The HyperX Alloy Rise is a wired full-size gaming keyboard that continues HyperX's Alloy lineup. It uses linear HyperX Red mechanical switches, and it's HyperX's first keyboard with a hot-swappable PCB. It's also their first keyboard with an 8000Hz polling rate, although, we discovered during testing that it isn't able to fully take advantage of this as it's bottlenecked by a significantly lower update rate (see the Data Transmission section for details). Other notable features include dedicated media keys, a volume knob, and per-key addressable RGB that you can customize, along with other settings using the configuration software.
Our Verdict
The HyperX Alloy Rise is an impressive gaming keyboard. Although, it only has decent build quality, with considerable deck flex, an easily frayed cable, and several stripped screws on the unit we bought and tested. On the bright side, it has impressive overall latency performance and per-key addressable RGB lighting with clear shine-through legends. Unfortunately, the keyboard is bottlenecked by a significantly lower update rate and isn't able to take advantage of its 8000Hz polling rate. While this doesn't greatly impact its suitability for gaming at a casual or even a competitive level, its input latency is slightly higher and much less stable than other non-bottlenecked gaming keyboards with 8k polling.
- Impressive overall latency performance, suitable for casual or competitive gaming
- Per-key addressable RGB lighting and legible shine-through legends.
- Several minor build quality issues.
- Doesn't benefit from its 8000Hz polling rate; bottlenecked by low effective update rate.
The HyperX Alloy Rise is adequate for office use. However, it only has decent overall build quality, with noticeable deck flex and an easily frayed cable. Besides these shortcomings, it offers an impressive, premium-feeling typing experience with a soft gasket mount design and pre-lubed switches and stabilizers. Just note that the switches are intended for gaming and have very short pre-travel, which likely feels too sensitive for most typists.
- Impressive typing quality with soft and slightly springy gasket mounting.
- Several minor build quality issues.
- Wired-only.
This is a wired-only keyboard that isn't suitable for use with tablets or mobile devices.
The HyperX Alloy Rise is satisfactory for programming. Unfortunately, it lacks wireless connectivity, and its build quality is only decent with issues like significant deck flex and an easily frayed cable. Despite this, the typing experience is impressive overall, with a gasket mount design that adds a pleasant, slightly cushioned feel. This keyboard also has per-key addressable RGB lighting and shine-through keycaps. While it doesn't have dedicated macro keys, you can assign macros to any key using the configuration software.
- Per-key addressable RGB lighting and legible shine-through legends.
- Impressive typing quality with soft and slightly springy gasket mounting.
- Several minor build quality issues.
- Wired-only.
The HyperX Alloy Rise is poorly suited for most entertainment or home theater PC setups as it's a wired-only model, requiring you to sit close to your device to use it. Apart from this shortcoming, it has dedicated media keys and a volume knob. It also has RGB backlighting with shine-through keycaps, making keys easy to read in the dark.
- Per-key addressable RGB lighting and legible shine-through legends.
- Several minor build quality issues.
- Doesn't benefit from its 8000Hz polling rate; bottlenecked by low effective update rate.
- Wired-only.
The HyperX Alloy Rise delivers impressive overall latency performance, making it suitable for playing casual or competitive titles. However, its latency performance is also slightly higher than expected for a wired gaming keyboard and significantly more inconsistent for a keyboard polling at 8000Hz. This inconsistency is likely a product of the fact that while it supports a polling rate of 8000Hz, it can't take full take advantage of it— as it struggles to send update packets at a maximum effective update rate of 2000Hz.
- Impressive overall latency performance, suitable for casual or competitive gaming
- Doesn't benefit from its 8000Hz polling rate; bottlenecked by low effective update rate.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The HyperX Alloy Rise is only available in black color and with a HyperX Red linear switch option. There's also a smaller-size variant called the HyperX Alloy Rise 75. We expect our test results to apply to both size variants. You can see the label for our unit.
| Name | Size | Switches | Media Keys | Knob |
| HyperX Alloy Rise | Full-size (100%) | HyperX Red | Yes | Yes |
| HyperX Alloy Rise 75 | TKL (80%) | HyperX Red | No | Yes |
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The HyperX Alloy Rise introduces two new features to the Alloy lineup: a hot-swappable PCB and an 8000Hz polling rate. While the hot-swappable PCB is a great addition if you like to experiment with using different switches, its implementation of 8000Hz polling falls short. Unfortunately, its Effective Update Rate is significantly lower, struggling to hit a maximum of 2000Hz. The keyboard itself is bottlenecked and struggles to respond to polls from your computer anywhere as quickly as its polling rate of 8000Hz allows. While its raw performance is still impressive overall, it's also much less consistent than similar full-size gaming boards with 8k polling rates for typically around the same price, including the ASUS ROG Strix Flare II Animate or the Razer BlackWidow V4.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best keyboards, the best gaming keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
The Razer BlackWidow V4 and the HyperX Alloy Rise are full-size mechanical gaming keyboards that support a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz. The Razer delivers significantly lower and much more consistent latency performance, making it a better choice for competitive gaming. It also comes with a wristrest and has a row of dedicated macro keys. On the other hand, the HyperX offers a better overall typing experience with a softer gasket mount design. Unfortunately, its performance is significantly bottlenecked by a low effective update rate, making it unable to take full advantage of its 8000Hz polling rate.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro and the HyperX Alloy Rise are full-size mechanical gaming keyboards. The biggest difference between them is that the SteelSeries allows you to adjust the pre-travel and reset distance for individual switches, while the HyperX doesn't. The SteelSeries also offers better raw performance and has a programmable OLED screen and an included wrist rest. Taking a look at the HyperX now, it offers a better typing experience with a softer, slightly springy gasket mount design. It also offers significantly better hardware customizability with a hot-swappable PCB. Unfortunately, it underperforms, and while it supports a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz, it isn't able to take full advantage of it as it has a significantly lower effective actual update rate.
The Corsair K70 RGB TKL and the HyperX Alloy Rise are mechanical gaming keyboards that support a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz. However, both keyboards are bottlenecked with lower update rates and are unable to fully take advantage of their 8000Hz polling. In the case of the Corsair, the bottleneck is much less impactful, and it performs significantly better than the HyperX, which has much lower and more consistent latency performance. The HyperX, on the other hand, suffers from a more severe bottleneck. On the bright side, it offers more hardware customizability with a hot-swappable PCB and a slightly more enjoyable typing experience with a softer-feeling gasket mount design.
The ASUS ROG Strix Flare II Animate and the HyperX Alloy Rise are full-size mechanical gaming keyboards that support maximum polling rates of 8000Hz and have hot-swappable PCBs. The ASUS has better raw performance, with significantly lower and more consistent latency performance. It also has several extra features the HyperX lacks, including a programmable LED screen, a USB passthrough, and an included wrist rest. Comparatively, the HyperX's performance is lacking in no small part because its effective update rate acts as a significant bottleneck, so it can't take full advantage of its 8000Hz polling.
Test Results
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