INTRODUCTION

   If you're into RGB lighting and you're out to get a brand new gaming keyboard chances are you will have a really hard time choosing one out of the countless models currently available in the market. Of course, RGB lighting is not really the same between models (different effects, light intensity, keycaps) but that's not all since consumers also need to know which type of switch they would like (mechanical, membrane or hybrid), brand name (the most well-known of which are Cherry, OMRON, Kailh/Kaihua, Gateron, Outemu, Greetech and Matias - brand also equals quality in most cases) and also what characteristics they want those switches to have (defined by their color when it comes to mechanical switches). Finally, size and other features like aluminum top plates, extra macro keys, dedicated media buttons and removable wrist rests also matter but to a lesser degree than the above. HyperX recently outfitted their award winning Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with RGB switches and after spending two weeks with it our review is now complete.

   HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer, with the goal of providing gamers, PC builders, and power users with high-performance components. For 15 years, the HyperX mission has been to develop gaming products for gamers – high-speed memory, solid state drives, headsets, keyboards, mice, USB flash drives, and mouse pads – to the gaming community and beyond. The award-winning HyperX brand has carved its name atop the leaderboard by consistently delivering products that deliver superior comfort, aesthetics, performance, and reliability. HyperX gear is the choice of pro gamers, tech enthusiasts, and overclockers worldwide because it meets the most stringent product specifications and is built with best-in-class components. HyperX has shipped over 3 million headsets worldwide.

   Whereas the first Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard was available with Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red switches the new Alloy FPS RGB comes with Kailh Silver Speed (linear switches which require 40g actuation force and feature a lifespan of up to 70 million keystrokes). So, leaving out the per-key RGB illumination (7 effects with 5 brightness levels) for the keys thanks to the Kailh Silver Speed switches everything else pretty much remains identical to the original Alloy FPS including the steel frame, N-Key / 6-Key rollover, 100% anti-ghosting, 1000MHz polling rate, detachable braided cable and even a USB port which can be used to charge mobile/portable devices. So, let's see just what the upgraded Alloy FPS RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by our friends over at HyperX is really capable off.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

HyperX packs the Alloy FPS RGB inside a white and red box that has a large product picture at the front surrounded by the layout of the keyboard, type of switches used, RGB feature and the company logo.

Both the package contents and the system requirements are printed at the base.

The 5 eSports teams sponsored by HyperX are mentioned at the top of the box.

At the rear we see 4 product pictures used to showcase the main product features which are listed right beneath them in 9 languages.

The Alloy FPS RGB is wrapped inside a plastic film and is placed in a formed piece of cardboard.

Along with the Alloy FPS RGM Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and its detachable cable you will also get a congratulations paper, warranty information paper and the quick start guide (surprisingly enough HyperX didn't place the same extra red keycaps as they did with the original Alloy FPS).

THE ALLOY FPS RGB

Measuring 442.26mm in length, 129.81mm in width and 35.59mm in height the new Alloy FPS RGB is almost identical in size to its predecessor.

Once again HyperX has followed the latest floating keys design.

The F1 through F3 keys can also be used to select one of the three available profiles.

Since the Alloy FPS RGB doesn't feature dedicated media keys F6 through F11 double as those (previous/play/pause/next/mute/volume up and down - with the FN key) while the F12 key enables gaming mode (disables windows keys).

You can adjust the brightness levels from the up and down arrow keys (with the original Alloy FPS you could also change the direction of the effects by using the left and right arrow keys something which isn't possible now).

Here you can take a look at the Kailh Silver Speed mechanical switches.

At the front of the keyboard we find the micro USB port for the detachable cable and the USB charging port.

Turning the keyboard over we see 4 rubber feet and two height adjusters.

These height adjusters raise the highest end of the keyboard roughly 11-12mm from the desk.

The 1.8 meter long braided cable has two USB plugs on one end and an micro USB plug on the other.

HYPERX NGENUITY

In order to fully control the Alloy FPS RGB you will need to download the NGenuity software from the HyperX page.

Once you install and launch the NGenuity software it will check the firmware installed in your keyboard and if it includes a newer version it will ask your permission to continue with the update process (it may take up to a minute to complete).

The Alloy FPS RGB comes with 3 onboard profiles each with its very own lighting layout as you can see from the above pictures.

From the lighting tab you can change the color of the keys, create/edit zones, perform per key illumination and choose one of the 7 available effects.

Via the NGenuity software you can also configure the game mode feature and create and assign macros to any of the keys.

Both the installed firmware and software versions can be seen from the settings tab.

The min and max brightness levels of the Alloy FPS RGB are showcased above (HyperX claims that this model features the brightest keys used by them to date and we tend to agree).

Here you can see some of the available effects and colors you can use with the Alloy FPS RGB (including the one we made with 7 custom lighting zones).

AUDIBLE FEEDBACK

Many people ask my opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test keyboards by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this methodology may not be 100% accurate but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.

CONCLUSION

   The original Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard became very popular among gamers not only thanks to its rather compact size compared to other models but also because of its build quality, Cherry MX switches, USB charging port, detachable cable and its pretty good bundle (included a high-quality mesh travel pouch and 8 red textured keycaps). Still it wasn't perfect so leaving out the lack of a passthrough USB port releasing a single backlit color keyboard in the midst of a somewhat large number of RGB backlit models obviously didn't help sales (at least not much as it would, had it also been an RGB model). Well it did take a while for HyperX to resolve that but the Alloy FPS RGB model is finally here and although for some strange reason it doesn’t include the same good bundle it does offer very bright backlit illumination with some of the quietest and fast switches we've ever seen in a mechanical keyboard. As for their NGenuity control software well It's not the first time we've used it and once again it's very easy to navigate and use (although it may need getting used to for first time users).

   When the Alloy FPS RGB by HyperX first appeared in the market back in late 2016 it had a price tag attached to it of USD99.99/119Euros so we were quite curious to see just how much the brand new Alloy FPS RGB would retail for. Well things are actually quite balanced since currently the Alloy FPS RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard retails for USD109.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 115Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so it's more or less priced roughly the same. Still the competition has grown significantly since 2016 so there's many times the number of RGB illuminated models in the market currently compared to back then which means that it will be a lot harder for the Alloy FPS RGB to win gamers over like its predecessor. That being said it does deliver on the one area we felt its predecessor should have and since everything else remains the same it also certainly deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Steel Frame)
- Overall Size
- Kailh Silver Speed Switches (70 Million Actuations)
- N-Key / 6-Key Rollover
- Per Key RGB Illumination
- 7 Effects With 5 Brightness Levels
- Removable Braided Cable
- USB Recharge Port

CONS

- No Macro Keys
- Mechanical Switch Variety (Only Available With Kailh Silver Speed)