Review on 💡 HyperX Alloy Origins Core - Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: Software Controlled Light & Macro Customization, Compact Form Factor, RGB LED Backlit & Clicky HyperX Blue Switch by Paul Wilson

I chose this keyboard for use on two systems as I recently started using a docked laptop as my daily driver. The USB-C connection makes switching between systems as easy as swapping a cable, while allowing me to stow another cable when not in use. It's an elite alloy replacement and that's my experience so far. I've been using this board since late February 2021 and love it. It occupies a much smaller footprint than the high-end alloy, but shares almost all of the same characteristics. I was initially concerned about the removal of the dedicated media buttons, volume control, and dedicated RGB buttons, but these functions are all mapped to the function buttons on this board. The absence of these buttons is actually a big thing that I love about this board. It offers the same Hyper X Clicky switches that I like but in a much more compact form factor. The build quality is excellent. The deck is all metal and very thin compared to the Aluminum Elite and every other board I've used in the past. It comes close to Logitech's offerings in subtlety, but without the excessive flexibility and terrible keycaps. Hyper X keycaps use standard MX feet, so almost any set of keycaps should work for them, but check the questions if you're looking for specific compatibility. is a mixed bag. Overall I like the floating key design and the backlight is very bright and programmatically accurate. I miss the labels on the FN keys telling me which keys do what since I no longer have dedicated media keys, but it took me about a day to remember everything. Compared to the Elite Alloy, this board feels much lighter overall. The lowest setting of these switches seems brighter than the highest setting on the Elite, which could be a placebo effect, but I don't know. I can't spin them to the max without getting hurt holding them on the periphery. So RGB? Fantastic on this board, especially with the pudding caps. I also like the adjustable legs that give you 3 different height settings. It's pretty standard these days, but I still love watching it. Another thing I like is the digital lock/caps indicator. It's perfectly positioned so you can easily see which features you have activated. This was not the case with the Elite alloy. The display was placed too close to the number pad meaning you could NOT see what was on or off unless you were sitting very upright, very tall or leaning forward to look at it. This is a big improvement. It seems minor, but it really annoyed me in Elite. Nothing more to say. The keycaps have a nice feel, are very sturdy and have that nice punch that I'm looking for in a mx blue style switch. I love it. So everything about this keyboard is amazing, but it is right now! . Oh wait a minute. Software Well the software is pretty basic, not very optimized and still in beta testing from MS store? I'm not sure as I don't have this installed on the computer I'm using right now. I used my old computer (desktop) to set this up as it already had the Hyperx software installed (resourceful I think) and it works quite well. While the keycap colors are very accurate in how close they are to what you see in the software, you won't notice this with standard keycaps. Black slightly shifts the colors and makes them darker. Although they are amazing with custard caps. You can't complain here. So yes, use the software once to set up your board and then uninstall. There are many effects to choose from, whether you prefer static colors or moving effects. it all looks great. And with that, yeah, I think we're done. This is a fantastic keyboard for those looking for the best overall typing experience. Do a little research on switches, maybe order a test switch set or something to find the right one for you, then go nuts. Great product, will definitely buy Hyper X again if they can maintain this level of quality and value. A good thing