HyperX Alloy CORE - when the membrane can in games
Ashamed of the loud, crunchy crumbs and expensive mechanics? She didn’t get acclimatized at home - relatives are dissatisfied, and at work they are colleagues, and this coffee is spilled ... Well, HyperX created Alloy Core especially for such cases. Cheating hybrid of classic membranes and sensations, as from mechanics. Yes, and with moisture protection and with a nice price. Check for strength?
In the HyperX keyboard family, the Alloy Core model occupies a niche of affordable solutions. She has everything you need, and lovers of comfortable printing, and eSports fans. Anti-guesting, polling frequency - 1000 Hz, separate keys for volume control, customizable RGB light, moisture protection and 6KRO compatible with all UEFI.
That is, we really provided for everything. And the lack of problems in the shooters, and quick volume control (and without hotkeys!) And instant response to all actions. At the same time, the keyboard did not lose the qualities for the most direct purpose: typing the text. Quiet, comfortable, with protection from awkward colleagues and unstable mugs. And most importantly - it was made not only qualitatively - truly soundly, from the heart, for people, and for reasonable money.
')
At the heart is a strong “frame” with stiffeners in the internal structure. Not metal, of course, but sturdy and reliable plastic, properly reinforced in the right places. Thanks to it, all press loads are evenly distributed. The top panel is also not a thin lining, but quite a bearing element. As a result, the body is a monolith. It does not bend, twist, creak or bend, even if it is intentionally bent, twisted and squeezed. Due to this, one of the main sensations is achieved: the keyboard stands on the table, as if glued, and even with high-speed typing does not “play” under your fingers.
The case itself - wedge-shaped, neither built-in nor removable palm rest is provided. This is not critical, since the keyboard is not very high, at about the level of the mechanic models. The height of the case at the top is 25 mm, and at the bottom - 20 mm. You can do without the stop for the wrists.
The height of the keys of the sixth row is 40 mm from the surface of the table, the first row is 30 mm. These are comfortable values for blind ten-finger printing, especially if you turn the “legs” vertically, lifting the keyboard over the table. In games, the “zero level” shows itself well: so the hands practically never get tired.
Lifting does not affect the stability, on all points of contact of the keyboard with the working surface - good and tenacious rubber.
KeyCapes are very similar to those in mechanics, but instead of the landing “crosses” have characteristic broad guides. In part, they set such a clear and smooth movement up and down without distortions. It is difficult to remove such a cap without special tools, and it is hardly necessary: a compressed air cylinder will easily save the keyboard from crumbs, and it is not afraid of spilled water. The manufacturer promises protection from 100-150 milliliters (half a circle, therefore), but in the test she survived after almost a full cup. The main thing - to unhook the wire, but to bring everything to the sink, not spilling.
Of course, Coca-Cola, coffee and other liquids that leave behind sticky dirt can “kill” the mechanism, so this is more protection against accidental spills. A state of emergency happened - all the moisture was shaken out, washed with water (within the limits specified by the manufacturer), dried.
If you are familiar with HyperX NGenuinity from other reviews - everything is the same here, except ... There is nothing to configure in the keyboard. Because the backlight is controlled by dedicated keys: there are 5 factory presets and several brightness levels. You do not need to download and configure anything: choose the mode with one key, its intensity is the second.
Macros (if someone else uses them) will have to write some third-party software. Trial Key Manager, free AutoHotkey or another program - the keyboard works great with any other application. So it comes out more flexibly, and is not tied to vendor software, to which some whimsical anti-cheat systems in games can swear. Of course, no one guarantees that third-party software also does not fall under the forged anti-cheat boot, but here we, at least, have freedom of choice and space for experimentation.
From the older versions, the keyboard also got a "game mode", which allows you to avoid accidental crashes to the desktop: locks the win key, if in a simple way.
According to the developers of gaming hardware, customizable lights are just an essential attribute for such gadgets. As long as the streamer community is lively, it may be so (it’s necessary to somehow stand out from these millionaires against the background of millions of such fans of online exhibitionism), after all, if there was no demand for it, there would be no supply. And HyperX cares about the requests of its fan base. Ordinary users just have to choose whether to use RGB-LEDs to their fullest or arrange their favorite more modest: choose one color or adjust the “night mode” so that it is pleasant to the eyes.
Alloy Core does not allow each key to have a separate shade, you can control five zones: three on the main part, one on the arrows and keys of the text cursor, and the last on the NUM block. The key caps with a transparent base perfectly transmit light, and the light substrate reflects and scatters the selected shade, giving a neat fringing to the buttons.
