Razer's forthcoming Lachesis gaming mouse finally addresses our chief complaint with its DeathAdder and other gaming mice: no easy-access buttons for switching dpi settings on the fly. Logitech's G5 Laser mouse has them, Microsoft's new SideWinder will have them, and now the Lachesis gets them when it hits in October for the seemingly standard price of $80 (and you can pre-order now).
Razer's Lachesis gets on-the-fly dpi buttons, just under the scroll wheel.
(Credit: Razer)
Otherwise, the Lachesis seems to be simply a revamped DeathAdder. The only other major change is its higher-end laser sensor, which gives you a 4000 dpi ceiling, and thus a greater range of sensitivity settings. No other mouse on the market goes that high, although we'll admit we find even 2,000 dpi more than fast enough. What the new Razer mouse doesn't have is a weight kit. If you have a soft enough touch to get excited about the 4,000 dpi sensor, you might miss the weights. Unless the Lachesis is unusually light, we probably won't.
Intro:
This Razer Lachesis is a laser, cabled mouse.Compared to other cabled mice on the market, it is expensive at around $75.This mouse connects to any available USB port.
Noteworthy Features:
Has laser movement detection.This is more advanced than the average mouse on the market today, but is to be expected for a mouse of this price.Also, this mouse has nine buttons, which is somewhat more than some similarly priced mice.(Pointing devices with more buttons allow the user to customize desired functions, but some users may find the additional buttons confusing and prefer a simpler model.)This device's resolution of 4000 dpi is very high in comparison to typical pointing devices.Offers a sensitivity adjustment, set of programmable buttons, and scrolling wheel.(Using a scroll wheel reduces repetitive motions and makes it easier to quickly scan documents and web pages.)
Weaker Features:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
A cabled mouse, suited for general computing.
Value:
In general, this mouse's price seems a bit steep, with respect to its features.
Suggestions:
(1) With its programmable button function, you can set up a common sequence of actions to execute with a single click.(2) You might be interested in comparing this with a mouse that received Editor's Choice on CNET.
Use Scenario:
Cabled device suitable for basic computing tasks.Programmable buttons offer custom control for easier graphics and data manipulation.
3 out of 10 - Poor High responsiveness + light weight = sketchy control
They really should have added a weight kit with this one. The main game I play right now it WoW ...
They really should have added a weight kit with this one. The main game I play right now it WoW and at times, I may need to spam a certain hotbar key. Well, with this mouse, as I'm spamming, even if I hold the mouse as steady as I possibly can, the cursor rides up and to the left. I cannot keep it on the button unless I drop the dpi very low. At that point, it's hard to even move the cursor when I want to. Needless to say, I'm taking it back.
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by Creedom (see profile) -
March 27, 2008
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great look, feel, and performance, but takes a while
I very rarely buy anything without trying it first. Having difficulty in finding all three of the latest gaming mice ...
I very rarely buy anything without trying it first. Having difficulty in finding all three of the latest gaming mice in stores, I read online as much as I could about the Razer lachesis, the Logitech G9, and the Microsoft Sidewinder.
The first thing you should know when deciding amongst the three is that the price is in no way a marker of which mouse is superior. Nor does an LED display of the DPI have any purpose in a mouse. Some would beg to differ here; I personally like the display because it simply adds to the look of the mouse, however, when you're flipping through dpi on the fly, you would rather give a quick turn of the mouse on-screen and realize what the DPI is at rather than avert your eyes from the screen to the display on the mouse to see what you've just set it at. Customizable profiles remove the need for a display anyway.
Compared side by side, the Lachesis has what I consider to be several advantages over its competitors.
First of all, the DPI reaches 4,000. Many will say that 2,000 is more than enough, and that's exactly what the Sidewinder will give you. The G9 will give you 3,200.
The Lachesis is made for right or left handed gamers. The others are for right handed use only.
The Lachesis has 9 fully customizable buttons, whereas the Sidewinder and G9 only allow customization of most buttons.
As far as design and look, I would say the Lachesis outranks the Sidewinder and the G9 here as well.
What does the Lachesis lack? No LED display and no customizable weights. The weight of the mouse isn't an issue for me. It weighs about the same as a standard mouse.
There is no side-scroll button however in the scroll wheel. True that this button option is rarely used, especially when it comes to gaming, but it would be nice just to cover all bases. When side-scrolling is an option in a web page, you can however press the scroll button and bring up the 4-sided directional scroll on-screen.
The length of the mouse from front to back, is particularly long. I don't think I've ever used a mouse that was longer. For me, this creates a new issue of getting used to the mouse's feel. If you've ever read the Razer gaming guide, you know that there are two standard ways to hold a mouse. You can either control the direction of the mouse mainly by your two front fingers that rest on the buttons, or you can push the mouse forward by using more force though the palm of the hand.
I was previously a 'palm' type of a guy, but I feel like with the length of this mouse, if I use that technique, the weight of this mouse does in fact become an issue. This is to say, when using the palm technique, the second you remove your fingers from the front of the two buttons, as when lifting them up immediately after pressing a button, the mouse will be pushed forward just enough to notice its effects on-screen because the force from your resting palm is enough to overcome the weight of the mouse.
Perhaps if the mouse weighed more, this wouldn't be an issue, and I would be able to maintain the 'palm' style of play. However, as there are no customizable weights, I'm going to have to adapt to playing by the 'claw' method of using mainly my front two fingers to control direction as well as fire. Not an impossible goal to accomplish for a fine gaming mouse.
The 9 buttons are easily depressed, and in a comfortable location.
So, what convinced me to buy the lachesis over the other 2 mice?
First of all, the high DPI. I myself am a gadget kind of guy, meaning that if it does something I don't need it to do, I will like it more than I already do. 4,000 DPI is way more than enough, but, I just wanted my mouse to have the ability.
Second, the look.
Third, 9 fully customizable buttons.
Fourth, some G9 mice have already been recalled due to design flaws, and they've only been out a few months. I wouldn't want to get stuck with one of those.
Overall, the Lachesis is a great mouse, with many customizable options. Getting used to the mouse is one con, but you'd probably have to get used to any new mouse after using your previous mouse for more than a year.
I'd also like to point out that although I rated this product an 8, I'd rate the G9 at a 7 and the Sidewinder a 6.
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by DrAlvi (see profile) -
December 28, 2007
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