Mice & Keyboards by stefan @ 2014-12-31
The Razer Chroma phenomenon is composed from the Deathadder Chroma, Blackwidow Chroma but also of the Kraken 7.1 Chroma; these are directly linked regarding the LED setup procedure and can be controlled together via the Synapse 2.0 downloadable software from Razer, which is able to save and restore profiles from the cloud.
At first we would like to thank Razer for offering us a sample of their Chroma Set for testing and reviewing.
"Razer is more than just the world's leading brand in gaming.
We were founded in 1998 in San Diego, California by our CEO Min-Liang Tan and our President Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff in a tiny shared office with a couple other gamers. We have grown today to hundreds of employees worldwide with offices in seven cities, including San Francisco, Hamburg, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore.
Our vision from the very beginning was to be the world's greatest gaming brand and we've set out to achieve that by designing the best gaming products that any gamer has ever seen.
We believe that truly great products are based on technology, designed with extensive human factors and user ergonomic studies and then tested by the top professional gamers. In simpler terms, our own world class scientists and engineers develop cutting edge technology in-house or with partners, design phenomenal products around core technologies – and test the hell out of them in the field with our pro-gamers before we launch them.
We are the only gaming hardware company in the world with dedicated gaming user interface research and development labs, and our technology and designs are incubated in three dedicated design centers located in facilities in California, Singapore and Shenzhen. No other company boasts of technology like we do – because we're the only guys who have what it takes under the hood.
We tell it like it is: some can pretend to co-develop products with professional gamers, but gamers don't develop technology: scientists and engineers do (and ours just happen to be gamers as well).
We develop and design our products in our own labs and then put them to the test with top professional gamers who use them in pro-level tournaments and then provide us with feedback. Then we iterate on the product, refining it with the feedback – over and over and over again. That's how it's done, that's how a Razer product is built from ground up. No marketing BS and no hype.
We pioneered the eSports movement with the world's first $100K tournament back in 2000 and we have continued to give back to the community by sponsoring top eSports athletes who give back to Razer by beta-testing our products. We remain one of the largest sponsors of eSports community sponsoring top global eSports teams worldwide.
The people that work here at Razer are gamers just like you – some amateur, some ex-professional gamers, some just play for fun, just ask our CEO who will lay the smack down on you in Quake Live or our President, who has over ten level 80's on his local server. Hell, he will even take you on a raid in the middle of the work day.
We are the same gamers who are told by the suits that we need adult supervision and we need a professional CEO or management team – and we're the same gamers who tell the suits exactly where to shove it because we like doing what we do – and we do it on our own terms.
We hope our passion for gaming speaks to you like it does to us, through our products and we hope you enjoy the competitive edge we bring to your game."
RAZER DEATHADDER CHROMA
Favored by eSports athletes the world over, the Razer DeathAdder has established itself globally as the best gaming mouse. Renowned for its ergonomic design, swift responsiveness, and rock-solid build quality, this beloved mouse embodies the absolute best elements a gamer needs to dominate in any game.
Now with Chroma customizable lighting, the latest version of this iconic mouse not only performs the way you want it to, it looks that way as well.
The World's Best Gaming Mouse... Just Got Better.
RAZER BLACKWIDOW CHROMA
The Razer BlackWidow mechanical gaming keyboard was first launched in 2010 and quickly became the most popular and highest selling gaming keyboard worldwide, making its mark as the primary choice for eSports athletes. Four years later, the Razer™ Mechanical Switch was introduced, giving the Razer BlackWidow an even greater advantage with the world’s first mechanical switch designed from the ground up specifically for gaming.
Now with Chroma customizable backlighting, this gaming icon is raising the bar once again by introducing individually controlled multi-color backlit keys that allow for extreme customization. Bearing the distinct Razer BlackWidow design, the Razer BlackWidow Chroma gives you the unbridled freedom to truly express yourself, not just with an impressive spectrum of colors but with personalized lighting controls as well.
