Product Description

Razer is the world's leading brand in high-end computer gaming peripherals. The company reinvented the computer gaming industry by bringing the competitive edge to gamers when professional computer gaming was in its infancy.PRODUCT FEATURES:1800 dpi 3G infrared sensor;1000 Hz ultrapolling / 1ms response;5 programmable, ultra-large non-slip buttons with hyperesponse;16-bit ultra-wide data channel;Zero-acoustic ultraslick teflon feet;Always-on instant response;Award-winning on-the-fly sensitivity drivers;Right-handed form factor.

Product Details

• Color: Black
• Brand: Razer
• Model: RZ01-00150100-R3M1
• Released on: 2007-02-25
• Platform: Windows Vista
• Dimensions: 9.00" h x 3.50" w x 7.50" l, .30 pounds

Features

• High precision gaming mouse
• Ergonomic right hand design
• 1800 dpi 3G infrared sensor
• 5 programmable, ultra-large Hyperesponse buttons
• On-The-Fly Sensitivity drivers let you switch dpi settings in the midst of a battle

Customer Reviews

Best shaped mouse around!
A gaming mouse (high dpi laser and wired rather than wireless) has a quickness and consistency that wireless laser mice just cannot match. I have owned a number of gaming mice over the years and while I have liked them all, I think this one is the very best so far.

The most important issue here is the shape of the mouse. The top (left and right) buttons of this mouse are a continuous part of its top surface rather than being separate buttons like on the Diamondhead or the Copperhead. For me, this is important because it makes the mouse feel much smoother when my hand rests on it. As a result, my hand rests more naturally on this mouse than any other.

Another important issue is the carefully thought-out shape of the basic right and left buttons on this mouse. Note that these buttons have a subtle up-and-out curvature that allows one's fingers to rest more naturally and to click faster and with greater precision than with the uniformly downwardly curved (or convex) buttons on mice made by manufacturers like, say, Logitech.

Previously, I liked the shape of the Microsoft 6000 gaming mouse (not to be confused with the ubiquitous Microsoft 6000 wireless mouse) the best. But the shape of this mouse is clearly better.

Many gamers do like the Logitech mice, but I have always felt that the curvature and shape the G5 and MX518 mice is a bit off. The problem is that the fingers do not rest as naturally relaxed and yet poised on a downwardly curved surface as they do on a surface with a slight and subtle upturn at the front edge of the basic right and left buttons.

Speed and control:
This mouse is extremely precise and it is easy to adjust its sensitivity with the proper drivers.

Vista Drivers must be downloaded:
My operating system is Vista Premium Home. While the print on the box that the mouse came in proclaimed that this mouse was Vista ready, it turned out that there were no Vista drivers on the CD ,so I had to download drivers from the manufacturers support site. This proved fairly easy though so I do not consider this a serious issue.

Adjustable Lights and the Look:
I do not like the purple lights on the wheel and on the logo that are always shown in the pictures of the Razer mice. Accordingly, I was delighted to realize that turning these lights off is a simple matter of clicking on two buttons in the driver setting panel. Once the lights have been turned off the mouse looks much plainer (and much better too in my opinion).

One of the Best Ever
I have used most gaming mice that have been released since year 2000. Prior to the Deathadder, my mouse of choice was the Logitech G5. I am not going to bash either mouse. Both are very good. However, I prefer the Deathadder more.

(Note: Make sure you upgrade firmware. This does make a difference in the lift off issue that some people have complained about)

After tweaking the sensitivity to about where I like it, I noticed that the Deathadder feels more smooth and accurate than the G5. I am not sure if it is the 1000hz polling or the sensor, but something feels very right about it. The only movement issue I had was getting used to the lift off height. The new firmware improves this a lot. However, it took a couple of days to train myself to lift the mouse slighlty higher, but I am completely used to it now. I think the G5 might initially be more user friendly here, but it only takes a matter of a few days to get used to the Deathadder.

The other items that feel "right" to me are the side buttons. They seem to be perfectly balanced for just the right amount of pressure to make it easy to depress, but tough enough to not accidently press them. I really don't care about "Back" and "Forward" in internet explorer. I just want usable buttons to bind inventory items in games. The G5 was a bit of a let down there with only one, reasonably hard button to depress.

