Razer DeathAdder

Manufacturer: Razer Inc. Part number: RZ01-00150100-R2M1

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$44.99 - $59.99 at 5 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Razer's DeathAdder gaming mouse is a powerful accessory for fans of 3D shooters and others who might demand a high degree of customizability in their mice. We wish that Razer had delivered on its promise of Vista support out of the box, but aside from that and a few other issues, the DeathAdder performs exceptionally well.

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CNET editors' review

Razer DeathAdder

price range: $44.99 - $59.99

Razer's DeathAdder gaming mouse is a powerful accessory for fans of 3D shooters and others who might demand a high degree of customizability in their mice. We wish that Razer had delivered on its promise of Vista support out of the box, but aside from that and a few other issues, the DeathAdder performs exceptionally well.

The good: The Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse has high accuracy and includes excellent customization software, and two responsive thumb-side buttons (righties only).

The bad: No Vista driver despite claim of support on the box; no dedicated button for cycling through DPI settings on the fly.

The bottom line: Razer's DeathAdder gaming mouse is a powerful accessory for fans of 3D shooters and others who might demand a high degree of customizability in their mice. We wish that Razer had delivered on its promise of Vista support out of the box, but aside from that and a few other issues, the DeathAdder performs exceptionally well.

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Razer's new DeathAdder comes very close to usurping the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse as our gaming mouse of choice. At $60, Razer's mouse is about the same price, but the DeathAdder offers much more customizability and is also more accurate. That alone will be enough to sway the gamers in the audience. More casual mouse users will like that this mouse has two thumb-side buttons as well. We were surprised that the DeathAdder didn't come with a Windows Vista driver, though. That and Razer's stubborn refusal to offer a dedicated button for switching between sensitivity settings prevent us from giving this mouse an Editor's Choice award.

If you're unfamiliar with Razer's mice, the company has dedicated itself to creating the perfect gaming input device. The DeathAdder comes with all of Razer's familiar touches. The rubberized coating on the top surface of the mouse prevents excessive moisture (or rather, sweat). And the extralong, 7-foot USB cable makes it easy to connect the DeathAdder to even the most outlandish gaming setups. It has a large scroll wheel and a pair of thumb buttons on its side, giving you five buttons in total, all of which you can customize in the mouse's software.

Setting up the DeathAdder is easy enough. Both Windows XP and Vista recognized it without asking us to install any software. If you're happy with the mouse's default settings, you can probably just put the driver CD away entirely. We suspect that gamers will want to at least look at the customization options though, and for that we're sad to report that Razer's software works only in Windows XP. The software will install in Vista, but it doesn't recognize the mouse, which must happen in order for your settings changes to kick in. The DeathAdder's box even claims Vista support, which makes this omission particularly irritating. Like other hardware vendors, Razer is working on Vista drivers. When they'll be done is anyone's guess.

If you still run Windows XP, you'll find the Razer software intuitive and robust. The basic settings window lets you adjust button assignments and change the polling rate and the DPI settings, which extend to a whopping 1,000Hz and 1,800dpi, respectively. Such high settings give the DeathAdder exceptional responsiveness and accuracy. Dig deeper into the software and the advanced window lets you tweak the sensitivity of the X and Y axes independently of each other. You can also adjust the pointer speed and apply a range of acceleration effects to get the cursor moving even more quickly.

One other feature we like about the Razer drivers is that it lets you set and save profiles for the DeathAdder, for when you want to switch DPI settings on the fly. You can also program macros to tie different key combos to a single click of the mouse. We like the macro feature, but the DPI switching is less than ideal. You can set a button only to switch to another DPI setting, but you can't use it to cycle through different sensitivities. A button on the bottom of the mouse lets you cycle through different profiles, but it's hardly in an ideal location if you're in the middle of a gaming session.

That DPI switching issue is really our biggest problem with the DeathAdder. The Logitech G5 gets it right with a dedicated button preset to three different DPI settings, as well as a small row of lights that provide visual feedback as to what mode you're in. Razer's ad hoc approach doesn't work half as well. On the other hand, the 1,000Hz polling limit of the DeathAdder gives it twice the accuracy of the 500Hz G5. We also have to give the DeathAdder the nod for its pair of very firm and responsive thumb-side buttons. It's a righty-only mouse, so you southpaws will have to adjust or look elsewhere. But for the other 85-or-so percent of us, the two thumb-side buttons are a major boon over Logitech's single button--not to mention older Razer mice, for that matter.

Finally, we found a link to another review of this mouse that we think you should read. As far as we're aware, the team at gaming hardware site ESReality.com has the only mousing benchmark in the industry. We can't speak to the accuracy of the test results or anything else about the site in general (although we have no reason to think there's anything shady going on), but for sheer ingenuity, we think their review is worth a read.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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1 stars

Don't think about updating the drivers!

by raddevon on October 24, 2007

Pros: Good mouse while it works

Cons: Install new drivers over old ones = bricked mouse, Impossible to uninstall old drivers!

