Are you looking for an expert grade mechanical keyboard with all the bells and whistles? Viper Gaming is here to help with the V770 with Kailh Red linear switches, aluminum chassis, illuminated magnetic detachable palm rest, vibrant RGB and dedicated on-device controls. Coming in with an MSRP of $139.99, is this the gaming-grade keyboard you’ve been waiting for or a basic keyboard in disguise? This is our review of the Viper Gaming V770 RGB Mechanical Keyboard.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Current Price: $129.99
- 100% mechanical Kailh Red switches
- LED illuminated and removable magnetic palm rest
- Full-spectrum RGB backlit keys, individually customizable with 16.8 million colors
- 108 programmable macro keys
- 5 dedicated macro keys
- Aircraft-grade aluminum chassis
- USB pass-through port
- Audio pass-through port
- Dedicated multimedia control keys
- Dedicated volume and mute wheel
- Dedicated light effect control keys
- Game mode
- N-key rollover anti-ghosting
- 5 Profile control key
- 10 level LED reaction management
- Multi-level LED-backlit dimming
- Dimensions
- Width: 495 mm
- Depth: 229 mm
- Height: 38 mm
- Weight: 2043g
- Cable Length: 1.8m
Build Quality and Construction
The computer keyboard comes in all shapes and sizes, some in new form factors that will make you scratch your head in bewilderment. For me, the most important thing is quality. Don’t get me wrong, features are also a great selling point. Many keyboards offer loads of features and functions but fail at providing a chassis that is rigid and very well constructed. Viper Gaming’s V770 Mechanical Keyboard offers just that. The chassis is made from aircraft grade aluminum. There is very little flex in the keyboard during long gaming sessions.
Typically, I am a fan of tactile switches, nothing beats the feeling of the click while typing. Featuring Kailh red mechanical switches with a 50-gram activation, I can say I fully enjoyed them. The V770 is an expert level keyboard, of course, I would come to expect nothing less from a company with a long history like Viper. Normal daily activities from answering emails to chatting with friends did yield some improvement as well. Multimedia keys are a feature that seems great and some cannot live without, I find though they are nice to have but are often left underdeveloped and do not have the same quality as the primary switches.
The media keys on the V770 opted to go with something a bit different. They are rocker switches with actions going in both directions. I found this intuitive to use and kept unnecessary keystrokes down. The volume roller was by far the most useful for me as I fully enjoy being able to adjust my music during gameplay. Most cases volume wheels tend to fail quickly and stop working altogether while so far, the volume roller has never skipped a beat.
The Illuminated palm rest does its job in providing support for the palm. During several hours of gameplay, it has reduced a significant amount of stress that would normally be present. The LEDs are powered by 4 connection pins that self-adjust to maintain the connection. However, I have noticed that slight bumps to the chassis will cause a disconnect with the LED’s on the palm rest. After a fair bit of use, I have noticed the palm rest is susceptible to fingerprints and smudges.
Functionality
Feature-rich keyboards are a dime a dozen, but it’s execution that matters the most. Viper does a great job delivering its gaming features and their focus shows. The V770 offers built-in RGB Lighting with dedicated effect controls right on the keyboard. This allows you to cycle through the different effects such as waves, breathing. Additionally, you can press different combinations of these keys to modify the direction and color of the effects. One noteworthy addition was the magnetic palm rest that also included LEDs into it. Unlike the rest of the keyboard, this is not controllable using the dedicated buttons and must be changed via the viper software.
Macros were fairly simple to set up using both On-the-fly keyboard programming or the viper software. The placement of the 5 dedicated macro keys on the left-side of the keyset is familiar and was easy to use. Another near feature is the built-in I/O with the additional USB port and 3.5mm headphone and mic connections. Keep in mind if you have limited USB ports on your motherboard using the hub does require connecting a second header on the back of your PC. Viper includes a 3.5mm Y-splitter and a keycap remover as well.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Viper V770 Mechanical Keyboard was a pleasure to use and has made its way to my desk as my new daily driver — no easy achievement. The silent and smooth switches allowed me to type fast while still being able to control my every move on the battlefield. The RGB lighting is exceptionally bright with many eye-catching effects. Whether you are looking to replace a broken board or looking to take your setup to the next level, the V770 has your bases covered.
