Razer Viper 8K Gaming Mouse Overview

A gaming mouse can at all times be sooner. That’s actually been the philosophy behind the evolution of gaming mice over the previous 2-3 years. Whereas most corporations are busy shaving grams of plastic and parts off their mice to make them lighter, Razer has turned to a different ache level to improve its ambidextrous esports mouse, the Razer Viper: enter lag. The $79.99 Razer Viper 8K is the primary mouse we have encountered that gives an unprecedented 8000Hz polling charge, theoretically reducing the already insignificant quantity of enter lag in most mice right down to below a microsecond. Although it’s extra spectacular on paper than in apply, the Viper 8K’s tighter reporting is a significant improve to an already spectacular, albeit costly, esports mouse.

Hyper Viper

Earlier than diving deep into the Viper 8K’s namesake “hyperpolling” function, let’s check out the fundamentals. Apart from a handful of routine updates, the Viper 8K is just like the unique Razer Viper. It’s an eight-button, ambidextrous, wired mouse that includes two click on panels and a scroll wheel on prime, and two buttons on either side. This provides each righties and lefties a traditional five-button expertise. A button on the mouse’s underside allows you to select from 5 customizable DPI presets. The presets are color-coded, and there’s a small RGB indicator close to the button that will help you preserve observe of the settings.

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The Viper 8K’s dimension and form is not a lot completely different than the earlier Razer Viper. Measuring 1.49 by 2.59 by 4.94 inches (HWD), it’s similar to the unique Viper. Likewise, at 2.40 ounces, it’s the identical gentle weight. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste, a PCMag Editors’ Selection choose for esports mice, weighs simply 2.05 ounces. Most significantly, the chassis’ form stays intact. The Viper is one in every of just a few ambidextrous mice that gives first rate ergonomic assist. Although it doesn’t information your hand into a selected grip, the bottom’s excessive hump supplies sufficient elevate to let your hand drape over the mouse into a snug place.

Usually, the Viper 8K’s up to date options are all inside. It sports activities Razer’s newest high-end optical sensor, the Focus+ 20K, which may observe at as much as 20,000 DPI and stays correct at as much as 650 inches per second. That is as quick as any mouse can deal with. It additionally accommodates Razer’s latest optical mouse switches. For probably the most half, these upgrades quantity to a modest replace: They preserve the Viper 8K as much as spec with different Razer designs which have come out for the reason that line’s introduction. Razer’s “Hyperpolling” function, with its 8000Hz polling charge, is the Viper 8K’s star attraction. 

We don’t discuss a lot about polling when discussing the deserves of gaming mice. Polling charge, the measure of what number of occasions your mouse sends data again to your laptop, not often modifications. Most mice use a 1000Hz polling charge, which suggests they will ship directions to your laptop 1000 occasions per second. In principle, meaning the mouse’s mechanics introduce as much as 1 millisecond of lag, relying on the timing of your hand motion. The Razer Viper 8K turns up the polling charge to 8000Hz, theoretically capping the mouse’s enter lag at 0.125 microseconds.

There’s a motive you don’t see many corporations making mice that push the polling charge envelope. To all however probably the most pushed aggressive gamers who play fast-moving video games, 1000Hz is already an imperceivably low quantity of lag. Whether or not or not it’s a technical achievement, the next polling charge delivers small tangible upgrades. Within the final two years, I’ve examined a number of mice with 2000Hz polling and located no noticeable distinction in efficiency. Even with the Viper 8K’s gigantic leap to 8000Hz, Razer famous that avid gamers could not discover any distinction in how the mouse works. As an alternative, the smoother cursor motion and lowered likelihood of a misplaced enter ought to result in small gameplay enhancements.

Whereas I’m usually inclined to dismiss these sorts of “magic” options, the Viper 8K technical enhancements weren’t fully imperceptible. For instance, the cursor on Name of Responsibility: Black Ops Chilly Warfare’s menus moved and animated extra easily with the Viper 8K than with different mice. As well as, I aimed faster in multiplayer matches, significantly in simple quickdraw conditions.

Nonetheless, I didn’t discover that my mouse motion was tighter or smoother each single time in additional managed check circumstances, so the performance-enhancing energy of 8K polling will not be a medical, demonstrable truth. I can’t rule out a certain quantity of market-induced placebo impact, however the mouse felt prefer it did one thing in some circumstances. That’s greater than I can say of some other mouse with a polling charge above 1000Hz.

With larger efficiency comes larger calls for and downsides. Whereas the Viper 8K is suitable with any USB 2.0 PC like every wired mouse, you see its advantages most clearly and acutely on fashionable gaming PCs outfitted to run AAA PC video games at excessive refresh charges. In truth, Razer representatives strongly urged me to check the mouse on a PC with sure minimal specs, together with an Intel Core i5 8600K CPU (or an analogous AMD chip), Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, and a 144Hz monitor, to be able to make sure that the options have been as noticeable as potential.

Although the mouse reviews at 8000Hz it doesn’t matter what system you utilize, the next body charge refreshes the cursor’s place extra usually and takes higher benefit of the additional information factors. It’s the primary time that I’ve needed to take into account system efficiency when reviewing a mouse. Aggressive gamers usually take into account excessive body charges a excessive precedence, so they might not see this {hardware} requirement as an enormous ask.

Hyperpolling Synapse

You possibly can customise the Viper 8K utilizing Razer Synapse, Razer’s configuration app. The software program hasn’t acquired any main updates for the Viper 8K—simply extra polling charge choices. Synapse is evident, simple to navigate, and largely intuitive. It’s simple to remap buttons, create macros, arrange game-specific profiles, change DPI presets, or alter the colour of the mouse’s RGB-enabled brand.

The Viper 8K can retailer as much as 5 personalized mouse profiles in its onboard reminiscence, which is common for a high-end mouse. Although it isn’t assigned by default, you may add a button to cycle via your onboard profiles with out opening or putting in Synapse. You may also create extra profiles which might be regionally saved regionally in your system. In the event you connect your profiles to a Razer account, your profiles could be saved within the cloud and transferred to different PCs with Synapse put in. All in all, Synapse stays one of the vital sturdy customization instruments from any peripheral producer.

8K or the Freeway

Although the jury’s nonetheless out on how significant it’s for a mouse to deal with 8000Hz polling, the Razer Viper 8K means that there are nonetheless new horizons for mouse producers to pursue with reference to reporting charge and bettering participant efficiency. On condition that the Razer Viper 8K successfully replaces the unique Viper by taking up its $79.99 worth level, it’s a straightforward advice for aggressive gamers. Even in case you suppose excessive polling charges are shenanigans, the Viper 8K is a light-weight, well-shaped mouse. Nonetheless, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste nonetheless reigns as our most-recent Editors’ Selection choose for esports mice, because of its light-weight, terrific sensor, trendy design, and $49.99 worth.