Razer Mamba review

Thanks to its onboard memory, the Mamba also allows you to carry both profiles and macros between computers or operating system installations without having to reassign them by hand. It only requires you to install the Razer drivers on the machine, which are freely downloadable. Logitech's similar G9 and G9x gaming mice also have onboard RAM, but the SideWinder X8 does not.

Razer has implemented a decent solution for switching between wired and wireless modes. The USB cable plugs into the charging base and mouse via a clunky boot-shaped connector. Similar to other mice of this type, most notably the Sidewinder X8, the Mamba will also recharge its included battery while the mouse is in wired mode. In the Mamba's case, you have to turn off the mouse first, via a switch on its underside.

The USB cable doesn't plug into the Mamba as easily as we'd like.

Connecting and removing the cable from the Mamba's charging base is easy, but the same process with the mouse feels too unwieldy. Razer obviously designed the USB input to match the sculpt of the mouse and it's aesthetically pleasing enough. But actually plugging the cable into the Mamba requires just enough finesse to become annoying. The SideWinder X8's magnetic cable connection is much more seamless.

Finally, Razer rates the Mamba for 14 hours of "continuous" gaming battery life and 72 hours of stop-and-go gaming. Aside from plugging the Mamba into the USB cable, you can also simply mount it on the charging base, which displays the mouse like a trophy. You have to supply your own friends and family members interested enough to be impressed by a $130 gaming mouse.