Razer
DeathAdder Mouse
As
expected the material and design used in the Razer
mouse packaging are very similar to other Razer
products, including the headphones also being
reviewed here. On the front of the box we see
a good product shot which gives a great idea of
the design of the mouse and there are a few technical
specifications which will assist in comparisons
to other products.
The
front flap of the box opens and allows us to see
the mouse in all its glory for the first time,
its encased in protective plastic however again,
gives potential buyers all the info they need
on design. Turning the box over we find a list
of more detailed specifications in many languages.
Bundled
with the DeathAdder is promotional info, quick
start guide, manual, COA and a driver CD. The
manual is incredibly detailed and well written.
The
mouse itself is quite stunning in design, it looks
good in the packaging, however when unboxed the
matt, rubberised top both looks and feels truly
exceptional, especially when combined with the
more polished sides of the mouse. The curved mouse
buttons are comfortable to rest fingers on and
is one of the DeathAdder’s strongest aspects.
There are 4 buttons on this mouse, left, right
and two thumb buttons. All are configurable via
the Razer software installed with the driver.
The scroll wheel acts as a fifth button as well
as a 24 position scroller.
In
terms of weight the DeathAdder is worth commenting
upon. The mouse is reasonably light and shouldn’t
cause issues for the majority of users, yet this
delicate mouse is also reassuring to the hand,
it is clearly a quality product. If your case
is far from the mouse pad fear not because Razer
have included a 7 foot long cable which is another
nice touch. The design of the mouse/cable also
provides a 16-bit data channel which is much wider
than many other mice, which use a more traditional
8bit or 12bit channel. Quite how this will translate
into real world performance is open for debate.
The
underside of the mouse is reasonably basic, there
are 3 teflon feet for smooth manoeuvring and a
product information sticker. Also found here is
the mouse sensor. The DeathAdder features Razer’s
3rd Generation technology (optical – infrared
)with 1800 DPI precision. Those reading who are
up to speed on Razers other mice will realise
that this is 200DPI lower than some other designs,
that said there are advantages to the 3G design.
First of all the lift of distance has been improved
to 2.1mm from 2.4mm and to 60inches per second
( IPS -speed a mouse can move whist still tracking
movement). In terms of polling rate Razer keep
up the impressive specifications and provide us
with a product capable of 1000Hz/1ms response,
highly suitable for the hardcore gamer.
Feature
Comparison of Optical Sensor Generations
|
1G
Optical
(1999)
|
2G
Optical
(2004)
|
3G
Infrared
(2007) |
DPI |
800 |
1600 |
1800 |
IPS |
12 |
40 |
60 |
Minimum
Lift-Off |
3mm |
2.4mm |
2.1mm |
Acceleration
(G) |
0.15 |
15 |
19 |
Image
Size (pixels) |
16x16 |
30x30 |
30x30 |
There
is one final aspect of the mouse hardware worth
noting and that is the use of lighting. The DeathAdder
as noted above, looks great when just sitting
on the desk. When powered up however things get
even better and we have a lovely blue scrollwheel
and a pulsing Razer logo where the palm rests.
These are obviously not essential features, but
all the little touches certainly improve the end
product.
