New Mechanical Keyboard

I finally bought a new mechnical keyboard. Previously, I was using the Logitech G710+ which is a full-size keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches. It's big, but comfortable. The media keys and volume rocker are especially convenient. The thick chunky cable is especially inconvenient.

At my previous workplace, I used a Razer Black Widow Tournament Edition which was a tenkeyless (TKL) with Razer Green switches, similar to Cherry MX Blue. Overall, I much preferred the clicky-ness of the Razer Greens over the Cherry Browns and I've been unsatisfied with it ever since. I would've bought a Razer Green keyboard if they weren't so expensive and prone to issues. The one in my workplace used to randomly shoot out its Left CTRL key...

I tried the Das Keyboard which was nice, but I prefer a TKL layout which they only manufacture with Cherry Browns. Filco was also on my list, but they they're a bit old so I was risking spending a lot of money for something that might get a new model soon (even their website is straight out of Flash-era).

This sort of whac-a-mole went on for months. I even went down the rabbit hole of customisable do-it-yourself keyboards with hot-swapping switch slots. I blame YouTube's algorithms for that. Luckily, most of the choices aren't available in the UK so I dodged a bullet. At the same time, it kind of sucks how far behind the UK is.

Anyways, this week one of the keyboards I was eyeing on dropped in price: the HyperX Alloy FPS Pro. TKL and Cherry Blue. ~60 GBP. The board is pretty much edge-to-edge just the keys, no bezels, solid steel with no flex. No spacebar rattle. Perfect. Yet, whereever I look, it doesn't get much recommendations. Maybe I'm missing something, but I've got it now I and I'm happy. So much more desk space, and when I'm typing, it feels like a machine gun.

Cons? The red lights are garish, but I switch off backlighting anyway. The red-striped Mini USB cable isn't great either, but it's not a big deal. Neither is the logo on the spacebar. US layout only? I can get used to it.

In terms of personal issues, I have noticed some wrist pain but a wrist rest should sort that out. My key misses due to the US layout should fix itself over time. I'll probably use acronyms for currencies more often now with the GBP symbol key. I can't use my right thumb to hit Enter quickly without the numpad (the only time I ever use one).

Lastly, probably my biggest issue: the actuation force is really high. I don't recall needing so much force when I was using other Cherry Blues, but it has its pros and cons. I'm now hardly ever bottoming out the keys so I'm typing a lot faster. But if I'm pressing more keys which require more force, my fingers get tired even faster. The cold weather doesn't help.

All of these personal issues I feel will lessen over time as I get used to it. Like with most niche computer accessories, the keyboard is "gaming" branded, but it definitely is not for gaming. Overall, I'm very happy with it. After typing this post, my fingers say otherwise.

Thanks for reading.