gaming mouse Archives - Beantown Review

Gaming: Tt eSPORTS Black FP Mouse Review

08/19/2017 By Hakan Can

Here at Beantown, we have a little nostalgia for the Thermaltake brand. Back in March of 2016, our very first gaming accessories review was none other than the Tt eSPORTS Commander Gaming Gear Combo. Seven months later, they introduced their first gaming mouse with a built-in fingerprint sensor. Now it’s 2017 and we’ve spent the better part of a month with this gaming mouse customizing and learning every detail of it. Is it a worthy addition to your Thermaltake gaming rig? Let’s take a closer look in this Tt eSPORTS Black FP mouse review.

Key Features of the Tt eSPORTS Black FP Gaming Mouse

Ergonomic FPS/MOBA design with smooth finish and grip
Four on-the-fly resolution settings up to 5700 DPI
Avago 9500 laser sensor and Omron switches
7 Programmable buttons w/35 programmable macro keys
5 Custom tailored profiles
Adjustable 5-weight system
Ironveil Tech biometric fingerprint sensor

Read: Gaming: HyperX Pulsefire FPS Mouse Review

Per the press release, “The BLACK FP is a FIDO UAF certified fingerprint sensor security mouse that provides strong, safe and secure password protection for your PC. Using the state-of-the-art 256-bit advanced encryption standard (AES), it provides users with a fast and secure passwordless experience to login into their system and web pages with the utmost of ease.”

Tt esports Black FP Mouse Review

Black FP Design and Features

There’s much to like when it comes to the Tt eSPORTS FP Black gaming mouse. If you’re familiar with their product line, then you’ll have noticed that this mouse is the current iteration of the Black V2 gaming mouse with a few notable changes. First, the patterned grip on the left side has been removed. Not a biggie, but I would have probably kept it. What’s new is the 256-bit encryption and fingerprint sensor.

The gaming mouse is aesthetically pleasing with its black matte finish, red buttons, and red lighting. The surface is smooth yet has a bit of grip. It’s designed for the right-handed user, which is a drawback for you lefty gamers. Like the Black V2, the FP Black has seven buttons from left and right click, forward and back, DPI and Profile loops, and wheel click. All buttons are preset and make audible sounds.

All buttons fit my thumb and fingers well. Initially, I wasn’t sure how the ring finger would feel in contact with the right side edge, yet surprisingly, there was little-to-no discomfort. What I haven’t figured yet is whether a two- or three-finger top grip is best. I suppose whatever you’re comfortable with is best.

The single greatest feature of the Tt eSPORTS Black FP mouse is its fingerprint scanner. Setup was quick and easy. Right after registering my fingerprints, I could easily log into Windows 10. More on this feature in the Performance and Command Center sections.

The DPI resolution and Profile buttons functioned flawlessly. The former cycles through the four DPI settings. Upon hitting either button, a visual indicator appears on your screen. This way you’ll know with certainty what value you’re at. Where your palm meets the mouse, there’s the red Tt esports logo. The scroll wheel is a bit thin for my taste, and it’s in need of more rubber. Both the logo and scroll wheel can have their lighting turned off.

Within the mouse, there are an Avago 9500 laser sensor and Omron primary switches. On the underside, there are four Teflon skates (foot pads) which allow the mouse to glide across any flat surface. The mouse includes an adjustable 5-weight system each weighing 4.5 grams.

Package contents include the mouse with its nicely braided 6′ cord and a multi-language quick installation guide.

Read: Gaming: Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

Mouse and Sensor Specifications

Read: Gaming: HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Performance

Per Zachary: This smaller sized mouse allowed for improved control as more of your hand covers it. Until now, I’ve been going back and forth with the Gamdias Zeus eSport Laser and Zeus P1 RGB gaming mice, but something about the Black FP feels right. The lighting isn’t as awe-inspiring as the Zeus P1 RGB, and neither Gamdias mouse has a fingerprint scanner to log into websites and Windows 10 with. Going forward, this will be my primary mouse until something comes by that impresses me more. With the fingerprint scanner, the Black FP stands out from the crowd.

There is one BIG issue with the mouse, and it’s worth mentioning. More than 3/4 of the time upon startup, the following words appear on my Samsung monitor: “One of the USB devices attached to your computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.” This confusion is not okay, nor is it an isolated incident as I know of this happening to another Black FP owner. I’ve never had the USB connection on a mouse fail to be recognized by a computer before. In fact, I’ve never had it happen with a keyboard or headphone either. Unplugging and plugging it back in resolves the issue, but it shouldn’t be occurring in the first place. Without this connection, you don’t have an operational accessory. Enough said.

