Razer DeathAdder Essential / basic mice desktop DPI settings and differences?
Razer DeathAdder Essential / basic mice desktop DPI settings and differences?
Hello colleagues. I've been using the Razer DeathAdder Essential for a few weeks now. I feel that anything below 1600 dpi on my desktop tends to be slow, requiring a lot of hand movement to complete normal tasks. Previously, I used a Logitech M100 non-gaming mouse, which had 1000 dpi and was sufficient for regular desktop work without any noticeable lag. In fact, basic mice with 800-1000 dpi felt similar in speed and responsiveness compared to the DeathAdder at 1800 dpi. I understand this might seem confusing, but I'm still very satisfied with the performance of Razer's mouse. It's an impressive product, and I'm just curious about why this happens.
Some mice offered a DPI range that was close to what was expected, but in reality it was greater. Alternatively, Win/mice included mouse pointer acceleration, which made the cursor move more rapidly with each gesture.
Another possibility is that the Razer DPI scale was exaggerated, claiming 1800 DPI when it was actually much lower, similar to basic mice. This kind of overstatement was a common marketing tactic.
A third option suggests a minor difference between 1000 and 1600 DPI, which might not be noticeable unless you compare them directly. Until you test them side by side, it’s hard to confirm they feel identical.
I’ve used Corsair mice for years, especially for gaming. At around 3000 DPI, I can only slightly move my wrist to reach the screen edges without using my whole hand. With such a high setting, precision is essential.
For finer control, I have dedicated buttons on my mice that drastically reduce the DPI to 400. I often rely on this feature.
I also have buttons for adjusting DPI profiles. Right now I have 1500, 3000, and 6000 DPI settings. My daily use is 3000 DPI. Other profiles are useful when certain programs cause DPI problems, and my standard 3000 DPI can be too fast or too slow. Still, I can fine-tune the DPI by steps of one from 100 to 18000.
The mouse I’m using right now is the Corsair Nightsword RGB USB, with detailed specs available [here](https://www.corsair.com/eu/en/p/gam...un...9306011-eu). It includes weight and center of mass calibration, among other features.
Thank you for your detailed comment. It appears the main reason for the discrepancy is that DPI scaling by certain manufacturers (such as gaming mice) can be inaccurate, while more affordable models actually maintain their genuine DPI. Adding a personal perspective highlights this significant variation.
I noticed you use a Corsair mouse. When choosing a replacement for your HP X220 gaming mouse, I considered Corsair Katar Pro XT among options. Eventually, I opted for the Razer DeathAdder Essential after finding a good deal and testing it out.
It seems to be similar to my earlier models: Corsair Sabre RGB (used for a while but developed a major issue, double-clicking the left button even after just one click). I went through the RMA process and the replacement Sabre RGB also had the same problem after roughly the same period (~one year). Plus, my wife also had Sabre RGB and it developed the identical fault. So I completely stopped using Sabre RGB and eventually switched to Nightsword RGB after much research.
As for why I prefer Corsair mice in general, well, I’m locked into the Corsair iCUE environment. It all began when I purchased my mechanical KB: Corsair Strafe RGB with Cherry MX Silent switches. It comes with Corsair iCUE software to manage it. So I thought getting other Corsair accessories would help avoid multiple software installations that clutter my system, instead keeping everything under one control. 😆
Currently, I use:
- Keyboard: Corsair Strafe RGB (soon to be replaced by Corsair K100 RGB with OPX switches)
- Mouse: Corsair Nightsword RGB
- Mouse pad: Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris
- Headset: Corsair Void Pro RGB USB (soon to be replaced by Corsair Void RGB Elite USB)
- Headset stand: Corsair ST100 RGB
My wife has a similar setup, except her keyboard is Strafe RGB Mk.II, her headset is the new Void RGB Elite USB, and she doesn’t have the MM800 Polaris mouse pad. She also owns the same mice and headset stand as I do. She has the Void RGB Elite Wireless headset (white) and Dark Core RGB PRO SE wireless mice for her laptop. Personally, I don’t like wireless devices or laptops. My desktop PC is more than sufficient for my needs.
