The main strength of the Patriot Viper V380 is its price-performance ratio. For $75 you're getting an exceptionally well-built USB gaming headset with a tasteful RGB lighting system, detachable microphone, and excellent wearing comfort. USB gaming headsets in this price range are usually covered in cheap plastic. The Viper V380 counters that with a sturdy but flexible metal frame, massive metal hangers, metal mesh covering the ear cups—you get my point.

Currently you can grab it for as little as $60, as Patriot's running a 15% off promotion on Amazon, which lasts until the end of June.

Out-of-the-box sound quality isn't perfect, primarily because of a bloated, boomy bass, but you can easily fix that in their official driver software. After you use the system-wide equalizer to subdue the bass—feel free to try out my preferred settings listed in the sound performance section—the Viper V380 will perform well with all types of content. However, stay away from 7.1 virtual surround sound as it's awful.

The detachable omnidirectional microphone is decent, too. While I wouldn't consider it for Twitch or YouTube streaming, I didn't have any issues communicating with my friends and teammates. Just make sure you don't touch the Xear ENC feature because it will completely ruin the quality of your voice.

If you're looking to buy a USB gaming headset but don't want to spend too much money, the Patriot Viper V380 should definitely be on your shortlist. It's probably going to come down to it or the $80 Cooler Master MH650 (reviewed here). The MH650 comes with a better microphone and mobile device connectivity, while the Viper V380 has a more luxurious exterior.