Read: Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser Gaming Mouse Review

Tt esports Command Center User Interface

If you’re new to Tt eSPORTS , they have a user interface (UI) product that works in tandem with the mouse. It’s called Tt Command Center. Unlike many UI products, this one works quite well, albeit not without incident. Once downloaded and opened, you’ll see the image above.

As you can observe, TtCC is straightforward and easy to maneuver around. It offers much to the gamer like Profiles 1-5 settings, Normal and Battle mode controls, Language, Macro settings, Performance, and Light Options.

Under the Performance button, you have the option to create up to four levels of (DPI) resolution. There’s also the option to have independent or shared X-Y axis values. Resolution is adjustable in increments of 100 starting from 100 all the way up to 5700 on both the X and Y axis. When you press the DPI button on the mouse, wording appears in the lower center of your monitor informing you of the setting value.

Lift-off and polling rate controls are adjustable as well. You can change these settings, store four different DPI’s to switch to on-the-fly and store all of these settings to five different profiles.

Under Light Option, you have the ability to toggle on and off the scroll wheel and logo lights.

Another major part of TtCC is the Macro Setting. In the image below, you can see how macros are created, deleted, copied, imported, and exported.

As mentioned earlier in this review, the single greatest feature of the Tt eSPORTS Black FP gaming mouse is its fingerprint scanner. I was skeptical of this feature, but it worked like a charm. Right after registering my fingerprints, I could easily log into Windows 10. Further details and instructions can be found in a 28-page PDF document titled BLACK FP Gaming Mouse with Fingerprint Security on the Tt eSPORTS website. This will answer any-and-all of your questions.

Tt eSports Plus+ is an additional software that monitors the stats of the mouse and gives access to a whole community of Thermaltake users.

Read: Gaming: Tt esports MEKA PRO Keyboard Review

Final Thoughts

For $60, this Tt eSPORTS Black FP gaming mouse delivers many high-end features at a fair price: up to 5.7K DPI resolution, customizable profiles, adjustable weight system, and 35 programmable macro keys. There is the one issue we encountered, so it would be remiss if we didn’t mention it again. Since many months have passed since this product’s release, we hope the folks at Tt esports have addressed and corrected the issue.

This mouse leans toward the higher-end of the gaming accessories spectrum. If you need a gaming mouse that gets the job done at a reasonable price, then place this one on your short list. There are over a dozen Tt esports gaming mice currently available. I’m sure one or more are worth your time and consideration.

All-in-all, this gaming mouse (and software) earned a 3.75 out of 5-star rating. There are plenty of gaming mice available with a variety of features, so compare away until you find the right mouse for you.

The Tt eSPORTS Black FP gaming mouse is available for purchase on Amazon linked here and the Tt eSPORTS website.

What do you think of this Tt eSPORTS Black FP mouse review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Tt esports on Twitter
• Follow Tt esports on Facebook
• Follow Tt esports on Instagram

• Follow Beantown on Twitter
• Follow Beantown on Facebook
• Follow Beantown on Instagram

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Tt eSPORTS homepage to see their current line-up of products. The Tt eSPORTS Black FP gaming mouse comes with a 2-year warranty. Should you need to reach Customer Support, click on this link.

FTC Disclosure: Tt eSPORTS provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Black FP gaming mouse sample for review purposes. These writers opinions are 100% their own, and neither are paid product ambassadors.

Read: HyperX Cloud Revolver S Headset Preview

Gaming: Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

07/17/2017 By Hakan Can

Until recently, Patriot was best known for its DRAM memory, flash/solid state drives, and memory cards. Over the past two years, they’ve jumped into the gaming arena with their Viper line of gaming accessories. Over the past few months, they’ve gradually introduced their second round of headphones, keyboards, and mice, and they are impressive. I’ve spent the past few weeks with the Viper V570 gaming mouse, customizing and learning every detail of it. Is this piece of gaming hardware a worthy addition to your rig? So without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Patriot Viper V570 mouse review.

Features:
• FPS and MMO hybrid design
• Resolution settings up to 12,000 DPI
• Avago 9800 laser sensor and Omron switches
• 13 programmable keys
• Custom tailored RGB profiles
• Custom tailored weight system
• Multiple surface materials for a great feel

Read: Gaming: Sennheiser GSX 1200 PRO Amplifier Review

Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

Viper Design

There’s so much to like and almost nothing to dislike when it comes to this V570 mouse.