Summary: This was a great mouse while it was working. I tried updating the drivers. For some reason, you have to uninstall the previous drivers before installing the new ones. I ...

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Summary: This was a great mouse while it was working. I tried updating the drivers. For some reason, you have to uninstall the previous drivers before installing the new ones. I didn't do this, and, as a result, I bricked my mouse. I finally got the RMA back. I tried uninstalling the drivers before I even opened the new mouse I got from Razer. The drivers wouldn't uninstall! I clicked remove in Vista's Programs and Features, but nothing happens at all! I called Razer, but their tier one didn't know what to do. They escalated a ticket to tier two. Tier two e-mailed me to tell me I should uninstall the drivers. I tried to call to talk to tier two as I am not getting anywhere over e-mail, but tier one said they cannot be reached by phone. I replied to the e-mail to tell them I have tried uninstalling but it doesn't work. They e-mailed me again referring me to a knowledgebase article which says to uninstall the drivers! I e-mailed them again to tell them I am getting terrible service and explain the entire situation. That was nearly a week ago, but I have heard nothing. Absolutely terrible service! I'm running Vista x64. I don't know if the problem affects other operating systems or this one only. Beware!

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

best mouse in the world

by Niczg on August 23, 2008

Pros: great movment and feel

Cons: none that i know of

Summary: Its great im now amazing at cod its just great best gaming mouse ever and with a 2 year warranty. good feel and lights look good programmable macro

Summary: Its great im now amazing at cod its just great best gaming mouse ever and with a 2 year warranty. good feel and lights look good programmable macro
2 stars

Good hardware - terrible software

by cheynep on August 18, 2008

Pros: Accurate, ergonomic mouse

Cons: Terrible drivers that don't work in Vista

Summary: This is an example of a company that has put 90% of its effort into making good hardware and 10% into creating software to run it. I just spent three ...

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Summary: This is an example of a company that has put 90% of its effort into making good hardware and 10% into creating software to run it. I just spent three hours trying to update the driver. This is truly a shame.

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10 stars

Best gaming mouse out there, no more said

by Skanky Yoda on April 7, 2008

Pros: Design, High DPI, Ideal for low sensitivity gamers

Cons: Corded which can be annoying for some people, drivers can be a tad hard to configure at first.

Summary: I was first told to get this mouse when my friend told me its the best counter strike source mouse you can buy and then i thought I might as ...

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Summary: I was first told to get this mouse when my friend told me its the best counter strike source mouse you can buy and then i thought I might as well give it a try. At first i had a few problems because of old logitech drivers but the longest i ever had to wait for help from razer support was 3 days. and that was at peak, once i received a reply within 3 hours. Great mouse. Best for CSS

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8 stars

Probably one of Razer's top mice!

by Niiro13 on January 24, 2008

Pros: Probably one of the best mice. Accurate and good form.

Cons: Scroll Wheel is too-sensitive, On the Fly is useless with this mouse

Summary: This mouse is right-handed only, so opinions might be different with left-handers.

This is one of the best mice I have ever used. But Razer products always have one flaw.

...

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Summary: This mouse is right-handed only, so opinions might be different with left-handers.

This is one of the best mice I have ever used. But Razer products always have one flaw. Every singly one of them. For this one, it's the scroll wheel. It's too sensitive. It's okay for certain games, but because I play Counter-Strike competitively, it's harsh.

I might be bunny hopping with the scroll wheel, then shooting someone. All of a sudden, the scroll wheel decides to move and I jump, ruining the recoil control. I know that while it does kind of click in, with a fast paced game like Counter-Strike, you don't have time to make sure that it's locked in.

This mouse is actually slower than the Krait for some weird reason. With higher dots per inch, theoretically it should be faster.

On the Fly sensitivity is kind of useless. Because I use Mouse4 and Mouse5, there's no other button I can set on the fly to. (mouse3 is ventrilo speak) Not like it matters, since I don't use drivers, but in online tournaments it is nice (I'm not one to get too used to settings...I can easily adjust from drivers to no drivers to drivers)

All in all, it's one of the best gaming mice I've ever owned.

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10 stars

great for gaming and just about anything else

by bbyboy on September 9, 2007

Pros: feels good, ultra customizable, looks good

Cons: price. that's it

Summary: you get what you pay for though. this thing is awesome. i play a lot of shooters and high sensitivity is very important while running around but i need low ...

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Summary: you get what you pay for though. this thing is awesome. i play a lot of shooters and high sensitivity is very important while running around but i need low sensitivity while sniping and the sensitivity on the fly is critical. it's awesome. go and get it.

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9 stars

Bring beath to anyone that comes in ur way.

by Vodka Proof on September 3, 2007

Pros: Quick response , side buttons , razer glow , 3g laser , responsive clicks , gd confort

Cons: right handers only

Summary: If your a hardcore gamer like me , the deathadder will suit u perfectly.At first glance u will think its awesome , at first touch u will think its perfect and ...

