Alienware is always one of the first companies that come to mind when I think of PC gaming. The brand (now a subsidiary of Dell) has always had the coolest PC cases such as the Area 51 Aurora. They’re still releasing some pretty impressive pre-built PCs, but the branded peripherals… aren’t all that exciting.
Alienware’s latest gaming peripheral is the Alienware AW420K. This is a wired mechanical gaming keyboard and the brand’s first tenkeyless (TKL) model. The AW420K comes with Cherry MX Red switches, double-shot PBT keycaps, and per-key RGB. That’s all.It retails for $149.99, which is pretty expensive for a keyboard with very little stimulation (or distinguish) Features.
Luckily, Alienware isn’t the only manufacturer of gaming PC peripherals, so there are plenty of other keyboards on our list of the best gaming keyboards.
Alienware AW420K Specifications
| switch | Cherry MX Red |
| lighting | per key |
| Onboard storage | 5 profiles |
| media key | yes |
| connectivity | USB Type C to Type A |
| cable | 6 feet, braid |
| additional port | none |
| key cap | Doubleshot PBT |
| software | command center |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 367.2×147×55.7mm |
| weight | 1.7 pounds |
| Manufacturer’s suggested retail price | $149.99 |
AW420K design
The Alienware AW420K is a tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboard that costs a lot but doesn’t have any standout features. It’s black, wired, and comes with doubleshot PBT keycaps. This is a great premium touch that guarantees a longer lifespan than ABS keycaps. The alphas on the keycaps look fine, but the function keys look like stickers. It’s not exactly high-end aesthetics.
Beneath the AW420K is a cable routing cutout that leads to the USB Type-C header and two flip-up feet. It would be nice if the switch plate was metal and spanned the entire top of the case, but it doesn’t.
Like 99% of gaming keyboards on the market, this board features per-key RGB and is configurable using Alienware’s Command Center peripheral software.
Gaming keyboards aren’t necessarily designed with your typing experience in mind, but that doesn’t mean your typing experience should be terrible. Many gaming companies such as Razer, Asus ROG, Cooler Master, Corsair, etc. have realized that typing experience is an important factor, and have added features such as case foam and hot-swap PCB to provide a better experience for users. offers.
But not Alienware.
The AW420K is not only uninspired design-wise, it has a tingly sound and a ticking stabilizer. Keycaps are a nice touch, but many keyboards (or…anywhere) get basic double-shot PBT keycaps.
Loaded with the latest additions to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Game mode: DMZ. Unlock the M13 assault rifle (and I did!) and test the AW420K’s gaming capabilities. I’m not wearing a headset while gaming. This meant that I could hear the ticking sound from the spacebar all the time. It was too loud and consistent to ignore. However, this is a personal matter. Other gamers may not notice it, especially if they are wearing headsets while gaming.
I also played games scum soon. scum is an online zombie survival game similar to PlayerUnknown’s Battlefield That means you have to create your own shelter and not starve. We were put off by the amount of stabilizer clatter and case noise on the AW420K, but the Cherry MX Red switches are light enough (45g actuation force) that you won’t feel tired after hours of chopping. did not. New York is pretty dark these days, so the Shine Thru keycaps helped in-game as well.
AW420K software
The software that supports the AW420K is Alienware’s Command Center, which you can conveniently use to control all your Alienware peripherals. Command Center lets you do everything from customizing per-key RGB lighting on your keyboard to recording and assigning macros. The keyboard has onboard memory, but only enough space to store 5 onboard profiles — whereas the Corsair K70 RGB TKL can store up to 50 profiles and retails for the same (and probably You can find it cheaper, it’s been on sale for over a year).
I don’t believe in high polling rates, so I’ve never complained about keyboard software support, but I think a lot of hardcore gamers do, and the AW420K and Alienware’s Command Center don’t offer them. Hmm.
Conclusion
Whether you love Alienware or not, there’s no denying that Alienware has long been a cornerstone of PC gaming. Some of the peripherals, like the monitor (check out the 5-star Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED gaming monitor for example), but this keyboard falls flat. .
Alienware AW420K is $100 too expensive. It also doesn’t compare to other similarly priced keyboards, such as the full-sized Corsair K70 RGB Pro. It’s also not as impressive as his other TKL gaming keyboards. As the more expensive but far more impressive SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL. I hate to say it, but overall I was very disappointed with how uninspiring the AW420K turned out to be.
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