We’ve got a whole lot of gaming mice around here, but none quite like this. For those who are familiar with GAMDIAS, you could say that the Viper V570 is a cross between the ZEUS eSport and P1. The Viper V570 also has similarities to the Corsair Scimitar PRO. Either way, we like the Viper’s First Person Shooter (FPS) + MMO appearance.

Obviously, this mouse is designed for the right-handed user which is a drawback to a small percentage of you gamers. The V570 has a dozen or so buttons from left and right click, forward and back, wheel click, and DPI loops. These standard buttons are pre set. The remaining buttons are up to you and programmable within the Advanced Functions settings of the Viper software. There’s even a left side sniper button which drops the resolution down to 400 DPI

Unlike the Scimitar PRO whose keys are a 3 x 4 set of columns and rows, the V570’s buttons resemble a set of teeth. Keys 1-8 are easily and comfortably accessible to your index finger and thumb. And just like teeth, there’s enough separation between them to know where each one starts and ends. The left and right click keys, as well as the scroll wheel and DPI keys, fit well with my index and middle fingers. The only bit of discomfort I had was two-thirds up my ring finger. I believe the curvature of the mouse where the ring finger rests is too pronounced. If this were to be shaved down a bit, the fit of the mouse would be 100% perfect in my hand.

The mouse has four unique surface materials, five if you include the red numerical keys. The left side is rubberized and textured with tiny rectangles while the right is smooth with some grip. The top utilizes two materials, one clear, one not, with the latter so smooth that your index and middle fingers slide across it. The dead-centered transparent surface allows for the Viper logo to show.

Within the mouse, there are an Avago 9800 laser sensor, Omron D2FC-F-7N primary switches, and configurable streaming multi-zone RGB LED lighting.

There’s a removable top piece which hides the location of the adjustable weight system. This system consists of six 5.7 gram weights with a seventh as a spare. There’s also a container to store the weights. In our test mouse, we used three weights.

The underside of the V570 has five ceramic foot pads which allow the mouse to glide across any flat surface.

Read: Moshi Venturo Sling Backpack Review

Specifications

• Tracking Method:
• Dimension(L x W x H):
• Weight:
• Buttons:
• Resolution:
• Polling Rate:
• Omron Switch Lifecycle:
• USB Cable Length:
• Graphical User Interface:

• Xtreme Precision Laser Sensor
• 13.3 x 8 x 4.4 cm
• 157 grams + up to 34 grams
• 13 programmable
• 4 settings from 50 up to 12000 DPI
• Up to 1000 Hz
• 10 Million
• 6 Feet
• Viper Software

Package Contents

• V570 Gaming Mouse
• Weight System
• Two Patriot Viper Stickers
• Quick Start Guide

Read: Gaming: Sennheiser GSP 350 Headset Review

Viper Software

As previously mentioned, the V570 mouse comes with Viper software support that configures the RGB LED lighting, macros, buttons, acceleration, and DPI, just to name a handful. With five Light Effect settings available (Customize, Wave, Invert Wave, Random 1 & 2.) When you select Customize, the lighting in any of the seven zones can either breathe or always stay on.

And before I forget, the richness and brightness of the colors are spectacular. I firmly believe you’re going to like this lighting feature a lot.

The first field in the Viper software covers the buttons and the five Profile settings. Whenever you press the No. 9 key, you’ll cycle through the five customizable Profile settings. In fact, push the key, and you’ll see it change within the software as well as in the upper left of your monitor. And if you modify the Profile within the software, the color on the mouse will change. Even the Profile names can be changed.

Press any of the 13 programmable keys within the software, and another dialog box appears. Now you have access to Mouse, Keyboard, and Advanced Functions as well as Macros and Key Cycle. It’s pretty wild what the software offers.

Just behind this is the No. 10 key which adjusts the sensor resolution. This DPI indicator is color-coordinated too. Press the key and watch the DPI settings change within the software as well as in the upper left of your monitor. Each DPI setting can have independent X/Y axis values.

The third field within the software is the Macro Editor. There are three macro types: One-time mode, Loop mode, and Firekey mode. There’s also 6990 bytes of mouse memory. The right side of the editor is the Function Menu where you can create, edit, and save your macros. Just remember that you have up to 64 lines within the macros list, and each line can have no more than 14 characters.

Within the Setting field, you have access to the 500 Hz USB polling rate and three general options such as Angle snapping, Enable DPI/Profile on screen display, and Disable mouse acceleration (OS). Finally, there’s the Model as well as the Driver and Firmware versions of the software displayed.

