The HyperX Alloy FPS - Does Size really matter!?
Kingston is a brand that needs no introduction to any PC gamer or enthusiast today, a brand that primarily started as a storage device manufacturer slowly evolved into much more than just a brand logo found on those tiny thumb drives. A substantial role in this metamorphosis has been played by the HyperX branch which is Kingston's gamers exclusive branding and also the one that contains all the Kingston gaming peripherals. One such peripheral is on our table for review today all thanks to Kingston Technology India, we have with us the HyperX Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for review. The most interesting part about the FPS Alloy is that its the first ever keybaord from the house of Kingston or HyperX which implies that it puts HyperX right into a very growing yet competitive section of the market!
Priced in at $99 or Rs 8500 in India the HyperX Alloy FPS comes in three flavors namely with CherryMX Blue, Red and Brown switches so that everyone has an option as per there taste and choices. Mine over here is the CherryMX Blue variant and has all the generic features that are common across all the three models such as a compact form factor, per key LED lighting, N Key Rollover and 100% anti-ghosting.
What's in the Box!?
When it comes to packing the FPS Alloy is presented to us in a thick cardboard box laced with the black and red color theme & which has the product name clearly written along with a rendered image of the Alloy occupying most of the real estate on top. Switch type and the keybaord layout language is boldly printed on the top left corner and bottom left corner respectively.
At the back you find some of the key features enlisted along with a bunch of images for the same for the customer to know better such as the USB charging port, compact design, inclusion of textured key caps etc.
The upper casing slides off and then you get the entire unit placed inside another black box which houses everything in a molded foam cushion for extra protection. This is the conventional HyperX packing style that we are used to from them for their headsets and has proven to be really good when it comes to protecting the products during transit so no complains here.
Open the box and you'll be greeted with all the contents that include the HyperX FPS Alloy Keyboard, a meshed carry bag sporting the HyperX branding, the detachable keybaord cable, some additional key caps for gaming along with a key cap puller and a lame quick start guide and welcome note.
The meshed carry sleeve is actually a very good addition here and can fit the keybaord along with the extra caps and cable very easily. It even has an extra compartment on top with a velcro seal to slide in some extras if you need anything else like a mousepad, flash drive or even a game DVD for that matter.
The HyperX Alloy FPS
The first thing you notice about the HyperX Alloy FPS is the fact that its really compact or I should rather say petite and this is for everyone not just me or someone who's physically big. The keybaord is pretty much a no nonsense board when it comes to layout since the bezel is almost next to zero over here which actually gives it that extra compact design even though it has all the keys intact including the numpad!
The prime reason for this design is that it save a lot of desk space and allow more space for you to move around your mouse even if the table top is small giving you full flexibility during FPS gaming. I agree to this approach aswell since LAN gaming is a vital part of FPS gaming and its not always possible to get large open tables during tournaments so this compact form factor does add up to its functionality and not just aesthetics or mobility.
At the back nothing much is going on and we find four rubber feet to securely hold the keyboard in place once placed on a surface to avoid slipping and unnecessary budging. These feet do their job quite well for a keyboard of this size and weight plus you get two stand offs to tilt your keyboard a bit if you like to. So nothing much to discuss or complain about over here.
The function keys from F6 to F12 have dual functions associated to them with F6-F11 acting as multimedia playback keys if required while the F12 is the Gaming Mode key which once pressed disables the Windows Key so that you don't accidentally zoom out onto the desktop from the virtual battlefield by an accidental press of a key. All these functions can be executed by pressing these keys along with the Fn or Function key located right next to the right ALT key.
At the top left corner you see the HyperX log printed in white and right next to them are three LEDs to indicate various functions such as the power on mode, Caps Lock On/Off and the Game Mode. All of these are lit up in red to gel along with the theme of the keybaord which is a simple yet functional approach.
The entire top of the FPS Alloy is a metal alloy sheet, hence the Alloy in Alloy FPS, which imparts durability and high tensile strength to the body which is highly important since the keybaord is quite sleek and a lot of traveling with the board can damage or bend it which this sheet is surely going to avoid.
The directional arrow keys can be used to change the lighting effects as well as the brightness level of the LEDs. There are six lighting effects including the breathing, wave and ripple modes and the brightness is a five level brightness control which can also be used to turn of the LEDs completely.
If you at the keybaord from the side then you realize that it is just 1.4" tall including the keycap height which is really sleek and doesn't make it too high making it ideal for people with small hands and even for people like me since the keybaord doesn't come with a wrist rest.
Also the keycaps go up in a contoured manner to assist in grip aswell as comfort.
In the front the FPS Alloy is a 17.38" long unit and comes with two USB ports. The unibody design of the FPS Alloy is surely quite attractive as its one of the sleekest keyboards I've come across till date.
One of the two USB ports is a mini USB port which is used to connect the keybaord to the PC or Laptop while the other is full sized USB port which disappointingly can only be used to charge your cell phone or something similar but not used to pass data so you cannot connect a flash drive, mouse or anything like that to it which is downright shameful since its 2017 and this is a $99 keyboard and all gamers need to use a mouse for playing if not charge their darn cell phones!
