In the past, I have compared some of the best mice in the industry to Razer's DeathAdder. No matter the competition, the DeathAdder always holds its own. Recently Razer decided to give the DeathAdder a slight renovation with a 3500DPI sensor update. Considering how much I've loved my DeathAdder let's hope they didn't mess with the winning formula!
Product Name: Razer DeathAdder
Review Sample Provided by: Razer
Review by: Wes
Pictures by: Wes
Specifications
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System & Hardware Requirements
PC/Mac with USB port
Windows® XP /X64/Vista/Vista64 or Mac OS X (v10.4 and above)
Internet connection (for driver installation)
At least 35MB of hard disk space
Packaging
Razer didn't change much with the packaging of the new DeathAdder. The redesigned mouse sports the same packaging design as the original. Of course that's not a bad thing, as always Razer catches your eye with chrome lettering on a black background. The back of the package has all the information you need to know. Including a direct comparison between the DeathAdder and a standard mouse. Inside, along with the mouse you will find a package that includes your quick start guide, master guide, product catalog, certificate of authenticity, and some Razer stickers.
Software
I was surprised to find that out of all the Razor products I have reviewed this is the first one to not come with actual software. Instead, you visit the Razer website and download the most current version. For my testing, I ran software version 2.0 and firmware 2.13. The DeathAdder's software gives you the ability to assign any function/macro to each of the five buttons plus the scroll up and down on the scroll wheel. You can also turn both the scroll wheel and Razer logo glow on and off. There are five programs you can program and switch between them on the fly using a button on the bottom of the mouse.
Performance
All right so I have everything plugged in and the software is up and running. What's the best way to put a gaming mouse to the test? Countless hours of gaming of course, my game of choice right now is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. After quickly setting up my melee to button number five (the one closest to my thumb) I was ready to go. After a few hours of gaming I found the DeathAdder to be comfortable mostly due to its large shape. The glossy finish under my thumb did cause my thumb to stick a little after my hands started to get sweaty from intense gaming. Button number 5 is easy to reach and is perfect for something you need to execute quickly. Your melee attack in Modern Warfare 2 is a perfect example. Button number 4 on the other hand is almost impossible to reach making it completely worthless too me.
In order to put the new higher DPI sensor to the test I used the mouse both in game and in Photoshop. Outlining small details in Photoshop brings out any issues with a mouse normally. I used a Razer Destructor mouse pad to match the DeathAdder. During all of my testing I found no issues, outlining even the smallest images was easy. The included on the fly sensitivity adjustment was perfect for slowing things down for more detailed work. The same goes for in-game, the on the fly adjustment was easy to use without having to quit out of the ga,e game. Surprisingly that even with with the new higher DPI sensor I never found myself using a DPI higher than 1800; the same as the old DeathAdder.
Overall
The original DeathAdder was a long time favorite of mine, I was both concerned and excited about this updated version coming out. After spending some time with the new DeathAdder my concerns are now gone. In fact, now I'm even more excited. As always the software does everything you need it to do without being overwhelming. Of course even with the best software if the mouse isn't comfortable you're not going to like it. Razer has stuck with the same design as the original DeathAdder which I feel is one of the most comfortable mice on the market. The second side button being hard to reach is only a small issue and easy to overlook when you consider the DeathAdder's other benefits. I'm excited to see what Razer has coming up at CES this week!