The user interface is clean and straightforward, and the software worked flawlessly.

Read: Gaming: Patriot Viper V361 & V370 Headsets Review

A Product Update

If you’re not a fan of red buttons, you need not fret. Patriot recently introduced the Viper V570 Black Edition replacing red with black. I suspect many of you will like this version more. It’s available for purchase on Amazon for under $60 as well as on the Patriot Store at a list price of just under $70.

Conclusion

For a $60, this new Patriot Viper mouse delivers many high-end features at a fair price: up to 12K DPI resolution, customizable color profiles, adjustable weight system, and 13 programmable macro keys.

This mouse massively leans toward the higher-end of the gaming spectrum. If you need an RGB gaming mouse that gets the job done at a reasonable price, the V570 ought to be on your short list. In fact, all three Viper Gaming mice are worth your time and consideration when looking at the $25-90 price range.

All-in-all, this is a well-designed mouse which easily earned a 4.75 out of 5-star rating.

The Patriot Viper V570 gaming mouse is available for purchase on Amazon for under $50 (see link below) as well as on the Patriot website.

What do you think of this Patriot Viper V570 mouse review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Patriot on Twitter
• Follow Patriot on Facebook
• Follow Patriot on Instagram

• Follow Beantown on Twitter
• Follow Beantown on Facebook
• Follow Beantown on Instagram

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Patriot Viper Gaming page to see their newest products. To learn more about service and support, click here for their Support page. The Viper V570 RGB mouse comes with a 2-year warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Patriot Memory provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Viper V570 gaming mouse sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

Read: Gamdias ZEUS P1 RGB Gaming Mouse Review

Gaming: HyperX Pulsefire FPS Mouse Review

07/11/2017 By Hakan Can

Until a few months ago, HyperX was best known for its DRAM memory, flash/solid state drives, and gaming headsets. This year, they’ve jumped further into the gaming arena with their Alloy FPS gaming keyboard. More recently, they’ve introduced their first mouse and a second Alloy keyboard. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks playing with their Pulsefire First Person Shooter mouse. Is this gaming mouse a worthy addition to your rig? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this HyperX Pulsefire FPS mouse review.

Key Features of the HyperX Pulsefire FPS:

Ergonomic first person shooter design
Four on-the-fly resolution settings with 400 to 3200 DPI
Pixart 3310 optical sensor and Omron switches
Six buttons configuration with two large skates
Multiple surface materials for an excellent feel and grip

Read: Gaming: HyperX Alloy FPS Keyboard Review

Per Marcus Hermann, Senior Business Manager, “HyperX is excited to offer our first gaming mouse. After extensive testing, our lab developed Pulsefire FPS to deliver the features gamers want at an incredible price point.”

HyperX Pulsefire FPS Mouse Review

Pulsefire FPS Design and Features

There’s much to like and hardly anything to dislike when it comes to this back-to-basics FPS mouse.

The shape of this mouse reminds me a little of the Logitech G303 Daedalus Apex mouse, but without the long-term pain.

This mouse is designed for the right-handed user, which is a drawback to a small percentage of you gamers. The Pulsefire FPS has half a dozen buttons from left and right click, go forward and back, wheel click, and DPI loops. These standard buttons are pre set and make audible sounds, especially the left and right buttons.

All six buttons fit my thumb, index, and middle finger well. The only bit of discomfort I had was two-thirds up the inside of my ring finger. I believe the transition from the mouse’s top to side where the ring finger meets both could have been less pronounced. Had the edge been smoother, then the fit of the mouse would be 100% perfect in my hand.

The mouse has many unique surface materials. Much of the left and right sides are rubberized and textured with an alternating pattern offering plenty of grip. The top, while smooth, provides a little grip. The resolution button has four different colors (white, red, blue, and yellow) representing the 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 DPI settings, respectively. Where the base of your hand meets the mouse, there’s the red HyperX logo. And the scroll wheel feels terrific with its repeating S-tread pattern.

On the underside, there are two large skates (foot pads) which allow the mouse to glide across any flat surface.

Within the mouse, there are a Pixart 3310 optical sensor and Omron D2FC-F-7N primary switches. Package contents include the mouse with its 6′ braided cord and a quick start guide.

