Patriot Viper V770 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

With the Patriot Viper V770, we have a mechanical gaming keyboard from Patriot in the test today; which not only wants to score with good handling but also with a chic design and a very good range of functions. The Patriot Viper V770 comes with mechanical Kailh switches, a robust aluminium housing and colourful RGB lighting. In the test, we take a very close look at all the functions of the very well-equipped gaming keyboard. In this review, you can find out which details are in the Patriot Viper V770 and how the mechanical gaming keyboard from Patriot fared in our test.

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Patriot is actually known for its RAM and USB sticks, but now the manufacturer is jumping on the gaming bandwagon and wants to make a name for itself in this market as well. This is why the memory manufacturer not only includes gaming mice and headsets in its range, but also gaming keyboards.

Technical Details

• Type: Mechanical gaming keyboard
• Switches: Kailh Red Lifespan
  : 80 million keystrokes
  Pressure point: 50 g
  Keystroke: 2 mm
  Keystroke: 4 mm
• Material: plastic/aluminium (from aircraft construction)
• Lighting: RGB
• Layout: 105 mechanical keys + 16 additional keys (five of which are mechanical)
• 109 key rollover anti-ghosting
• Profiles: 5
• Wrist rest: Removable (illuminated)
• Weight: keyboard 2.043 kg
• Dimensions: 49.5 x 22.9 x 3.9 cm (with palm rest)
• Cable: USB cable approx. 1.8 m (fabric sleeving)
• Additional connections: audio and USB (looped through)

Unboxing

The V770 is supplied by Patriot in a black/red designed packaging; which is printed on the front with the model name and a large product image as well as several feature images.

On the back of the packaging, in addition to other product images; the most important functions and the built-in switches are explained.

If you take the V770 out of its packaging, you have a mechanical keyboard in front of you; which you can see at first glance that it was not developed for use in the office, but specifically for gamers.

Scope of Delivery:

• Viper V770 Gaming Keyboard
• Palm Rest
• Keycap Remover
• Sticker
• Jack Adapter
• Manual

Design

Compared to many other current gaming keyboards, which have a frameless and mostly monochrome structure; the housing used by Patriot is quite wide. Patriot has given the V770 a case made of a mixture of black plastic and high-quality aluminium. The aluminium used has the same quality as the aluminium used in aircraft construction and was anodized in a gunmetal grey for a better look and a pleasant contrast to the plastic elements used. If you look at the keyboard housing from one of the two outer sides; you will quickly notice that Patriot has given the V770 a slightly raised frame; but this has been pulled up a little away from the inserted keys, which makes the V770 so easy to clean, like a keyboard; which has a completely frameless structure.

If you take a closer look at the two outer sides, you can see a slightly transparent plastic strip on the left as well as on the right outer side; which is slightly recessed into the case.

Where Patriot has also equipped the V770 with a looped audio connection on the right; a looped USB connection was installed on the left.

If you look at the front edge of the keyboard housing you can see five small gold contacts in the middle. These are not used to fix the wrist rest supplied, but for power supply and control of the lighting integrated with the wrist rest.

Patriot has provided the palm rest with a black soft-touch surface; which has been provided with a small recess in the upper area along the entire length; whereby the slightly transparent plastic element built behind becomes visible.

On the right edge area, in addition to the recessed line, the Viper logo from Patroit’s gaming series was also cut out of the soft-touch surface, which can thus also be illuminated.

In order to adapt the design of the palm rest to the design of the keyboard, the palm rest was not provided with any aluminium elements on the left and right.

The palm rest is equipped with six rubber feet on the underside. There are small magnets on the back for fixation, with which it can be attached to the keyboard in no time at all.

In order to ensure the power connection and the control of the integrated RGB LEDs, the palm rest was also equipped with five gold-plated pins on the back.

With a look at the built-in keys, you will quickly see that Patriot has built-in a number of additional keys in addition to the usual 105 keys.

Where on most mechanical keyboards only the normal keys come with mechanical switches, Patriot has also given the V770 five macro keys on the side, which also come with mechanical switches. The switches installed are not the widespread CHERRY MX switches, but switches from Kailh. Patriot also relies on RED switches, which should be in no way inferior to the RED CHERRY MX switches, because these have an identical structure to the RED CHERRY MX switches. Since the built-in switches are the version with integrated RGB lighting, the switches used do not have a black plastic housing, but a transparent plastic housing.

Thanks to the transparent structure, the lighting can be brought out even better, as not only a small area on the top of the built-in switch is illuminated, but the entire housing, which means that the lighting is more extensive. Lighting is not as extensive as that of a keyboard, where the LED is positioned exactly in the middle of the built-in switches.

The lighting built into the keys can also be combined with the side lighting elements as well as the illuminated palm rest on request. The lighting can either be controlled using key combinations or using the software provided. In addition to predefined lighting effects, you can also program and save your own lighting effects in the software available for download.

When it comes to keycaps, Patriot relies on high keycaps, as you know from most gaming keyboards. This not only guarantees a quick familiarization, but there is also the possibility of placing optional rubber dampers under the keycaps, which can reduce the noise level of the not exactly quiet switches. In order to be able to carry out such an upgrade more easily, a suitable KeyCap remover is included with the keyboard.