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Summary: If your a hardcore gamer like me , the deathadder will suit u perfectly.At first glance u will think its awesome , at first touch u will think its perfect and once u give it a go u think u got a weapon in ur hand.Although its a great mouse its 2 bad that razer designed it for right handers only.

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9 stars

G5 is NOT an ideal gaming mouse, Deathadder is

by BothanSpy on March 30, 2007

Pros: Perfect ergo shape for right handers, best sensor availible, best side buttons, functional scrollwheel, small and light enough to move in FPS games.

Cons: Currently the front end scrapes mousing surface, some do not notice because it's still somewhat smooth plastic surface. They lied about Vista. DPI settings are NOT a significant con:

Summary: If Razer works out the shell scraping (very significant) and this mouse doesn't end up having some severe flaw (like my G5 did, the tilt-wheel wore out after heavy ...

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Summary: If Razer works out the shell scraping (very significant) and this mouse doesn't end up having some severe flaw (like my G5 did, the tilt-wheel wore out after heavy gaming use), it SHOULD be the best mouse out there. Lets give it about 6 months and see if we can't get a "perfect 10" out of this mouse. I actually DO NOT HAVE ONE, but I have extensive knowlege of gaming mice. I have a G5 and it is too big and bulky for FPS. It's only managable in super small twitching motions (high sensitivity), which is not really ideal. Medium high sensitivity seems to be the best option in most FPS games. (And what are they really saying when they say "gaming mouse"?).

The previous razers were for either hand and were too thin the grip comfortably and controlably. This new mouse is very similar to the Intelimouse Explorer 3.0 by Microsoft (as far as shape). The side buttons are in much better placement than previous Razers and lets not even talk about the G5...

Okay, yeah, the G5 only has ONE side button... This new mouse also has good grip rubber skin all over top of it in addition to ergo design. Logitech sometimes goes way out of it's way to make a mouse LOOK ergo (with the whole thumb grove) but my hand, which is a normal one , does not naturally fit in the thumb groove, especially in gaming. You have to have a "ready to attack" grip on the mouse when you're gaming, and using the thumbgroove is very awkward and actually displaces your other fingers from their natural rest on the mouse and it's actually hard to lift and replace the mouse (when you run out of room) with your thumb in the groove. Basically, the Deathadder doesn't just "look" ergo, it really is.

I am only reviewing this to offset the "8" rating given by CNET. I wish I had one to test myself, I'm about to buy one, just scared of scraping shell. If they fix that, this SHOULD be the #1 gaming mouse out there...

Also, the on-the-fly dpi switching is not tat big of a deal to me. They should have included it I suppose, but the G5 has other things that minimize the benifits of the DPI options. The DeathAdder will bring you a whole new level of control in your games. I usually learn one sensitivity and stick with it. If anyone disagrees with me, please say so... I have used the DPI settings on my G5 a few times, but they aren't that hott. Not life and death. The accuracy and ergonomics/reasonable size of the deathadder put it in a whole different league than the G5 in my opinion.

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1 stars

The most headache-inducing mouse ever!

by dv8ed on December 9, 2007

Pros: Has a sleek design, and eye catching LEDs.

Cons: Prone to driver nightmares combined with awful tech support.

Summary: Getting a mouse to work with a computer should never be this hard. I purchased two DeathAdders on Amazon and both seem to refuse to work as they should.

One

...

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Summary: Getting a mouse to work with a computer should never be this hard. I purchased two DeathAdders on Amazon and both seem to refuse to work as they should.

One of them will not turn off the LEDs even when the option to turn them off is enabled. This is annoying at night when you constantly see a pulsing blue LED out of the corner of your eye. Also, the mouse wheel is loud and the bottom of the mouse tends to scrape against the mouse pad due to the extremely thin teflon feet. For a "gaming" mouse, such problems are unacceptable.

The other mouse refuses to work at all. I've emailed tech support but they just point me to their knowledge base. If the knowledge base solution actually worked, I wouldn't have emailed them in the first place. The mouse constantly turns off, so it works for 30 seconds, if it works at all. I'm trying to get this RMA'ed but Razer's tech support is having me jump through hoops to get a RMA number.

Just go on the Razer support forums. There are a lot of users having various problems. The driver issue is an absolute nightmare as well. Apparently installing the latest drivers tends to brick a lot of the mice. And the driver uninstall procedure has you go into the registry and delete a bunch of obscure keys JUST to do a clean re-install of the drivers. It almost seems like Razer just decided to slap together a bunch of drivers and prayed it worked.

Absolutely terrible. This is the first and last time I'll buy a Razer mouse.

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0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Razer Inc.
Part number: RZ01-00150100-R2M1

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Razer DeathAdder

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