Testing HyperX’s super compact keyboard.
Mechanical keyboards … I confess, three or four years ago, I somehow ceased to be interested in them, as I acquired a mechanic that closed all questions on this part for me, – Leopold FC750R… Compact, austere and reliable, like a tank: at the time of purchase it was a class higher than absolutely any “mass market” model. But the other day I had the opportunity to get to know better HyperX Alloy Origins 60 – and she frankly surprised me.
Design
Alloy Origins 60 looks interesting, modern and strict at the same time. All in moderation and nothing more – a very pleasant minimalistic appearance. It is clear that here it is dictated rather by the form factor “60%”, but nevertheless.
For those who do not know what these percentages mean, let me explain: a standard keyboard with 104 keys is a 100% format. Further – 75%, which imply the absence of a digital block on the right or, more simply, a calculator. Well, 60% is when, in addition to the digital block, we also do not have a number of F-keys (F1, F2, F3, and so on), arrows (the same ones with which some people still drive in a conditional Need for speed), as well as the Home, End, Insert, Page Down / Up, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause / Break keys.
Why so? Basically, of course, this form factor is preferred by gamers who just rarely use all these keys, and it also trite to save space on the table. Due to this, by the way, 60% of the models are very popular in Japan and Korea, where most live in extremely cramped conditions.
Workmanship quality
The keyboard is made well and almost without any “buts”. To the quality of the execution of questions at least. The body is a cast piece of aluminum, heavy and durable. On the back panel there is a neat stamping of the manufacturer’s logo.
There is a metal plate approximately 1 mm thick under the keys. The keys themselves (or rather, keycaps, or, as they are also called, “caps”) are made of PBT plastic. This is one of the most expensive and reliable keycap options. For example, on my keyboard for three years of everyday use, they practically did not wear off. In some places, if you look closely, you can notice small signs of aging, but in general, everything is fine. In the case of Alloy Origins 60, the service life of the plastic should be at least the same.
The symbols will not fade away either, so there is no need to worry: they are not engraved or painted here. Again, the most expensive method of applying them to the keycap is used – Double Shot Injection (double casting method).
What is this method? A black plastic is taken, a “cap” is formed from it with cutouts in the form of the necessary letters or numbers, and then another layer of plastic is pressed into it under high pressure, this time light. It fills in the voids in the original mold, and voila: a symbol appears on the surface of the keycap that cannot be erased or made to fade.
The symbols are also highlighted perfectly, and this is true for both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabet. The symbols of both the one and the second alphabet are printed on the keycaps right at the location of the diode (a little closer to their upper part), are evenly centered relative to it and are perfectly readable. As for the backlighting of everything else, due to the transparent housing of the switches, there is a feeling that the entire keyboard is on fire: the light is reflected from the plate under the keys and creates a pleasant and relaxing effect.
True, I would like a little more brightness – this is, firstly, and secondly – more effects. In proprietary software Ngeunity there are only seven of them, and all of them, except for the standard “wave”, are somehow nondescript and dull.
On the other hand, it all looks restrained, so we will not include this moment in the minuses. There are clearly more opponents of bright backlighting than its fans. The dominance of RGB has already become boring.
Switches
Now a little more about the main thing in any keyboard – switches. I was not able to dig up information about what exactly they are. They are marked as Hyperx red, but in terms of sensations and main parameters, they very much resemble acquaintances Cherry MX Red: linear, with a force of 45 grams, no tactile feedback or click.
Who specifically manufactures switches for HyperX, I find it difficult to answer (as far as I know, the company does not have its own production facilities for their mass production), but an impressive resource is declared: 80 million clicks, shortened travel (3.8 mm versus 4 mm for Cherry MX Red ) and, as a consequence, actuation at its lower point (1.8 mm versus 2 mm). The latter, in theory, should contribute to a more reactive response, but in practice I did not notice any difference. Two tenths of a millimeter is more of a marketing statement than a real tangible benefit.
