Thermaltake Theron Mouse Review

Up for inspection today is the newest piece of gaming mouse gear from Thermaltake’s dedicated gaming brand Ttesports.

http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/trn006dt-ttesports-thermaltake-theron-p-56201.html?sort=2a

So, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the gear!

The Theron is an RTS Game ready performance mouse. It provides enough on-board buttons with fully customizable macros and functions. Let’s take a look at the tech specs.

·         100 – 5600 DPI Adjustable sensor

·         Superb customizable graphical UI for Macro Keys

·         7 Colours of light effects – Colours change depending on click frequency during Battle Mode

·         Up to 1000Mhz polling rate

·         128kb of on board memory for 40 Macro Keys with 5 Game Profiles

Thermaltake and Ttesports have been quite impressive with their gaming peripherals releases and the Theron seems no less. What I enjoy about Ttesports in general is the strict obedience when it comes to their design and styling. They love using their reds and blacks which I think is brilliant. A good consistent branding among their products ensures people they are getting a quality product.

The design of the mouse looks very good, slick and stealth like the mouse is covered with Ttesports traditional charcoal black rubber-like texture with light panels bevelled in under the sides of the mouse and the rear end, giving off a futuristic glow. When in Battle Mode the lights change colour automatically depending on your click usage. 

There are sensitivity buttons along the middle of the mouse for on the fly changes with two thumb buttons on the left of the mouse and one of the right. The right button is ideally placed whether you use your middle finger or your ring finger. The thumb buttons on the right side are ergonomically located for ease of use and don’t require you to push in hard to activate the click. There is also a dark light indicator which shows the level of sensitivity you are using your mouse. The buttons are sensitive enough to not require a lot of pressure to click it, yet resistive enough to ignore accidental and unintended clicking.

This is a pretty large mouse. It has let’s just say; a bit of a big bum on it. People with large hands will find this very use to cup, however it is definitely suited for those who grip their mouse instead of using it in a claw manner. Beneath the unit is a little compartment which contain little weight balls which can be adjusted to your taste. You’ll find 5 4.5g weights encased in a rubber mould which pops out with ease, very clever piece of design.

The software with the mouse I must say is fantastic. Even though it still has the slight look of a quick Photoshop gradient tool overkill, it is much more polished off than other software versions I’ve seen from Ttesports. The settings allow you to do almost anything possible to a mouse. Its performance options let your control DPI Levels, Double Click Speed, Cursor Speed, Scroll Speed, Polling Rate and even allows you to manually choose the DPI on the mouse by dragging the DPI level up or down. The Macro Key option allows you to build your macro to the bone. With repeat options also available it really does give a good option for gamers. 

Gaming with the mouse was fantastic. I was really impressed with the overall feel and performance of the mouse. Using it just felt very natural and getting used to it was easy as any mouse I’ve used. The thumb buttons worked a treat and were easy to work with. The lighting on the mouse added a nice little extra touch it with it, with my mad spray-and-pray tactics working well with the mouse. I had to remind myself I had to write the review instead of continuing to play games at times.

To conclude I must say I am pleasantly surprised and happy with this mouse. It offers great tools and options for the heavy gamer while keeping it all available in a slick and easy to use unit for the novice users. It looks great with the glowing lights and performs impressively while playing games. Definitely a top recommendation from the Centre Com offices!

By Sahin Selvi
sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

The benchmark results may differ from user to user depending on what background software you are running and versions of benchmark software. These results aren’t portrayed to be seen as exact performance figures but merely as a rough estimate on the performance of the machine. These results are in no way bias to any company or person and are here to provide the end user in depth details and to provide extra assistance of potential purchases. All information on this page is subject to copyright. Please do not copy any parts of this article.

Gaming Mouse Review!

New year, more reviews for you guys. Today I have in my hands a few options for gaming mice from 3 big brands including Corsair, Logitech and Razer

First up, it’s the Corsair Vengeance M60
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/9000001-corsair-vengeance-p-55446.html?sort=2a

Quick look over the main specs shows a 5700dpi sensor, 1ms response time, 8 programmable buttons and an aluminium unibody design.

The mouse looks strange to be honest. The so called unibody design is just the bottom of the mouse with two exhaust-like shapes protruding slightly at the front. The top of the mouse has a smooth finish while sides are textured and which cause the hair on the back of your neck to rise because it feels that awkward. The mouse packaging labels it as ‘designed for performance gaming’ but I am not so sure a performance gamer would be impressed by it.

