Long the favorite choice of many programmers, even 65 and 60 percent keyboards have recently begun to grab the attention of gamers looking to save desk space. Cutting the fat without losing any features is the name of the game and more than a few manufacturers have delivered. Top picks like the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog and Corsair K70 RGB Pro Mini Wireless lead the pack, but they’re certainly not the only scaled-down options on the market. Enter the HyperX Alloy Origins 65, a 65% board with a lightweight aluminum body, pleasant RGB lighting, and convenient HyperX key switches that make every key press satisfying. And at $ 99, it’s sure to be a firm favorite with players on a tight budget.
A keyboard with humble origins
The HyperX Alloy Origins 65 looks no different than most compact keyboards available and I don’t mean that in a negative sense. A matte black finish wraps around the 67-button layout and gives the HyperX an attractive sheen, while double-click PBT keycaps protect the keys from wear, with translucent lettering that lets RGB lighting shine through. The Alloy Origins 65 has about 40 fewer keys than the standard full-size keyboard layout, so secondary functions have been moved to the sides of the keys as additional functions.
By flipping the aluminum body over to examine the underside, you’ll find four rubber grips, one at each corner, and three adjustable keyboard angles, a nice addition for those interested in keyboard ergonomics. At the top you’ll find a USB-C port for the included USB-C cable. If you’re looking for a wireless keyboard, look elsewhere, as there’s no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support available here.
At 1.4 x 12.4 x 4.15 inches (HWD), the HyperX is a compact keyboard, and while you can get thinner if you choose a 60 percent keyboard like the Kinesis TKO, the HyperX Origins 65 is only a hair thinner than many other leading 65% cards, like the Asus ROG Falchion. The 5% more allows for a row of additional functions on the right side, plus conveniently spaced arrow keys. Weight-wise, the Alloy Origins 65 reaches 1.8 lbs, light enough but hardly the lightest compact board.
Turning attention to the keys themselves, power users might notice that HyperX does not use Cherry-made key switches, but is targeting their own proprietary switch brand. Our review unit uses HyperX Red linear switches, the same type as the HyperX Alloy Origins 60, the 60 percent variant of the board. If linear keys aren’t your thing, you can instead configure your board with Aqua switches, HyperX’s tactile option.
The switches are unique, with a balance that lends itself to both play and general use. They have an operating force of 45g, the same as a Cherry Red switch, but with a slightly shorter trigger point and stroke (1.8mm and 3.8mm respectively). The trigger point is the distance in downward pressure at which the switch registers an input, while the travel distance is the maximum distance a button can press. A standard polling rate of 1,000 Hz is also found here, which affects the response time of the keyboard. (The higher the number, the faster the response will be.)
Rounding out the package is a keycap extractor, always a welcome addition, and some spare keycaps. The included alternate space bar eliminates Alloy Origins 60’s topographical artwork and opts for spaceships and planets instead. It’s still a very cool looking upgrade that looks great with the RGB lighting underneath, although the red key and cartoonish print may not be for everyone.
A little genius goes a long way
HyperX still uses the Ngenuity setup app for all your customization needs. The app itself has gotten pretty impressive, with a fantastic feature set, and it’s very easy to navigate. Here you can remap keys, adjust RGB lighting, and a host of other settings. The Alloy Origins 65 can support up to three profiles, a nice advantage for those who like to customize their settings for each game. While I’d rank it a step below the software that comes with Razer, Logitech, or Corsair keyboards, it works flawlessly.
Bringing the keyboard into battle, I mainly used it to type commands and queries in various MMOs on both PlayStation 5 and PC. While I’ll always get a full-sized board when I can, I can’t say I’ve had any issues with Alloy Origins 65 in any of the games I’ve played on both platforms.
Finally, at $ 99, the 65 percent version of the card is slightly more expensive than its 60 percent variant, but you have a few extra keys to work with, so the trade-off isn’t bad at all. It’s much cheaper than Razer and Corsair’s recent 60% offerings, albeit with fewer bells and whistles to its name.
Verdict: a small and mighty key master
Despite the lack of wireless functionality, the 65% HyperX Alloy Origins is a solid all-round keyboard, easily keeping up with the competition thanks to the excellent HyperX key switches and some attractive RGB lights. While it doesn’t have the full feature set that can be expected from high-end keyboards, at the end of the day, most gamers want a keyboard to handle the basics well, and HyperX Alloy Origins 65 does just that, all while saving space. on the desk along the way. The Fnatic Streak 65 and Kinesis TKO are our first and second picks in this category, but the 65% of Alloy Origins is no problem and a worthy purchase of $ 100.
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