Razer mice (all in that category) often suffer from software problems and hardware issues. That’s why I steer clear of Razer products. The low price with flashy designs (unicorn puke) doesn’t appeal to me. For instance, your Razer mice are rated for 10 million clicks, while my Nightsword RGB is rated for 50 million clicks—five times more reliable. My old Corsair Sabre RGB is rated for 20 million clicks. That’s double yours. So... yeah, I’d rather invest in a more dependable product than settle for something less reliable.
I was about to ask you why you stayed with the Corsair product line despite issues with a few Sabre mice, but you already explained it. You're well integrated into their ecosystem.
In reality, I've only tested PSU and RAM so far. I was content with the performance and quality of those parts.
I had previously mentioned gaming mice in my posts—specifically the Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC, a new model I keep as a backup, and the Razer DA Essential, which I found at a good price and am currently using.
To be honest, I haven't had many opportunities to try popular gaming mice before. I've used HP, Speedlink, Roccat, Revoltec, and budget models in the past.
I own a Logitech K120 keyboard (you probably already know it's not a gaming one), but it works fine for me. Would you recommend buying a new one or sticking with this one? I don't require any special customization keys. I've been reading some reviews on affordable gaming keyboards under 100 €, but I'm torn—do I really need a replacement when this one still functions?
This is actually difficult to answer.
🤔
Especially since choosing a KB is personal choice, based on your own feel and taste of KBs.
But i can describe my experience from membrane KB to mechanical KB and why i did it. So, you can read it and draw your own conclusions if to switch over to mechanical KB or not.
For decade or two, i used membrane PS/2 KB. No different than your current Logitech unit. And for the most of the times, my PS/2 KB was enough for me. Though, due to the nature of membrane switches, it has drawbacks. Namely:
* poor key rollover (meaning if pressing several keys at once, KB stops responding, since KB doesn't know anymore which of the keys you pressed)
* no backlighting (at daytime, no issue, but at night time, very hard to see where they keys are)
* keycap wear (meaning that the lettering wore off after years of usage, making it hard to tell which letter key is which)
* membrane switch (mushy feeling when typing, which gets worse as membrane gets older)
So, with all the drawbacks of my cheap membrane PS/2 KB, i decided to step into mechanical KB scene and buy myself a proper, high-end mechanical KB.
1st step was figuring out which key switch type to get. Since with membrane, there's only one type: membrane. But with mechanical key switch, there are several. Decided to get Cherry MX switches, but in Cherry MX lineup, there are several as well, like: Blue, Red, Brown, Black, Silver, Silent, RGB.
Cherry MX lineup:
https://www.cherrymx.de/en/blog/cherry-m...lance.html
On paper, Cherry MX Brown sounded nice, since it has tactile bump to register key press. So, went out to PC hardware store and tried the display units with different key switch types in person, to see how they actually feel. I found out that i didn't like MX Brown at all. MX Black was way too hard to press (my fingers tired fast), MX Blue has this annoying clicking sound. MX Red felt the best for me. Nice linear feel with relatively light force needed to press the key down.
With switch type found, i started another research regarding which Cherry MX Red switched KB to get. Looked far and wide and then saw that Corsair had just come out with their brand new deal with Cherry MX, offering new switch type, known as Cherry MX Silent.
Since i also liked my new KB to be silent (i'm often awake at night and having quiet KB is good, so that others can sleep), i then did more research what these new Cherry MX Silent switches are. Turned out that MX Silent is just like MX Red, but with different internal design to make them far quieter than MX Red. While other aspects remained the same, like linear travel path and same actuation force of 45g.
So, with that, i decided to buy the Corsair Strafe RGB with Cherry MX Silent switches. Another option would've been Corsair Strafe (non-RGB) but it only had red color as backlight and i figured that i get fed up with only one color as backlight. So, decided to get the RGB variant, so that i have free reign regarding KB backlight colors.
And so, in March of 2017, i bought my very 1st mechanical KB.
Price tag was premium: €177.90.
😒
For quite a while, i felt like i overspent on my new KB, especially since my old membrane PS/2 KB costed ~€10.
