are pressed, an explosion that sends ripples of light outwards from the pressed key, the wave effect that moves left to right, and custom.
I personally liked the triggered mode as it was subtle. I also thought explosion was cool because you can see if a key was accurately pressed. The media keys play along with each mode except the explosion mode.
The custom setting allows you to set letters that should stay solidly lit. By default, the WASD, CTRL and 1, 2, 3, 4, keys are lit. In the quick start guide, a four-step process informs you how to change the keys.
Whether you pick up the MX Red, Brown or Blue switched Elite Alloy, you may have a different gaming experience between all three. As long as you pick a switch that you are used to, then you’ll feel right at home with this keyboard.
I played my standard games on the Elite Alloy keyboard which include Rainbow 6 Siege, Players Unknown Battlegrounds, and Heroes of the Storm. Since MX Red keyboards need 45cN of force (same as MX Browns), I felt right at home and was able to hit all of my skill shots without any problems.
Gaming on the Elite Alloy was a fantastic experience and I feel like it would offer even the best of the best a great gaming experience. I have no complaints whatsoever about the gaming experience on this keyboard and I enjoyed every minute of it.
This keyboard does support 100% anti-ghosting and N-Key rollover with an accurate and fast input of each key press.
My Final Thoughts
There is no doubt in my mind about recommending this keyboard for you to purchase. Priced at $109.99, it’s only an additional $10 over its little brother Alloy FPS. Plus, I find the Elite edition to be better in every single way.
The build quality of the Elite Alloy is above par with the solid steel frame adding durability, strength, and a great look. Red LED’s add a gamer-like feel to the keyboard and the LED light bar at the top is unique and different than most keyboards.
I really enjoyed using this keyboard and typing on it was satisfying and an enjoyable experience. So much so, I plan on continuing to use it for gaming and everyday typing. There was very little I did not like and the things I didn’t like were minor design aspects that I have eventually gotten used to over a past few weeks.
The original Alloy FPS is a travel-friendly, lightweight keyboard but this Elite edition will unleash your full gaming potential on your gaming desktop computer. At this price of $109, it blows its competitors out of the water and I highly recommend this keyboard for both entry and professional gamers as well as everyday typists who are looking for something that can do both.
Buy it now:
© 2017 Justin Vendette
