Introduction
Manufacturer: G.SKILL
Model: Ripjaws RGB MX780
UK Price: £46.24 on Amazon (At the time of review)
US Price: $49.99 on Amazon (At the time of review)
Today we will be taking a look at the latest peripheral in the RGB series by G.SKILL, the Ripjaws MX780 gaming mouse. With 8 programmable keys, ambidextrous & height-adjust design, limit of 8,200 DPI and fully customisable 4-zone RGB lighting, there isn’t much else you can want from a gaming mouse, or is there?
G. SKILL, established in 1989 by enthusiasts, is a leading memory module Manufacturer based in Taipei, Taiwan. With traditional strengths, they have built an excellent reputation by meeting market demand and fostering business competitiveness both locally and internationally with dedications to provide competitive prices, On-Time Delivery, Assured Quality, Customer-Oriented Services and Diversity of Products. They also boast of providing superior memory products, with satisfactory services in order to keep pace with customers’ growing needs, and help them by adding value to their purchases. A pledge has been made that G.SKILL will continue to do so and enable both sides to obtain significant competitive advantages in the market segments. Their market is not just based around memory products though as very often, you see their name on peripherals and performance products.
The RIPJAWS MX780 laser gaming mouse is designed and built with durability and practicality in mind for the ultimate gaming experience in glorious RGB lighting. Featuring an ambidextrous design and interchangeable side grips on both sides of the mouse to improve handling and grip, as well as 8 fully programmable buttons and 4-zone RGB backlighting for each of the 5 onboard profiles makes the RIPJAWS MX780 a fantastic customizable mouse suit all your needs, whether it may be gaming or working. The MX780 laser gaming mouse also comes with additional weights (4.5g x2), gaming grade Avago laser sensor capable of up to 8,200dpi, a height adjustable palm rest, and durable Omron micro switches for a 20-million-click-durability.
Specifications
With the introduction out of the way, we better begin to unpiece the Ripjaws MX780 and strip it back to its core elements. We can do this by focusing out attention to the provided specification by G.SKILL and see exactly what makes the MX780 stand out from the crowd.
The following specification has kindly been provided by G.SKILL and a mirror, the unformatted copy can be found under the “Specification” tab here.
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Closer Look
Now we can begin to take our first look at the Ripjaws MX780 in a little more detail and see what the general aesthetics of this product are like.
The front of the box displays your typical G.SKILL style finish, very metallic and futuristic. Featuring all the relevant product names and branding, we can also see a detailed render image of the mouse and some selling points a little lower down.
The rear of the box mainly covers the selling features in a little more details to let you know exactly what to expect when you purchase this item.
The inside cover of the box allows for an expanded view of the mouse and the adjustment options available to you as well as an open box design that lets you see the mouse and some of its accessories.
Inside the box, we have the usual paperwork, featuring warranty and general purchase documents, as well as the mouse, weights, adjustment tool and additional thumb/pinkie rests. These can be seen a little better in the below image.
On the end of the braided cable of the mouse we have a gold plated USB connector.
Finally, we have the Ripsaw MX780 in all its glory.
Software
Available through the G.SKILL website, software can be downloaded to assist with the configuration of the mouse and to add a little personal touch wherever you like. The download page can be found here. The software is very basic with an extent of features to allow for setting up the MX780 with pinpoint perfection to meet everyone’s personal taste.
The software is divided into two main sections, “Macros” and “Lighting Profiles”. Let’s take a little look at just some of the features available to let us play with the mouse to suit our needs, in this case, we will be setting the mouse up for gaming as it is the intended purpose after all.
Under the “Macros” tab, we will find two subsections that allow for Macro configuration and text configuration. Nestled away here, the options for listing, creation, editing and duration are present. Whatever you need to do, macro wise, be sure this software will allow it and better yet, in a very easy fashion.
Under the “Lighting Profiles” tab, we see further detailing for the custom RGB capabilities that the MX780 has and they are vastly extent. Cycle and breathable options are amongst the features capable, with profiles that can be set up to suit your needs and help make your mouse look cool alongside your PC.
Now, we did play around in both these sections of the software but took to it very lightly and focused our attention on the 3 options to the top right of the software which gave us most fun out of the creative spark we felt.
“Customize” allows users to focus on their profiles and tweak them to suit the needs of the user. 5 profiles can be set up at once and toggling the “DPI” button will allow you to select what one is in use. Here we can change the controls of each aspect of the mouse, from left and right mouse button controls to that the spare 4 buttons can be used for. Very handy for those of you who play a lot of different games in one long sit in, like myself, where changing DPI needs to be quick and easy.
“Setting” allows you to make DPI settings, capabilities of things like “Double Click” and “Windows pointer” speeds as well as the polling rate of the mouse for those of you who like to get technical. Whatever the detail, the G.SKILL software allows you to do it.
