Product: HyperX Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Provided By: HyperX
Price: $79.99 USD Online at time of publication

 

Introduction:

In the growing world of tech there’s many companies that produce many things for us nerds to use. HyperX may sound like a new company for some, but really, they have been around longer than many other companies in the business. HyperX is a division of Kinston Technologies which started in 2002 as a memory manufacturer, but as time passed they have stayed current and evolved their product line to include other products such SSD’s, USB drives, headsets, keyboards, mouse pads and more. HyperX wants to produce the best of the best for gamers and tech enthusiasts all around.

 

First Look:

The HyperX Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard doesn't have a lot of software features, but certainly makes up for the lack of flair with a solid package that looks as great as it sounds. It’s not a super large keyboard due to the frameless design. This makes it great to pack around. The red backlight can be changed to six different modes. The solid steel frame has some weight and makes it feel very robust. The keyboard is so solid in fact, that if you were mugged, you could throw it at your attacker. While the mugger may not survive, it feels like the HyperX Alloy FPS would.

The braided cord can detach from the keyboard and there is a USB port on the keyboard that can be used to charge your mobile device. There are function keys that can control volume, different light modes, media playback and more.

The HyperX Alloy FPS comes with a few extras. In the box is a braided cord, a key removal tool and some extra metallic keys. The extra keys included are the standard WASD keys as well as the 1,2,3,4 keys. Also included in the bundle is a nice carry bag with a Velcro side pocket to store and carry your cord and extra keys. This is very handy especially when taking to a LAN. There are no drivers available or needed and this is great. I love that there is no bloated software required for a keyboard.

 

Features:

The following features are from the product page over at HyperX.

HyperX™ Alloy FPS and Alloy FPS Pro1 are serious keyboards for serious players, engineered with an eye for durability, reliability, and accuracy. With their compact design, solid steel frame and CHERRY® MX keyswitches, the Alloy FPS family of keyboards is perfect for serious FPS play. Whether you prefer the lean and mean tenkeyless (TKL) design of the Alloy FPS Pro, or the full-sized Alloy FPS, both models feature dynamic HyperX red backlighting, 100% Anti-Ghosting, N-key rollover, and Game Mode. Get the gear that the pros trust, and equip yourself with a HyperX Alloy FPS keyboard today.

• Minimalistic compact design ideal for FPS gameplay - Maximize your desktop real estate for rapid mouse movement.
• Solid-steel frame - Built to stand the test of time and to stand fast when the action heats up.
• CHERRY® MX mechanical keyswitches for proven reliability - Available with CHERRY MX Blue, Brown, or Red keyswitches3, so you’ll get reliability and the switches that fit your needs.
• Ultra-portable design with detachable cable - Detaches to reduce potential cable wear and tear and increase portability.
• HyperX red backlit keys with dynamic lighting effects - Showcase your style with a keyboard that is lit both figuratively and literally.

 

 

On the next page, we'll test out the Alloy FPS and draw some final conclusions.

Testing:

Testing out keyboards is great. It gives me an opportunity to play games and as part of my “job”. This keyboard feels super sturdy and strong. The keys are plastic, but you can put metallic keys on the high traffic areas if you feel like rocking as much as you can with metal. The compact size is great as I don’t use the number pad for anything on a regular keyboard. I’ve had this for a while and managed to use it at a local LAN and it worked 100%. I pulled it out of the box for the LAN and with no software setup it was truly plug-and-play. The keys are Cherry MX switches and I picked the Blue ones to make it as loud as possible. 

 

The extra keys it came with were metallic red in color, which makes you think they are metal, but they are not. The WASD keys are textured to help you find your home keys in the heat of battle. Changing keys is not an issue as they snap in and out just fine.

The keyboard itself has soft feet that grip your desk and help prevent the keyboard from sliding when you’re gaming. As far as mode switching, you must do that manually as there is not software to do it automatically when you launch different applications. All the media keys work just as they should. The keyboard has a nice even lighting effect, even though there is just one color. You can have it do some cool effects though – and that’s a plus. The modes are changed by using the function key and either the left or right arrows. 

The modes are as follows:

1. Individual key presses to light up
2. Ripple effect
3. Wave effect
4. 1234, WASD, CTRL and Spacebar only light up
5. Breathing
6. Solid

 

In addition to the different modes, there are four different levels of brightness that are cycled through by using the function key and up and down arrows.

I think the ripple effect is my favorite because it looks cool when you press different keys at once. It almost looks like a strobe light party or your keyboard is having a seizure.

 

A handy feature on this keyboard is the additional USB port that is built (and labeled) for charging your device while you work or game. Obviously, you can use your PC’s USB port as well, but this saves you from reaching around behind it to plug into a spare USB port. It came in very handy when I was at the LAN party while gaming as power bars were full and it’s easy to reach.

 

Conclusion:

All in all, for a classy, yet simple gaming keyboard, it does well. There are no macros to program and no software to install. It’s solid. The “game mode” simply locks out the Windows key so you don’t accidentally press it while in the middle of a virtual firefight. If you're looking for a gaming keyboard that’s not complicated to set up and that works as good as it looks, give the Hyper X Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard a try. The keyboard can be found at Gamestop and Best Buy for $99.99 CAD and much cheaper in the USA.

Personally, I miss the macro features that other keyboards have, but that’s all personal preference. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with this keyboard at all as it’s solid, performs it’s functions perfectly and has a great feel and sound.

 

Pros:

• Portable
• Cool carry bag
• Braided cord
• Different lighting effects
• Charging port for devices
• A few switchable key caps that change easily
• Sturdy metal frame

Cons:

• WASD keys textured
• Manual game mode function  

 

 

If you have any questions, comments or general feedback, please post them right here.