HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Keyboard Review: Specification Price

Introduction

Update on 10/5/2020: After it was first released with HyperX(HyperX Alloy Origins gaming keyboard) Red switches and a subsequent update with HyperX Aqua tactile switches, HyperX has now introduced a new version of this keyboard featuring its HyperX Blue clicky switches.

We have modified the section about the switches below to share our experience and opinions on the keyboard with these switches, which closely resemble Cherry MX Blues. You can now purchase the Blue variant of the Alloy Origins keyboard on HyperX’s official website.

What are you looking for in your ideal gaming keyboard? Do you want a keyboard packed with a bunch of features to tinker with for hours, or do you prefer a compact, stylish, durable, and vibrant keyboard that feels comfortable while you focus on gaming? If the latter option sounds appealing to you, the HyperX Alloy Origins, priced at $110, is definitely worth considering.

Its metal casing is compact, stylish, and sturdy. HyperX’s proprietary linear switches offer a familiar and enjoyable typing experience. Additionally, the RGB backlighting is as bright and vivid as any I’ve seen on a mechanical keyboard. 

HyperX Alloy Origins gaming keyboard Specifications

Feature	Details
Switch Options	HyperX Blue (clicky), HyperX Red (linear), HyperX Aqua (tactile)
RGB Lighting	Customizable RGB LED lighting
Built-in Storage	Includes onboard storage
Media Controls	Media keys available with FN function
Gaming Mode	Features a gaming mode
Connectivity	1x USB Type-C port
Detachable Cable	5.9 feet (1.8m) braided detachable cable
Additional Ports	No additional ports available
Key Caps	ABS plastic key caps
Durable Construction	Aluminum top and bottom plates
Software Support	Compatible with NGenuity lighting and macro software
Dimensions	17.4 x 5.2 x 1.4 inches (442.5 x 132.5 x 36.4mm)
Weight	2.4 pounds (1,075g)
Warranty	2-year limited warranty
Price	$109.99

HyperX Alloy Origins gaming keyboard Pros And Cons

Pros	Cons
Stylish and compact design	Lacks dedicated media controls or macro keys
Impressive RGB lighting	The shorter 1.8mm switch actuation may seem like a gimmick
Convenient three-level rear height adjustment	NGenuity software could benefit from improved intuitiveness
	Absence of USB pass-through ports
	Slightly on the pricier side

HyperX Alloy Origins gaming keyboard Design

Measuring at 1.4 x 17.4 x 5.2 inches (36.4 x 442.5 x 132.5mm) and weighing 2.4 pounds (1,075g), the Alloy Origins keyboard is quite small for a full-size mechanical keyboard. Additionally, it comes with a detachable braided USB-C cable, which is nearly 6 feet long, making it more convenient for travel. The sleek aluminum exterior not only looks appealing but also provides a sturdy feel, enhancing the overall appearance of the exposed switches and keys and resulting in vivid and attractive lighting effects.

In summary, this keyboard is one of the most visually appealing mechanical keyboards I’ve used recently. It’s undeniably more elegant and feels more high-end compared to the pricier Logitech G Pro X, which allows for switching out switches. The only features I find lacking on the Alloy Origins are dedicated controls for media playback and, ideally, some kind of volume adjustment wheel.

Keyboard Frame

However, due to the limited physical space on the keyboard’s frame, incorporating more than one or two additional buttons isn’t feasible. HyperX has, at least, integrated media controls (along with basic lighting adjustments and a Game Mode switch) into the Function row. There’s a strip located above the numeric keypad on the right, resembling a small monochrome screen (similar to the SteelSeries Apex Pro), but it serves solely as an indicator for Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Game Mode.

There are a couple of noteworthy aspects on the underside of the keyboard as well. Firstly, the bottom shell shares the same curved-edge, cool-to-the-touch aluminum construction as the top, giving the keyboard a premium and robust feel.

Secondly, the feet at the back of the Alloy Origins can be flipped up to two different heights, allowing you to customize the keyboard’s angle to three different positions (the third position with the feet down) to suit your preference. Personally, I found typing and gaming most comfortable with the feet set to their maximum height.

Typing and Gaming Experience

The HyperX Red switches on my keyboard feel quite similar to the Cherry MX Reds in my Corsair gaming keyboard at home. According to HyperX, the HyperX Red switches have the same 45g force needed to press them as Cherry MX Reds. However, HyperX has reduced both the distance they move when pressed (1.8mm) and the total distance they can move (3.8mm) by 0.2mm. Cherry MX Reds have distances of 2mm and 4mm for pressing and moving, respectively.

Honestly, when I’m typing or gaming, I didn’t really notice the 0.2mm difference. You probably won’t either, unless you’re a top-notch gamer. Even then, if a shorter press is what you need, Cherry’s MX Silver switches have a much shorter 1.2mm press point. So, if you believe a shorter press will make you better at competitive gaming, there are keyboards that are more suitable out there.

Linear Switches

Since I’m quite familiar with linear switches, and HyperX hasn’t made any major changes to the layout, the Alloy Origins felt immediately comfortable to me. Well, that was until I reached out with one hand to use media controls that this keyboard lacks. Red switches aren’t the best for typing, but they didn’t bother me too much while writing this review. If anything, I noticed fewer repeated keystrokes while typing with this keyboard compared to when I use the Cherry MX Red switches on my Corsair keyboard.