RAZER KRAKEN 7.1 CHROMA
Get the complete 7.1 surround sound gaming experience with the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma USB gaming headset. This headset adopts the comfortable form factor of the Razer Kraken Pro, tested by numerous professional gamers to determine the optimal ergonomics for extended gaming sessions.
The full potential of the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma is unleashed by its advanced 7.1 virtual surround sound engine. Driven by Razer’s powerful Synapse unified configuration software, this highly customizable engine modulates sound to simulate a 360? surround sound experience, allowing you to precisely pinpoint directional audio to know exactly where your enemies are.
Now with Chroma customizable lighting on the ear cups this headset offers both personalized surround sound and color.
Razer have recently launched an interesting set, comprised of a mouse, one headset and a keyboard, which are all linked together via the Synapse software:
The Deathadder mouse is one peripheral we have covered before in a previous article; the Chroma version adds multi-colored LEDs for both logo and scroll wheel, making the 4G (2013) version even more interesting; the mouse is packaged inside a Razer-themed cardboard box, with a photo of the main product in the middle, along with some of the product features which are located on the lower side:
On the side, we will be able to find out more details on the product like the Ergonomic Shape, Ultra Accurate Optical Sensor or Chroma Customizable Lighting:
By checking out the opposite, we will be able to see some of the opinions professional players have about this product:
On the back side of the box we can check out another detailed photo of the mouse, along with explanations regarding the main components:
The Deathadder, which stays inside plastic mold, is accompanied by some documentation:
Besides the two green-themed Razer leaflets, we will also get the usual stickers and one Information Guide:
The guide gives us the basics regarding initial usage:
The shape of the Deathadder Chroma is designed for right-handers and is very comfortable; optimal grip is provided by the rough-textured plastic and the rubber lateral plates:
In the back side of the mouse we have the Razer logo, which is Chroma enabled:
The left side comes with two extra programmable buttons, while the right does not feature any, a specific configuration to many non-ambidextrous mice:
In the front we have the Choma-enabled scroll wheel along with the left and right click buttons:
As with most professional mice, we will get a braided cable, for extended durability:
The USB port is gold plated and features a custom Razer logo:
On the back side we will be able to spot the 4G 10000DPI (upgraded from the original 6400DPI) optical sensor lens (Avago 3989), the product serial number, model code name and power rating; on the corner we have Teflon feet for smooth movement:
Moving on to the next product of the series; here we have the Kraken 7.1 Chroma, which is USB-powered and comes in a similarly-themed box; the main product features are noted on the top cover:
By switching the box on one of the sides, we will be able to see some of the product characteristics in more detail, as the Chroma Lighting feature with 16.8 million customizable color options, the True-to-Life Positional Audio and the Personalized Audio Calibration:
Also, we will be able to see some details regarding the enhanced digital microphone Kraken 7.1 Chroma features:
In the back, Razer gives a quick explanation on the main product components:
The top box cover opens in an interesting way, in order to find out some more explanations regarding the product from the manufacturer:
Besides the product, we will also get the usual Razer-themed leaflet, one Information Guide and two nice Razer stickers:
Inside the manual we will get to see some basic instructions on how to set up the product:
Kraken 7.1 Chroma sits inside an additional black plastic mold for protection:
The headset comes with a plastic chassis, all black and we no longer have multiple color choices as we had with the non-Chroma model; the materials bring an overall good quality feel and the cups are flexible for optimal comfort:
The pads are covered with leatherette and are of medium-size; people with larger ears may have sometimes difficulties adjusting and we have felt that the headset presses more on the ears when compared to the SteelSeries Elite headset, which could be a problem when taking people which wear glasses into account:
On the exterior of the right cup we have a black metallic grill, along with a Chroma-enabled Razer logo in the middle:
The left cup features a similar design, but with some additions:
Here we have the retractable microphone, with a LED ring around it which illuminates when the microphone is in operation:
When extended, the microphone measures about 123mm from the tip to the chassis and also incorporates a tiny Mute switch:
On the top side of the headband, which is also made of leatherette, we will be able to spot a neon-green Razer logo:
On the interior, it does feature some kind of microfiber and underside it seems to be some thin foam padding:
The third element of the series is the Blackwidow Chroma, which is a high-performance keyboard featuring Razer green custom switches (clicky style).