Read: Gaming: Patriot Viper V570 Mouse Review

Read: HyperX Cloud II Headset Review

Final Thoughts

Although we wish it was priced a little less, the HyperX Pulsefire FPS mouse delivers the goods at a fair price of $50. There are plenty of gaming mice available with a variety of features, so shoppers will compare until they find the right mouse for them. If you’re looking for a no frills, back-to basics gaming mouse, then place this one on your short list.

All-in-all, this is a well-designed mouse which we continue to enjoy using.

The HyperX Pulsefire FPS mouse is available for purchase at Best Buy, on Amazon (see link below) and the HyperX website.

What do you think of this HyperX Pulsefire FPS mouse review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow HyperX on Twitter
• Follow HyperX on Facebook
• Follow HyperX on Instagram

• Follow Beantown on Twitter
• Follow Beantown on Facebook
• Follow Beantown on Instagram

Don’t hesitate to head over to the HyperX homepage to see their current line-up of products. The HyperX Pulsefire FPS gaming mouse comes with a 2-year warranty. Should you need to reach Customer Support, feel free to call one of these two numbers: 714-435-2639 or 800-435-0640 or check out their Support page.

FTC Disclosure: HyperX provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Alloy Pulsefire FPS gaming mouse sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

Read: HyperX Cloud Revolver S Headset Preview

Gamdias ZEUS P1 RGB Gaming Mouse Review

06/25/2017 By Zach Can

It’s now 2017, and Gamdias has made its presence known in the gaming market. With their love of customization and RGB lighting, you (design your gaming environment) make it the way that best suits you. Their ZEUS P1 RGB mouse represents it well with 16.8 million colors of RGB lighting and 12,000 DPI at your disposal. I’ve spent this month of June with this mouse, customizing and learning every detail of it. So without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Gamdias ZEUS P1 RGB gaming mouse review.

Pros:
• The mouse has a much smoother feel, more appealing to casual user
• Much higher DPI — 12,000 compared to 8,200
• RGB color scheme
• Textured rubber grips on the side

Cons:
• Only five extra buttons
• No ridges for thumb and pinky finger
• No weight system
• Couple of HERA settings are missing

Read: Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser Gaming Mouse Review

Gamdias Zeus P1 RGB Gaming Mouse Review

Design

When compared to the ZEUS eSport Laser mouse, the P1 RGB has a much simpler design. The latter has five extra customizable buttons instead of the eight on the ZEUS eSport. The streaming lighting on the P1 RGB is hard to creatively put into words. There are 13 small segments that have their own illumination. The Gamdias logo’s color is not customizable, and will always glow red.

Unlike the ZEUS eSport, the P1 RGB has textured rubber grips where your thumb and pinky rest, giving you more grip to the mouse. The mouse fits in my hand comfortably and doesn’t displace any discomfort. Resolution can go up to 12,000 DPI delivering insane accuracy. It comes with HERA software support that configures the lighting, macros, buttons, timer, DPI, and sounds.

The P1 RGB is missing a couple of settings from the eSport mouse such as “Straight Path Correction,” the ability to change X-axis and Y-axis DPI independently, and the “Lift Off Setting.” The P1 RGB isn’t the eSports model, and it isn’t trying to be. The P1 RGB does not have a customizable weight which did not bother me, as the weight for the mouse felt right. This could be an issue for others though. The P1 RGB tracks optically (using LEDs) rather than a laser. In the past, laser mice have been able to hit higher DPI’s. It’s obviously not a problem for the P1 RGB as it’s capable of 12,000 DPI. The eSports mouse can only achieve 8,000 DPI.

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HEBE M1 RGB Headset Review

Specifications

• Tracking Method:
• Dimension(L x W x H):
• Weight:
• Keys:
• Resolution:
• Polling Rate:
• Switch Lifecycle:
• USB Cable Length:
• Graphical UI:

• Advanced Gaming Optical Sensor
• 127.26 x 72.45 x 40.85 mm
• 125 grams
• 8
• 1600/2400/5600/8200/10800/12000 DPI
• 1,000 Hz
• 20 Million
• 1.8 Meters
• HERA

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HERMES 7 Color Keyboard Review

Performance

I ran the ZEUS P1 RGB mouse at 2000 DPI for most of the testing but did try several different resolution settings. The 12,000 DPI setting was insanely accurate especially if you’re flicking the mouse around to make quick shots like in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO).

Read: Gamdias HERMES RGB Keyboard Review

Conclusion

As a big fan of the ZEUS eSports laser mouse for its grip, for me, the ZEUS P1 RGB comes in a close second. It can’t beat the thumb and pinky ridges of the eSports mouse. It was an easy transition switching from the eSports mouse after falling for the P1’s lighting scheme.

