Razer Mamba wired / wireless gaming mouse impressions

Design
Razer engineered its Mamba to be remarkably light for a gaming mouse that includes a rechargeable battery, and we have to say, the weight was just about perfect for us. Not too heavy, not too light. In essence, the basic design of the Mamba isn't drastically different than pretty much every other regular mouse out there. We mean, it's not hard to see similarities between this and even an ancient Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0. That said, we did learn to love the Mamba's steeply sloping rear and it's somewhat elongated left / right click buttons, and all of the peripheral buttons were placed right where we wanted them. Quick note on the scroll wheel -- the placement was just fine, but the "notched" implementation bugged us. Maybe it's because we're just too used to a smooth scroll wheel with no defined notches (not to mention one that can scroll horizontally if need be), but hey, there it is.

Setup
Installation and setup was a breeze. We simply plugged the USB wireless receiver / charging station into a free USB port and off we went. We downloaded the appropriate drivers from Razer's website in order to take advantage of a few more advanced features, and after we were tweaked, we fired up a game or two to test 'er out. For users of "standard" mice, the first thing you'll notice about the Mamba is just how lightning fast it is. Razer claims that the internal sensor boasts a 5,600DPI rating, and it shows. We had to crank the speed back quite a bit in order to get acclimated, but after awhile, we really began to appreciate the extra sensitivity.

Performance
Another big question on the minds of gamers is this: "Is this thing really 'lag-free' when untethered?" In short, yes. For those unaware, Razer designed this mouse to operate wirelessly (2.4GHz band) or via a USB cable, so you get the best of both worlds right out of the box. We did a few A-B comparisons with and without the cord, and we never could tell the difference. Being wireless never affected our aim, our movements or our precision. So for those of you worried over wireless performance, fuhgettaboutit.
Another small but appreciated inclusion is the unique rubberized top coating. Our fingers always felt appropriately suctioned to the left / right click buttons, and the ease of clicking was just luscious. We actually hunted for things to double click just to have the pleasure of mashing down the buttons. All kidding aside (sort of), the click travel here is just perfect.

Wrap-up
So, the moment of truth -- is this gorgeous, well-designed and accurate mouse worth the stiff $129.99 price tag? That's a really, really tough question to answer, but the honest truth is that we can't say "yes" without reservations. For the average computer user, this is total overkill. And you knew that before you even read this far. Sure, it'll handle basic desktop tasks in admirable fashion, but so will a bundled USB mouse that's collecting dust in your neighbor's attic. The only folks who will actually benefit from this are hardcore gamers who know how to wield 5,600DPI of resolution. If your hands are precise enough to take advantage, you'll probably be the quickest mouser in the room, and you can do it without a troubling tether. Personally, we wouldn't spend the dough to snag one of these, as tempting as it may sound, but if your budget has a bit more flexibility, we can't say it's not a great luxury buy. If you've ever toyed with prior Razer mice and came away impressed, you'll be even more so with the Mamba -- good luck keeping that credit card close to your posterior.



