Patriot is expanding its SSD offerings with the addition of the Viper VPR400, which it claims is the world's first PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 SSD with RGB flourishes. For those that keep up with the latest developments in the SSD space, this is the successor to the Viper VPR100 that we reviewed just over two years ago.
Before we dive into the glitz and glam of RGB, let's talk about performance. The Viper VPR400 uses an InnoGrit IG5220 SSD controller, which is geared towards the value segment. In this case, we're looking at 4K random read/write performance of 600K IOPs and 500K IOPs, respectively. In addition, sequential reads are listed at 4,600 MBps across the board. However, sequential writes are listed at 3,600 MBps for the entry-level 512GB SKU, while the 1TB version of the SSD boosts that figure to 4,400 MBps.
Those performance numbers won't win any speed records, considering that SSDs equipped with the more performance InnoGrit IG5221 'RainierQX' controller can handle sequential reads/writes of 7,000 MBps/6,000 MBps. However, Patriot hopes the Viper VPR400's performance/value will attract price-conscious gamers.
To manage heat generated by the controller and onboard 3D NAND, Patriot employs an aluminum heatsink and a dynamic thermal throttling algorithm to keep heat levels within a given performance envelope. Patriot also claims endurance of 400 terabytes written for the 512GB SSD, while the 1TB SSD doubles that to 800 terabytes written. A 5-year limited warranty also backs the SSDs.
Of course, the real reason to purchase the Viper VPR400 is its Viper RGB lighting, which is integrated into the aluminum heatsink. The RGBs can be customized using Patriot's Viper RGB 3.0 software. As you might expect, the RGB effects are compatible with leading platforms, including Asus Aurora Sync, ASRock Polychrome Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light Sync.
As previously stated, the Viper VPR400 family consists of 512GB and 1TB SKUs. However, the product sheet for the SSDs makes mention of a more capacious 2TB version, so it could potentially come at a later date.
Patriot hasn't announced pricing yet for the Viper VPR400, but we'd imagine a starting price around the $100 mark for the 512GB SSD. Of course, once we get one in for review, we'll have to see if it's up to par with the best SSDs on the market.
