Razer mice.

[mikethebboy]

Back when i got my mouse, there was a bunch of hype about razer mice (still is) and I decided to buy the Razer Lachesis... Soon after buying i realized it wasn't that great for the price and i recommend that you don't waste your money on it.

[Moneyless]

I've never tried the Lachesis, but I've had 3 Razer mice so far and I've liked them all. (Diamondback Plasma, Diamondback 3G, DeathAdder 3.5G) You have to keep in mind that Razer mice are "for gamers," the type of people who usually don't mind overpaying if it's got LEDs/lighting, programmable buttons, and fancy marketing buzzwords.

[wap32]

I actually like the Lachesis...
It replaced my old Copperhead that broke. which was also very nice.

[IanM]

old Lachesis or the revamped edition with 5600dpi sensor? Razer used to get a lot of hype as the only alternative to Microsoft & Logitech, but now that there are numerous gaming peripheral brands to choose from I think there is as much strong criticism of Razer as there is hype. A lot of that criticism is probably justified but I started to think that maybe they are getting their act together? I've used Razer mice ever since the very first Boomslang, less than impressive build quality on all except the newest one I have - an Imperator. This one feels pretty solid and I like it a lot, although I have settled on the Alienware TactX as my preferred mouse (due to the shape)

All these gaming peripherals are expensive without really justifying the price, so it's good that there are frequent sales and decent discounts to be had by shopping around. Never pay MSRP unless you are desperate and need something urgently.

[Koeitje]

With Razer its just pretty much hit or miss. Some mice are really good while others have some bad problems. They aren't the most reliable either.

[Zykos]

I got a Razer Deathadder 3G, the old one, and it is doing great. No signs that it will break any time soon.

[NewGuy]

Their quality control seems spotty, I am happy with my DeathAdder Black, but not the BlackWidow Ultimate that I bought.
Their product design is pretty varied as well, some of their hardware is really good, and some of it is overpriced junk.

Their mice that use good sensors like the DeathAdder, are unrivaled. There's nothing else out there as good as the DeathAdders when it comes to tracking performance.

The older Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical 1.1 and Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 tracked just as well, once you run them at 500/1000Hz, but they're only 400 DPI mice which just isn't enough with modern high resolution displays. Ideally your mouse would be in the 1000-2000 range, and probably closer to the upper end of that scale if you're running at 1080p or higher.

[strike015]

well alot of features that are on razer mouse's are just gimmicks i mean who cares about LED lights on a gaming mouse, it's not like you'll have the time to check out your mouse when you're busy fragging. and the razer naga i mean 12 side buttons?
3 of which are quite uncomfortable to access eg.9-12. not to mention their build quality aren't exactly top notch, don't get me wrong there are people who like that kind of extras and if they think it's worth it then it is.
I myself have been using a razer Diamonback 3G for almost 2 years now and it's served me well although this was a replace i got after the first one died in 3 weeks of normal use.

[Daniel Beaver]

What exactly is bad about the build quality? All mice seem cheap to me, and Razer does not stand out in my mind.

(another DeathAdder user, I like it)

[IanM]

From day one there were problems with various buttons sticking and failing, wheels failing, inadequately cable housings that led to loose connections & erratic pointer movement etc. I already said I think they've improved: the Imperator feels more solid, and I guess the other new mice and newer revisions of the Deathadder have better build quality as well. There have been some duff firmwares along the way as well - poor tracking and/or acceleration issues that people hated, but that's a different issue than build quality.

Overall though your right, most of these gaming brands are making cheaply constructed peripherals and the range of quality mostly varies between barely adequate and awful.

[bxt]

I almost went a buy a new DeathAdder (Black Edition), but after i read some users reporting, that the rubber on the sides rips off, i am definitely holding back.

[NewGuy]

I have only seen one user post that (on multiple forums) and it has clearly been scratched off rather than worn off.

What one user claims to be "worn off"


What a mouse really looks like when the coating wears off over time:

[BababooeyHTJ]

I have a Deathadder 3g and the Deathadder black edition and I love them both. I have yet to try a more comfortable mouse. They have both been very reliable which is more than I can say from any Steelseries product that I have owned or my Microsoft Sidewinder. My Deathadder 3G has seen quite a bit of use too.