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yeap. But it may be because I'm a Brit, regular hockey is more popular here, i.e. taught in schools etc.
I'm still happy with my Habu.
is picture 31 the wireless reciever?
also, is it possible to plug it in via standard usb cable (if the reciever is that big it mgiht be an issue to carry around
Yes, it is, but it's not that big - it's about 3" square and 2" tall, give or take.
Picked one up last night because the cord on my Death Adder has been pissing me off. So far, it's much like a Death Adder, but wireless and with the sensitivity change on-the-fly.
I forgot about your second question - the supplied USB cable is a mini on the mouse/dock end of business. It's shaped so that it can slide in under the scroll wheel and latch in place. you could probably use a regular miniUSB, but without out that latch, I could see it eventually working it's way loose during use.
Does anyone else find it ironic that these are mice named after snakes?
Ha... Although i dont think you can really call these mice, they have no tail.
I have found the best mouse ever, I have had it for almost one year and I never wished anything else.
It's called Logitech MX Air.
It makes all other mice, including this Mamba, feel obsolete.
dude this is a gaming mouse not a media one
@ CAL
So very true.
That's why I like it so much.
However when i throw the occasional game at it, it performs just fine; at least I never noticed any disturbing lag; even though admitedly it has never been meant to be a gaming mouse nor am I a gamer by any stretch of the term.
I'm glad you didn't compare this mouse to a joystick, or your keyboard.
If I have ever seen a orange to apples comparison, you've done it.
Yes, they're all input devices; No they're NOT comparable in this context. This article was definitely not for you.
MX Air has significantly MORE LAG than Mamba.
Wow, the packaging it self must cost a lot.
Remove all the nice packaging and sell this thing for $50 and we will have a winner.
Does Engadget knows how to make this a wired mouse ?
I haven't seen a photo of it here with the wire on.
The USB cable that plugs into the charging base is removed and plugged into the mouse.
I actually tried this mouse out at CES this year and it was quite amazing as far as zero lag. Best Buy just got it a couple of weeks ago and is on "sale" this week for $117. Not much of a drop from $130 but I can see this going for $100 soon.
I'll stick to my Logitech G9. Thing's got enough DPI under the hood to keep me satisfied.
Wait a moment, so for the mouse to communicate with a machine, you have to have the charging base connected? couldn't they come up with a small dongle like Logitech wireless mice have? with built in connector for the wired option? you could get rid of the charging base completely then. What's the point of a wireless mouse where there is no portability and you have to carry around the charging station with you wherever you go!?
Razer are good but they are still couple of years behind Logitech.
Do you really think portability is priority one with this mouse? Geez. Wake up man! Logitech has some good products, no denying that, but as far as mouse tech is concerned I think you have your last statement reversed.
It's Logitech that is a couple of years behind Razer in mouse tech...
BTW the G9 was a POS.
I'd agree with you about the dongle... the base is fine, but I'd also like to have an included and very small USB connector that I could opt to use whenever I wanted to, instead of the base.
And if there was a way they could design the wheel to switch between a notched and a smooth feel, that would be icing on the cake.
On another note, I like the box and the overall packaging the mouse comes in.
That has to be the most wasteful packing job I have ever seen. All for a mouse. I guess they are trying to justify the $160 dollar price tag to people with fake "bling".
What a joke.
How much range does it have ????
For the people complaining about the money spent on the box it comes in...
The only thing I see being the waste part would be the thicker plastic that covers the mouse. I think what some don't realize is the stand the mouse is on is actually the charging base. Heck, Razer didn't even include the driver CD. you download it from their site. The rest of the box uses less resources than a typical cardboard box a typical mouse would come in.
Does anyone remember the $100 Boomslang years ago? That thing came is a real nice tin. It's not just about the product but also the experience of purchasing the product. What is wrong with the packaging being artsy? I think it would be a disservice to throw it in a blister pack and call it a day.
The packaging stand is NOT the charging base - the charging base is housed in the bottom portion of the packing, along with the owner's manual, etc.
The only reason I can see for several times mentioning a common moue that sells for that much is if the cogs are being greased, so cheers engadget guys for making a bundle, but could you please somewhere put in small lettering ~advertisement~ the next time (that's in 4 days I'm guessing right?) to remain with some self-respect and respect of your readership. TIA
I have to agree here. I got the mouse a couple days ago, and it is definitely not as good as this review says. It is mostly a good mouse, but there are quite a few problems that the review does not mention at all.
2.4ghz=fail
Did no one think that that making a wireless gaming mouse use the same rf as a wireless gaming router (considering N has no standard) wouldnt be the smartest thing to do?
I'm thinking this should be the next giveaway.
Hmm... Is that like a Mamba + Carcharias combo package?
Razer, If you're reading this, how about a gaming mouse for lefties? This is your first righty-only mouse but also the first mouse I am really interested in (the boomslang wasn't for me and I only want wireless now)
Buyers remorse!
I just bought the Razer Diamondback 3G, and while it's a great mouse... maybe I should have gotten this one.
On the other hand, it would've cost twice as much...
Maybe I missed it, but what is the range on this mouse? Will it work 15 - 20 ft away from the receiver?
I'd like to know as well. Both logitech and ms wireless mice I've used have had 5-7 ft range tops.
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