Gigabyte, Razer & Steelseries Gaming Mouse Reviews

Gaming Gear!

Hope you guys like your gaming gear because today I have more reviews dedicated to some funky gaming gear from the biggest brands like Gigabyte, SteelSeries & Razer.

First up though, it’s the Gigabyte M8600
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/m8600-gigabyte-m8600-p-55349.html?sort=2a

Let’s take a quick look over its main features,

Interface: USB
Tracking system: Twin-eye Laser
Resolution: 100 ~ 6500dpi ( Hardware: up to 5600dpi)
Onboard memory: 32KB
Maximum acceleration: 50g
Maximum speed: 150 inches/ second
Cable Length: 1.8m nylon braided / Gold-plated USB connector to mini USB
Dimension: (L)134.3*(W)72.7*(H)42.7 mm
Weight: 148g with battery; 110g without battery
Accessory: Charging dock, Li-ion battery*2, USB to mini USB cable*2, Driver CD, Quick guide, Spare feet pad 

The mouse looks like something ET bought down with him on an un-Hollywoodized visit. It’s got sharp corners with lines cutting into parts, different materials on different sections and a DPI control panel that looks like a launch pad for a space ship (explains the ET thing). Basically, it looks funky.

The packaging it comes in is no less fancy. If the mouse is something ET bought down, the packaging would be the ship. It comes in unconventional cylinder tubing that breaks off into 2 parts. The mouse itself sits on the top section in a cheaply made plastic mould (the ships seating). The bottom section contains all the accessories which come in one tight zip up bag which contain 2 USB Cables, a docking station and a backup rechargeable Li-ion battery. Very appealing set of accessories.

The mouse itself is quite large and people who like to grip their mouse may find it uncomfortable as the middle is quite sharp and sticks up. Claw users like me will find it very comfortable to use. The rear end of the unit has the battery pack which is replaceable, with a simple click on the bottom, the battery just pops out. Gigabyte has rated the battery to last up to 50 hours of use before a charge is needed, with which the 2^nd battery pack, makes for 100 hours of gaming. Enough for any hardcore dedicated gamer. The spare battery back can be placed into the docking station to recharge. The station is also a cradle and charging mount for the mouse itself. However when you place the mouse onto the cradle, it does feel quite wobbly and doesn’t sit in entirely snug. The cradle must be connected to your PC via one of the supplied cables. Another extra feature is the ability to plug the USB cable straight into the front of the mouse as well. It locks in for secure wired usability. All the buttons are programmable to suite your needs as well.

Using the mouse was interesting, at times the cursor would just start moving by itself without me having to move the mouse, which is a bit annoying and disappointing. The side of the mouse where extra buttons are have a plastic lining to it, which feels ridiculously cheap. While gaming, I just could not get used to this mouse, there’s just something about it that makes it not up there with other mice which are cheaper than the M8600.

Overall, I think Gigabyte put a lot of effort into the fancy packaging, filling it with accessories and features but lost focus when it came to how the mouse actually worked and felt. I want to love this mouse, but for the time being I can only like it.

Next up I have the SteelSeries Sensei Pro Grade Laser Mouse
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/62150mssensei-steelseries-sensei-p-53951.html?sort=2a

Let me just start off by saying, it looks like one of those old-school ball mouses except this has shiny top with lights and screens over it and it feels 1000 times better. It’s as simple as a gaming mouse can be but with the Engine software (which you need to download separately) it lets you tweak and personalise the mouse till your heart’s content. The rear end of the mouse has an illuminated Steel Series logo which can be customized within the Engine software. The scroll wheel is also illuminated and can be changed. In front of the scroll wheel we have a simple button which allows you to change DPI settings on the fly. On the underneath of the unit, there is a small LCD screen (yes, it has a LCD screen under it) which can be customized to display what you like. The top shell part of the mouse does leave smudge marks and it looks like the perfect material that welcomes scratches. It’s so shiny and has blurry reflections all over, scratching this would be inevitable. It’s also not so friendly with sweaty palms.

The mouse has two buttons on each side and has a symmetrical design which is useful for our left handed friends out there. People who like to grip their mouse I think will find this unit welcoming, it is nicely and evenly shaped and rounded which allows your palm to comfortably sit over it.

Using it felt quite nice, I got used to it very quickly and movements became very natural. The two buttons on the right hand side of the unit did bother me though. I kept accidently clicking on the buttons because it is perfectly positioned where my ring finger rests. I guess that’s one of the downsides when you have a mouse that is symmetrical and is accustomed to both handed users. Gaming was very comfortable and easy to use. The programmable buttons made it easy to shorten a lot of keystrokes.

Overall, though it’s a solid performing mouse, there are a few design flaws which can be blamed on the mid 1990’s design of the unit but I think many users will be happy with it.

Last up we have the Razer Abyssus – Mirror Edition
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/rz01-00360500-r3m1-razer-abyssus-mirror-edtion-p-46523.html?sort=2a

For $53, you don’t get much of a mouse to be honest. When Razer labelled it with ‘Back to the Basics’, they really weren’t kidding. 2 buttons and a scroll wheel, that’s all you get. Unpacking it was quite ordinary and is as simple as plugging it in and you got yourself a Razer mouse. The rear end of the mouse has an illuminated Razer logo in blue…. Not sure why they didn’t make it green considering their logo is branded as green. On the bottom of the unit you’ll find two switches, one for polling rate switch from 125Hz to 1000Hz (quite a big jump there) and one for DPI with options 450, 1800 and 3500. The mouse is suitable for those who like to claw their mouse and is perfectly suited for left handed users as there are no extra features to the unit.

The scroll wheel is quite heavy to use and isn’t as smooth as what I would like it to be. Gaming however was quite comfortable and fun to use with. Was very responsive and all of the 3 buttons seem to have worked very well. My palm sits nicely on the unit and sweaty palms don’t seem to be an issue as the glossy shell just deflects it all.

Overall though, for the price tag the mouse doesn’t offer enough features or functionality. It looks and feels good but lacks in performance and though it did well with gaming, I can’t picture somebody using a mouse solely for gaming.

sahin.s@centrecom.com.au