Some parts of your PC setup you just never
really think about. Unless they’re unsatisfactory that is. Then they can become
irritating in a major way.
An unsuitable mouse pad may not grab your
attention during day-to-day computing tasks. But try to game with one, or use
it with software that demands precision control over your mouse pointer, and
its shortcomings will become readily apparent.
Cooler
Master CM Storm Mouse Pads
Too much friction is a problem. So is too
lite friction, which means a lack of tactile feedback on the edge of your palm,
and thus confusion in your mind about how much you’ve really moved your mouse
hand. Some mouse mats are too big for your desk space, or too small for your
preference. Others develop cracks or dog-eared corners, which can seriously
interrupt your mojo.
And let’s not forget surfaces that don’t
track well under the LED or laser of a modern optical mouse. Older mouse pads
were created with surfaces intended to help mechanical ball mice roll smoothly
in all directions (when the ball was squeaky clean, that is).
Older
mouse pads were created with surfaces intended to help mechanical ball mice
roll smoothly in all directions
Thus, we looked forward to trying out a
pair of very large gaming mouse surfaces from CM Storm by Cooler Master.
The CM Storm Power-RX is more of a mouse
mat than a pad, being only about as thick as a credit card. Mind you, a credit
card of the same dimensions the Power-RX is just shy of 18 x 14 inches wouldn’t
fit in your wallet very easily. Its surface is finely textured black rubber
with moderate resistance against hand movements. The Power-RX is flexible
enough to roll up (indeed, it comes in a tube like a poster), but it lies flat
as soon as it hits the desktop, without any annoying tendency to curl or snag
your mouse cord.
The CM Storm Control-RX, on the other hand,
is packaged more like a picture frame in a thin, rigid box. It’s flexible, too,
but being almost as thick as a thin SSD, it isn’t as “roll-Uppable” as the
Power-RX. Cooler Master covers the top of the pad with comfortable Lycra fabric
that lets your mouse hand move freely. The company says that the weave pattern
of the surface is designed to accommodate mice operating at low dpi settings.
Underneath, the Control-RX has a semi-sticky, polyurethane base. Clean off a
section of desktop before you plop the mat down, and it will not slide in any
direction. Bright graphics and contoured, anti-fray edges give this pad an aura
of quality.
We tried out both CM Storm pads with a
typical optical mouse from Logitech, the M-BJ58. This 800dpi LED mouse tracked
perfecdy on the Power-RX, and the Control-RX yielded a 100% score on up-down
and side-to-side motions.
As an acid test, we tried out both mats
with an Evoluent Vertical Mouse 3 Rev. 2. We’ve only been able to make this
unusual-looking mouse track perfectly on another Cooler Master pad, the CM
Stacker, which has a hard, textured black surface.
Amazingly, the finicky Evoluent mouse
performed flawlessly on both mouse mats. It seems that if you own a Vertical Mouse,
and you’ve been unhappy with its pointer tracking, Cooler Master is the place
to buy your next mouse pad.
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Info
§ Price:
$29.99
§ Manufacturer:
Cooler Master
§ Website:
www.coolermaster-usa.com
CM Storm Power-RX Specs
§ Size:
17.7 x 13.8 x 0.1 inches;
§ Surface:
Rubber;
§ Base:
Silicone
CM Storm Control-RX Specs
§ Size:
17.3 x 13.8x0.2 inches;
§ Surface:
Lycra;
§ Base:
Polyurethane
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