The user's choice of 5 modes of "light music": a static color, full color cycle, a separate shade for each of the zones, ripple and "northern lights". All of them are tuned for brightness and intrusiveness. Who needs to be figured out, the benefit is configured all the two dedicated keys: one in a circle clicks modes, the second - the intensity. And you can switch modes using the highlighted key.
The most interesting thing: how experienced proprietary lighting "moving" with keyboards with mechanical membrane switches. And here we must really pay tribute: in terms of brightness, there is no difference between HyperX Alloy Core and HyperX Alloy Elite RGB, both shine brightly and elegantly, that the traffic light. At the same time, Alloy Core has brighter borders of each key, which makes it much better to hit the buttons in the dark. In general, the level of quality of the backlight here is not a budget, but quite a flagship.
The design left the company "light strip" like the keyboards HyperX Alloy Elite and HyperX Alloy Elite RGB. Trifle, but it's nice that the visual language of the brand is formed and can be traced in different models.
For the keyboard, the main thing is what? Convenient typing. And here HyperX Alloy Core will give odds to some mechanics. Her trump card: noiseless. As much as possible for a full-sized keyboard with a full stroke of 4 with a small millimeter.
Classical mechanics with "gaming" CherryMX Red switches, additionally equipped with sealing rings, against the backdrop of Alloy Core rumbles like a tank on the march. It's not even the sound level, but the key. HyperX Alloy Core's space bar sounds soft and echo-free. And the keyboard space with the CherryMX Red switch rattles the horse hoof along the pavement. In decibels, the difference between the membrane gap and the mechanical one is about 12 dB (71 dB and 83 dB), but, I repeat, the difference is not only in volume.
During fast printing, HyperX Alloy Core makes noise at 73-77 dB, which corresponds to normal household noise. The keyboard does not drown out the speech of colleagues, does not shout over the refrigerator working in the kitchen and the music in the headphones. These are normal sound values. Mechanical keyboards also, in principle, do not exceed the generally accepted comfort threshold of 85 dB, but it’s not very comfortable to listen to repetitive sounds with a volume of 82-84 dB for hours.
Another nice feature: the caps are held “tightly”, do not play left-right in the vertical course, and the membrane itself is not made as it were. Pressing is elastic and non-linear in force, as in blue or brown microswitches of mechanical keyboards.
At first, the key barely resists pressing, then the voltage rises, and after a certain point, it seems to break off, the cap reaches the lower dead point, a symbol appears on the screen at lightning speed. There is no point in comparing with a standard keyboard for 300-1000 rubles: you will not receive a tenth of tactical comfort and unambiguous interpretation of the key state. At Alloy Core - one of the best (for membrane keyboards) mechanisms and very competent setting on the market. After I tested it, it became clear that there was no way back to cheap membrane keyboards.
You also need to praise the wiring of contacts on the "membrane" HyperX, which is made to last. It was not possible to identify the “blocking” combinations: furious hot keys with three modifier keys, simultaneous pressing of several characters simultaneously, printing “in 10 blind fingers” - the keyboard matrix went through all tests perfectly. Calling out the "left" scancode of the combustible combination did not work either - the keyboard microcontroller is not a fool and can distinguish the output signal from garbage.
And finally, the fully standard ANSI layout. Such pragmatism is rarely found in expensive premium models, and here is the affordable mainstream. See for yourself. Both Shift's are full-sized. The space is 5 keys long and is surrounded by ALTs. On the left - only CTRL and WIN, FN is in the access zone of the right hand, next to the right CTRL. Random clicks will not be. Esc is separated from the F-box with a full range, F1-F4, F5-F8 and F9-F12 themselves are separated by a half interval. The arrows and the digital block are separated, the zero on the NUM is full-sized. Scroll, Caps and NUM indicators are bright, white. The multimedia control keys of half-height (that is, they are not confused at hand and are not accidentally pressed), the order is the most logical place to go. Mute in the upper right corner.
Robust, sturdy and beautiful keyboard, devoid of typical membrane flaws. Not a drop of laxity, 100% protection against locking neighboring keys, very clear tactile sensations when pressing buttons, as close as possible to the “mechanics”. Even the backlighting is noticeably different: there is no this “tarnishness” of printed symbols typical of low-cost models.
Surprisingly, HyperX Alloy Core has outlived all the flaws of membrane models, but has retained the advantages of keyboards of this type - quiet operation, protection from accidental contact with liquids and, of course, an attractive price. It works great out of the box, if necessary - it is customized for the user, and is great for both games and typing.
