Rapoo got in touch, they’re a brand we’ve not heard of before but they offered to send over their V700 mechanical keyboard and VT900 mouse, so let’s check them out. 

Let’s kick things off with the keyboard. It’s the V700RGB Alloy mechanical keyboard and retails about $90 at the time of writing this. Spec-wise, it’s a mechanical keyboard and comes with different switch options. We’ve got black, blue, brown, red, IR and Dwarf. You can see the difference below and the model we got had blue switches. They’re not Cherry switches, but the characteristics are similar and the corresponding colour schemes are the same, therefore keycaps designed for cherry MX stems are also compatible with these. 108 programmable keys in total, all fully adjustable RGB below each key, with onboard memory and software for customisation.  

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Out of the box, the keyboard looks and feels like it should demand a higher price tag. Premium feel and build quality, sturdy design with zero flex. The board comes with a thick 1.8m USB A cable and two rubber feet that you can fold out to angle it. The branding is subtle and the chrome trim all the way around the board really adds to that premium feel. 

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The keycaps are raised, you can see the switches beneath them and there is about 4mm of travel and 2mm actuation on each key. The RBG is also in the base of the board and with the raised keys, the colours really pop out against the black finish. It’s mechanical, so if you’re not used to that, the keys are louder than a non-mechanical keyboard but they feel so much better to type with. The keys are easy to use, it’s easy to type and comfortable to use W/A/S/D while gaming. So far, every command has been hit, It did not skip a beat and the only thing I had to do was swap the keyboard language from UK to US on my PC so the keys pushed lined up with what the cap shows. There is no wrist support provided in the box, so if you like them, you’d have to get your own, however, I’ve never used them and felt no need for using one with this. 

The keyboard comes complete with RGB under every key and it is customisable via a small piece of software from Rapoo. It allows you to have 3 custom profiles and you can adjust the brightness and speed of the effect. There is a drop-down menu, showing 17 different colour options and within each of them, different tweaks can be made. I’ve seen other keyboards with very specific and precise RGB customisation, which this isn’t but there was more than enough choice for me. I think the only thing letting this keyboard down slightly is the font of the keys, The R, the B, Q, &, the font is a little odd and I’m personally not all that keen on it. 

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As for the mouse, the VT900, I wasn’t as impressed, unfortunately. It’s made from plastic, like many others but it felt like plastic too. Thin, flimsy and it didn’t offer that premium experience the keyboard did. The shape and size of the mouse were good, it sat well within my hand and glided across my mouse mat very well. There are 10 buttons in total, all programmable with onboard memory too. There is of course some RGB, it wouldn’t be a gaming mouse without it and this is limited to the wheel and logo. There is also a small display to the left-hand side as well. It’s kinda cool, you could live without it but I like the idea and it’s a nice touch. As you scroll through the DPI options, the display shows that and lets you know what DPI you’ve selected. You can also switch between normal and game presets, and they each show a little icon and DPI on screen too. Tracking seems good, the mouse plays pretty well, it’s just not the best feeling mouse I’ve tried. The scroll wheel as well, it’s just not very fluid or smooth.

Spec-wise, it’s hard wired only, DPI is adjustable up to 16000 but it’s unclear what sensor they’re using and I imagine it’s one they’ve made themselves. 400 inch/s tracking speed, up to 50G acceleration and a 1000Hz polling rate. 

The mouse weighs in at just under 160grams, so bear that in mind when purchasing, whether you like an extra light mouse or something slightly heavier. However, there is an adjustable weight system here, and you are provided with six small weights, each weighing 3grams. There is a magnetic cover to the underside of the mouse, take that off and you’ll see the six areas the weights can be placed. I added all the weights and worked my way back down and found that having two weights felt the best for me. 

To summarise, both products are actually pretty good and they do offer some value for money. The keyboard more so and I found that great, it ticked a lot of boxes for me, it felt good, looked good and I really enjoyed using it. The mouse offers a lot for your money but it doesn’t have that same build quality as the keyboard, it’s a little plasticky but put that aside, it performed pretty well. The mouse retails for around $40

For more info, head over to the official Rapoo website.