As a writer, gamer, photographer, and streamer, I spend a lot of time at my desk, with keyboard and mouse in hand. So having good quality gear makes everything I do more enjoyable and more efficient. HyperX sent me over a few things to make sure I am perfectly set up and ready to go, no matter what I'm doing at my desk.

I started my writing adventure on a MacBook Pro back in 2011, so when I built my first desktop a few years ago and bought a flimsy, generic $20 Windows keyboard, I felt like I couldn't type as efficiently, which made both gaming and work less enjoyable. So I immediately switched back to an Apple keyboard, and I even wrote some random code to get it to work on my Windows desktop properly. But, despite the code, there were limitations, and to put it plainly, no matter how used to the keyboard I was, it's not really meant for gaming. 

Enter the HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. I won't lie, it took a while to get used to, especially the keyboard shortcuts since certain keys are in different spots and the general layout and feel are so different. But it's also not just some flimsy $20 keyboard either. And I knew instantly that it was something I'd be happy using in the long run once I took the time to get used to it.

I took a typing speed test immediately upon plugging it in for the first time. I noticed about a 15% decrease in speed, but a few days later I was almost back to my norm, and I am feeling myself get more and more comfortable with the weight and bounce of the keys, along with their position on the board itself. Gone are the flat and short keys, with minimal response, the vibrant, tactic keys have arrived. Furthermore, this gives me access to all the rest of the standard keys, as well as a full number pad.

The mouse and mouse pad are a nice upgrade as well, replacing what I've been using for the last few years. No more shriveled and frayed cords, I've got a mouse and pad to match my shiny new keyboard. Instead of the regular cloth type pad that I'm used to, the HyperX FURY Ultra mouse pad is a sort of harder substance that provides a perfectly smooth surface that just feels right. The different shape and weight of the mouse was much easier to get used to than the keyboard, and I found that it fit in my hand better.

The HyperX Pulsefire Surge has a customizable DPI with multiple settings and two side buttons to help navigate the web and/or Summoner's Rift or whatever your game of choice is. They've got a bunch of mice, but I went with their best since I make a lot of small, specific mouse movements, and I feel like anything else would just make me anxious. It's been just a few days, but I love it all so far, plus it matches the keyboard and makes playing games in the dark really fun.

Lastly, I got the HyperX Cloud Flight wireless gaming headphones to finish off my upgrades. I was using some relatively expensive ones already, but they were falling apart a bit, and I had them all taped up. Plus, they were wired only, and the cord I had was only about two feet, meaning I couldn't even lean back in my chair with them on. I was really skeptical before receiving them because previous "gaming headsets" I've tried out seemed to have low sound quality.  I was immediately impressed with these though. 

They have incredible bass quality and volume. They feel full, not thin and airy like many others. I did my favorite SoundCloud vs YouTube test, where I measure the quality difference due to the YouTube compression, and it seemed really noticeable - which is a great sign. But my favorite part was the detachable mic and ability to move all around my house while staying connected. Bathroom breaks and late-night snacks are now all accompanied by whatever music or podcast I have on; no more need to pause and switch to my phone or go silent through the house. 

My setup went from battered and boring to flashy and sleek thanks to a few new HyperX goodies. Overall, my favorite upgrade is the headphones, because the quality is just amazing, and being completely unrestricted in my movement is so freeing. But I think over time as I get more used to the keyboard, that may become my eventual favorite piece.

HyperX sent me these upgrades as an Inven Global partner so I could better enjoy my work and play. Check out their whole collection on their store here. And let us know if you have any favorites yourself.

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