Razer Mamba 2012 Review - Wireless Gaming Bliss

[siopao1984]

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Razer Mamba 2012 Review - Wireless Gaming Bliss by VR-Zone.com

Introduction and Unboxing

Razer is a long time prolific maker of peripherals for both the professional and casual gamer. They have now updated their flagship mouse - the Mamba (2012). The following is a comparison table of the differences between the old and the new versions of the Mamba:



Packaging

Razer has the best packaging designs and have bought it to another level altogether in the Mamba. The box is now using a solid acrylic casing with a display stand that looks great on any display shelf.



Unpacking

Again, Razer did not fail to impress in their intricate packing of accessories.



The first box contains the usual thank you note, quick start guide, master guide and the customary Razer stickers.



A braided USB cable in the second box - for those who demand wired response perfection.



The battery and battery-cover



Lastly, the dock which is the wireless receiver and doubles as a charging dock.



What a gorgeous looking mouse!

[siopao1984]

Shape, Bling Factor and Tethering

Shape

The shape of the Mamba is similar to its the ubiquitous Deathadder sibling, only that it has additional rubber coated cut-outs near the base of the mouse (and wireless functionality). The top of the mouse is coated with rubber for maximum grip.

There are 7-programmable Hyperesponse buttons which have a solid tactile feel to them.

The scroll wheel looks like it was inspired by the movie "TRON" - glow from the side of the scroll looks really classic and chic at the same time.





In the battery compartment, Razer have implemented a pull tab for battery replacement.






Bling Factor

In the psychedelic department, users now have a choice of 48 colours to choose from, or have it running in spectrum cycling mode.

The software also allows you to select 3 levels of brightness (dim, normal and bright) and switch the lights off to prolong the battery life.

At the corner of the Mamba, there is a LED indicator for information about battery life and DPI-stage. It's puzzling why Razer would leave out the backlit Razer logo from the Mamba, when it is pretty much a hallmark of Razer products.



A feature we liked is the dock lighting is always in sync with the Mamba even with spectrum cycle running. The dock is itself is an art piece, transforming your once boring desktop into a cool and chic machine which will an interesting topic among friends and relatives when they come over.


Tethered (Wired) Mode

Professional gamers can use the Mamba as a wired mouse by simply connecting the beautiful-crafted Mini-USB adapter. The mouse has an excellent auto-locking mechanism which prevents unfortunate disconnections while in use.

[siopao1984]

Software and Tweaks

We used the latest firmware 1.02 and driver version 2.00 which is available on the Razer support site.

Obligatory Button Assignment Menu



Adjustable DPI, Mouse Acceleration and USB Polling





5-stage DPI settings can be saved for each profile.



The Mamba can be easily programmed with intricate macros to give you an advantage against your enemies.



Change the LED Colors and Brightness or simply switch everything off for maximum battery life in wireless mode.



Pro Tip: To ensure a 1:1 Mouse Pointer Response and disable Mouse Acceleration, Windows sensitivity must be set to 6/11 and "Enhance pointer precision" unchecked. Anything lower or higher will lead to delayed or discarded mouse input

[siopao1984]

Testing and Performance

During our intensive testing in long FPS/RTS gaming sessions on Counter-Strike Source, Team Fortress 2 and Starcraft 2, the mouse performed well on various surface and colored textures. The glide was smooth and no skipping or jumping was experienced.

To measure the polling rate jitter, we set the mouse to 1000hz and used a "Mouse Rate Checker" to benchmark the mouse

1000hz Wireless



1000hz Wired



In wireless mode, the mouse could not handle 1000hz consistantly, which would be unacceptable to professional gamers. Dropping it down to 500hz yielded more consistency. Unsurprisingly, the mouse performed well in 1000hz wired mode.



Mouse-prediction (aka drift control, angle snapping), the bane of professional FPS gamers, was non-existant.

In wireless mode with the lighting switched off, we measured that the mouse had roughly 16 hours lifespan per charge. It also worked reliably up to 5 metres away from the dock.

The Razer Mamba weighs 139 grams and is tail-heavy. Because of its weight, users might have to change mousefeet more often especially on hard pads. Razer sells replacement feet at USD$9.99.

[siopao1984]

Testing and Performance

During our intensive testing in long FPS/RTS gaming sessions on Counter-Strike Source, Team Fortress 2 and Starcraft 2, the mouse performed well on various surface and colored textures. The glide was smooth and no skipping or jumping was experienced.

To measure the polling rate jitter, we set the mouse to 1000hz and used a "Mouse Rate Checker" to benchmark the mouse

1000hz Wireless



1000hz Wired



In wireless mode, the mouse could not handle 1000hz consistantly, which would be unacceptable to professional gamers. Dropping it down to 500hz yielded more consistency. Unsurprisingly, the mouse performed well in 1000hz wired mode.



Mouse-prediction (aka drift control, angle snapping), the bane of professional FPS gamers, was non-existant.

In wireless mode with the lighting switched off, we measured that the mouse had roughly 16 hours lifespan per charge. It also worked reliably up to 5 metres away from the dock.

The Razer Mamba weighs 139 grams and is tail-heavy. Because of its weight, users might have to change mousefeet more often especially on hard pads. Razer sells replacement feet at USD$9.99.

[siopao1984]

Conclusion

Razer Mamba 2012 is a good looking and decent performing mouse. Boasting of high DPI of 6400 and DPI-staging, the Mamba is up to any task that it is given whether it's for gaming or for detail work on photo editing or 3D modelling. Furthermore with its ergonomic shape, users can use it for long-period of time without any discomfort.

However, with its very high price tag of USD$129.99, we cannot help but recommend the significantly less expansive and similarly performing USD$59.99 DeathAdder, particularly if you are to be using it in wired mode.







Retail Price: US$129.99

[keropi]

Planning to get the Orochi. Any reviews boss siopao?

[mister00incredible]

lihoka na kaha sa mouse noh kay 6400dpi nagud...ako karon kay 5700dpi (Logitech G500) kay paspas nmn gani kaayo. hehehehhee. gamayng lihok maabot na sa pikas screen ang mouse.

[canister_sa_puwet]

da best gyud ang razer when it comes to mouse, keyboard og mouse pad

[siopao1984]

Planning to get the Orochi. Any reviews boss siopao?

mangita nya ko reviews sa net.