Razer DeathAdder V2 gaming mouse review / Overclockers.ua

After the release of radically new models of mice, Razer took on the update of time-tested products. In particular, everyone’s favorite DeathAdder has been upgraded to version V2. Outwardly, the difference is noticeable except for other resolution switching buttons. The form has remained the same. But inside a new sensor, optical switches and built-in memory. And that’s not all the changes. And now about everything in detail.

Specifications

Contents of delivery

The packaging is made in Razer’s corporate black and green style. There is an image and the name of the mouse in front, its advantages are listed in the back. The serial number, system requirements, and product code of the mouse are printed on the base of the box.

The package includes instructions, a message from the CEO of the company and stickers with logos.

Appearance

Visually, DeathAdder V2 hasn’t changed much. The most important thing in this mouse, namely a comfortable ergonomic shape, remains the same in all versions of this product. The top panel has a slightly rough to the touch coating of matte black plastic. It resists dirt well and is easy to clean. LMB and RMB turned out to be extremely successful, without backlash and free play. Activation requires medium force, click when triggered is muffled. Under the button panels are optical switches with a response speed of 0.2 ms and a MTBF of 70 million clicks. Changed resolution buttons. Now they are small, glossy and square in shape. Located in a glossy recess between the main keys, behind the scroll wheel. By the nature of the operation, they are hard with a deaf click. The button under the scroll wheel is tight with a dull activation sound. You can’t accidentally press it.

On the left side of the mouse, two large side buttons remained in their place. They are crisp and tactile. When triggered, they emit dry clicks of medium volume. The buttons do not stagger, the free play margin is minimal, the pressing force is medium. Below the keys there is a rubber insert for thumb rest.

The scroll wheel of the mouse is rubberized and covered with small tactile notches arranged eight in a row. It rotates quietly, all fixation positions are clearly distinguishable tactilely. The wheel has no play. The signal cable enters the case in the center at the bottom, at a decent height from the surface. There is a soft kink protection at the entry point.

As with all of the company’s latest high-end mice, the Razer Speedflex USB cable has appeared here. It is very soft and pliable, with a nylon braid, like on sneaker laces. With it, the mouse seems to be wireless and can be used without a cable holder. The length of the wire is 2.1 meters. The USB connector is shortened, with green plastic around the pad. There is a rubber tie that allows you to adjust the length of the wire, and a cap to protect the connector from dust.

The right side of the mouse also has a rubbery texture where it contacts the pinky and ring fingers. There are no additional keys.

There is an illuminated Razer logo in the form of a three-headed snake on the rear of the mouse.

The mouse has an ergonomic shape with a bend for the right hand. The large case is suitable for owners of medium and large palms in the finger or palm grip. The claw grip is inconvenient here. The mouse has become noticeably lighter and now weighs only 82 grams without cable. Balancing the weight distribution along the axes of symmetry is ideal.

The base of the mouse has two rounded white Teflon feet on the front and back. The third leg is glued in the center, around the sensor. The Razer Focus+ (PixArt PMW3399) is installed here as a sensor. To the left of it is the profile change button and a colored profile indicator above it.

The mouse has two familiar lighting zones – a scroll wheel and a logo on the stern. LEDs can display the entire RGB color palette, and even true-to-life white.

Proprietary software

The Razer DeathAdder V2 uses the Razer Synapse 3 universal driver (current version 3.5.116.10714) as software. The driver is installed with the Razer Central user account control program and branded applications. Synapse starts through it. The software is updated both automatically and forcibly.

In the settings, you can select one of a dozen supported interface languages ​​and configure driver autorun settings. The official product manual is also available from here, as well as the choice of interface color – light or dark.

In addition, you can reset the connected devices to their default values, and reset the start guide to view it again.

The Synapse 3 start screen has a “modular” program layout structure. The new version of the program has the ability to refuse to load extra modules, such as the Chroma visual effects studio or the macro editor. The developer feedback form, warranty form, information about supported devices, a link to the Razer store, and a link to the proprietary Razer Gold & Silver currency system have remained in place. All modules that are not simple links are duplicated in the usual list of menus in the upper left corner of the application window. In the upper right corner there is access to the current user account.

In case of urgent need, the missing modules can always be quickly downloaded and installed in one click through the menu of the same name.

On the Customize Mouse Buttons screen, you can reassign any command to the eight keys and two scroll directions. The full list of available commands is indicated on the drop-down tab on the left. In addition, you can assign additional functions to the Hypershift mode, in which, when a certain key is pressed and the mode is activated, the functions of all buttons change to an alternative set of commands. The tab for selecting and linking a profile is located at the top center. To the right of it there is an icon for accessing the built-in memory, which expands a tab with five onboard profiles.