Both are great mice! The P1 RGB can compete in the eSports sector in terms of DPI/accuracy, but the grip comes short of the mark.

The P1 RGB works great. It fits my hand perfectly, is quite responsive, and its optical LED is highly accurate as it lights up alongside the HERMES 7-Color mechanical keyboard. If you’re just getting into gaming and unsure of what mouse to get, or you’ve finally decided to ditch your old standard mouse, this ZEUS P1 RGB is a solid winner.

The list price of the ZEUS P1 RGB mouse is $79.99. Fortunately, you can get it on Amazon for $49.99. In the US, each gaming mouse comes with a 1-year warranty from date of purchase.

What do you think of this Gamdias ZEUS P1 RGB gaming mouse review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Gamdias on Twitter
• Follow Gamdias on Facebook
• Follow Gamdias on Instagram

• Follow Beantown on Twitter
• Follow Beantown on Facebook
• Follow Beantown on Instagram

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Gamdias website to see their latest gaming hardware. The mouse comes with a one-year limited end-user warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Gamdias provided Beantown LLC with one (1) ZEUS P1 RGB gaming mouse sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and is not a paid product ambassador.

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HERMES E1 Keyboard Combo Review

Gaming: Gamdias HERMES E1 Keyboard Combo Review

11/18/2016 By Hakan Can

Review: Gamdias HERMES E1 Combo

It’s been one heck of a busy year for the gaming hardware manufacturer Gamdias. With dozens of products introduced in 2016, they’ve created quite the buzz around their brand in and out of the gaming arena. With the end of year approaching, they kept their right foot on the pedal and continued to introduce new products like HEBE headsets, ZEUS mice, and the HERMES E1 keyboard and mouse combo. So without any further delay, welcome to our Gamdias HERMES E1 Combo review.

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HEBE M1 RGB Headset Review

Want to win this HERMES E1 combo? In cooperation with Gamdias, we’re giving away this keyboard + mouse combo beginning Monday at 12:01 AM. Enter the Giveaway. It could be yours before Christmas. Good luck.

Introducing the HERMES E1 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Design and Features

For those of you who own or have looked at a HERMES keyboard, you’ll notice many similarities in this HERMES E1 keyboard. When it comes to appearance and features, the HERMES E1 looks closest to the HERMES LITE. As a mechanical gaming keyboard, the E1 has the same GAMDIAS certified Kailh blue mechanical switches/TTC switches as found in the HERMES RGB. Because it uses the Kailh switches, the HERMES E1 has a 50 million push button life cycle. Like the previously reviewed Gamdias keyboards, this board is connected via one USB port.

On the HERMES E1, the keys are raised making it easy to see the red lights underneath them. The keys have an handsomely-finished aluminum plate for added durability. When it comes to gaming keyboards, I’ve noticed complaints from reviewers about the use of metal plates. But I disagree with them. I believe an aluminum (metal) plate stabilizer is an excellent addition to a keyboard. Not much force (45 cN) is needed to register as a key press. While the keys are audible, they are not loud or annoying.

There’s a removable wrist plate, which I believe is a good thing for hardcore gamers. Keyboard dimensions are 17.64 x 7.97 (or 6.2 w/o wrist plate) x 1.45 inches. Flip the keyboard over, and you’ll notice three channels to direct the nearly 6′ braided cable. Like previous reviews, this HERMES E1 keyboard has very stiff legs. Unless you have a thin thumb, you’ll be using an index or middle finger to raise the legs. There’s also a handy key puller attached to the underside of the board. You can also completely lock the keyboard out, for when you want to vacuum it or pull a key out.

Read: Gamdias HERMES RGB Keyboard Review

Specifications courtesy of Gamdias, Inc.

When it comes to features, this HERMES E1 keyboard comes loaded with them. The keyboard comes with three lighting effects: Normal, Breathing, and Responsive Fade Out. There’s also the ability to change the five backlight brightness levels (Off, 30%, 60%, 100%, and Monochrome Breathing) to your liking.

The media player controls are well marked on function keys F2, F3, and F5-F8. You can switch “WASD” to the arrow keys and vice versa. The Windows key is located on the left side while the Fn key is center-right on the board.

Wondering about N-key rollover? Here are the 21 keys: Q, W, E, R, U, I, O, P, \, 7, 8, 9, +, Enter, Backspace, F9, F10, F11, F12, Scroll, and Pause.