😆
Still, as time moved onwards and i learned to use my new KB fully, namely learning the Corsair iCUE software and how to get most out of my KB, the price tag made more and more sense.
The pros of my mechanical KB:
* N-key rollover (meaning no matter how many keys i press down, they all register)
* per key backlight (where i can set individual colors for individual keys, if i so desire)
* switchable keycaps (lettering on keycaps isn't printed on, instead, lettering is made of see-through plastic, whereby none of the lettering ever wears off. Also, i can take off keycaps easily and replace them with others, if i like)
* mechanical switch (nice smooth key presses, also quiet due to the MX Silent switches)
* software macros (explanation below)
* detachable wrist rest
Spoiler:
Few pics of my KB (click here to view)
To show removable keycaps. Pic was made when i was cleaning my KB. It is easy to remove keycaps, so that i can clean the space between/under keycaps.
My old membrane PS/2 KB (top), next to my new mechanical KB (bottom).
I still have my old PS/2 KB around, since i need it to access the BIOS of my Haswell build (missus'es PC). For some reason, USB KB doesn't work during POST, but PS/2 KB does.
My current setup. Pic is a bit old, made when i still had Sabre RGB mouse and old printer. Now i have new mouse and printer. But the main idea is to show the WASD keycaps that i've replaced. Original keycaps are smooth, but Corsair also provides a set of more rough feeling keycaps for gamers. Since i also game sometimes, i've replaced my WASD keycaps.
Lighting macro (explanation below)
Software macros
Since my mechanical KB can be controlled by Corsair iCUE software, it opens up a huge load of customization. Backlight customization, key rebind, macros, RGB sync between Corsair peripherals etc.
The great thing about software macros is, that i can create dedicated macro, which i can link to specific application (e.g game) and whenever i launch this application, the macro is automatically loaded, with all the customization i made for that specific macro profile.
For example; i usually use rainbow wave as my lighting effect on my KB and other peripherals. Nice to look at when browsing the web or idling around. But when gaming, the rainbow effect is somewhat annoying (draws the attention away). So, i've created several macros for many games i play. Above is the image of Snowrunner macro and the lightning effect of my KB, whenever Snowrunner game is running. A nice blue/white theme, where the keys that i use in-game, are lit as blue.
Of course, lighting macro is just one small part of macro profile. In another game, there is issue where in-game, i can not rebind keys and toolbelt is binded to numbers 1-8. Now, i can't reach 6-8 on my left hand when my fingers are on WASD keys. Also, game is First Person Shooter and in the heat of the battle, i don't have time to relocate my had, to access items under 6-8 keys. So, i created another macro for my KB, whereby i rebinded the keys. Meaning that while in-game and when i press e.g V it acts as i pressed 6. Or when i press X, it acts as i pressed 7. Pressing Tab acts as i pressed 8. Far more convenient than being stuck with what game devs have provided us (no key rebinds). Best part in all of this is, that i don't have to rebind my keys every time i start/end the game. Since it's in macro, the macro automatically starts/stops whenever i launch/quit the game.
Only downside is setting up the initial macro profile, since it's quite a bit of work. But the convenience it gives in the long run is far greater. Since i also have other Corsair peripherals, the macro profiles i create apply to all peripherals. E.g if i so desire, i can make custom equalizer profile for my headset for specific game (thus far, i haven't bothered since my custom equalizer profile i created is good enough for me) or rebind the buttons on my mouse, to be game specific.
Most people look at mechanical KBs and are put off by their steep price. Sure, €177.90 for my 1st mechanical KB was steep and my new mechanical KB, Corsair K100 RGB with OPX switches costed me €316.60.
😱
But it's not only the price tag to be considered. Instead, consider what the KB can offer you. In my opinion, the strong part of Corsair mechanical KBs is the macro profiles one can create within iCUE software. Sure, it is difficult to learn, on how to use it, but once you've gotten the idea on how to work with, it gives you the ultimate customization and personalization options there is.
Now, why would i buy myself a new, €300+ KB, when i already have my Strafe RGB KB that i'm happy with?
Well, i can only blame myself and my negligence.