The scroll wheel in my opinion is better than the G5. The Deathadder again seems like Razer found the perfect compromise in scroll click feel. However, like most mice, the scroll wheel button is really not an option in a high intensity online game. The Deathadder's might be a little less usable than the G5 since the wheel is smoother, but I found myself scrolling down while trying to depress the button. So I don't really use it now, I just wanted to give it a shot. One thing that the G5 has is the side to side scrolling. However, I never really use that anyway, even in spreadsheets, so there were no negative points in my book. However, if you rely on this feature, this mouse might not be for you.

In terms of comfort, I have a big hand and I find the Deathadder more comfortable to play games with over a long period of time. I rest my palm on top more instead of hovering it off the back as I did with the G5.

In terms of craftmanship, I would say that I am pleased. The mouse feels well built and very solid. I would say it is on par with Logitech build quality (except the G7, don't get me started on that stalling, freezing, and totally not "bullet proof connectivity" POS).

Considering looks, the Deathadder is really attractive in person. It reminds me of an exotic sportscar. My G5 is silver, rust colored and black. It is not terrible, but the Deathadder is more sleek and refined. I see a little of the iconic Razer Boomslang 2000 shape in it too. I find the pulsing blue logo really cool too. It so happens that my case is black and has blue LEDs inside and my keyboard is the G15 so the Deathadder matches my color scheme.

Overall, Razer has a winner with this Death Adder. For me, it feels just right and it is very smooth and accurate. After a couple of days, I am used to it and loving it. If you have a G5 and are happy with it, you probably don't need to buy this one. If your are like me and like to try new things, this might be the perfect mouse for you to try.

Nice mouse, slightly problematic install
UPDATE, 4/18/2009: After nearly two years, my DeathAdder has been experiencing problems. The finish is starting to come off of the top of the mouse, and the left mouse button is intermittently cutting in and out such that if I try to click and drag anything, it stops halfway through. Thankfully, the warranty is two years and I will most likely be getting a replacement. However, before you read the glowing review below, keep in mind that you may suffer issues in the long term.


I'm a gamer, but loathe PC-based first-person shooters. So one might think this mouse overkill for someone like me. However, I splurged on this mouse anyhow thinking it might come in handy elsewhere, be it in Warcraft 3 or just a web browser.

The first thing you notice right after you plug it in is that it looks cool. The scroll wheel is a bright blue, and the Razer logo gives off a soft blue pulsing glow. However, you can turn the lights off in software if this isn't your thing, which is a nice plus...

...once you can get the software to work. I'm not an inexperienced computer user by any means, but simply following the directions included in the package resulted in the mouse software claiming that the DeathAdder was not connected when it clearly was. All I had to do was go to the Razer website, download driver version 1.05, uninstall version 1.03 (which required a reboot), install 1.05 (another reboot), and it worked just fine. It was merely annoying, but certainly worth noting.

With that out of the way I've found the mouse extremely comfortable (though unfortunately it's ever-so-slightly curved to one side, which means southpaws need not apply) and very, VERY responsive. It never skips, jumps, or glitches. The buttons are easy to click but not so easy as to cause mis-clicks, especially the two buttons on the left side, which are a bit sturdier. The mouse comes with a decently long cord with a gold-plated USB connection too; having used wireless mice I must say I prefer this setup to changing batteries, rechargeable or no.

When I first considered buying, I was stuck between this and the Microsoft Habu, mostly because the latter has two additional buttons and a left-to-right tilt wheel. I've tried both, and I must say this is clearly superior, not just in price point but comfort as well. You don't really need the two extra buttons unless you plan on switching the DPI a lot, and according to ESReality's Mousescore 2007 the mouse performs far better in 1800 DPI than 900 or 450, so it's probably better to stick to the highest DPI and change the sensitivity instead. I can't say I miss the left-right tilt wheel either, since the scroll button's click function is a universal scroll in web browsers, and that's just as good if not better.

$45 seems a bit expensive for a mouse, but even for non-gamers, consider how much you use it - it's probably 99% of all user input to your computer, so why not splurge a little on an excellent mouse? Razer is also apparently moving into mice/keyboards/etc. with a general computer usage focus, so those non-gamers out there should check out other Razer products as well.