Since its initial release, HyperX has also introduced tactile switches called HyperX Aqua with the Alloy Origins keyboard. The company provided us with the Aqua variant, which closely resembles Cherry MX Brown switches, after our initial review was published.
Similar to the Red switches, the Aquas also have a slightly shorter actuation distance of 1.8mm compared to Cherry’s MX Browns. You can feel a distinct bump when you press the key down, just before it reaches its lowest point.

Aqua Switches

I tested the Aqua switches during intense Borderlands 3 battles and found that I slightly prefer them over the Red switches. However, when I compared them to the MX Brown switches on my Das Keyboard 4 Professional, I couldn’t physically notice the 0.2mm shorter travel and actuation of the Aqua switches compared to the Browns.
The main distinction I observed is that the sound of the keys bottoming out on the HyperX keyboard is somewhat more resonant and feels slightly softer than the keys on the Das Keyboard, which produce a sharper sound and sensation when reaching the end of their travel distance.

To expand the range of mechanical switches available for the Alloy Origins keyboard, HyperX has introduced HyperX Blue switches. This marks the first time we’ve encountered these switches, which have a total travel distance of 3.8mm and actuate at 1.8mm with a force of 50 grams. They are designed to last for up to 80 million key presses, resembling Cherry MX Blues, which have a total travel distance of 4mm, actuate at 2.2mm with a force of 60 grams.

In a direct comparison with Cherry Blues, HyperX’s version of a sky-colored switch had a less plastic-like ring to its clicks and a somewhat more hollow sound overall. The shorter travel of HyperX’s switches wasn’t immediately obvious when compared to Cherry’s offerings. However, the tactile bump in Cherry Blues felt more substantial, which is why HyperX’s switches required less force to register an input, providing a more pronounced popping sensation on the way back up.
In the case of the Alloy Origin keyboard, the HyperX Blue switches resulted in a responsive space bar that quickly returned to its original position with a satisfying hollow ‘thock’ sound accompanying each click, reminiscent of an old-fashioned cash register.

Hyperx Blue switches

During gaming sessions with HyperX Blue switches, I experienced a satisfying sound that didn’t overpower the in-game audio, although my teammates who could hear me might disagree. These switches were light and easy to press for tactile switches, and the keys rebounded swiftly. This feature was advantageous in gaming, although the HyperX Blues might not be ideal for rapidly and repeatedly pressing keys. However, when it came to typing, the clicks were delightful, and the lighter bump and force required to actuate the switches didn’t hinder my typing speed. Combined with the smooth keycaps, the Blue switches were excellent for extended typing sessions.

Switch preference is a matter of personal choice, but I believe that, for most individuals, the shorter actuation won’t make a significant difference in terms of feel or gaming performance. Personally, for pure gaming, I would choose the Aqua switches over the Reds, but I still greatly prefer clicky Blue switches for typing and other productivity tasks.

While I didn’t notice any issues with the key layout, HyperX has made a visually unusual and potentially distracting choice with the keycaps on the Alloy Origin. As seen in the image above, the primary and secondary functions of each key are placed side by side, rather than above and below, as is typical. Of course, this may not bother some people at all, but I found it distracting to glance down and see a glowing semicolon and colon right next to each other.

Alloy Origins

I also tested the Alloy Origins while playing Borderlands 3 for a few hours, and I found it to be a great tool for battling the Calypso Twins. The HyperX Red switches felt very familiar and responsive (although not more so than the Cherry MX Red switches that I’m used to). When I turned off the lights in my office, the RGB lighting seemed quite bright at the default maximum setting, but it did look very colorful.

Luckily, reducing the brightness is simple – you just need to press the Function key and the down arrow. And if you want to watch a movie or take a break from the constant RGB colors, you can activate a special lighting mode by pressing FN and F3 together. In this mode, nothing lights up until you press a key, and then the lights gradually fade out after a second or so.

Software

As mentioned earlier, you can control basic lighting features using key combinations. However, if you want to fully personalize how each key’s lighting works, add special effects, create macros, and save up to three profiles within the keyboard’s internal memory, you will need to install HyperX’s software called NGenuity.
Despite its peculiar name, NGenuity performs quite well and has an appealing appearance. It allows you to choose from 10 different lighting effects, adjust their speed and direction, and decide whether you want the entire keyboard to light up or specific keys. Additionally, any reassignment of keys or the recording and assigning of macros can be done within this software.
In general, I appreciate the software’s visual design, but I have reservations about its name and some aspects of its usability. For example, there is a Library section with about 30 presets, many of which are related to games. However, every time I clicked on one of them, the lights would briefly flash, then return immediately to the previously selected lighting effect. It was challenging to make any of them stick effortlessly.

Bottom Line

While the special buttons on the HyperX Alloy Origins keyboard might not be super exciting, and it doesn’t have any groundbreaking features, it still comes very close to being excellent. Both the keys and the frame look and feel high-quality. The colorful lights are really bright, and the overall design is small and comfortable to use.
At $109.99, the price might seem a bit high because the software isn’t amazing and it doesn’t have extra controls for music or other cool features. But for people who want a top-notch gaming keyboard that works well without any problems (and lets you change the height to three different levels for extra comfort), the Alloy Origins is a good choice, especially if you can find it for $100 or less.
If you’re okay with giving up the number buttons for a lower price, HyperX also now sells a smaller version called the HyperX Alloy Origins Core for $90. It seems to have the same design and similar features as the original Origins, but it’s smaller because it doesn’t have a number pad.

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