A year ago, i accidentally spilled a glass of sweet drink onto my table, where some of it dripped to my KB. Did my best to clean it but G key sustained some liquid damage and was sticky for some time. In time, stickyness went away but about a month ago, G key started to have key press registration issues, until the G key stopped working completely.
But how come? We can see you using G just fine, in all over the text typed thus far.
Well, yeah, in my default KB macro, i rebinded the G key to another key (the one between Right Shift and Z). So, now, whenever i type, i have to use my left pinky finger to get the G letter to appear (and it's annoying).
So, decided to buy a new KB. In ideal world, the same Corsair Strafe RGB with Cherry MX Silent switches, but at current date, that KB is EOL. So, looked if i can get my hands on Corsair Strafe RGB Mk.II, that my missus has, but that too is EOL.
😒
Looked what was available currently and decided to go with K100 RGB.
Sure, it's the flagship of Corsair KBs (also the most expensive one), but it has the new OPX switches the Corsair has developed. OPX switches have the same linear travel path and same actuation force of 45g as my Cherry MX Silent switches are, but actuation distance is half (1mm vs 2mm) and bottom out distance is also reduced (3.2mm vs 4mm). Ontop of that, OPX has 3x times the reliability of Cherry MX switches (150 million vs 50 million key presses).
Corsair's info on OPX:
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/s/keyswitches
With that, i'm quite interested in these new Optical-Mechanical key switches. Though, i don't know how it would feel, compared to my current MX Silent switches. I do have my K100 RGB next to me, but i haven't had time to install it, yet.
This was my saga with my KBs.
As for you, i suggest that you 1st find out which mechanical switch type is to your likening. Go out and try display models in a PC store. After you've found the key switch that you like, then look around which KBs have that particular swith type. Of couse, Cherry MX isn't the only mechanical switch family, there are others, many others, like: Gateron, Kalih, Omron, Roccart, Otemu, SteelSeries, Razer. Even Logitech has their own mechanical switch lineup. Cherry MX is the oldest/biggest/most well known key switch manufacturer.
To see all other mechanical switch types, expand the Switch Type filter in pcpp,
link:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/keyboard/#k=1
There are so many different mechanical switch types that it's crazy how many there are.
Thank you for your detailed comment and effort. It’s useful, even though I already had some basic information. The mechanical keyboard scene was quite unfamiliar to me before then. I think it will take some time to decide which one to buy. Right now I’m not ready to spend a lot of money, and I’m wondering if I really need a mechanical keyboard. In short, what you pay reflects the quality, with little difference.
The website you mentioned is excellent for searching with precise filters. Before we even began discussing this, I was somewhat interested in the Redragon K582 Surara KB—it’s not too expensive and could be a good starting point.
Regarding the switches, I’d likely choose something quieter and with less resistance during typing. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be ideal to have separate mouse and keyboard from different brands (running two apps at once).
Before purchasing the KB, it's wise to review existing opinions. For instance, an in-depth analysis of the Redragon can be found here: https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/reviews/...surara-rgb. Similarly, comparisons between different KBs are available on the same platform: https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/too...ra...shold=0.10. The Redragon in question appears to feature a tactile Brown switch, which might not suit everyone—especially those unfamiliar with this type. Unless you haven't tried tactile switches before, I recommend avoiding it. It's better to explore other options first.
If testing display units isn't feasible, consider using a key switch tester. For example, one that includes 12 different Cherry MX switches is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Griarrac-Mechanic...B07QZNNB16. Gateron +Zealios + Tealios can also be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Max-Keyboard-Gate...B087Q1Z391. Numerous other testers exist; simply search on Amazon.
Regarding actuation force, a 45g rating is suggested, as these switches are generally easy to press. Occasionally, a finger resting lightly on the key registers the action without conscious effort—something I've noticed in games like Snowrunner, where I unintentionally trigger keys while driving straight.
Overall, transitioning from membrane to mechanical keyboards doesn't require an exact match. Since preferences vary, it's reasonable to adapt. I'm prepared to adjust to my new K100 KB, even if it differs from my current setup, as long as it meets my needs.