Review: Razer DeathAdder

The DeathAdder is the newest addition to Razer's growing family of high-end gaming mice. Gamers who play fast-paced first person shooters will probably get the most out of this mouse because it is equipped with Razer's new 3G Infrared Sensor. While I can't provide quantitative data support its name (it's actually named after a snake), I suspect that gamers will appreciate the unique combination of engineering, design, and flexibility that the DeathAdder offers.

While playing first-person shooters, most gamers tend to keep their sensitivity settings low to maintain accuracy. A low sensitivity setting allows you to line up your shots with care, but you'll find that more substantial movements, like reacting to a sniper on a rooftop, require you to move your mouse a greater physical distance. While these high speed motions often confuse other infrared and laser mice, the DeathAdder's 3G Sensor is capable of tracking movements at more than 60 inches-per-second without suffering from random cursor movements.

The DeathAdder's ergonomic design is comfortable and eye-catching. Unlike other mice from Razer, the DeathAdder is not ambidextrous. I'm left handed, but I forced myself to switch after being inspired by the President of Razer during our recent interview. Free from the constraints of creating an ambidextrous mouse, the designers were able to carefully tune the curvature. The result is one of the most comfortable mousing experiences available.

The top of the mouse consists of a one-piece, non-slip surface that extends over the buttons, making them indistinguishable from the rest of the region. The one-piece design makes the mouse look particularly sleek and does away with that annoying gap that requires regular cleaning. The surface curves around the low resistance scroll-wheel, which has twenty-four individual positions. Razer commonly incorporates transparent plastic in their mouse designs, but the Razer's solid black finish is pleasant variation. The emblem towards the back glows blue, so this mouse matches the Tarantula keyboard perfectly.

The new mouse is larger and its base appears to have more surface area. The wider design puts more mouse under your hand help to improve control--especially during situations where a rapid response is required. The size combined with its non-slip surface allowed me get a good hold on the DeathAdder.

No matter how a Razer product performs during review, I am consistently impressed with the configuration software. The DeathAdder's software is no exception. The software allows you to configure up to five custom profiles. Settings like button assignment, polling rate, and DPI can be saved to a profile. A small button on the bottom of the mouse allows you to cycle through profiles quickly. Two large programmable buttons are conveniently located on the left side of the mouse. You can assign macros to each of these buttons to take care of repetitive tasks during game play.

The DeathAdder provides a smooth, accurate, and comfortable mousing experience. It provides a noticeable advantage over an ordinary optical mouse. It's available now for $59.99.