The HyperX Alloy Elite Introduce
The HyperX Alloy Elite 2 keyboard takes the design of its predecessor and is positioned as a very complete mechanical keyboard emphasizing its RGB lighting.
For this, it takes advantage of the brand’s new two-tone keys which house high-performance HyperX Red mechanical switches already seen on the Alloy Origins .
HyperX Alloy Elite 2 review
Two years after the release of the Alloy Elite RGB keyboard , HyperX is back in the spotlight with a new iteration stamped “2”. This new version brings with it some new features which appear very thin on reading the technical sheet.
The HyperX Alloy Elite 2 gaming keyboard offers a design identical to that of its big brother with a strong emphasis on RGB lighting and performance since the novelties of this model revolve around its keys and switches.
Offered at a fairly high price of around 170 euros, this new iteration will have a lot to do to convince us, as the market has evolved in recent years.
Design & Ergonomics for HyperX Alloy Elite 2
In terms of design, HyperX did not put much effort into this new keyboard since it has exactly the same design as the two previous models. We made the same observation during our test of the RGB version.
See Also : Corsair K95 RGB Platinum Review
The keyboard offers here a “frameless” hard plastic frame overhung by a metal plate which gives it significant rigidity and allows the keyboard and its kilo and a half to hold well in place on our mat.
The keys and their RGB lighting thus sit directly on this aluminum plate in order to efficiently diffuse the light.
Keys and buttons HyperX Alloy Elite 2
Above the typing zone, we find this bar slightly detached from the body of the keyboard. On the right, you will find the various multimedia control buttons as well as a very practical although a little cheap volume adjustment wheel .
On the left, three other buttons are positioned to allow you to customize certain functions of the Alloy Elite 2 on the fly.
The first allows to manage the power of the lighting, the second to switch between the different profiles. And the last activates the game mode which deactivates for example the Windows key.
Lighting RGB
Due to their slightly translucent white rim, they therefore better diffuse the light coming from the RGB switches.
Here, it is clearly a matter of taste. Some will love it, others will find it very ugly. For my part, I am quite convinced. Even if at full power the lighting is a bit too powerful on this model.
Note also that this news touch almost overshadows the usual light bar on the top of the keyboard and which can display rather varied lighting effects.
Mechanical Switches
The other novelty of the Alloy Elite 2 is hidden under these new keys since the keyboard features the red mechanical switches signed HyperX.
We had already been able to test these switches during our test of the Alloy Origins and personally I’m still a fan. We will come back to this a little later in the article.
On the other hand, we find the usual very imposing braided USB cable. Which will need to be connected via two separate ports to be able to take advantage of the USB port on the back of the keyboard.
Profile Setting
As far as the functionalities are concerned, nothing very exciting since. As usual, it will be necessary to turn to the HyperX NGenuity driver to manage the entire keyboard configuration. The driver has not changed at all since our last test of a HyperX product and we still find this interface not necessarily very clear or easy to use.
Note that, as before, the driver must remain open and cannot be minimized in the Windows notification bar.
First, there is an interface dedicated to configuring the lighting effects of the Alloy Elite 2. The operation here is quite clear and offers an interface similar to the layers found in Photoshop.
Configuration
The second tab is dedicated to the allocation of keys and has a fairly wide range of possible configurations. You can thus choose to remap the keys with any other on the keyboard. Certain system functions or even recordable macros directly from the driver.
All these settings can obviously be saved in profiles that we will associate with our games or applications. The keyboard also has an internal memory capable of storing 3 different profiles.
Be careful though: these profiles will only be accessible when the pilot is not running. If this is the case, the profiles present in Genuity will take precedence over those saved on the Alloy.
Driver software for HyperX Alloy 2
Download Driver : Driver
Performances
We are now tackling the performance of the Alloy Elite 2 which. Like the Alloy Origins range, benefits from the new HyperX Red switches.
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The difference is in the stroke which is shorter on HyperX switches with “only” 3.8mm. And an activation point located at 1.8mm. The gain in responsiveness is quickly noticeable and will also require a little adaptation time to master the keyboard perfectly.
On our side, we are really fans of these switches which perfectly meet our needs whether in game or in writing. They turn out to be a little louder than the Cherry MX Reds and are in a way similar to the SteelSeries QX2 Red switches found on the Apex 7 .
In the same way, he was put to contribution for the writing of this article and answers there too present. HyperX seems to have found the right recipe for their homemade switches, which are simply excellent.
Conclusion
In the end, HyperX gives us here a fairly mixed evolution of its Alloy Elite RGB model. If we always take advantage of an efficient design, we regret the lack of real novelty. The new two-tone keys may nevertheless appeal to some even if the absence of the wrist rest seems frankly disappointing.
It is in terms of performance that the evolution is most felt with the arrival of HyperX Red switches which are very efficient. They are among our favorite linear switches on the market.
We recommend that you turn to this model instead if you are ready to skip the multimedia controls. And very “bright” RGB lighting of the Alloy Elite 2.
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