Alienware AW510K Low-Profile mechanical gaming keyboard reassessment
Alienware is taking a stab at the low-profile mechanical gaming keyboard. Potentially a best-of-both-worlds option for hardcore PC players, such keyboards blend the technical benefits of mechanical switches with the quick actuation and familiar, laptop-esque typing feel of low-travel keys. Alienware's $159.99 AW510K brings the style and polish you'd expect of the longtime gaming brand (and its parent company, Dell). Thin and sleek with useful features like USB pass-through and a volume roller, the AW510K looks nice and delivers a solid typing experience. Unfortunately, it also carries a little bit of Alienware's baggage—namely, a penchant for high prices and obtuse software.
The AW510K is a surprisingly conventional full-size keyboard. It has 105 keys, including shared media controls on the F9 through F12 keys, though it does have a dedicated mute button and a plastic volume roller. At 1.13 by 18.4 by 6.1 inches, it's a little deep, but not in a way that would impact your typing. As mentioned, it has USB pass-through, a useful feature that I'd frankly expect from any keyboard that costs more than $150.
The AW510K's chief attraction, however, is its low-profile cherry MX loss mechanical switch. The key have a very sparkle contact and are agile to depress. With 1.2mm of travel to actuation and 3.2mm to a entire press—versus 2mm and 4mm, respectively, for standard cherry MX Reds—the actual difference in distance between the two blueprint isn't all that bombastic. even so, if you've use mechanical keyboards before, the key may spirit as if they're discontinue inadequatestop.
That state, after quiz a few low-profile mechanical keyboards, one've arrive to choose low-profile cherry MX red substitution to the master. Unlike criterion cherry MX crimsons (or most other criterion linear switch), the Alienware's key don't have that shaky "hair trigger" palpate, where a key fully dewardrobe at the small contact. Both samara ask 45cN to actuate, so the shallow locomotion look to run to a more comfortable, balance crusade.
Despite this, it does feel as if there should be, well, some more going on here, given the price point. Like Razer, Alienware puts a premium on its brand and its deliberate, mildly avant-garde aesthetic. Given the brand, I’d also call it spacey, but most gaming keyboards have some semblance of that, too. The AW510K does have a look, though: The white keys and white plastic top plate are underlined by a thin black line at the bottom. (You can opt for a dark gray version if you prefer.) The sides are mildly angled, to the point where it almost looks as if they're curved.
The RGB ignition play an outsized function in establish the spirit. The per-key ignite is very undimmed and, on the White mannequin at least, bounce off the acme plate so the hale keyboard seem to assume on the color of the light. If you wish RGB ignition, few keyboards search more "igniteerature up" than this one.
The AW510K relies on Alienware's general configuration app, Alienware command center, for remapping key, make macros, and change the RGB ignition. inch these basic function, command center is competent, but its feature bent is express in some minor way. For exemplar, you can produce as many profile as you like, but can only attach each matchless to a single game or app.
And though it looks polished, Command Center can be confounding to navigate.
t all of the sections are clearly marked, nor do the buttons create a clear path to reach various controls. In some cases, buttons appear, but work only in certain circumstances. For instance, the AW510K can store up to five profiles in onboard memory. You cannot upload a profile until after you've created and saved it, and only then when you put the profile in editing mode.
It's ultimately a minor hindrance, and you can teach what to do, but most configuration utility have less of a learn swerve.
The AW510K offers a very good typing experience, but that feels like the bare minimum for an elite $159.99 keyboard. From the wireless low-profile Logitech G915 to the Corsair K95 Platinum XT, it's fair to say that you should expect all the bells and whistles—macro keys, dedicated media controls, and so on—and something that uniquely stands apart from the rest. I enjoy how it feels to type on (and play with) the AW510K, and I probably would consider it a top choice if it were competing with midrange-price options like the Razer Huntsman TE or the cooler overlord SK600 serial
(which also uses low-profile Cherry MX switches). As it stands, though, this Alienware model can't quite keep up with other elite-level keyboards in its price range. Alienware AW510K Low-Profile mechanical Gaming Keyboard
3.0 See It $125.99 at Dell MSRP $159.99 Pros
USB pass-through
con
Overpriced
The bottom line
Alienware's flagship AW510K keyboard brand a hearty sheath for passing moo profile, but it doesn't offer enough to justify its top-of-the-line price.