Razer DeathAdder Mouse Review
Staff Writer Jeremy Star is at it again as he gives us his review of Razer's DeathAdder Mouse.
advertisement Another month, another mouse! Perhaps we should start a "Mouse a Month" club or something. This month Razer was nice enough to send us their new gaming mouse to review. Will it stand up to the competition? Will I like it as much as their Krait mouse? Will Harry Potter die this summer? Read on to find out!
The Hardware - I love the smell of new mice in the morning!
The Razer DeathAdder is an optical mouse with a USB connection. (Honestly, does anyone use a PS2 mouse anymore?) It features Zero-acoustic Teflon feet, an 1800 DPI 3G Infrared sensor, and a 1ms response time.
The Technology - I dream in Infrared
The DeathAdder uses a new kind of optical sensor to track movement, something Razer calls the 3G Infrared Sensor. In a nutshell, it's an optical engine that uses infrared light instead of the old visible red LED light we're all used to. This allows it to exceed the previous DPI limit for optical mice, and offer us a nice 1800 DPI score.
Why would you want to use an 1800 DPI optical mouse instead of a 2000 DPI laser mouse? Razer claims that this is advantageous for people who like lower sensitivity settings and move the mouse quickly. The optical sensor is better at tracking this type of movement over more surfaces than a laser mouse.
Like most of the mice we have reviewed recently, the DeathAdder features full speed USB polling at 1000Mhz. It also has a gold-plated USB connection, and a nice, long cord to plug it in. It's not braided like the Logitech G5, but it gets the job done.
Like the Razer Krait, the DeathAdder has some nice Teflon feet that glide across cloth and smoother mousepads effortlessly.
There are no buttons specifically assigned to switch the DPI on the fly, but you can set buttons for that, or just switch DPI in the drivers between gaming sessions.
Appearance - Does this mouse make me look dead?
The DeathAdder is Razer's first Righty-only mouse design. Also unlike Razer's previous offerings, this mouse has the familiar hump-back design that Logitech has been using for years, and both sides curve gently inwards.
The mouse is flat black on top, with glossy black sides, a blue-glowing mouse wheel, and a very cool Razer insignia that that pulses on and off. It has two main buttons, and two buttons on the left side of the mouse. The main buttons also mimic the Logitech solid-body design in that they are really just part of the same piece of plastic that makes up the entire top of the mouse.
Performance - Like a flying mammal out of a mythical fiery afterlife.
I have to try hard not to make zoomy car-engine noises while using this mouse. The native 1800 DPI is a bit higher than I normally use for default gaming and applications, but I tried it without lowering the sensitivity, and I got used to it pretty quickly. Like previous Razer mice, the DeathAdder is very zippy.
I played with the DeathAdder exclusively for a month, and had no issues after extended gameplay sessions. The new design is very familiar and comfortable, and it kept my wrists from experiencing any pain at all while gaming.
The buttons are, without a doubt, the best ones I have ever used on a mouse. They have just the right amount of resistance to keep me from accidentally clicking all the time, but they are easy to click repeatedly without expending much effort. This goes for the main buttons as well as the side buttons. The side buttons are also at an almost perfect position. My thumb rests just in the middle of them, so I can easily click the fourth or fifth button without having to contort my hand to do so.
The mouse wheel is also great. You can feel the indentations where it wants to stop, but you can glide right past and keep scrolling without any effort. The wheel is also very easy to use as a third button, as it doesn't scroll accidentally when you try to depress it. Very nice!
Conclusion - Bring out your dead!
As I have stated previously, I am a mouse snob. I have tried many, but I rarely find myself liking them. Did I like the DeathAdder?
What I think of it:
This is my absolute favorite mouse, bar none.
The sides and top are nice and grippy, so I don't have to worry about losing control of the mouse. As I stated previously, I love the buttons, they have just the right combination of resistance and position, and the wheel is the best I've used so far.
Razer took the base Logitech design and made it better. The DeathAdder feels great in my hand, and it looks great when I'm not covering it up. I pretty much use this mouse exclusively now for MMORPGs, other games, or just every day office work.
Now for my one complaint: There's still no dedicated DPI buttons. It wouldn't have been hard to stick them just below the mouse wheel so that I could swap resolutions on the fly without losing the use of another button that I had to assign to that function. Still, it's a minor complaint.
Who I think can benefit the most:
This is a great mouse, so unless you really need those DPI buttons, I think this would be a good mouse for anyone who plays MMORPGs. Unless you're a southpaw. (But don't fret, Razer may be giving you your very own Lefty-Adder in the future.) Already own a great mouse? I would still consider upgrading to a DeathAdder.