“Lighting” allows you to make custom adjustments to the lighting of each profile, from what colour to the way is its display and even where on the mouse. Want red and green? The option is there. Want to mix and match each section of the mouse to mean something for quick reference? Do it! You have a nice palette of colours to play with and plenty of areas to adjust.
Overall, we enjoyed the play time we had with this software and the friendly usability was a welcoming sight compared to the interfaces we have used in the past for some “reputable” companies so good job G.SKILL
Performance and Testing
Since unboxing the device, we have put the Ripjaws MX780 through some vigorous abuse and testing to see how it performs. From gaming rages to general performance testing, we threw a lot at this mouse to see how it tested under serious pressure. So, how did it do?
Paint Jitter Test
To start, we will be testing performance with the good old fashioned Paint Jitter test on five of the main default DPI settings, although the DPI is completely customisable so this will give you a flavour of what to expect. To portray how much jitter each setting has, the best method is to draw a series of lines and circles in MS paint.
800 DPI (X – 800 Y – 800)
At this setting, everything seemed to flow smoothly. Accuracy was high and movements were a little obscure, visible by the struggle to keep lines straight.
1600 DPI (X – 1600 Y – 1600)
At this DPI, we can see it become a little more complicated to draw circles in one swish motion yet was still manageable with minimal stress.
2400 DPI (X – 2400 Y – 2400)
At this DPI, we slowly see the decline of accuracy when using the mouse. This could be put down to my own personal preference begin slightly lower than this but overall, the test does show the beginning of my struggle to draw at this DPI.
4800 DPI (X – 4800 Y – 4800)
Things start to become difficult at this DPI, with every little movement being the difference between a circle and mess of wiggly lines. Lines are a little straighter as of the quick motion capable with one quick movement vertically or horizontally.
8200 DPI (X – 8200 Y – 8200)
At 8200 DPI, the struggle is beyond real as drawings become a mess and struggle to contain the beast in my hand. This is certainly NOT an optimum DPI to be using for accurate drawing or creative productivity.
Optimum DPI and usability testing
In a controlled environment, we ran the mouse through many tests to see how well the mouse performed and this assisted with finding the optimum DPI for myself. There are plenty available to help you select what DPI combines sensitivity with accuracy by statistically factoring in the way you use a mouse with the available DPI platforms on offer by said peripheral, in this case, a full spectrum of X and Y axis DPI adaptability. We are sure that by completing said tests you will be able to find something suitable for each and every user.
Surface Compatibility
Some surfaces offer a better and much clearer platform for use of optical sensor mice, which can and cannot benefit you. For example, some surfaces that offer a variety of large, small, long and thin fibres will cause confusion for the sensor to read movement with, just like using a mouse on a carpet. Whereas, use of a mouse on a professional gaming surface or good quality mouse mat which offers a very stable selection of fibres will allow the mouse to read whatever it glides over. We covered a variety of surfaces that the MX780 could be used on, nothing too over the top just low to high-end mouse mats, and all seemed to work well with the peripheral. No issues occurred or irregular activity took place so we are happy with said results.
Real world Performance
Stepping away from MS Paint, DPI settings and testing, we can now see how the Ripjaws MX780 performs in 2 different environments. Gaming and general use. Then, see what we think of the cosmetically pleasing, RGB that is on offer with this peripheral.
Gaming
Let’s face it, this mouse is designed for gamers as stated on the box so how does it perform? Well, we took the MX780 through a few different games to see how it coped and the results were very good! First/third person shooters were a breeze, allowing me to take the advantage with DPI options to play with in different environments just a click away. Full on action in close quarters at 3200 dpi to allow for quick manoeuvring, and switching to 800 dpi for long distance shots so I was able to keep steady while taking out an enemy. MMORPG’s and strategy games were also easy to play with as the MX780 offers a variety of macro programmable buttons so shortcuts were assigned to each button promptly before playing. Having the ability to use those additional buttons for things such as healing or casting meant that I could keep on my toes when in the midst of battle. We set up the mouse with 4 main assignable keys, the left and right forward/back buttons commonly used for web page viewing. Once set, we could use the mouse to its potential and work our way through levels of strategic games without needing to use a wide area of the keyboard for assigned controls.
General Use
Most mice on the market are suitable for general use and day to day tasks, but it’s the comfort and usability that makes some mice excel over others. The MX780 is not only a very comfortable mouse designed for adjustment but offers 2 additional thumb buttons that double up as a “Next” and “Previous” web page button so internet based tasks are easier and less effort is required to travel between visited web pages. Please note that on the opposite side, you will find a mirror of this and they work just the same. A click of the mouse scroll wheel will allow you to easily move around web pages in any direction so again it’s much more easy to navigate online sources. As everyday tasks go, you will always find yourself swapping between software and the ability to change your DPI settings helps greatly as some, like myself, prefer different sensitivities on different pieces of software. One click of a button and this action can be done, making the transition of sensitivity between programs a breeze.