Under the hand, it feels a bit strange. The rear of the mouse of somewhat suspended over air with the sides and base aluminium body not coming together at the rear, instead just cutting off short, and it leaves quite the gap. The buttons on top of the mouse which include your standard left, right, scroll and DPI adjustments work very well, feel good when pressing and look good. My only issue is the right click button is very sensitive and a slight push on it makes a clicky sound but doesn’t do anything. As easy as I can explain it, it basically feels like a half-click; pressing down half the normal distance and making half the sound. It does however get a bit distracting because when you actually click onto the right button, it clicks twice. On the side of the mouse you have two extra buttons which feel cheap and gives you the tingles when rubbing your thumb down them. It also has a massive red button with a sniper crosshair on it. It is labelled as the ‘Sniper Button’. First problem with this is the placement. Even with my large hands, my casual hand placement over the mouse doesn’t reach the button. Even with my claw grip, I need to really have my hand over the mouse to push the button, which I might add requires a bit of force to actually push.

On the base of the mouse there are three weights in a triangle shape which let you control the weight of each corner of the mouse. It only has 1 weight under each screw so your options are either light or heavy. You will need a 10 or 20c piece to unscrew the locks on the bottom to adjust the weights so keep that in mind. Would’ve been nice of Corsair to include some sort of branded coin.

 

Gaming with the M60 was surprisingly pleasant. The high DPI availability on the mouse would allow gamers to play with high sensitivity. The ‘Sniper Button’ didn’t even work in game by default. I had go into the software settings and configure the button to work. The software with the mouse (you need to download separately) is easy to use and understand. However I did pick up on the fact that the settings you apply on the software, doesn’t change the DPI settings on the actual mouse and vice versa. They seem to be independent of one another, which completely baffles me.

Overall it seems to be an acceptable gaming mouse. It has a unique look to it which will stand out in a crowd and offers good gaming performance. Though it’s not the best mouse going around, it definitely offers something different for the casual and hardcore gamer.

Next up I have the Razer DeathAdder – Dragon Age II Collectors Edition
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/rz01-00152500-r3m1-razer-dragon-deathadder-p-52975.html?sort=2a

A quick look over the specs shows us a 3500dpi sensor, 1ms response rate and large non-slip buttons. First I must admit, this is a pretty mouse. It is house in a nice shiny black plastic with a red dragon coming over the back, reaching over to the right hand side of the mouse with an illuminated Roman numeral placed in the center. But beware, it is an absolute magnet for fingerprints and smudges. The illuminated Roman numeral doesn’t have options to change colour or lighting effects. It’s either on or off.

Aside from its prettiness, it actually feels fantastic in the hand. It is really ergonomically designed and is easy to reach all buttons in a very comfortable manner. After downloading the software for it, you’ll find a fair few configuration options for the mouse like button assignment, polling rate, dpi switcher and profile select (up to 5 profiles). The mouse is suited for those who use their mouse with a palm grip, though even regular claw users like me find the palm grip on this mouse very acceptable to play with.

Gaming with the mouse was fantastic and probably one of the best I’ve used. The smoothness of the mouse coupled with easy to press and reach buttons make this mouse very pleasing. It doesn’t have buttons all over the button so there is no clutter for you to accidently click on other buttons. The scroll and scroll click works flawlessly and is very responsive.

Overall this is a fantastic mouse. It feels great, looks like a simple mouse and performs more than expected.  I’ve always believed in simplicity in a mouse, and this is exactly what the DeathAdder seems to provide.

Last up we have the Logitech MX518
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/000631-logitech-mx518-p-44255.html?sort=2a

Last but not least is the Logitech MX518. Logitech have been in the industry for quite some time now so I am expecting big things from this mouse. Featuring a 1800dpi sensor, eight programmable buttons and a sculpted build.

Let me start off by pointing out that this is the first mouse I’ve used that came with a software installation CD, so +1 for that, however it ended up being an out dated version so back to square one.  The good thing about Logitech software for its devices (Known as SetPoint) is that it is unified software that supports its full range of products and is as easy to use as typing on Microsoft Word. This allows you to have a complete range of Logitech peripherals with the single bit of background software to run it all with and customize it with.

Back on to the mouse, the top of the mouse has a silver lining from the front to the back with what appears to look like dents but in fact is smooth as can be. The mouse is somewhat comfortable in the hand, not quite as good as the DeathAdder. It definitely favours claw users as it feels a bit small for the palm user, however this could come down to the size of your hand (mine are a bit large I must admit). The buttons are all placed ergonomically and function well. It also has on board sensitivity controls for instant changes during gameplay. My only flaw with this mouse is the scroll. It feels very cheap and the click is a bit awkward and doesn’t feel like it is built well.

Gaming went down a treat on the MX518. I can’t find a fault with this mouse in terms of performance. Logitech have been in the mice business too long to make something that isn’t up to scratch and this is no different. Like the DeathAdder, simplicity is key and Logitech pull it off like no other by keeping good design with their products, backed up with proper research & development into the guts and heart of their products.

By Sahin Selvi
sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

The benchmark results may differ from user to user depending on what background software you are running and versions of benchmark software. These results aren’t portrayed to be seen as exact performance figures but merely as a rough estimate on the performance of the machine. These results are in no way bias to any company or person and are here to provide the end user in depth details and to provide extra assistance of potential purchases. All information on this page is subject to copyright. Please do not copy any parts of this article.

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