The Alloy Elite 2 is the highest-end product in the HyperX catalog. It is intended primarily for (wealthy) players but must suit all situations thanks to versatile mechanical contactors. In fact, what does it give?
Logitech’s Ergo K860 keyboard. Ideally intended to accompany the MX Vertical mouse, this ergonomically designed keyboard comes to hunt on Microsoft’s land with its keys divided into two parts and its rounded shape.
Pros and Cons
| HyperX Alloy Elite 2 | Logitech Ergo K860 |
| HyperX Red mechanical switches | Extra-comfortable wrist rest |
| Dedicated media buttons and volume roller | Multiple device/OS support |
| Powerful RGB lighting | Comfortable wrist support |
| Excellent build and durability | Excellent battery life |
| No wrist rest | No backlighting option |
HyperX is the gaming division of manufacturer Kingston. It first became known for its colorful RAM strips before switching to headphones with ever so much success. Today, it also offers mice, microphones, power supplies, and, therefore, keyboards. Its catalog is rich with eight products, from the very compact HyperX x Ducky One 2 Mini, which is permanently out of stock, to the most imposing Alloy Elite, of which we are now testing the most recent, most successful version.
There is currently only one version of the Alloy Elite 2, in full-width format. If you want a compact model, you have not come to the right place, especially as HyperX offers a particularly massive product, as you can see with its technical sheet: at more than 1.5 kg, this is not the case.
Logitech is positioned as one of the most popular manufacturers. In fact, the Swiss-based company is multiplying its strengths in this market with a great lead in terms of productivity, especially with products such as the MX Master 3, the MX Keys, or the small nomadic mouse MX Anywhere 3.
Logitech is also trying to stand out in terms of workstation ergonomics. We have seen it with the Embody chair designed in partnership with Hermann Miller, a product that is nevertheless part of the manufacturer’s gaming catalog despite qualities that make it an ideal chair in all circumstances. Aside from that, Logitech’s Ergo series lacked a keyboard. Now available in France, the Ergo K860 fills this gap and accompanies the MX Vertical and MX Ergo mice with its trackball.
Specification
| HyperX Alloy Elite 2 | Logitech Ergo K860 | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Dimensions | 444 x 174 x 37.4mm | 456.0 x 48.0 x 233.0 mm |
| Weight | 3.38 lbs (1.535 kg) | 2.43 lbs (1.100 kg) |
| Size | Full-size (100%) | Full-size (100%) |
| Color | Black | Black |
| Connectivity | Wired | Wired |
| Mechanical | Yes | Yes |
| Keycap Material | ABS | PBT |
| RGB | Yes | No |
| Backlighting | Yes | Yes |
| Detachable | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes |
| Latency Wired | 6.8 ms | – |
| Numpad | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Type | No Batteries | 2x AAA |
| Compatibility | Windows | Windows, Mac OS |
| Software | HyperX NGENUITY | Logitech Options |
Design
HyperX Alloy Elite 2- The imposing box of the Alloy Elite 2 matches the keyboard, which at nearly 45 centimeters long by a little over 17 wide, will take up a significant amount of space on your desk. Inside, unfortunately, not much to report. There is nothing apart from the large double cable that cannot detach and the keyboard itself. It’s a bit of a shame since, as we’ll see, HyperX has provided space to hang a palm rest and the manufacturer also distributes textured keys dedicated to FPS / MOBA. It will be necessary to do with the “standard” equipment for this keyboard which, on the other hand, impresses by its design.
You can perhaps guess it from our photos, but HyperX has opted for a particularly robust all-metal chassis which also explains why the beast accuses more than 1500 grams on the scale. No fear of damaging it or simply twisting it by exerting too much pressure on it: the chassis seems ready to take anything. As we have said, this is a full-width model, which means that we can count on the numeric keypad and the block of arrow keys for a total of 105 keys in our AZERTY configuration. Note, however, the presence of two sets of “additional” keys.
Three keys stand out in the upper left corner; two play on the backlight when the third activates gaming mode. We will come back to that. On the other side, there are four classic multimedia keys and a very fashionable wheel lately: basic; it is assigned to the volume control. For the rest of the keyboard, the design of the keys is obvious: two-tone, they have a white/translucent base, while the top is black. Note that the keys are made of ABS plastic. At this price level, we know that manufacturers are making an effort to turn to PBT. Not HyperX.
Finally, let’s take a look at the “rest” of the keyboard. If the braided cable is not detachable, it imposes by its size: a double cable blocks two USB ports of the PC to offer a pass-through USB port on the edge of the keyboard. You can only plug in one keyboard port if you don’t need this remote USB. Under the keyboard, four small non-slip pads do their job very well, helped by the beast’s weight. However, we regret that the two feet, basic, only allow two levels of inclination (0 ° and ≈ 6 °). Note the presence of two notches to fix a wrist rest sold as an option.
