Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Mouse

The only mouse you will ever need.

The idea of paying a lot of money for a mouse is foreign to a lot of gamers. Let's face it, most of us go for the cheapest one on the principle that it isn't going to last that long. The rough handling, the accumulated food detritus, and continual flexing, mean that as soon as you take it out of the pack it's a case of "dead man walking".

So it was with a lot of scepticism I took delivery of the Cyborg R.A.T. 7, a $200 (RRP) mouse. The word "gimmick" was immediately bandied about the office. The more I played with it, however, the more I realised how, occasionally, first impressions can be wrong...

The Basics

The unit ships fully assembled, with a handy container to hold the spare weights, an alternate right hand grip, two additional palm rests, and a pinky rest (more on this later).

It's a corded mouse and, like other units in the Cyborg range, the cord here is braided.

Technical Specifications

The central frame of the mouse is metal, which reflects the need to have a solid structure that can cope with all the fine adjustment options that are a key attribute of the unit. The unit sports an impressive 25 to 6400dpi laser sensor. This is something you would expect in a high-end drawing tool.

It may seem ugly at first, but this is the most beautiful rat you'll sever see

The tracking speed is up to 6m/second, and I found that the “slick” feet technology means that it glides over just about any surface.

Comfort

The term “comfort”, when it comes to mice, means little for most of us. Let's face it, you just adjust yourself to fit the mouse you have bought. However, I quickly discovered I've been cheating myself by thinking this way. Infact, long term use of a poorly designed mouse can be responsible for the sore wrists and shoulders that I bet a few of you suffer from - especially after a decent gaming session.

What really separates this mouse out from every other mouse ever made is the fact that it is fully adjustable to you. The inbuilt screwdriver tool, found at the rear of the mouse, is used to remove or add weights, as well as adjust the left hand thumb rest.

Underneath, you start to get an appreciation for the technology at play, as well as the sheer number of adjustable elements.

The concept of adjustable weights isn't new, and - despite my initial doubts - I have since found that, depending on the user, changing the weight can make a significant difference to comfort. Having the option here, then, is a valuable and important part of the package.

Where this mouse starts to depart from what's gone before it is in the other adjustment options on offer. First off, there's the palm rest. Not only do you have three textures to choose from, you also have quite a bit of north / south travel to ensure you have the maximum comfort for your particular hand. It is very easy to adjust, too, which makes finding the right setup for you no great chore.

In addition, you can adjust the thumb rest on the left of the mouse, again in the north / south direction, responding to the fact that people have different sized thumbs. This is important because the rest holds a precision aiming button for shooters, as well as two programmable buttons. The existence of the extra buttons isn't innovative, but in my experience with other mice you are lucky if the buttons are set in a place that you can readily access them. Not so with this unit, as there is enough travel to satisfy most thumb lengths.

If you like rockets and other things that are awesome, the side of the mouse - which seems to scream SCIENCE! - will excite you

On the right is the pinky rest. OK, I know this sounds a bit superfluous, but after using it for awhile, it turns out that it's one of those things I never knew I missed. As far as mouse use is concerned, the pinky finger is a redundant appendage (evolution will prove me right, I bet ya) and the addition of a rest means that it does not drag on the surface as you move the mouse around. The difference in comfort is considerable.

Robustness

This mouse is no plastic fantastic. It feels solid in your hand and, as I have already said, it is more instrument than mouse. With all the different add-ons and adjustments, I was initially a bit concerned how this would affect the robustness. My experience has normally been that "simple means solid," however this unit certainly bucks the trend, as it's very well built despite having a lot of metal parts.

The braided cord passed my stretch test with flying colours, as did the grommet protecting the cord as it enters the unit itself. I feel sure that, if you invest in the unit, you will be buying something that will last you past the life of your PC.

The customizable weight system, extruded

Operation

There are a lot of different buttons and controls subtly hidden within the unit. The standard left and right mouse buttons are positive in how they operate, while the mouse wheel with its rubber outer cover is a joy to use. I have talked about the precision aiming button, but below the wheel is also a button to engage the four DPI (sensitivity) settings that you can personalise to your taste.

On the left hand side and in easy reach of your thumb is another metal wheel. The thumb scroll, once you get used to it, is better positioned than the traditional scroll wheel. The Cyborg software is very intuitive in how you set up your buttons (and there are six extra in total to play with), including how much your precision aim button will zoom in.

Just like the physical aspects of the mouse, the software gives you a large number of options that let you tailor the mouse to how you want it to play.

The storage tin, which also shows some of the replacement panel options you have at your disposal.

Usability

Despite my initial doubts, this is a fantastic mouse. It glides over the desk with ease and, once you have it adjusted to your hand shape, it is a joy to use throughout those long gaming sessions. The only concern I have about the unit is the number of cavities where the dreaded detritus can congregate. I would have liked to have seen a cleaning brush as part of the kit, as any instrument of this quality needs to be cleaned regularly for best performance.

Overall

This is the best mouse you can buy. There is no doubt in my mind that, if you buy it, you will not be disappointed. The interface between you and your game could not be more comfortable or precise.