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(More customer reviews)This is the first Razer product I have ever owned. I was upgrading my keyboard from a Saitek Eclipse Keyboard ( PZ30AU ) to a Razer Lycosa Programmable Backlit Gaming Keyboard (review forthcoming), so I decided to go with a matching mouse from Razer before my keyboard came in. I did a lot of research on the various mice from that company, went to a few brick-and-mortar stores to play around with countless mice from Razer and others to see how they felt, and finally decided that the successor to my trusty old Logitech MX518 Gaming Optical Mouse - Metal would be the Razer Lachesis. I chose the Wraith Red version in order to match the black-and-red theme of my setup.
Most of the reviews you will find sing the praises of the Razer DeathAdder 3G Infrared Gaming Mouse as Razer's current "king" of gaming mice. When it comes to the Lachesis, however, you'll generally find a more ambivalent tone. Some reviewers despise the ergonomic properties of the mouse, due to the ambidextrous design. You'll find many reviews disparaging the erratic pointer movement some have seen with the mouse.
Before I address these points, I will say that choosing one's input devices is a very personal decision. People have different size hands, different mouse-holding styles, different sensitivity preferences. Thus, this review must be taken with the old caveat: "Your mileage may vary".
First, the ergonomic design. I will say that I spent a day getting used to the shape of the mouse after years using the ergonomically right-handed MX518. If you're like me and you've grown used to the Logitech ergonomics, there is definitely a learning curve. However, once I got used to the new hand position, I find myself more accurate in my movements and yes, more comfortable. I am a so-called "claw-grip" user - I move the mouse with my fingertips rather than my palm. The design of the Lachesis is perfect for this method - the raised "hump" towards the rear of the mouse serves as a palmrest while I move the mouse with my fingertips. This new hybrid grip is, I admit, a new feeling for me - but after I got over the initial strangeness, it just worked. Not until I used this mouse did I realize just how unnatural the MX518 felt in my hand. To put it simply, this mouse fits my hand like a glove.
As for the second point, the pointer movement issues, I didn't encounter them at all in Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1 and in all the games I played with it. Still, I upgraded the firmware via the Razer site to be safe. Apparently, that firmware fixes much of the pointer movement issues.
Physically, the mouse just oozes style and quality. The surface of the mouse is a soft rubber that feels like velvet in your hand and yet leaves you with a secure grip. This is a complete difference from the hard plastic surface I was used to with the MX518. The glowing red Razer Logo and scroll wheel look amazing in conjuction with my Antec Nine Hundred Steel ATX Ultimate Gamer PC Case (Black) with red LED fans. (Now, if only the Lycosa came in red too... which I hear it will soon! Definitely will go for that when it happens.)
Personally, I can honestly say this is, by far, the best mouse I have ever used. I can't explain the exact mechanics of it, but all of a sudden I'm right on target with my clicks, both in the OS and in games. I am a high-sensitivity user. With the MX518, I was at 1600 DPI at all times, and even then I had to turn on some level of acceleration to have a pointer movement rate I felt comfortable with. With the Lachesis, I have it set to the max polling rate and the mouse's native 4000 DPI. When I first set the mouse to those settings, I found the mouse to be far more sensitive than any mouse I ever had - and that's with acceleration OFF. I dialed down the mouse sensitivity a few notches (another setting in the rather comprehensive Lachesis Configurator panel) without having to adjust the DPI down, and lo and behold, I am in precision heaven. After only a day, I hardly have to "aim" the pointer... I think about clicking a spot, my hand moves the mouse silently and effortlessly across my Icemat 2nd Edition (Black), and it goes exactly where it needs to go. The feeling is rather like that of moving the pointer telekinetically with my eyes - it just goes to the right spot. It's hard to put into words how much of a difference this is from any mouse I've ever used, but I can say that it's an amazing sensation.
Mouselook in games became noticeably smoother. I only now realized just how much difference a mouse can make in the perceived performance of a game. Spinning my POV in The Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar, for example, went from almost choppy to nearly butter-smooth. Because of that simple difference, the game just seems to play faster. It's difficult to quantify - but I never realized the difference a quality mouse could make. I thought the MX518 was quality, and I suppose it is, but the Lachesis just blows it out of the water in smoothness and precision. I can only imagine the benefit a dedicated FPS gamer can get out of this mouse.
This is, unequivocally, the best mouse I have ever had the pleasure of using. If it broke tomorrow, I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
Would I recommend it? Well, I'll say this - if my story fits your situation, I do indeed - wholeheartedly and without reservation. I will say that anyone looking to upgrade their mouse should go to a brick-and-mortar store to get their hands on the myriad of mouse shapes and see what feels best. For me, that was the Lachesis, and I have a feeling it will be for a long, long time.
I suppose I will close with this statement: I don't feel like I just upgraded my mouse. I feel like I upgraded my whole computer. The entire EXPERIENCE of using it has changed for the better. For the price of this mouse on Amazon, the bang-for-the-buck doesn't get much better than that, and I feel that's one of the highest compliments I can pay to Razer on making such a great device.
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Product Description:
Equipped with the revolutionary 4000dpi Razer Precision 3G Laser sensor, the Razer Lachesis gaming mouse takes on the same lethal traits as its namesake that will send shivers down your enemies" spines. Add 32KB of onboard memory, nine programmable Hyperesponse buttons, as well as an impressive 1000Hz Ultrapolling with 1ms response time, and you"ve got a formidable weapon in your arsenal of destruction. Victory beckons - move in for the kill.
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