Logitech Ergo K860- The Logitech Ergo K860 takes up a concept quite widespread in the world of ergonomics: that of a keyboard which has two distinct zones, split in V, like the Microsoft Sculpt and Surface keyboards.
With this layout supposed to improve position and typing speed, this keyboard also sports an arched shape and a large reclining wrist rest; this set of ergonomic criteria aims to reduce the fatigue associated with the use of a keyboard by reducing the less natural movements as much as possible and thus avoiding muscle tension. This logically results in a better feeling of comfort, all of which will be discussed later.
Apart from this ergonomic concept, the Ergo K860 is a keyboard with a relatively classic design. Its chassis is entirely designed from plastics, but it does not bring a good feeling of robustness and a fairly good rigidity since an internal metal plate traverses the keyboard.
Despite everything, if the keyboard is rigid when it is positioned “flat,” this is not quite the case when it is raised using the adjustable feet located below the wrist rest. . The force exerted by the wrists, as well as when typing, causes the keyboard to move slightly. However, this is not a major defect, and the stability remains there thanks to the non-slip pads distributed under the keyboard and each of the adjustable feet.
Speaking of its feet, the Ergo K860 allows us two negative tilts, in addition to the standard 0 ° position. It is thus possible to raise the wrist rest to an angle of – 4 ° or – 7 °. The resulting posture is unusual but much more comfortable than a classic position.
To finish with its design, note that despite the thinness of its chassis, this full-size keyboard is quite imposing on the desk with its 23 cm in width and almost 46 cm in length. It frees up a small space under the keyboard once its feet are unfolded, a space that we will not necessarily use but which is sufficient to slip a smartphone.
Finally, unlike the fabric appearance seen in the photos, the wrist rest offers a plastic feeling, with a soft, smooth, and pleasant touch. Logitech says the wrist rest is made up of three layers: a 0.5mm thick “knit fabric” cover, a “support layer” with 2mm thick high-density foam, and a last “comfort layer” with 4mm memory foam.
Software
HyperX has developed an software that can only find on the Microsoft Store. It seems that HyperX does not seem in a hurry to make its keyboard compatible with macOS and Linux. We can then better understand the presence of the keys in the upper left corner. We have already mentioned the gaming key. Also, note the presence of a key to activate/deactivate the backlighting or to adjust its brightness (4 levels) and a key to modify its color. Options present in the application which is organized around two tabs: lighting management and button configuration. In the first case, we play on the light effects and the colors, knowing that everything can be done touch by touch.
More “functional,” the second tab allows assigning any command (keyboard, mouse, multimedia, Windows shortcuts) to any key on the keyboard. Of course, it also offers macros, and we appreciate here that it is possible to save the changes made to 3 different profiles stored in the keyboard memory. It can then be recalled without needing to install the software. NGENUITY also makes it possible to check the version of the firmware present on the keyboard and update it if necessary. Finally, it is good to remember that the app is still only in beta. Maybe the final will bring other options?
The advantage of the Ergo K860 is ultimately to be a Logitech keyboard like any other. It does not ignore the functions that we are used to finding other products from the manufacturer. We think for example of the standard function keys, switchable with multimedia keys, the presence of commands relating to macOS such as Windows, or even Easy-Switch, a clearly useful function that allows the keyboard to be paired with three devices simultaneously to switch from one to the other in a fraction of a second.
In our opinion, the lack of backlighting is a real weak point at this price. However, this allows you to enjoy a monstrous autonomy, announced for up to two years with the two AAA batteries provided. Wireless connectivity, via the Unifying dongle or Bluetooth, is no problem and allows you to forget the constraint of the cable.
Finally, Logitech Options is a utility that does little but does it well. It contains the functionalities already detailed above, but it is also possible to deactivate certain keys or program the function keys and give them a different utility depending on the applications used.
Conclusion!
Solid construction and quality make the Alloy Elite 2 an efficient keyboard that is pleasant to use thanks to its very good contactors. HyperX fishes have some absences (palm rest, dedicated gaming keys) and significant noise pollution. However, the trickiest part is its price, which is high for a wired model.
The Ergo K860 holds great promise for which the keyboard is the main working tool. The manufacturer avoids taking risks but offers an easy keyboard to use once bad habits have been ruled out. After that, it is an excellent ergonomic keyboard that does not break with productivity and only sins by a few absences and a higher than average price.