On the frontal side of the packaging we will be able to see a photo of the product in operation along with some of the main features:
On the side, we will be able to check out the System Requirements but also some words on the unified Razer Synapse 2.0 software:
Razer also presents us the full Blackwidow family members:
On the back side of the packaging, we will learn in-depth information on the custom Razer Green switches, along with a short explanation on the main keyboard components:
After removing the top packaging layer, we will be able to see that the keyboard is surrounded by cardboard material and also features a transparent plastic cover:
The documentation is carefully enclosed inside an envelope:
Besides the two leaflets which explain the benefits of registration and using the product, we will also get an Information Guide:
As with the other two products, the Information Guide which comes with the Blackwidow Chroma includes basic information in order to get everything going:
The stickers look quite nice to fit on desktop computers or laptops:
Blackwidow Chroma sports a familiar look, with the custom plastic key caps and a rubberized paint finish for additional grip; with the new customizable backlighting, we have individually-controlled multi-color backlit keys that allow for extreme customization:
On the left side we will find five extra Macro keys which are fully customizable:
The F-keys have double functions; F1 helps with the sound mute, F2 is for Volume Down, F3 for Volume Up:
Next, we have F5 for Previous Track, F6 for Play/Skip and F7 for Next Track:
The last F-key arrangement holds F9 for the On-The-Fly Macro Record Key, the F10 for Gaming Mode Key, but also F11 and F12 for adjusting the light intensity:
The Pause/Break key is also doubled as the Sleep Mode Key:
The Razer logo also features a multicolored LED which will blend in with the Chroma features:
On the right side of the keyboard we have one handy microphone jack, one headphone jack and also one USB port (we wonder why Razer did not choose to use a green-colored USB port and has utilized a white one instead):
The left side is identical, but no interfaces this time:
From the back, the braided keyboard cable is pretty thick because of the additional interfaces:
On the bottom, we have a central sticker along with small rubber feet in each corner:
The small feet are doubled by the larger ones with rubber ending, which will raise the keyboard at an angle, if needed:
On the Razer sticker, we will get to see the product code name, serial number but also the power rating:
The Razer-manufactured green switches have a life span of up to 60 million presses, an actuation vs reset point of 0.4mm along with an actuation force of 50g with optimized tactile feel; each switch is equipped with its own multi-colored LED:
The thick cable ends with two USB interfaces and the headphone, microphone jack plugs:
After plugging in all peripherals to the test computer, we have got a splash screen on the desktop, which prompts us to install the latest version of Razer Synapse 2.0:
Afterwards, Synapse 2.0 will prompt us for a system restart:
On the bottom side of the GUI, Razer Synapse will show us the currently connected peripherals while in center the interface is custom built for the specific peripheral; the Deathadder Chroma GUI comes with three main menus: Mouse, Macros and Stats. The Mouse menu comes with the Customize tab, which allows working with different profiles and also lets us customize the mouse button functions:
Here are the functions we can assign to the buttons:
Default, Keyboard Function, Mouse Function, Sensitivity, Inter-device, Macro, Switch Profile, Launch Program, Multimedia, Windows 8 Charms, Windows Shortcuts or we can Disable the button completely:
Keyboard Function
Mouse Function
Sensitivity
Inter-device
Macro
Launch Program
Multimedia
Windows 8 Charms
Windows Shortcuts
Disable
Next, we have the Performance tab which allows us to adjust the sensitivity stages, current DPI and mouse acceleration; of course, here we also have the Polling Rate setting for the device:
The Lighting tab allows us to customize the LED color of the scroll wheel lighting but also for the Razer logo which is located in the back:
The Calibration menu helps the device to work on different types of surfaces; we already have profiles set for Razer Mats:
Of course, the Deathadder Chroma is also equipped with Macro functionality, so we can set our favorite shortcuts and save them accordingly from the next main section:
One other interesting section is Stats and Heatmaps, from where we can monitor product usage depending on a specific game or for all activities summed up:
