Patriot has been producing enthusiast-grade memory for decades, and the company has naturally become pretty good at it. Over the years, Patriot’s shown a knack for making other high-end PC hardware, too, as its fleet of enthusiast gear has steadily grown. Now, with the Viper Gaming trio, gamers have even more firepower at their fingertips, particularly with the Viper V760 mechanical keyboard.
With so many mechanical keyboards on the market, you could say that the Viper V760 is rather late to the party, but this keyboard certainly knows how to make an entrance. The keyboard’s LED lighting is among the best we’ve ever experienced. In addition to per-key customizable backlighting, the Viper V760 has an astounding 11 available lighting modes. Many of the modes are further adjustable, as well (such as changing the speed of the effect). If you’re an enthusiast who likes pretty, eye-catching hardware, the Viper V760 looks mighty tough to upstage.
Naturally, though, there’s more to the V760 than simple good looks. From ESC to the numpad’s ENTER key, the V760 uses Kailh Brown mechanical keyswitches. For the uninitiated, Brown mechanical switches are both tactile and non-clicky, meaning they provide a slight “bump” but no audible report, respectively, when the switch actuates. This combination makes them a good “compromise candidate,” if you will, providing a solid typing/gaming experience without assaulting your co-workers’ or clanmates’ ears. Personally, I thought the V760’s switches felt great in use, but that comes with the standard mechanical switch disclaimer: The set of fingers I used to test the V760 is the only set I’ve ever used and will ever use. You may prefer Blue or Black mechanical switches, and that’s OK. Just know that if Brown switches are your jam the Viper V760 is quite good.
Elsewhere, the fit and finish of the V760 give the impression that Patriot has been producing gaming peripherals for years; for a first effort, this keyboard is extremely impressive. Take the V760’s wrist rest (an afterthought with a lot of keyboards), for example. The surface is essentially the same soft-touch rubberized coating you’ll find on many PC cases, which gives it a touch of class, but that’s not even the best part. The wrist rest magnetically attaches to the keyboard, a substantial improvement over the cheap plastic-on-plastic connections (that always feel like they’re an awkward twist away from breaking) most keyboards use. I liked the V760’s aluminum chassis, too. In addition to giving the keyboard a refined look, the aluminum does a nice job reflecting the V760’s LED lighting.
The Viper V760’s customization software provides an extensive number of options and is easy to use, but it’s not without a few quirks. When I used the software to update the V760’s firmware, it rendered much of the keyboard useless. Fortunately, I was able to reset the keyboard to factory state, and Patriot tells me a fix is in the works. In the meantime, the best way to restore the Viper V760 to full functionality is to press and hold the Viper (Function) key and Pause/Break key together for 10 seconds.
Software snags aside, the Viper V760 is a terrific mechanical keyboard that doesn’t have a stratospheric price tag. Put it in your arsenal and take down the competition.
Specs
Switch type: Kailh Brown mechanical; 50 million keystroke life span; Interface: USB; Per-key RGB backlighting (11 lighting modes); 14 light control keys; 104-key rollover; Macros: Yes (5 profiles); USB pass-through port; Game mode; Warranty: 2-year limited