HyperX Alloy Rise 75% review: A valiant effort
DexertoThe HyperX Alloy Rise is the company’s first keyboard with hot-swappable switches and comes with a handful of ways to customize it straight out of the box.
Razer, Corsair, and HyperX released their first attempts at a 75% keyboard in over the last year, bringing sought-after features like hot-swappable switches, PBT keycaps, and sound-dampening foam to the mainstream for the first time.
HyperX’s release is the Alloy Rise, which was released in April 2024 alongside various accessories like badge packs, different colored top plates, and packs of their in-house switches.
Key Specs
- Switch type: HyperX Red Linear
- Keycaps: PBT
- Connectivity: USB-C Wired
- Form Factor: 75%
- Lighting: Per-key RGB
- Features: Volume knob, Onboard memory, hot-swap switches, 8000Hz polling rate, replaceable top plate
- Price: $169.99
| Pros | Cons |
| Hot Swap | Premium price tag |
| High polling rate | |
| Great customization options |
Design
The Alloy Rise comes in both 75% and 100% form factors, but this review unit is the smaller of the two. It features everything that a normal keyboard does, but without the numpad and a few of the other modifiers you’d normally find above the arrow keys.
DexertoHyperX stuck with a basic, black colorway for the Alloy Rise out of the box for this keyboard. There’s minimal branding on it, just an embossed HyperX logo directly above the right arrow key. It doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, which is always welcome.
There’s RGB accent lights on the sides of the Alloy Rise, but other than that the overall design is nothing to write home about.
Features
While the overall design of the keyboard is basic, the customization options that HyperX created with the Alloy Rise make it stand out from the rest.
The top of the case is magnetic, and the company sells different color options to help make the keyboard fit into the design of your overall setup perfectly. The new tops come with a color-matched media knob, and you can mix and match however you’d like.
Just like the Nuphy Gem80, the Alloy Rise has a magnetic badge that features the company’s branding. The company placed it on the side of the keyboard, though, which I very much prefer over the Gem80’s top badge.
DexertoHyperX sells three different badge packs: 8-bit, abstract, and cute. Each comes in packs of four, and provides a great way to add some flair to the keyboard.
This is HyperX’s first keyboard with 5-pin hot-swap switches, meaning you can change from Linear to Tactile switches with the included puller. I love that hot-swap is becoming more mainstream, as it gives customers more options as you can use any three or five-pin switch available on the market.
The Alloy Rise uses HyperX’s NGENUITY software, which offers basic RGB controls alongside Macro key programming and controls for the polling rate. I really wish more companies would adopt VIA/QMK for software-less programming, but NGENUITY isn’t the worst software package out there.
Gaming performance
Thanks to the keyboard’s 8000Hz polling rate, the Alloy Rise makes for a decent gaming keyboard. It’s not nearly as fast as a hall-effect keyboard like the Boog75 or Wooting 60HE+, but it’s still quite suitable.
I tested it out in Warzone and Palworld, and I found myself more than capable of competing against my opponents in close combat – whether they’re camo-dressed or cute, tiny creatures.
DexertoTyping Performance
HyperX created the Alloy Rise with typing in mind, and the company did it quite well. The gasket-mounted PCB provides a soft surface for less finger strain and helps the dual layer sound dampening make the keyboard sound great as well.
The company’s linear and tactile switches feel great, with characteristics reminiscent of Kailh’s Box Red and Box Brown options.
The Verdict – 4/5
At its core, the HyperX Alloy Rise 75% is a wonderful keyboard with a plethora of customization options and great overall performance that many users will enjoy.
However, it just falls flat in overall value. There’s nothing that makes the keyboard’s design stand out from the rest, and there are better keyboards out there for those looking to get the best option for their money.
Should you buy it?
If you’re in the market for a new keyboard, the HyperX Alloy Rise is a great option. Its customization options offer endless design choices, and it’s built to last quite a while.
My biggest complaint about the keyboard, though, is the price. It carries a premium price of $170 without really offering any substantial value in its features and design.
For example, the Akko MOD007 PC offers much faster hall effect switches for gaming and support for 3-pin mechanical switches, alongside an even better build quality and performance for $40 less.
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