Entered CNET Catalog: 02/27/2007
SKU: 897126000973
Manufacturer: Razer Inc.
Manufacturer description
The Razer DeathAdder is the world's first 3G infrared sensor gaming mouse. This ultimate gaming mouse with ergonomic right-handed design provides maximum comfort during intensive gameplay, and will send enemies scurrying for cover.Product summary
The good: The Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse has high accuracy and includes excellent customization software, and two responsive thumb-side buttons (righties only).
The bad: No Vista driver despite claim of support on the box; no dedicated button for cycling through DPI settings on the fly.
The bottom line: Razer's DeathAdder gaming mouse is a powerful accessory for fans of 3D shooters and others who might demand a high degree of customizability in their mice. We wish that Razer had delivered on its promise of Vista support out of the box, but aside from that and a few other issues, the DeathAdder performs exceptionally well.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 02/27/2007
If you're unfamiliar with Razer's mice, the company has dedicated itself to creating the perfect gaming input device. The DeathAdder comes with all of Razer's familiar touches. The rubberized coating on the top surface of the mouse prevents excessive moisture (or rather, sweat). And the extralong, 7-foot USB cable makes it easy to connect the DeathAdder to even the most outlandish gaming setups. It has a large scroll wheel and a pair of thumb buttons on its side, giving you five buttons in total, all of which you can customize in the mouse's software.
Setting up the DeathAdder is easy enough. Both Windows XP and Vista recognized it without asking us to install any software. If you're happy with the mouse's default settings, you can probably just put the driver CD away entirely. We suspect that gamers will want to at least look at the customization options though, and for that we're sad to report that Razer's software works only in Windows XP. The software will install in Vista, but it doesn't recognize the mouse, which must happen in order for your settings changes to kick in. The DeathAdder's box even claims Vista support, which makes this omission particularly irritating. Like other hardware vendors, Razer is working on Vista drivers. When they'll be done is anyone's guess.
If you still run Windows XP, you'll find the Razer software intuitive and robust. The basic settings window lets you adjust button assignments and change the polling rate and the DPI settings, which extend to a whopping 1,000Hz and 1,800dpi, respectively. Such high settings give the DeathAdder exceptional responsiveness and accuracy. Dig deeper into the software and the advanced window lets you tweak the sensitivity of the X and Y axes independently of each other. You can also adjust the pointer speed and apply a range of acceleration effects to get the cursor moving even more quickly.
One other feature we like about the Razer drivers is that it lets you set and save profiles for the DeathAdder, for when you want to switch DPI settings on the fly. You can also program macros to tie different key combos to a single click of the mouse. We like the macro feature, but the DPI switching is less than ideal. You can set a button only to switch to another DPI setting, but you can't use it to cycle through different sensitivities. A button on the bottom of the mouse lets you cycle through different profiles, but it's hardly in an ideal location if you're in the middle of a gaming session.
That DPI switching issue is really our biggest problem with the DeathAdder. The Logitech G5 gets it right with a dedicated button preset to three different DPI settings, as well as a small row of lights that provide visual feedback as to what mode you're in. Razer's ad hoc approach doesn't work half as well. On the other hand, the 1,000Hz polling limit of the DeathAdder gives it twice the accuracy of the 500Hz G5. We also have to give the DeathAdder the nod for its pair of very firm and responsive thumb-side buttons. It's a righty-only mouse, so you southpaws will have to adjust or look elsewhere. But for the other 85-or-so percent of us, the two thumb-side buttons are a major boon over Logitech's single button--not to mention older Razer mice, for that matter.
Finally, we found a link to another review of this mouse that we think you should read. As far as we're aware, the team at gaming hardware site ESReality.com has the only mousing benchmark in the industry. We can't speak to the accuracy of the test results or anything else about the site in general (although we have no reason to think there's anything shady going on), but for sheer ingenuity, we think their review is worth a read.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18out of 18 user reviews
Excellent gaming mouse.
Pros: 3500dpi precision, 3.d infared sensor, On the fly sensitivity, Plenty of buttons with easy access, 4.3 x faster than your standard mouse
Cons: Being wireless would be nice.
out of 18 user reviews
awesome
!
Pros: Everything
Cons: none...that i know !
Awesome mouse...plus there is a buttom on bottom of mouse which cycles thru dpi if u havent noticed...
out of 18 user reviews
Great bang for the buck mouse
Pros: Great accuracy, responsiveness, and tracking.
Mouse is light and the glider pads work exceptionally.
Great responsive buttons.
Cons: only thing that bothers me is the mouse 4 and 5 buttons are a bit higher than id like, but thats probably just me.
out of 18 user reviews
not the best but definitely more then worthy
Pros: - Bang for the buck
- very versatile sensitivity's
- 3.5g lazer
- more then enough sensitivity for the average gamer
Cons: - Only for right handed players
- very reliant on a palm style mouse grip http://www2.razerzone.com/MouseGuide/html/palmgrip.php
- other then that no rants from me.
For those wondering Here are my system specs.
