HyperX Alloy Elite

Quite good for wrists

It’s no secret we were big fans of the original, delightfully minimalist HyperX Alloy keyboard. As a first attempt by a first time peripheral maker, it was a near complete success. At the time we said we were looking forward to what the company had in store next. Well, the Alloy Elite is the answer, a keyboard that doesn’t sacrifice quality components and design to remain at a fairly budget price point. The full sized keyboard isn’t as sleek as the Alloy but it’s as solidly built with no bounce or flex at all. Like the Alloy, the Elite uses real Cherry MX switches – red, brown or blue - but also adds some new, dedicated controls to the mix. To the top left of the keyboard are buttons for turning the red backlighting on and (preferably) off, changing the lighting between six different presets, and a game mode button that disables the Windows keys. To the top right are dedicated media controls and a volume roller. A large, comfortable wrist rest rounds out the package. There are a few niggles with the Elite that stop it from being all but perfect. The lighting is pretty naff outside of simply having a general red backlight, and the braided cord is thick and overly still, leading to some awkward spaghetti. Ultimately though, these are small annoyances when compared to how well made the Elite is, and what a pleasure it is to use. HyperX is quickly becoming one of our favourite budget Cherry keyboard makers. DANIEL WILKS