Switching to the next peripheral (this time the Razer Blackwidow Chroma) can be done in just a snap by clicking on the respective item from the bottom listing; here we will meet with a similar interface, which is also built by Synapse 2.0. From the Keyboard top main menu, we can choose Customize in order to be able to set different functions to the keys:
Here are the different functions we can set:
Default, Keyboard Function, Mouse Function, Inter-Device, Macro, Launch Program, Multimedia, Windows 8 Charms, Windows Shortcuts or we can simply disable the key completely; Switch Profile function is enabled when we actually have different profiles set in order to jump from one to another:
The Lighting menu allows adjusting the key LED colors individually, choose the specific light effect or link the effect to the other compatible Chroma devices; another interesting setting is the ability to switch off the lighting when the display is turned off:
Here are the effects we can set with the Chroma LED lighting:
We can choose a preset color or navigate to the Custom menu:
The Gaming Mode can be also customized by selecting which features should be disabled during this mode:
We can also define Macros from the next main menu:
The last product from the Chroma series is the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma; the interface is again optimized for this type of audio product and the first menu is Calibration, which should be optional for the Kraken 7.1 since Razer has also preset a profile for it:
From the Audio menu, we can adjust the overall Volume, Bass Boost feature, Voice Clarity option, Presence Level, Sound Normalization but also the Volume for incoming communication:
Next, we have a dedicated menu for the microphone, where we can adjust the Volume, Sensitivity, Volume Normalization and also Ambient Noise Reduction:
The next menu takes care of the Mixer:
The EQ for this headset is available on 8 bands and presets are also available:
Of course, we have a lighting settings and the possibility to link the Chroma devices together:
The Deathadder Chroma shares the shape with the 4G 2013 model we have reviewed previously, but the sensor has been improved and the lighting system is now fully customizable and integrated with the rest of the compatible peripherals from the same company. The new 10K DPI sensor is quite accurate and we did not have any issues with tracking in the tested games like ArcheAge, Starcraft 2, Rift and CounterStrike: Global Offensive. The Razer Synapse software really helps in terms of configuration like Sensitivity Stages, Mouse Acceleration, Pooling Rate and so on.
The Razer Blackwidow Chroma is the core of the series in terms of LED light flexibility of configuration; while we have received our sample kit with the “clicky” green Razer switches, we did learn that there is also a Chroma available with silent switches, which have a lower actuation force. Razer has built the green switch to be ultra-durable (with up to 60 million guaranteed key strokes), optimized actuation and reset points, but also with a precision manufacturing process for tighter tolerance. When compared to Cherry red switches we have frequently seen from other manufacturers, we will need a longer accommodation period because of the higher actuation force, but after we get used to it, the Blackwidow Chroma will feel very precise. If we are aiming on typing documents on the gaming PC too from time to time, we would also steer towards the orange silent switch, also manufactured by Razer.
The Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma are built from the start as gaming headphones so we will get some nice bass coming out from them even with the default configuration. These are well-built and should fit well around most ear sizes; we have also appreciated the fact that the microphone can be easily turned off by using the small switch on the wire and it is easier to access as when it would have been placed on a console on the USB cable. However, we have seen that the cups press a little more on the ears than we would have wanted so we have experienced a little bit of discomfort after wearing them for two hours or so.
The Chroma unified lighting system Razer has implemented with these peripherals is quite unique and what we really liked is the fact that it works really well and is also easy to configure, unlike solutions from other manufacturers. All peripherals can be installed in a couple of minutes, since after running Razer Synapse and logging in, the application takes care of the rest, including firmware updates.
The Razer Deathadder Chroma can be found online for about 72 Euros, the Blackwidow Chroma for about 170 Euros and the Kraken 7.1 Chroma will set you back about 108 Euros. Purchasing all together can be quite a bit difficult task for some enthusiasts and gamers, but if you would like to have a fully-customizable setup, you may want to steer in the Chroma direction.
We would like to thank again to Razer for making this review possible!