Hp a6109n
AMD Athlon 64 x2 dual core processor 3800+ 2.00 ghz
3.00 gb ram
Windows vista 32 bit
- one of the best 60 dollar mouses you could buy without a doubt
- the 3500 dpi is enough sensitivity for the average player, and is responsive with no lag
- with a high sensitivity mode available for fps or people who like there mouse sensitive there is also a 800 dpi mode available for MMORPG's or players who like a low sensitivity
- although the Razer Lachesis and Razer Orochi have 5000 more dpi are both 20 dollars more and ranked higher, the Razer DeathAdder has a 3.5 g lazer the same lazer on the mamba (there 129.00 mouse) vs there 3g lazer which is ultimately more important then the dpi, unless you are specifically looking for a high sensitivity. (the lazer is what is giving you the response, and IMO the DeathAdder's 3500 dpi plus in game sensitivity controls is more then enough on the sensitivity end)
Justifications
"Install new drivers over old ones = bricked mouse, Impossible to uninstall old drivers!" this simply is not true, considering its always possible to uninstall, this is simply a user error. Also the DC (drift control) firmware could of been installed which would not be something you want unless you understand drift control and like to use it.
"I am having TONS of trouble with using Razer DeathAdder drivers on Vista x64 as well... Although for me, the mouse will work but about 80% of the functions (DPI switcher, macro, etc.) will NOT work."
"It's because you have Vista. The customizable options that come along with the disk unfortunately are only made for XP. It's in CNet's description. http://reviews.cnet.com/mice/razer-deathadder/4505-3148_7-32331184.html?tag=mncol;lst"
Sorry cnet but this claim is also not true, its also listed as vista compatible on the razer site. Problems are prominent because either the software was not installed that came with the mouse, you must install and run this then configure your buttons for them to be available. aside from configuration in the program, you must run the razer software while using the mouse (you will find a razer icon in your system tray)
The end
i feel like I'm stating the obvious and am sorry for this, but i have been running vista since i bought this mouse, and i have had no such problems except when i did not have the software running while using the pc.
i have played Counter strike source, Day of defeat source, WOW, FFXI, Guildwars, now league of legends, and had many hours of use on this mouse, through all my experience this mouse has been great, and its almost a year old and shows no ware but what i would expect (finger marks) from a mouse this old.
out of 18 user reviews
Great mouse, exceptional quality.
Pros: The grip and size of the mouse fit snugly in my hand. Five different user setups are easily changed between with the bottom button on the mouse. Tracking and clicking is EXCEPTIONAL. Cord is easy to manage.
Cons: Not enough buttons, limited to 5, has room for at least two more.
out of 18 user reviews
Excellent gaming mouse
Pros: Looks sleek and sexy. Glowing wheel and logo looks great.
Rubberized grip provided good resistance on my fingers - not slipping but not sticking.
Thumb buttons feel natural and never misclick.
Gaming-grade guts.
Lightweight.
On-the-fly DPI switching.
Cons: Smudge-prone.
Hold it before you buy it - mouse shape may not support your non-palm grip.
Price (I paid $65 in store but online it's down to $45).
I found some tracking problems on my regular cloth mousepad that aren't noticeable with my MS Laser Mouse 6000 (by most account an inferior gaming mouse).
I'm leaning towards Logitech's G9 due to its increased grip and weight customization options.
I found the on-the-fly DPI switching amazing, in stark contrast to the Cnet reviewer(s). You push a thumb button and scroll your way to your desired ssensitivity. It was perfect for my gaming demands. I found myself using medium DPI for regular FPS'ing, then quickly scrolling to lower for sniping or precision. Also easy was switching users (they could just scroll their way to the sensitivity they want instead of pushing buttons to hopefully hit a preset they like).
Finally, I hated how dirty it would get - even after only a few minutes there would be smudges and gunk in the border between the rubberized top and the glossy side. I found myself cleaning it constantly.
This mouse should be on your short list for best gaming mouse, but I'm not convinced it tops it.
out of 18 user reviews
Don't Remind me to pick this anymore. Perfect mouse !
Pros: Great sensitivity and Outstanding design of Ergonomic Right-Handed Design
Cons: Nothing Of course !
out of 18 user reviews
Best Mouse I've ever owned!!
Pros: Amazing tracking. Really good ergonomic deisgn (and looks) for right hand users. Really comfortable and precise, controllable tracking.
Cons: Easily smudged. Scrolling likes to accelerate down page. A bit expensive. Can't be used for lefties.
out of 18 user reviews
Great Gaming/operating device
Pros: nice interface...scroll wheel and speed customizable. side buttons also customizable..
Cons: drivers took a while to load for vista...not the best software to install...smudge marks are visible..
out of 18 user reviews
best mouse in the world
Pros: great movment and feel
Cons: none that i know of
out of 18 user reviews
Good hardware - terrible software
Pros: Accurate, ergonomic mouse
Cons: Terrible drivers that don't work in Vista
out of 18 user reviews
Best gaming mouse out there, no more said
Pros: Design, High DPI, Ideal for low sensitivity gamers
Cons: Corded which can be annoying for some people, drivers can be a tad hard to configure at first.
out of 18 user reviews
Probably one of Razer's top mice!
