Mouse-off: Razer Mamba vs. Microsoft Sidewinder X8
Gaming mice come in many flavors, but wireless is rarely one of them. Most wireless mice tend to have a considerable amount of lag and really aren't built to satisfy gamers in terms of buttons, shape, or performance. Enter the Sidewinder X8 from Microsoft and the Mamba from Razer, both scratch...
Gaming mice come in many flavors, but wireless is rarely one of them. Most wireless mice tend to have a considerable amount of lag and really aren't built to satisfy gamers in terms of buttons, shape, or performance. Enter the Sidewinder X8 from Microsoft and the Mamba from Razer, both scratch gamers needs and come equipped with super sensitive sensors, gobs of buttons, fancy drivers, unique recharge stations, and of course lights. Adding all these features doesn't come cheap. The Mamba rolls in at $130, and the Sidewinder X8 at $80.
In classic Razer style, the Mamba arrives mounted to a plastic display case that wouldn't be out of place in a museum. At first we thought we'd received some special packaging, but this is the actual retail box. The company's taken a page out of the Apple notebook and included little paper containers for all the other essential goodies like manuals, wires, and the battery.
Hardware-wise, the Mamba probably represents the pinnacle of mousing technology, with its 5600 DPI sensor and 1000Hz polling rate. Movement is buttery smooth. Forget about lag or even seeing the mouse move in any sort of stuttered way.
A separate dock lights up to recharge the Mamba and provide wireless connectivity. Should your batteries die, you can simply plug the included USB cord into the mouse to charge it up. The cord also switches the mouse into wired mode, bypassing the wireless receiver altogether. Plugging the wire into the Mamba is a bit of a chore though. Getting the right angle to connect the wire takes some effort, and unclipping it can be difficult due to the small size of the release button. Fortunately, you won't have to fiddle with the cable much, as we got nearly a week of battery life while using it for hours on end at work and with a considerable amount of gaming mixed in.
Razer's profile editor is capable of customizing the mouse in a variety of ways: on the fly sensitivity, user profiles, lighting options, independent axis sensitivity, and macro setup. Macro setup couldn't be easier, and the built-in editor lets you easily adjust delays, and remove commands through a simple GUI. Onboard memory stores up to five separate profiles that can be launched automatically when the appropriate program launches. You can also assign a button to let you cycle through the various profiles. CPU usage likes to go haywire when saving selections, but the program behaves itself at other times. Razer also releases firmware updates from time to time to improve the Mamba.
All of the Mamba's buttons are coated in whatever fancy rubber-like material Razer uses, and they feel fantastic. The side buttons are easy to press, and the wheel has detentes, and as a plus - the wheel doesn't make a sound when you spin it. The main buttons feel like they're on hair triggers, making them very easy to press.
Microsoft's Sidewinder X8 doesn't arrive in a museum quality case like the Mamba, but it also costs 40% less. It also sports a slightly less sensitive sensor (4000 DPI) using Microsoft's BlueTrack Laser and 500Hz USB polling. For it's fancy sensor, the movement wasn't bad, but it did feel jittery or jumpy even at the lowest sensitivity settings. We tried various pointer speeds and sensitivities but it never got as smooth as the Mamba.
The Sidewinder comes with a black puck that acts as a wireless receiver and doodad holder for the mouse. Inside of the puck you'll find two sets of mouse feet that you can swap out to get a different feel. We didn't notice much of a difference between them. We will note that the Sidewinder is loud when moving. It almost sounds like we're rubbing sand paper on the mousepad.
A magnetic charging cord wraps around the puck like a yoyo. Microsoft's charging cord is a much more elegant solution than Razer's when it comes to connecting the mouse up for a little on the fly recharge. Slide the wire under the front of the mouse and you're done. No latches, no alignment, it's simple enough to connect even with your eyes closed. The Sidewinder stays in wireless mode even when hooked up though. While we didn't sit down with a stopwatch, we're fairly certain the Sidewinder outdoes the Mamba in terms of battery life. Even after a solid week of use, the mouse just kept on going. We finally plugged it in just for the heck of it.
The Sidewinder one ups the Mamba's button assignment and macro settings by providing application specific controls. Meaning you can setup entirely different button controls for each application, and you're not limited by five profiles like the Mamba. If you're looking to map specific commands from PhotoShop, a Web browser, or a game the Sidewinder is your mouse. Unlike the Mamba, your controls and profiles won't go with you if you move the mouse to a different computer.
Portability-wise, the Mamba wins with a caveat. Neither of the recharge bases make for great traveling companions. Both are large and add to an already filled laptop bag. The only reason the Mamba edges out the Sidewinder is because it works in wired mode without the need for the wireless receiver. Just to be extra clear - you'll have a wireless mouse that's only functional once it's wired. Silly, but at least it's an awesome mouse.
If cost wasn't a concern, choosing between the two isn't difficult. We'd side with the Mamba any day of the week. Despite its minor failings, the Mamba's movement is really that much better than the Sidewinder. No lag, no jitteriness, nothing but net. In addition, the buttons feel better, and the mouse glides along in utter silence. The Sidewinder's far from being a bad mouse, but the Mamba is simply that much better.
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