In addition to the five dedicated macro keys, the Viper V770 has eight function keys in the upper area on the left and four control elements for the multimedia area on the right. Where the volume is controlled via a rotary wheel, small toggle switches have been installed for the legal audio settings, which automatically return to the starting position after being pressed.

In addition to the individual controls for audio control, small lighting elements have also been integrated so that these controls can also be easily found in a dark environment. Unfortunately, only white LEDs were installed at this point.

If you take a look at the underside of the keyboard, you will find a plastic housing with three rubber feet each in the front and rear.

To improve ergonomics, two fold-out feet were installed in the rear area of the keyboard, which was also provided with a rubberized underside.

With a look at the back of the housing, not only can you see the sleeved connection cable, but if you take a closer look at the plastic housing, you can also see a small compartment.

This is a pull-out tablet or smartphone stand.

The connection cable used by Patriot is, in contrast to the connection cables of many other keyboards, much thicker due to the looped connections and is divided into four individual connections shortly before the end.

In addition to two USB ports, there are also two jack connections, which can be used to route the microphone signal and the audio output to the keyboard.

In the event that the keyboard is used on a notebook that has a four-pin audio connection; a corresponding jack adapter is included in the scope of delivery. This can of course also be connected directly to the keyboard; which means that a headset with separate audio connections can be connected to the four-pin jack connector installed there.

The workmanship of the Viper V770 gaming keyboard was carried out by Patriot to a very high standard and there is no reason for criticism.

Software Installation

The Viper V770 was recognized by our Windows 10 test system via plug and play. A driver or software installation is not necessary for use. However, if you want to use the full range of functions, you have to download the software provided by Patriot for download.

Once you have downloaded and installed the software, you have tidy and neatly structured software in front of you. On the left side, you will find all the setting options for the integrated RGB lighting. The lighting of the keyboard and the palm rest can be set separately from one another.

In addition to the setting options, there is an animated product image of the keyboard; by means of which you can immediately see how the currently selected lighting effect will look after confirmation on the keyboard. In order to be able to save or select macros or profiles; there are two buttons below the lighting settings.

Macros can be stored not only on the dedicated macro keys but also on almost all other keys. Only the FN key and the upper additional keys cannot be freely assigned. In order to be able to assign any function to the desired key; you only have to click the desired key on the animated keyboard and a corresponding overlay will open. At this point; it is not only possible to reassign keys so that; for example, but the W, A, S and D keys are also swapped with the arrow keys.

the macros created can also be placed on the individual keys. It is also possible to use predefined key commands. or perform actions; such as playing an audio file or starting a program with a simple keystroke.

Handling

Mechanical keyboards have a decisive advantage over conventional keyboards. With normal keyboards, a signal is only sent to the PC via the pressed key; when the key is fully pressed. Due to the design-related structure, these keys are also a little harder to press than keys on a mechanical keyboard. In this, switches are built for each button; which transmits the signals much earlier. This saves time and effort when typing or playing.

As already briefly mentioned, Patriot installed RED Kaihl switches in the Viper V770 we used for this test; which comes with RGB lighting. The built-in Kaihl switches should be in no way inferior to the Cherry MX RED switches; and thus belong to the all-rounders among the mechanical switches. As soon as the button is triggered, the user receives clear feedback. The release path is approx. 2 millimetres. The effort required to get over the actuation point is just under 5 g compared to the CHERRY MX RED Switches at 50 g.

The built-in switches, in combination with the high keycaps that Patriot uses in the V770; offer to handle that many gamers will get used to very quickly. Due to its high weight in combination with the generously dimensioned rubber feet; the Viper V770 lies comfortably and securely on the desk and is therefore very difficult to move even in a hectic gaming session. The included palm rest, which can be attached to the keyboard using the integrated magnets; also improves handling.

The range of functions can be expanded not only by the dedicated macro keys and the dedicated function keys; but also by means of a combination of the built-in FN key and the software provided; which allows a macro function on all conventional keys. Thanks to the integrated anti-ghosting function and 109-Key roll over; you can press all keys at the same time except for the function keys; at the top and the FN key, without swallowing your input.

Conclusion

With the Viper V770, Patriot has a mechanical gaming keyboard in its range; which not only scored points in our test with very good handling but also with particularly good features. The V770 achieves the very good handling primarily through; the removable palm rest in combination with the very good rubber feet; which also ensure a very good grip. The RED Kaihl switches used, which are designed for up to 50 million keystrokes; not only ensure fast but also precise keystrokes.

According to the motto, Patriot does not mess with the equipment on offer, it goes ahead. In addition to freely adjustable RGB lighting; which not only extends over the individual keys but also over the sides and the palm rest; The keyboard also came with a macro function; as well as dedicated macro keys and additional keys, especially for gamers. Even if the soft-touch surface of the wrist-rest is somewhat prone to fingerprints due to its nature; the workmanship was consistently very clean and of high quality. With a price of currently Almost 160 € * the Viper V770 is not one of the cheapest models on the market; but it offers excellent equipment and very good handling.

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