Final Thoughts:
While I liked Razer's prior efforts, this mouse takes the cake. It takes the whole cake, shoves it down your throat, and hands you a glass of milk to chase it with. The only thing that prevents this mouse from being a solid 10 is the lack of DPI buttons. As it stands, the Razer DeathAdder is the best gaming mouse out there, in my book.
Overall, I give the DeathAdder 9 poisonous snakes out of a possible 10.
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No pics though? How big is it compared to a Logitech G5 or what doodads does it come with?
I guess I could go to some other site and get pics but some pics here would be nice.
mices? I don't need no stinkin' mices!
All the input device companies can piss off for all I care...especially Logitech. They release a new mouse every other week and yet...their trackball line has remained the same for like 2-3 years. Wish us Trackball users would get some attention. I've bought like 3 or 4 Cordless Trackman Wheels (thumb operated)...just wish they would update with a few of the newer technologies (Bluetooth, rechargeable base station, more advanced control schemes).
its so fast^^ however, some of the buttons are ruff to reach, they also need to introduce the ability to move the mousewheel to the side for xtra buttons.
I really love trackballs for anything except gaming. For games, especially ones that require a lot of precision, I find mice easier to use, but I'm sure that if you really love trackballs, you could get used to them in gaming.
Currently I'm using a Red Plasma Diamondback and I love it. After having on the fly sensitivity adjustment, I consider the lack of it a deal-breaker on the Death Adder. Not only does the mouse cost close to twice as much, but in performance, there's virtually no difference. I do find that the mouse buttons press a tad too easily at times, but that's something you can get used to once you've used the mouse awhile. Having to go through menus to adjust the sensitivity, however, really bites. There are times when you want to slow things down a bit, or speed them up, and you NEED to be able to do that on the fly. Not including a button for that was a HUGE mistake, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many other consumers who have bought the DeathAdder. I'm glad our reviewer here at MMORPG.com doesn't find it to be a deal-breaker, but I'd be willing to bet he's in the minority. Most people who game a lot know just how important on the fly sensitivity truly is.
I've been using a thumb operated (versus a finger operated) trackball for the past 10 years. I play mostly MMO's now but in the past I've played FPS's and RTS's and was able to compete in the local lan scene. I switched to trackballs when my deskspace in college wasn't great...and I haven't looked back since. Using a trackball and a non-standard keyboard setup (asdf instead of wasd) for gaming means no one messes with my pc while at lan parties. :)
and I totally agree with Windrider's comment about Trackball prices...I've replaced my trackballs several times (mostly for aesthetic reasons...the paint wears off on the top of the trackball housing) and the price was always high...despite the fact that an equivalent mouse is priced in the sub $20 range and both are several years old in design.
Yes, that's the kind I liked, also, the thumb operated kind. It was pretty awesome to be able to rest your hand in one position, and know that you're perfectly positioned for clicking when you need to. I've tried the other designs, but the thumb-operated always worked best for me. If I didn't have enough space for an eXact pad from Razer for my mouse, I think I'd be teaching myself how to play games with a trackball, too. :)
Believe it or not some of use really do appreciate your hard work.
Thanks
I loooooooove this mouse.
Not true - performance of the DeathAdder is noticeably better than that of a Diamondback mouse. For proof, read this. Additionally the diamondback doesn't have easily usable side-buttons and appears to be a tad smaller. It's also not nearly as comfortable for right-handed users, because the DeathAdder is designed for right-handed gamers, whereas the Diamondback can be used by anyone. Not being able to adjust your sensitivity on-the-fly with the DeathAdder is again FALSE. You can change your sensitivity on the fly, you cannot change DPI setting on the fly (unless you bind it to a button with the drivers, in which case you can).
Also I'm willing to bet that the reviewer is not in the minority by saying he doesn't care much for changing DPI settings on the fly, especially when changing sensitivity on-the-fly is still included. My current Logitech G5 has buttons for changing your DPI setting whenever you want, but do you ever really use it? Hell No. I just set it to 2000 DPI the entire time, when gaming there is never a need to change it down. Only perhaps if you go off to do some photo-editing work and the like, in which case the DeathAdder simply allows you to change sensitivity on the fly.. so you don't need to bother with accuracy-decreasing DPI changes. Additionally, most people who game a lot know just how useless changing sensitivity on the fly really is: almost no one ever does it, simply because it's far better to get used to a single sensitivity - otherwise you screw up your aim. Furthermore if you resort to changing DPI rather than sensitivity your accuracy will suffer tremendously (because high-DPI mice perform worse at low DPI settings).