Upon downloading and installing the HERA software, you’ll have access to the listed features. This software has to be installed if you want to use all the keyboard features. Your customizations are where the built-in 256K of memory comes into play.

• Six customizable gaming profiles: Fn+PF1-PF6
• Six multimedia short keys: Fn+F2-F3 & FN+F5-F8
• Backlight brightness levels: Fn+8 to increase
• Backlight brightness levels: Fn+2 to decrease

• Game mode: Fn+Windows key
• Lock keyboard keys: Fn+F11
• Snap between WASP and Arrow mode keys:
• OTF macro recording and indicator light: Fn+F9

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HERMES 7 Color Keyboard Review

I have only one complaint with this keyboard, and that is the type font. Even though I’m well versed in the use of a QWERTY keyboard, the futuristic font initially threw me for a loop. It took about two weeks to get past particular letters and numbers having gaps in them.

Introducing the DEMETER E2 Optical Gaming Mouse

Fortunately, the DEMETER E2 mouse is not as complex a device as the HERMES E1 keyboard. The DEMETER E2 is your standard gaming mouse. The mouse comes in a black matte color with a very comfortable texture to it. Looking at the photos, you would see that if you were to cut the mouse down the middle, it would be nearly identical on both sides with one exception being the two buttons on the left. Additional specifications are listed below.

If you install the HERA software, you can control the cursor speed, enable acceleration, configure the DPI level from 1200 to 3200, set the polling rate, vertical scroll speed, double click speed, lift-off setting, and straight path correction. The mouse produces an attractive repeating color pattern of blue, violet, and red.

In our testing, the DEMETER E2 gaming mouse, like the HERMES E1 keyboard, worked perfectly without any glitches.

I have only one complaint with this mouse, and that is its shape. My critique may apply to some of you readers. You see, I like to firmly grasp a mouse with all of my fingers. As a right-handed person, my hand would be better suited if the right side of the mouse did not have the protrusion to rest the ring or pinky finger on. To get around this, I had to learn to hold the mouse with a less firm grasp so as to not cause soreness in those two fingers. I now keep the pinky finger away from the mouse entirely. Hence the discomfort has dissipated.

Read: Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser Gaming Mouse Review

Specifications courtesy of Gamdias, Inc.

Final Thoughts

Keyboard and mice combo sets have their purpose in the gaming and non-gaming sectors. These products make good purchases for the budget-conscious consumer (or business) by providing plenty of bang for the buck. It also removes one purchasing decision as you only have one product to consider as opposed to two (i.e. separate mice and keyboard purchases.) I can say from first-hand experience that there will always be something you don’t like about a combo as having previously purchased ones from the likes of Microsoft, Logitech, and Thermaltake. None of those three combos came with a mouse pad. While my two peeves (as stated above) are legitimate concerns, they won’t affect the minds of all potential buyers as we’re unique creatures with slightly different habits.

Read: HyperX Cloud Revolver Headset Review

The list price of the HERMES E1 combo is $79.99. The great news about this combo is that while Amazon is out of stock, the folks at Newegg currently have it for $49.99. I would call this a steal. Here in the USA, each gaming keyboard combo product comes with a 1-year warranty from date of purchase.

Have you tried the HERMES E1 keyboard and mouse combo? Do you agree (or disagree) with any part of this Gamdias HERMES E1 combo review? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

Feel free to follow Gamdias on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube as well as this very blog on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t hesitate to head over to the Gamdias website to see their latest gaming hardware.

FTC Disclosure: Gamdias provided Beantown LLC with one (1) HERMES E1 keyboard + DEMETER E2 mouse combo sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

Read: HyperX Cloud II Headset Review

Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser Gaming Mouse Review

09/30/2016 By Zach Can

Back in the old days of gaming, just before hardware-accelerated graphics took off, we had games that all ran on the build engine (Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Shadow Warrior.) At the time, most gamers never used the mouse for aiming; it was all done with the keyboard. With today’s games, using the keyboard to target is nearly impossible. Games just aren’t designed that way anymore. Today, every game uses the mouse for aiming. The mouse has and always will be (in one form or another) one of the most integral parts of a PC. Whether it’s a standard or a gaming mouse, you’re going to need one. Let’s take a closer look at this Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser Gaming Mouse review.

Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser Gaming Mouse Review

Read: Gamdias HERMES RGB Keyboard Review

eSport Design

Right in the product title, you see the word “eSport.” If you’re one of the millions of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players out there, this mouse is a solid choice for you. Upon unboxing, the mouse looks intimidating. I’m not going to exaggerate; unless you’re already using an MMO or MOBA gaming mouse, it has a very different design than most other mice. As soon as I put my fingers and palm on it, I understood the design choice; it is very flattering to the hand. What I immediately found different is the fact there is a separate ridge for your ring and pinky finger; this is an excellent design. Instead of having these two fingers competing for the same space, there’s separation.

The ZEUS eSport laser mouse has three adjustable “grip areas.” In addition to the two previously mentioned, there’s a third for your thumb. All three are adjustable using these little gears under the mouse. You can manipulate the grip to be closer or farther from the mouse, customizing it to your liking. From my perspective, this is what Gamdias seems to be all about. They want you to be happy with their products and want you to be able to fine-tune them to your heart’s desire. I respect that.

If the mouse feels too heavy for you, feel free to take some weight out from underneath the mouse. There’s a total of five 4.5 gram mini-weights, so play around with them to see what you like best.

Gamdias Zeus eSport Laser Gaming Mouse Review

Specifications courtesy of Gamdias, Inc.

Some reviews have complained about the mouse wheel, about how there are vertical “dips” instead of horizontal ones. They claim that it makes the mouse wheel very hard to grip. I haven’t had a single problem with the wheel; it works like every other mouse wheel should.

Unlike other mice, the ZEUS eSport laser has four additional buttons on it, two beside the “back” button on the side, and two more below the mouse wheel. It has a total of nine programmable keys, place a single command on there or a giant macro, a media player shortcut, or even a keyboard key.

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HERMES 7 Color Keyboard Review

eSport Performance

As with the HERMES RGB keyboard, the ZEUS eSport laser mouse comes with HERA support. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I feel that the HERA software is a bit sluggish and in need of an upgrade. I also said it does get the job done.

The Gamdias ZEUS eSport laser mouse can be configured from a mere 300 DPI to a whopping 8200 DPI. If you do install HERA, you can control the cursor speed, enable acceleration, set the DPI level, set the polling rate, vertical scroll speed, double click speed, lift-off setting, and straight path correction.

Now for full disclosure, I want to mention something that happened with the mouse. While I was fine tuning the DPI, I found that as soon as I hit apply, it rendered the left and right clicks inoperable. I wasn’t 100% sure if the problem occurred due to the mouse or software. Regardless, I contacted customer support, and they responded without haste, and a new replacement arrived quickly. Once again I attempted to fine tune the DPI, and this time, it worked as advertised. With some common sense, I can say that the mouse was at fault, not the software.

Along with the HERMES RGB keyboard, you can set macro timers or sound timers and under the “Muscle Memory” tab. You can see a list of stats about your mouse, how many left clicks you’ve done, how far you’ve scrolled the wheel, and how far have you dragged that mouse around.

In our evaluation, the mouse goes perfectly with the HERMES 7-Color keyboard as you can change the color of the mouse wheel and the profile indicator lighting to red, orange, yellow, cyan, blue or purple. And they don’t have to be the same color so you can have the mouse wheel yellow, while the profile indicator blue. On the underside of the mouse, you can set the brightness level or to a pulsing mode. But there’s one downside, the color can only be set to red.

You can save all your macros, color choices, sounds, macro timers to any of the 6 profiles that are stored in the mouse itself. There’s 512KB of built-in memory.

Read: Gaming: Gamdias HEBE M1 RGB Headset Review

Conclusion

The mouse is quite responsive, works great, fits my hand, and the laser is highly accurate as it lights up alongside the HERMES 7-Color mechanical keyboard. If you’re just getting into gaming and unsure of what mouse to get, or you’ve finally decided to ditch your old standard mouse and buy a gaming mouse, this one’s a solid winner.

The list price of the ZEUS eSport laser mouse is $69.99. Fortunately, you can get it on Amazon for $44.99 on any given day. In the US, each gaming mouse comes with a 1 year warranty from date of purchase.

What do you think of this Gamdias ZEUS eSport Laser gaming mouse review? Do you agree or disagree with our analysis? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Gamdias on Twitter
• Follow Gamdias on Facebook
• Follow Gamdias on Instagram

• Follow Beantown on Twitter
• Follow Beantown on Facebook
• Follow Beantown on Instagram

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Gamdias website to see their latest gaming hardware.

FTC Disclosure: Gamdias provided Beantown LLC with one (1) ZEUS eSport laser gaming mouse sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and is not a paid product ambassador.

Read: Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT Headphones Review