Talking about the wire and keycaps on the Alloy FPS, the 1.8m long detachable braided cable with the keyboard is dual toned with black and red coloring matching to that of the product itself. It ends on the one side into a male mini USB port to attach to the keyboard while on one end it ends up into two male USB A-type connectors one out of which is to power the keybaord while the other is to power that USB pass through port which is a 'charge only' port. The cable is not too stubborn when it comes to straightening it out so you don't have to worry about kinky wires hanging below your desk.
The keycaps on the Alloy are standard ABS while the extras are made out of the same but are differently colored. The WASD keys are blood red with metal sheet texture on top and are really distinguishable under the tip of my fingers while the 1234 key caps are just red in color but plain in texture, you cannot even feel the difference between them and the standard ones till the time you don't look down on them.
Pop a key cap and you can see the genuine CherryMX Blue switches underneath which are single red color LED lit on top and with a black housing. These are certainly not quite and make a lot of noise while typing or doing anything with them which involves pressing them down. Also with an actuation force of 50gm and travel distance of 2mm these are certainly not the keys of choice for gaming or FPS gaming to be precise if one is looking at marathon gaming sessions since with higher actuation force these would tire out your fingers in a few hours. I'm not sure why HyperX opted for CherryMX Blue as a primary option for this keyboard at all, thankfully there are Red and Brown available now aswell.
As the keybaord lacks a top panel the keys are quite high and this leads to lights bleeding out from the bottom. If this was any other keyboard especially a RGB keyboard then this would've been a big flaw but over here due to the fact that its a fully black keyboard with a glossy metal top and the LEDs are red only the bleeding out light not only isn't bothersome but also looks quite pleasing with the light shining over the metal top in the dark & illuminating the open areas such as between the directional arrows.
Nothing special just a bunch of photographs I managed to click with different lighting configurations and the same red color!
Performance - Time to put those keys to test!
Whenever I review a keyboard or mouse I like to use the device for atleast a week putting it through my daily usage varying across the week. My usage is obviously more inclined towards typing and I mean lot of typing with various keyboard shortcuts combinations, followed by casual gaming mainly racing, open world or FPS. So lets classify the HyperX FPS Alloy Gaming Keyboard performance across two broad categories of daily use and gaming.
Daily Affairs
The HyperX Alloy FPS employs Cherry Blue switches in my case and these switches are just amazing when it comes to typing long paragraphs such as this review which right now I'm typing in using the Alloy itself or even short E-Mails quickly on Monday mornings. The keys do need a higher actuation force than others such as the Cherry Red which I'm more accustomed to but using the Cherry Blue isn't that much of a difference while typing rather its s tad bit better due to that tactile and bumpy feedback that these keys have to offer.Key cap quality is on point and even with my thick fingers I didn't accidentally press upon any keys such as the Caps Lock or anything. The keys are not slippery and the contoured layout makes them a good landing pad for the fingers imparting reasonable grip.
Since these are Blue switches these tend to be noisy and I mean so noisy at times when I go berserk with typing that the person sitting right next to me starts giving me looks of annoyance! This keyboard is great for typing and daily affairs but the noise is just a bit too much especially with bigger keys as they have costar stabilizers underneath, in case you type a lot daily and are surrounded by people and colleagues as they might blow a fuse. Apart from the noise the HyperX Alloy FPS has no problems whatsoever for daily usage that I can possibly think of.
Game On!
Gaming is the area where I was pleasantly surprised while using this keyboard since I'm used to Cherry Red switches and prefer them over any other for their quick response time but the Cherry Blue on the FPS Alloy seem to work nicely aswell though I was a bit apprehensive regarding them at first. The keys offer good resistance and need some pressure to activate which avoids accidental pressing of keys while resting the fingers especially since the keybaord doesn't have a wrist rest accidental activation of keys is common with quicker switches like Red and Speed.Also I'd like to point out that for FPS gaming such as Battlefield 1 these switches work fine and my fingers didn't get tired for a few hours into gaming since due to all that sneaking and crawling around gives enough rest to the fingers in between but if playing but for rapid response games such as Need of Speed Rivals or GTA V the keys tire out the fingers quite quickly so be advised regarding that if you have been using other mechanical keyboards before.
The extra key caps especially the WASD are one of the best textured keys I've used till date as they are hard and the rugged texture helps to identify them very easily. Sadly the keybaord doesn't support any profiles or macros which is quite disappointing considering the price tag that it comes with and on board profile support is something that every gamer needs today.
My Verdict
The HyperX Alloy FPS is quite a sweet package in its own right coming in with three different switches to choose from and seven different layouts to cater to your local language preferences along with a very compact and bezel less design all topped up by some really nice accessories right out of the box.
Detachable braided cable is a welcome move and so is the USB pass through on board which unfortunately lacks any data transfer capability which could've been there for this price but is sadly not.
"HyperX Alloy FPS is a near perfect amalgamation of solid build quality, great performance, sturdy design and good pricing making it highly recommendable to professional and casual gamers alike!"
Pros -- Sturdy Build Quality
- Available in three Cherry switches
- Good accessories set
- Detachable cable
- Bezel less and compact design
- No USB Pass through for data transfer
- A bit expensive
.JPG)
0 comments:
Post a Comment