As for the quality of the switches itself, firstly, they are clearly lubricated at the factory, and secondly, it seemed to me that their case is made of some other polymer than Cherry’s, since the MX Red switch stem is noticeably stronger rubs against the body – the sound when typing is as if sand was poured inside, HyperX Red in comparison, feels smoother and more linear. I would say that in practice they look like a cross between Cherry MX Silent Red and classic MX Red. The stroke is soft, like the Silent version, and the impact sound is like a familiar classic.
Keys are stabilized as well. Not super-perfect, but above average – that’s the minimum. The Cherry stabilization system is used: Backspace does not play and does not emit extraneous sounds at all, Enter and both Shift are the same, but Space is a little, but rumbles. Literally a little bit, but it’s still a pity. If it were the same as all of the above keys, it would be just perfect.
By the way, an interesting point: two additional diodes are hidden under the “space” key. Usually only one diode is built into the switch itself; immediately the manufacturer took care of maintaining the uniformity of the backlighting and did not regret, as is often the case, a couple of cents, so that everything looked organic and neat. A trifle, but nice.
Ergonomics is also okay. The keyboard is connected to a PC (using a USB Type-A connector) with a presentable soft cable in a fabric braid with a Type-C connector at the end. It is neither too long nor too short – 1.8 m. It would be better with only a twisted cable. However, no one bothers to disconnect the stock and purchase the right one.
There are as many as three levels of adjustment in height. For this, three “floors” of legs are provided on the bottom: two folding and one fixed, which provides the original, natural angle of inclination. Each of the legs is rubberized.
What you may not like
Finally, let’s talk about the cons – although these are rather features, and they are related to the form factor. This is not my first 60% keyboard, and no matter how great it looks, no matter how compact and cool it is, it still has few keys – and sometimes it’s disastrously inconvenient. For example, in PUBG I was experiencing serious difficulties. Yes, perhaps I am an unimportant player and could not adequately adjust the controls, but I could not distribute all the important actions for me on the keyboard so that it was intuitive. In races, you also have difficulties: the arrows will not work just like that, you first need to press the Fn key and only then one of them. All the same applies to the F-keys – and any others that are not on this keyboard.
The same applies to multimedia control: the ability to increase or decrease the volume, select the next / previous track or pause it is there, but all this will also work through Fn.
Of course, you can get used to it, and there is a proprietary software for this: any key (except Fn) is reassigned and turns into whatever you want, macros are recorded, but all these features will not add keys anyway. So you have to adapt one way or another, and not everyone succeeds, keep in mind. However, if you spend most of your time playing shooters like CS: GO, then there will be no special problems. Plus proprietary software gives access to one life hack. There you can save several profiles with different layouts and switch between them right on the fly: the keyboard has an internal memory for this.
Eventually
Only the most positive conclusions are obtained. Firstly, mass market keyboards have finally begun to offer the level that only small-scale manufacturers demonstrated for a lot of money three or four years ago.
Second, aside from the potential inconveniences associated with the layout, the not-so-extensive list of lighting effects, and the not-so-perfect spacebar, there’s nothing to complain about, including the price.
Yes, by the standards of keyboards, HyperX is decent, but it will cost less than the conventional Leopold, which will not have a metal case, backlight, braided cable and Russian symbols on keycaps, not to mention software. At the same time, the workmanship will be absolutely comparable. If so, Origins 60 can be safely recommended as a really good model with a good price-performance ratio.
Write whether you like the keyboard or not, and ask questions, if any. See you at Igromania!
Specifications:
Format: 60%
Layout: ANSI
Material and manufacturing method of the case: cast, aluminum
Keycap material and method: PBT plastic, double molded
Keycaps profile: OEM
Stabilization of keys: Cherry
Backlight: full, customizable, RGB
Cable: USB Type A – USB Type C, removable
NKRO support: complete
Anti-slip feet: yes, three tilt levels
Switches: HyperX Red Switch Linear Mechanical 45g
Features of switches: 3.8mm stroke length, 1.8mm actuation point
Additionally: multimedia control, built-in memory, software
Price: 8500 rubles ($ 115)
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