In the “efficiency” settings, the sensor resolution is adjusted in the range from 100 to 20,000 cpi in increments of 50 units. Separate adjustment of the horizontal and vertical axes is also possible. You can set five separate sensitivity levels, or leave only one level (disabling the corresponding slider). There are three polling rates to choose from: 125, 500 or 1000 Hz. There is also a direct link to a standard program for basic Windows mouse settings.

In the basic settings of the mouse backlight, there is the ability to adjust the brightness (ranging from 0 to 100%). There is a slider that allows you to turn off the backlight completely. You can set the time for the backlight to turn off when the screen turns off or when the mouse is idle, from 1 to 15 minutes. In quick effects, you can choose reactive, pulsating, static lighting, cycling colors, or audio-visualization mode, when the mouse winks in time with the sound. Color and effect settings are selected separately, with different options depending on the current mode. Effects can be synchronized for other devices that support Chroma lighting. For more complex settings, you need to click on the “advanced effects” tab and go to the Chroma Studio editor.

Innovations have appeared in the calibration section of the height of separation of the sensor from the surface. Smart Tracking has a fixed lift-off height of 1mm to 3mm to choose from. You can also separately set the landing height of the sensor, which will be 1 or 2 mm less than the liftoff height. Alternatively, a Razer branded mat is selected from the list, where the option to manually adjust the tear-off height will also appear in the range from 1 to 10 units.

A convenient macro editor allows you to record all commands from the mouse and keyboard, including the direction of the scroll wheel and the trajectory of the cursor. Delays are recorded as is or at certain preset values. All macros can be renamed, deleted, imported, exported and copied. Here you can directly bind them to the desired key by setting the parameters and playback conditions.

Ergonomics and testing

The Razer DeathAdder V2 was tested on a monotonous black Mionix Alioth M cloth mousepad. As mentioned repeatedly in reviews of past iterations of the DeathAdder, the shape of this mouse is one of the most comfortable in the category of ergonomic manipulators. That is why it has remained virtually unchanged for many years. Why practically? Because there is still a difference, albeit a small one. The side face of the case in front, in the region of the right key, has become more straight and tilted inward, previously the slope went to the outside with a bend. In fact, the emphasis in the grip of the mouse has shifted from the “palmar” more towards the “finger”. But the positive news is that the DeathAdder V2 is the best build quality mouse in Razer’s current range. One-piece body, keys and scroll wheel without backlash, excellent surface finish, pleasant to the touch, non-slip and resistant to dirt. The clicks of the main buttons may seem a little strange at first, but this feeling smoothes out after a few days of active use. The scroll wheel is fairly quiet and has a well-balanced tactile feedback. A soft and very flexible cable can generally be considered a standard for modern gaming mice. Since the body of the mouse is light and the legs have a medium coefficient of friction, the inertia of the mouse is low, which improves control over it.

In terms of built-in memory, software and lighting, everything is also good. Settings can be saved, five on-board profiles are switched by a button on the base (the color indicator next to the button helps to understand which one is on now), and you can use the mouse on other PCs without a driver. The backlight displays colors correctly.

The mouse features Razer’s proprietary Focus+ sensor, developed in close collaboration with PixArt. In fact, this is PMW3399. Although the capabilities of the family of these sensors have long gone beyond human abilities and needs, in order to stand out from the competition, for 3399 they decided to raise the maximum resolution to 20,000 cpi, and the speed to 16.51 meters per second. The only real new feature is the adjustment of the lift-off height and sensor landing on the surface separately. It really minimizes the cursor shift when moving the mouse. Otherwise, everything is fine and this sensor works perfectly at all speeds and surfaces. Anti-aliasing can increase as resolution increases.

Results

Sometimes the ideal mice do appear in the range of gaming peripheral manufacturers. And the Razer DeathAdder V2, from my subjective point of view, is just such a product. Everything is good in it – shape, build quality, best-in-class sensor, optical switches, decent scroll wheel, best-in-class cable, normal legs and built-in memory. The backlight in this case is secondary, but it is also there.

The mouse has no visible flaws. You can only find fault with the lack of spare legs in the kit, but at least they can be purchased separately.

Since the Razer DeathAdder V2 has everything you need for a gaming mouse and nothing more, it can be recommended for purchase as the best option in the ergonomic mouse category. As long as the form suits you.