[bxt]

Its clearly not worn off, but i still find the quality questionable, seeing how thin the rubber line is.

[pita]

Never like the idea of rubber on something that I intend to keep for a long time, such as mouse. Especially if i spend good money on it, I don't want to deal with worn off r or greasy, decomposed rubber. What is wrong with the good old matte finished surface anyway? People, even pros used to play just fine with them.

[Daniel Beaver]

What sort of material does Steelseries use on their mice (xai, kinzu)? Those have an awesome feel to them.

[rpgman1]

Their newer mice seem really sketchy anyway. I had some issues with the Mamba and thought it was too expensive for its price. Must have some lame marketing people in their department.

[NewGuy]

It really depends which Razer product you buy. Some of them are high quality devices that warrant the price, such as the DeathAdder which is unrivalled for its tracking performance, and others are not worth half of what they cost such as the majority of their keyboards and many of their other mice.

[Nikki_Case]

Razer has some quality sensors in their mice, but they seem to wear or break rather quickly. I've never actually owned any Razer products and probably never will because of those alleged issues with quality.

[NewGuy]

Well again, it depends what Razer product you're looking at. A lot of people complain that the Razer mice feel cheap because they are light, but you want a light mouse for gaming. I have found the construction to hold up well over time with my previous mouse, and only had to replace it when the cord was damaged after four or five years. (nothing to do with the build quality)

The DeathAdder is a solid mouse that should last you a number of years. It's one of the few mice designs they've kept around for a number of years, I believe it was introduced in 2006. There is nothing forcing you to buy a DeathAdder Black Edition with the rubberised side grip.

[Yomi39]

Razer Imperator is great also the Zowie IO1.1.

[pita]

The DeathAdder is a solid mouse that should last you a number of years. It's one of the few mice designs they've kept around for a number of years, I believe it was introduced in 2006. There is nothing forcing you to buy a DeathAdder Black Edition with the rubberised side grip.

DA's shape, if you look closely, is heavily based on the IE3.0. It would be pretty dumb not keeping the design around over the years.

[rpgman1]

That would explain the popularity of the DeathAdder mice. Many people find them comfortable to use.

[Nask]

That would explain the popularity of the DeathAdder mice. Many people find them comfortable to use.

I used to own some Intellimouse Optical 1.1 and Intellimouse Explorer 3.0.
I used these 2 mice for 10 years, and I only changed to a Razer DeathAdder because of the Voodoo Version. [Voodoo's brand fan].
I've been surprised by this mouse, really comfortable, not too big.

[pat]

Deathadder rubber surface wears out

[NewGuy]

Deathadder rubber surface wears out

And plastic wears smooth/shiny, can discolour with age. I have an old MS WMO 1.1 that looks like it has been in a smoker's house for 20 years just from sitting in my loft.


With my old Diamondback from probably over five years ago, the cable died on the mouse before the rubber surface wore down, and that was destroyed in an accident rather than wear & tear.

[caprolactone]

deathadder here. I really like it, if you keep it in good shape then it'll last, had mine for quite a while, still great, just have to clean it from time to time.

[Moneyless]

What sort of material does Steelseries use on their mice (xai, kinzu)? Those have an awesome feel to them.

I loved the coating on the back of my Steelseries Ikari Laser, but it wore off way too fast IMO.

The coating on all of their mice wears off too fast. I have a college friend who had the original WoW mouse (not the newer the Cataclysm one), and he had worn through the layers of paint (or whatever) right through to the white plastic... So the main big worn spot was bordered in grey and red-orange-ish and black and almost brownish and silver so it almost looked like the back of the mouse got a flesh eating disease or something.

[pat]

Anyone like glossy coating? Found on 1.1se and the zowie mice
If you like shape of deathadder can try ms 3.0, thats where they got the shape from

[prava]

I guess it depends on the model. I bought a Razer Magma a few years ago and the wire broke within a year. Now, I had some Logitech mice abused every day for years and they still seem nearly new. At the same time my bro owns a Deathadder and he loves it...

I guess its just personal taste. I think they are pricey, but a mice is something that must be comfortable as we abuse it every day