RGB
As previously mentioned in our software overview section of this review, the MX780 supports 16 million colours RGB wise and can easily be adjusted with the application provided to suit your needs or desires. We settled with a nice red on black finish, just to reflect one of the most common colour pallets on the market, to see how easy it was to set and how it looked.
As you can see, not only does it look good it is also very easy to set up. We did vary the colour, affect and change the configuration to light different parts different colours but overall found the experience to be much easier than most when it comes to getting your mouse to look how you like.
Conclusion
Now we will conclude our time using the Ripjaws RGB MX780 by G.SKILL with testing to supply you with a reliable and honest conclusion of our experiences. To start with, what we have here is a high-quality, upper price range gaming mouse that offers a fair few customising options to better the user’s experience. For the price, there are a few other alternatives that may take your fancy if you wish to be brand specific but nonetheless, this mouse offers up some serious competition to others in this bracket.
Performance wise, the MX780 performs excellently in all categories and with an ergonomic design, every movement is graceful. With an optimal DPI adjustment capability, finding and setting your preferred sensitivities is very simple thus allows for better general performance when swapping from game to game. We had no feedback impurities from the laser and it ran well on all surfaces we tested it on. Good job G.SKILL!
Comfort as standard is a must for all mice because not everyone wants to be faffing around with screws and adjustable pieces for hours on end to end up sticking to the same configuration. This is why we take note of how comfortable the mouse is as standard and throughout this form of testing, use the mouse in its native form before testing with the additional extras to see what we think. Overall, I was very pleased with both comfort and how G.SKILL has managed to keep the gripping capabilities of the mouse without masses of either grip tape or grippy areas.
Customising the physical layout of the mouse with the optional weights and rests, was not as difficult as we thought with one screw elevating the height of the mouse rear and magnets allowing for an easy swap put of grips. This design worked well to allow for quick changes between matches but kept it very simplistic and yet, sturdy. Not once did the rests pop off or get stuck on the surface in which the mouse was in use on. One feature we liked was the ability the MX780 had to change the configuration to suit ambidextrous users (left/right handed). The mouse is literally identical on either side which means that anyone, regardless of what your dominant hand is, can use the mouse in both native and customised format. Top points for G.SKILL for this handy and well thought out design.
RGB isn’t always a must for all gamers out there but with it being a feature we would like to discuss it in our evaluation all the same as to some of you, it is something you look for when making a purchase. Overall, software included, we were very much pleased with the amazing options on offer and simplicity of adjustments.
With all this said, there are a few negatives we would like to point out and they are more design than performance so don’t cancel that basket order on Amazon just yet. The first would be the left/right handed design and back/forward buttons on offer. Now, ideally if buttons are available on a mouse I would like to use them but with the MX780 this was not the case. Being right handed and with the positioning I had on the mouse, the thumb side (left) buttons were easy to get to but pinky side (right) buttons were far too close to the back of the mouse to be able to use which was a disappointment. Looking at the general aesthetics of the mouse, we have a good few millimetres clearance on both sides to push the buttons forward and thus, make both sets usable regardless of your grip and being left or right handed. The next thing I would like to point out is the positioning of the “Ripjaws” logo where the thumb rest is on either side of the mouse. In an area that has more wear than the buttons themselves, it is a VERY bad idea to put any kind of detailed graphic or laser etched design as over time it will wear out. Sadly, this did become apparent after a good number of hours which was saddening to say the least and left a little bit of a bitter taste in my mouth at such a rookie mistake. This may be me being a little picky but cosmetically, the mouse is beautiful and I believe that if you intend to pay this amount that it should hold true to performance and cosmetics for years after the original purchase. The last thing I would like the note is the weight addition system, all weights come in a nice “to fit” package, meaning they are a specific shape just to pop in the mouse which brings me to my main issue, I couldn’t get them out. Seriously! I tried and tried to get them out with care but resorted to a knife blade to prise them from the plastic enclosure, something I have NEVER had to do before to a mouse and should never need to be done. A simple pop and lock system would work fine, where the friction holds the weight in place and a little flap locks in to hold them.
Moving on from the negatives, I have to applaud G.SKILL for their research and development of such a great mouse. This goes for the general design, cosmetics and performance. Even using the mouse while swapping between tabs as I write this, it sits and melts into form as soon as my hand lowers over it. The contours and grip allow for a comfortable gaming or work session, thus resulting in better wrist and hand support.
On a final note, I would like to thank G.SKILL for providing this product and hope that our con’s feedback help develop any future products we may see on our shelves soon. I was very impressed with the performance and would like to award this a value and performance award, mainly due to what the MX780 brings to the table for a cost of less than £50/$50 plus core performance as a gaming mouse. Good job and we hope to see more products from you on the market in the upcoming months.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
Summary
Pros:
– Great performance
– Good value at under £50/$50
– Customisable
Cons:
– Some aesthetic choices were not well thought through
– Positioning of buttons rendered some useless
– Difficult-to-use weight system
Too bad the company steals from customers. BBB complaints show the trend