HyperX Alloy Core in Russia is exclusively represented in DNS stores for 4499 rubles .
What are you
In the HyperX keyboard family, the Alloy Core model occupies a niche of affordable solutions. She has everything you need, and lovers of comfortable printing, and eSports fans. Anti-guesting, polling frequency - 1000 Hz, separate keys for volume control, customizable RGB light, moisture protection and 6KRO compatible with all UEFI.
That is, we really provided for everything. And the lack of problems in the shooters, and quick volume control (and without hotkeys!) And instant response to all actions. At the same time, the keyboard did not lose the qualities for the most direct purpose: typing the text. Quiet, comfortable, with protection from awkward colleagues and unstable mugs. And most importantly - it was made not only qualitatively - truly soundly, from the heart, for people, and for reasonable money.
')
What's the secret?
At the heart is a strong “frame” with stiffeners in the internal structure. Not metal, of course, but sturdy and reliable plastic, properly reinforced in the right places. Thanks to it, all press loads are evenly distributed. The top panel is also not a thin lining, but quite a bearing element. As a result, the body is a monolith. It does not bend, twist, creak or bend, even if it is intentionally bent, twisted and squeezed. Due to this, one of the main sensations is achieved: the keyboard stands on the table, as if glued, and even with high-speed typing does not “play” under your fingers.
The case itself - wedge-shaped, neither built-in nor removable palm rest is provided. This is not critical, since the keyboard is not very high, at about the level of the mechanic models. The height of the case at the top is 25 mm, and at the bottom - 20 mm. You can do without the stop for the wrists.
The height of the keys of the sixth row is 40 mm from the surface of the table, the first row is 30 mm. These are comfortable values for blind ten-finger printing, especially if you turn the “legs” vertically, lifting the keyboard over the table. In games, the “zero level” shows itself well: so the hands practically never get tired.
Lifting does not affect the stability, on all points of contact of the keyboard with the working surface - good and tenacious rubber.
KeyCapes are very similar to those in mechanics, but instead of the landing “crosses” have characteristic broad guides. In part, they set such a clear and smooth movement up and down without distortions. It is difficult to remove such a cap without special tools, and it is hardly necessary: a compressed air cylinder will easily save the keyboard from crumbs, and it is not afraid of spilled water. The manufacturer promises protection from 100-150 milliliters (half a circle, therefore), but in the test she survived after almost a full cup. The main thing - to unhook the wire, but to bring everything to the sink, not spilling.
Of course, Coca-Cola, coffee and other liquids that leave behind sticky dirt can “kill” the mechanism, so this is more protection against accidental spills. A state of emergency happened - all the moisture was shaken out, washed with water (within the limits specified by the manufacturer), dried.
Software features
If you are familiar with HyperX NGenuinity from other reviews - everything is the same here, except ... There is nothing to configure in the keyboard. Because the backlight is controlled by dedicated keys: there are 5 factory presets and several brightness levels. You do not need to download and configure anything: choose the mode with one key, its intensity is the second.
Macros (if someone else uses them) will have to write some third-party software. Trial Key Manager, free AutoHotkey or another program - the keyboard works great with any other application. So it comes out more flexibly, and is not tied to vendor software, to which some whimsical anti-cheat systems in games can swear. Of course, no one guarantees that third-party software also does not fall under the forged anti-cheat boot, but here we, at least, have freedom of choice and space for experimentation.
From the older versions, the keyboard also got a "game mode", which allows you to avoid accidental crashes to the desktop: locks the win key, if in a simple way.
Maximum brightness
According to the developers of gaming hardware, customizable lights are just an essential attribute for such gadgets. As long as the streamer community is lively, it may be so (it’s necessary to somehow stand out from these millionaires against the background of millions of such fans of online exhibitionism), after all, if there was no demand for it, there would be no supply. And HyperX cares about the requests of its fan base. Ordinary users just have to choose whether to use RGB-LEDs to their fullest or arrange their favorite more modest: choose one color or adjust the “night mode” so that it is pleasant to the eyes.
Alloy Core does not allow each key to have a separate shade, you can control five zones: three on the main part, one on the arrows and keys of the text cursor, and the last on the NUM block. The key caps with a transparent base perfectly transmit light, and the light substrate reflects and scatters the selected shade, giving a neat fringing to the buttons.