Pros: Probably one of the best mice. Accurate and good form.
Cons: Scroll Wheel is too-sensitive, On the Fly is useless with this mouse
This is one of the best mice I have ever used. But Razer products always have one flaw. Every singly one of them. For this one, it's the scroll wheel. It's too sensitive. It's okay for certain games, but because I play Counter-Strike competitively, it's harsh.
I might be bunny hopping with the scroll wheel, then shooting someone. All of a sudden, the scroll wheel decides to move and I jump, ruining the recoil control. I know that while it does kind of click in, with a fast paced game like Counter-Strike, you don't have time to make sure that it's locked in.
This mouse is actually slower than the Krait for some weird reason. With higher dots per inch, theoretically it should be faster.
On the Fly sensitivity is kind of useless. Because I use Mouse4 and Mouse5, there's no other button I can set on the fly to. (mouse3 is ventrilo speak) Not like it matters, since I don't use drivers, but in online tournaments it is nice (I'm not one to get too used to settings...I can easily adjust from drivers to no drivers to drivers)
All in all, it's one of the best gaming mice I've ever owned.
out of 18 user reviews
The most headache-inducing mouse ever!
Pros: Has a sleek design, and eye catching LEDs.
Cons: Prone to driver nightmares combined with awful tech support.
One of them will not turn off the LEDs even when the option to turn them off is enabled. This is annoying at night when you constantly see a pulsing blue LED out of the corner of your eye. Also, the mouse wheel is loud and the bottom of the mouse tends to scrape against the mouse pad due to the extremely thin teflon feet. For a "gaming" mouse, such problems are unacceptable.
The other mouse refuses to work at all. I've emailed tech support but they just point me to their knowledge base. If the knowledge base solution actually worked, I wouldn't have emailed them in the first place. The mouse constantly turns off, so it works for 30 seconds, if it works at all. I'm trying to get this RMA'ed but Razer's tech support is having me jump through hoops to get a RMA number.
Just go on the Razer support forums. There are a lot of users having various problems. The driver issue is an absolute nightmare as well. Apparently installing the latest drivers tends to brick a lot of the mice. And the driver uninstall procedure has you go into the registry and delete a bunch of obscure keys JUST to do a clean re-install of the drivers. It almost seems like Razer just decided to slap together a bunch of drivers and prayed it worked.
Absolutely terrible. This is the first and last time I'll buy a Razer mouse.
out of 18 user reviews
Don't think about updating the drivers!
Pros: Good mouse while it works
Cons: Install new drivers over old ones = bricked mouse, Impossible to uninstall old drivers!
out of 18 user reviews
great for gaming and just about anything else
Pros: feels good, ultra customizable, looks good
Cons: price. that's it
out of 18 user reviews
Bring beath to anyone that comes in ur way.
Pros: Quick response , side buttons , razer glow , 3g laser , responsive clicks , gd confort
Cons: right handers only
out of 18 user reviews
G5 is NOT an ideal gaming mouse, Deathadder is
Pros: Perfect ergo shape for right handers, best sensor availible, best side buttons, functional scrollwheel, small and light enough to move in FPS games.
Cons: Currently the front end scrapes mousing surface, some do not notice because it's still somewhat smooth plastic surface. They lied about Vista. DPI settings are NOT a significant con:
The previous razers were for either hand and were too thin the grip comfortably and controlably. This new mouse is very similar to the Intelimouse Explorer 3.0 by Microsoft (as far as shape). The side buttons are in much better placement than previous Razers and lets not even talk about the G5...
Okay, yeah, the G5 only has ONE side button... This new mouse also has good grip rubber skin all over top of it in addition to ergo design. Logitech sometimes goes way out of it's way to make a mouse LOOK ergo (with the whole thumb grove) but my hand, which is a normal one
, does not naturally fit in the thumb groove, especially in gaming. You have to have a "ready to attack" grip on the mouse when you're gaming, and using the thumbgroove is very awkward and actually displaces your other fingers from their natural rest on the mouse and it's actually hard to lift and replace the mouse (when you run out of room) with your thumb in the groove. Basically, the Deathadder doesn't just "look" ergo, it really is.I am only reviewing this to offset the "8" rating given by CNET. I wish I had one to test myself, I'm about to buy one, just scared of scraping shell. If they fix that, this SHOULD be the #1 gaming mouse out there...
Also, the on-the-fly dpi switching is not tat big of a deal to me. They should have included it I suppose, but the G5 has other things that minimize the benifits of the DPI options. The DeathAdder will bring you a whole new level of control in your games. I usually learn one sensitivity and stick with it. If anyone disagrees with me, please say so... I have used the DPI settings on my G5 a few times, but they aren't that hott. Not life and death. The accuracy and ergonomics/reasonable size of the deathadder put it in a whole different league than the G5 in my opinion.
