HyperX Alloy Origin 65

HyperX Alloy Origins 65 is a nice compact wired gaming keyboard. It is extremely well built, showing no deck flex. There are some quick light switches that are responsive and great for gaming, and some of the best for its light price. Just be aware of the general functionality of the software that may leave some wanting more.

Introduction

Compact keyboards seem to be all the rage these days, and HyperX’s newcomers are offering a great all-round alternative. There are no shaking or extra features, just the ones you need, as well as a sturdy frame, chic switches and some decent software.

Priced at $ 99.99, it’s one of the most affordable mainstream compact keyboards on the market compared to the Razer Huntsman Mini (or its analog brother) choice. And judging by its feature set, it seems to represent decent value for money.

Design

• Surprisingly sturdy
• The textured PBT keycaps look great
• Small footprints are good for space-savers

There is no doubt that the HyperX Alloy Origin 65 is a behemoth on a keyboard. For such a compact board, it does not feel half heavy. This is well reflected in its thick metal backplate and exterior construction which gives this keyboard an incredibly sturdy and tough wear feel, as well as its 830g weight, including wires.

It’s a small footprint board with a 65% layout that offers a little more functionality than your traditional 60% board – it has an arrow key and a few extra function keys to the right of the board. In essence, the presence of arrow keys makes it a good layout for everyday work, which is useful.

The premium build quality of the Alloy Origins 65 is also reflected in the double-shot PBT key caps that look fabulous under the fingertips and are much more durable than the ABS plastic traditionally used. Inside the box, you’ll find a nifty small patterned spacebar and extra keys, if you want to offset the standard black keycaps with something a little more colorful.

At the bottom of the board you’ll find some rubber pads that help it fit on your desk, as well as two state feet that give the same comfort and slightly raised typing angles if you need. The legs themselves are made of thick plastic and have a stiff hinge, so you can be sure that when you place this keyboard, it will not come down in a hurry.

The USB-C cable is detachable, and braided, helping to reinforce that premium feel throughout the entire package.

Performance

• Light, chic switch
• 65% layout functional
• Convenient anti-ghosting and complete NKRO

Beneath its robust chassis, Alloy Origins 65 uses HyperX’s own red switches – which is a nice, and more significant feel to the MX Red clone. They offer a sleek typing experience that is also great for everyday work and gaming.

Their 45cN actuation force ensures the keystrokes are light and responsive, which makes this keyboard an ideal choice for FPS games, and in a few rounds of CS: GO and Apex Legends, Alloy Origins 65 has performed admirably.

The switches may not be analog, but Alloy Origin 65 proves that sometimes the simplest is the best. This is a reflection of the growing trend of gaming keyboards, where manufacturers are releasing increasingly unnecessary or extra features to keep things simple and functional. It’s refreshing, especially when it translates into a great all-around experience for Alloy Origins 65.

Conveniently, the smaller candidate of HyperX has both full anti-ghosting and full NKRO (n-key rollover) features, which means no input will be missed. With Alloy Origins 65 you will find the most precise keypress available.

Software and lighting

• Incredibly bright RGB light
• The accompanying software is simple
• Only basic customization is available

For software and lighting, Alloy Origins 65 again impresses with super-vibrant RGB which, by default, rotates in a complete spectrum of color. The light itself looks smart and classy.

Often, lighting a keyboard can make it feel hard and cheap. Here, though, it’s nice to see that HyperX has given some thought to how it was delivered.

While the lights may be rather eye-catching, the same cannot be said for HyperX’s angenuity software. It looks like a risked Windows menu and provides basic functionality for disabling keys to change lighting, two-level programming of keys, and Alloy Origin 65 to allow it to enter game mode.

It has a total of seven light presets to choose from, along with the way to change the brightness, the selected color and the speed of color change.

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