After rapidly building its gaming peripheral division off of its successful headset offerings, HyperX branched out to the mechanical keyboard since with the original Alloy FPS gaming keyboard. For its time, it was a good keyboard but was a bit dated with its lack of RGB lighting. HyperX was focused on improving other things first before taking a stab on the RGB scene and alongside the Kingston HyperX Predator RGB memories, earlier in the year saw the release of the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB: Kingston’s premiere mechanical keyboard offering RGB lighting to those that crave it but retaining the best that the Alloy Elite had to offer including a comfy wrist-rest, handy media keys and volume wheel, etc.
Features
- Unique light bar and dynamic lighting effects
- Solid steel frame
- CHERRYยฎ MX mechanical keyswitches
- Dedicated media buttons and large volume wheel
- Quick access buttons for brightness, lighting effects and Game Mode
- Conveniently connect devices via USB 2.0 pass-through
- 100% Anti-ghosting and N-Key Rollover functionality
- Comfortable, detachable wrist rest with soft-touch coating
- Additional titanium-coloured textured keycaps and HyperX keycap removal tool
Closer Look
HyperX retains their traditional dark cloud motiff for their packaging, printed in full color cardboard. The glamor shot of the Alloy Elite RGB showcases the RGB lighting of the keyboard along with a few other marketing bullets on the front including a Cherry MX badge to show which switches the keyboard has. Our sample uses Cherry MX Blue which is perfect for typing and those looking for an audible typing experience. At the back there are feature breakdowns of the various capabilities and design features of the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB.
The colored packaging serves as a slip cover for the main cardboard box inside. The keyboard is protected with a plastic bag and lined with folded cardboard inserts. Inside the package we have the keyboard itself, the wrist rest, greeting card, some documentation, and a replacement set of keycaps for WASD and 1234 set along with a keypuller.
Without the wrist rest, the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB retains a more traditional look. The minimal bottom edge is perfect for shorter desks and the keyboard is usable by itself i this configuration. Checking out the base, we see a simple design for the bottom case. Not much visual styling here, just a few recessed areas but nothing really noteworthy. The grooves on the lower edge are for the wrist rest to lock them in place.
Attaching the wrist wrest gives the full look of the Alloy Elite RGB. Without the lights turned on, the Alloy Elite and Alloy Elite RGB is pretty much identical. They are the same mold after all. Focusing on the wrist rest, the entire thing is made of plastic with a molded textures. There is a light coating to it similar to the keys for improved feel.
Extra keys include multimedia controls and a volume wheel on the upper right corner. On the far left we have light controls and Game Mode switch.
As with many keyboards, the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB has kick stands to raise and change orientation. The images above show how much lift you get. This shot also shows us a good look at the side profile of the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB with its switches.
There is a USB2.0 passthrough on the HyperX Elite RGB’s upper edge. You can use this for other devices like a mouse if you prefer just a single set of wires trailing on your desk.
Here’s a closer look at the Cherry MX RGB Blue switches. HyperX offers the Alloy Elite series in Blue, Brown and Red switch variants on both vanilla Elite and the Alloy Elite RGB.
Out of the box, the Alloy Elite RGB features its color flow effect lighting which flows the colors on the keys. The HyperX Ngenuity software lets you customize the lighting from static lighting, to various other effects. My favorite mode is the HyperX Flame effect.
HyperX uses a black baseplate that gives the lighting a more subtle glow. Its similar to its main rival the Corsair K70 and K95 but has a different vibe to it.
User Experience & Conclusion
The biggest hole in the previous iterations of HyperX keyboards was the lack of programmability. Sure the keyboards worked by themselves but without the ability to customize keys and program macros, a lot of potential is being taken away from a serious competitor. Even the HyperX Alloy Elite didn’t have this feature. All that changes with the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB. In terms of pure keyboard experience, the Alloy Elite RGB is a great keyboard. There is simply no denying how excellently designed Cherry MX keys in terms of feedback and typing experience.
Overall design on the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB is exquisite much like its predecessor and HyperX didn’t do anything drastic as it just worked for the Alloy Elite. But to remove any gripe that this is just a pallete swap with RGB, the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB introduces software customizations via Ngenuity. The app itself still needs work but basic operations like changing lights, programming keys and mixing a few macros was accessible enough. There’s still plenty of room for improvement on the app and it’s going to be nice to see HyperX continue developing the software to improve the existing crop of products that support it including the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB.
It all comes down to price and at Php9295 or USD169, it competes directly with the Corsair K95 Platinum. I’ve used both keyboards in putting together this review and both have many similarities. The Corsair does feel a bit wider than the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB but its more premium wrist-rest is a touch more extra than the plastic one with the HyperX. The Alloy Elite RGB does have a more traditional, cleaner layout. With no RGB logo glowing up top, it doesn’t have that gaudier pop in colors along the top edge versus the one the competition uses. There’s also the advantage of being a bit more well laid out with the extra keys clustered in more intuitive places. Most of the keyboards in the range all have their pros and cons and there’s really no clear-cut winner in this field. Everything boils down to personal preference so urge everyone to see which one fits their needs right.
All in all, Kingston has managed to outdo themselves with the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB. While it puts a premium on lighting and software improvements, prices may come down lower over time but if you’re thinking of buying this keyboard now and need a quick reason why: the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB mechanical keyboard offers a solid typing experience together with great build quality. Typing and gaming on the keyboard is natural and its extra features makes up for its price premium.
Kingston backs the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB with a 2-year warranty. We give it out B2G Editor’s Choice Award!
