As I may have alluded to in our HyperX Pulsefire Haste gaming mouse review, I’ve not necessarily always been up to date when it comes to PC hardware. I only built my gaming/editing PC about two years ago, and I still don’t do much gaming on it. But with new opportunities comes new challenges, and I’m starting on the slow road to upgrading this rig to handle almost anything. I missed out on the orders for the RTX 3070 (which we benchmarked and reviewed) and I’m still figuring out what processor to go with, so you can imagine how much searching I’m having to do. But when it comes to accessories to add to my computer, the folks at HyperX made it easy with how amazing the Pulsefire Haste worked to want to pick up a HyperX keyboard.
Right out of the box, you can tell the HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a premium piece of equipment with a feel to match. This thing is heavy, weighing in at 1075 grams, and if you’re gaming there’s a sturdiness that gives you peace of mind even if you’re a bit rough with it and smacking the keys. The keys themselves also feel solid, although they are made of plastic. If you aren’t wanting to take up a lot of space, the form factor for the keyboard is pretty small, coming in at a width of only 442.5mm and a depth of 132.5mm. It also features a detachable USB-C cable for connecting it to your computer, which is also nice and allows the keyboard to more easily travel.
While I love the heft of the base, the star of the show is the clicky new Blue switches HyperX has added to their lineup. Every push feels intentional on this board. I’ll admit, the noise can get to the point where it annoys you if you’re typing (just like it is a bit now as I write this review), but this mechanical board feels like it takes no effort to press the keys on, which is exactly what it needs to be doing.
While I was disappointed in the lack of RGB lighting on the Pulsefire Haste, I can make no claims of that here. The Alloy Origins will nearly blind you by the light (I’m really sorry for a terrible pun), with each key featuring RGB behind it. If you need to adjust it, the lighting level can be changed to one of five different levels to better suit your space. One thing that is lacking is the customization options for the board. Maybe I’m just missing it, but the nGenuity app doesn’t have much in the way of preset patterns and effects for you to choose from. Considering you have 16,777,216 colors it’d be nice to be able to really go crazy with it. While you are able to do a lot yourself, most people want to be able to click an effect and go, and my experience with Razer left me with higher expectations than what I’m getting here. On the plus side, this is something easily correctable in the form of updates for said software, and I’m sure that is most likely on the way soon. There are even games (i.e. Grand Theft Auto V and OverWatch) that have custom profiles, but you’ll have to figure out how to install them.
As for gaming with it, it feels good and it’s responsive to all my presses! I definitely have felt comfortable using the keyboard in nearly any situation. If anything, my hands seem to cramp up much less than they have using conventional keyboards. I hate that I don’t have as much to talk about when it comes to speed and all, but for a keyboard if you push a button and things happen, you’re usually good.
David Burdette is a gamer/writer/content creator from TN and Lead Editor for Gaming Trend. He loves Playstation, Star Wars, Marvel, and many other fandoms. He also plays way too much Call Of Duty. You can chat with him on Twitter @SplitEnd89.
The HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a fine piece of hardware. I absolutely love the aluminum base, and the key presses are fast and responsive. But I’m saddened the surplus of RGB doesn’t translate to a lot within the nGenuity app natively, although if you’re good with software you may get a quick hang of it. If you’re like me and wanting a good solid mechanical keyboard, the Alloy Origins is a good place to start.
PROS
- Heavy aluminum base
- Clicky, responsive keys
- Tons of RGB lighting
CONS
- RGB lighting isn’t used to its full potential for the casual buyer
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