The user's choice of 5 modes of "light music": a static color, full color cycle, a separate shade for each of the zones, ripple and "northern lights". All of them are tuned for brightness and intrusiveness. Who needs to be figured out, the benefit is configured all the two dedicated keys: one in a circle clicks modes, the second - the intensity. And you can switch modes using the highlighted key.
The most interesting thing: how experienced proprietary lighting "moving" with keyboards with mechanical membrane switches. And here we must really pay tribute: in terms of brightness, there is no difference between HyperX Alloy Core and HyperX Alloy Elite RGB, both shine brightly and elegantly, that the traffic light. At the same time, Alloy Core has brighter borders of each key, which makes it much better to hit the buttons in the dark. In general, the level of quality of the backlight here is not a budget, but quite a flagship.
The design left the company "light strip" like the keyboards HyperX Alloy Elite and HyperX Alloy Elite RGB. Trifle, but it's nice that the visual language of the brand is formed and can be traced in different models.
Comfort in everyday use
For the keyboard, the main thing is what? Convenient typing. And here HyperX Alloy Core will give odds to some mechanics. Her trump card: noiseless. As much as possible for a full-sized keyboard with a full stroke of 4 with a small millimeter.
Classical mechanics with "gaming" CherryMX Red switches, additionally equipped with sealing rings, against the backdrop of Alloy Core rumbles like a tank on the march. It's not even the sound level, but the key. HyperX Alloy Core's space bar sounds soft and echo-free. And the keyboard space with the CherryMX Red switch rattles the horse hoof along the pavement. In decibels, the difference between the membrane gap and the mechanical one is about 12 dB (71 dB and 83 dB), but, I repeat, the difference is not only in volume.
During fast printing, HyperX Alloy Core makes noise at 73-77 dB, which corresponds to normal household noise. The keyboard does not drown out the speech of colleagues, does not shout over the refrigerator working in the kitchen and the music in the headphones. These are normal sound values. Mechanical keyboards also, in principle, do not exceed the generally accepted comfort threshold of 85 dB, but it’s not very comfortable to listen to repetitive sounds with a volume of 82-84 dB for hours.
Another nice feature: the caps are held “tightly”, do not play left-right in the vertical course, and the membrane itself is not made as it were. Pressing is elastic and non-linear in force, as in blue or brown microswitches of mechanical keyboards.
At first, the key barely resists pressing, then the voltage rises, and after a certain point, it seems to break off, the cap reaches the lower dead point, a symbol appears on the screen at lightning speed. There is no point in comparing with a standard keyboard for 300-1000 rubles: you will not receive a tenth of tactical comfort and unambiguous interpretation of the key state. At Alloy Core - one of the best (for membrane keyboards) mechanisms and very competent setting on the market. After I tested it, it became clear that there was no way back to cheap membrane keyboards.
You also need to praise the wiring of contacts on the "membrane" HyperX, which is made to last. It was not possible to identify the “blocking” combinations: furious hot keys with three modifier keys, simultaneous pressing of several characters simultaneously, printing “in 10 blind fingers” - the keyboard matrix went through all tests perfectly. Calling out the "left" scancode of the combustible combination did not work either - the keyboard microcontroller is not a fool and can distinguish the output signal from garbage.
And finally, the fully standard ANSI layout. Such pragmatism is rarely found in expensive premium models, and here is the affordable mainstream. See for yourself. Both Shift's are full-sized. The space is 5 keys long and is surrounded by ALTs. On the left - only CTRL and WIN, FN is in the access zone of the right hand, next to the right CTRL. Random clicks will not be. Esc is separated from the F-box with a full range, F1-F4, F5-F8 and F9-F12 themselves are separated by a half interval. The arrows and the digital block are separated, the zero on the NUM is full-sized. Scroll, Caps and NUM indicators are bright, white. The multimedia control keys of half-height (that is, they are not confused at hand and are not accidentally pressed), the order is the most logical place to go. Mute in the upper right corner.
In total
Robust, sturdy and beautiful keyboard, devoid of typical membrane flaws. Not a drop of laxity, 100% protection against locking neighboring keys, very clear tactile sensations when pressing buttons, as close as possible to the “mechanics”. Even the backlighting is noticeably different: there is no this “tarnishness” of printed symbols typical of low-cost models.
Surprisingly, HyperX Alloy Core has outlived all the flaws of membrane models, but has retained the advantages of keyboards of this type - quiet operation, protection from accidental contact with liquids and, of course, an attractive price. It works great out of the box, if necessary - it is customized for the user, and is great for both games and typing.
HyperX Alloy Core in Russia is exclusively represented in DNS stores for 4499 rubles .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/444416/
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