A bit more on-topic: finally a mouse review I can agree with. The DeathAdder definitely is the best mouse on the market right now.
-edit -I found it, ~$50
On my G5 I use it a lot actually.
Whoops, I guess I misunderstood OTF Sensitivity versus DPI, I thought they were one and the same, but apparently not! Everyone's hands are a bit different in shape, but I would have to agree that if I could change the sensitivity on the fly, then I would completely love the DeathAdder, because of everything the reviewer has mentioned. While I doubt I would be able to notice the DPI differences myself, I'm sure they are better on the DeathAdder. I don't find the Diamondback to be at all awkward to use, even though it's designed for either hand, but again, contouring for one specific hand has to be nice, just like I appreciated my right handed trackball back in the day. (I think that's the last specific hand input device I used...) Anyway, sorry for my confusion. If you can adjust sensitivity on the fly, then I would be willing to bet that the DeathAdder is the single best mouse in creation for all right-handed people, just based on how much I love my Diamondback.
Edit: When I mention the OTF Sensitivity adjustment, this assumes that I don't have to lose one of the default features for the buttons (I like the forward and back buttons on the side for web browsing, for instance, and wouldn't want to give up either of them just so I could have OTF Sensitivity adjustments). I suppose I could have been more explicit in my original message. I knew that I could change any button and give it the OTF Sensitivity adjustment feature, but my point was I would not want to change any of the default settings to do so, which to me, is the same as not including it at all. That's why I like having the extra two buttons on the Diamondback. One allows for the OTF adjustment, and the other, umm... I don't think I even use it right now, but it's there if I ever want to.
And, of course, you can assign keystrokes and macros to any of the Diamondback's buttons. You can set buttons to do one thing when you press them and another when you release them; macro settings also take note of when you press keys and when you release them, so keyboard combos are easy. The macro playback speed seems to be fixed at a distinctly non-lightning pace, though. The first action happens immediately (so if you bind Ctrl-S to a button, for instance, you'll get your save operation the moment you press the button), but extra keystrokes come at a measured pace.
Other than the macro problem Razerback mice are great however their support is among the worst in the industry. They take the "send you stupid questions unrelated to your problem until you eventually give up and go away" approach. I've tried to get them to address the slow macro execution problem and seven!(7) emails later they refuse to even take 30 seconds out of their day to try to replicate it on their side.
Could you see if the DeathAdder has the same problem? Bind a mouse button to the macro 1 2 3 4 5. Go into notepad and hit that mouse button a bunch of times. Does 12345123451234512345123451234512345 pop out instantly or are you yawning as you watch the text scroll across your screen for a few seconds.
It's so funny seeing people complain about no pics, no price listed.... This is an MMORPG site, not Amazon.com.
ROFL
www.amazon.com/Razer-DeathAdder-Infrared-Gaming-Mouse/dp/B000MF67VO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-4111360-6578849
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx
www.razerzone.com/index.php
And here's a Google search for various online prices:
www.google.com/products
The difference between my old Logitech MX610 and Razer Deathadder is HUGE. DA is just proper mouse, without too much of those laser beams etc..the DA is way more agile than the MX610 is. It weighs about half of Logitech etc..
The DeathAdder is full value for it's price.
Rating: 5/5
So far, the DeathAdder exceeds my expectations in every field. When I first opened the box and pulled the mouse out, the weight was absolutely amazing. It's REALLY light...
The only gripe with the DeathAdder are with the mouse feet. The shell of the DA has a slight curve on the bottom of the mouse, and with such small mouse feet, it actually scrapes on flat surfaces. This is a known problem, if you contact Razer they will be able to send you some replacements.
Other than that, the mouse is great! Performance is wonderful whether using high-sensitive twitch based gaming, or low-sensitive tactical shooting.
Razer recently sent word of a motherboad USB issue and the subsequent firmware upgrade for the Razer DeathAdder.
Check it out HERE.
Well despite your LOL, including pictures and at least price range in a hardware article is generally what most people expect.
Leaving it out puts the review as unfinished. Value compared to the competition should never be brushed over. At ~50 this mouse stacks up very nice with the competition.
As an example, I read a very nice review on a keyboard, only to find out the darn thing was ridiculously priced, yet not even mentioned by the author. Needless to say, no matter how nice the keyboard, it's price put it out of the range of 99% of us.
Nice review.