Last year, Corsair acquired Raptor Gaming, a maker of high performance PC gaming peripherals. Raptor Gaming is a well know brand which has an especially strong retail presence in Germany. Today we will analyze the new Raptor M40, equipped with an Avago ADNS-3090 sensor that features 4000 DPI resolution and the mouse itself costs a reasonable 59 US-Dollar.
On the following pages we will show you the strengths and weaknesses of the Corsair Raptor M40.
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Preview
The packaging is practical and well designed, it
is usually used a small velcro's sticker to prevent the window from opening during transport, Corsair has preferred to use a small magnet.
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Features
- Model number: Raptor M40
- DPI: 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 4000
- Polling Rate: 1000Hz / 500Hz / 250Hz / 125Hz
- Sensor: Avago ADNS-3090
- Programmable buttons: 7
- Onboard memory
- Adjustable Weight System
- LED Illumination: red
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Cable: braided and shielded
- Warranty: 2 years
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Closer Look
The most interesting feature of the Raptor M40 is definitely the body,
made from parts with different grip, rough and smooth surfaces. The design is perfectly in line with
Corsair's styling, there are also well-researched materials and like usual there
is a lot of attention to detail also with this product.
The rough and porous surfaces ensure an excellent grip, while the smooth top
with it's almost velvety finish makes the mouse very comfortable right from the
beginning. The shape and arrangement of buttons make the mouse asymmetrical and thus exclusively for right-handed
gamers/users. In fact on the left profile there are two buttons to operate with your thumb. The wheel,
which is made of metal and covered almost entirely with rubber, is big, strong and
provides excellent grip as well as tactile feedback. Right behind the wheel,
there are two buttons to increase/decrease the DPI and a LED to indicate which profile
is in use. On the back of the mouse there is the Corsair logo, which glows red while plugged into a running PC.
Bottom side and weight
Once put on its back, you will notice right away, that there are three screws
which are used to adjust the weight of the device. Furthermore there are the
huge gliders. The latter are made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene - better known as Teflon)
and there are no less than five of these, arranged in a way to ensure a low friction
but yet large contact surface and good maneuvrability. The Raptor M40 is not a laser mouse
and therefore uses an optical sensor, which is listening to the name Avago ADNS-3090.
It features a resolution of 4000 DPI and it can be adjusted with 800DPI steps. The three large
metal screws, hide the adjustable weight system and with all weights mounted the
Raptor M40 will weigh 15 grams more (3 x 5g). The cable is 1.8 meters long, sleeved but without gold-plated connector.
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Software
Inside the package there is unfortunately no CD with Corsair's software.
If you want to all the additional features, you have to go to the following page
and download the software from there:
Corsair Software Download. The manual is always appreciated but is not really needed, just plug in the mouse to get started. The software is required to set the DPI and
store macros on the Raptor M40.
The software requires approximately 21 MB of space on your hard drive and is compatible with Microsoft operating systems Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
The first tab named "
Assign Buttons" is used to control the main functions of the mouse. On the left there is a picture of the product that shows the seven customizable buttons while above, the MR button is used for recording macros.
In the tab "
Manage Perfomance" you can set the main mouse settings, such as resolution, the polling rate and the maximum
lift distance between the sensor and the surface. The software also provides the ability to perform a test on the supporting surface, to evaluate the compatibility and
tracking quality.
The last tab called "
Profiles", is there to manage profiles and provides the ability to import and export profiles.
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Conclusion
Build quality
The overall build quality is excellent, everything fits
perfectly and surfaces have a flawless finish. There are no sharp edges or
anything like that. Corsair is making sure, that the product is nicely crafted. Even the minor aspects such as the cable and the box are of good quality, a sign that Corsair
is giving a thought to everything.
Design
The design is quite familiar to Corsair's
M65 and M60. Thanks to a very characteristic shape there is a high recognition
factor. A nice addition is the Corsair logo on the back of the mouse which has
been illuminated using a red LED. Luckily the LED isn't too bright, which means
it won't be irritating while having a gaming session over night.
Software
The software of the Raptor M40 is well done and it is perfectly integrated with other
Corsair products. The program is complete, intuitive and easy to use.
There are even some interesting options like the "lift height" and "Surface quality".
We also like the possibility to import and export profiles from the software,
which is very useful, if you want to backup the settings or share them with
friends.
Perfomance
We really
like the Avago ADNS-3090 sensor. Although it's not a super high-end laser
sensor, this one offers perfect tracking and the maximum resolution of 4000 DPI
should basically be enough for more than 95 percent of all gamers. The left and right buttons are a pleasure to use, they are very
responsive and furthermore those are Omron switches, which can withstand up to 8
million clicks. The glide pads are made from teflon, which guarantees excellent
durability. Apart from that you find the different surfaces used on the mouse,
which provide either perfect grip or comfortable handling. Ergonomically the
Raptor M40, is very comfortable already from the first contact, thanks to the
soft touch cover on the top. There is only the weight stones which we would like
to see improved. The issue is simply that you can alter the weight of the mouse
enough to really feel a big difference.
Price
The price of the Raptor M40 is 59.99
US-Dollar, which translates into roughly 45 Euros. In terms of value for money,
this product is highly competitvely placed with its high build quality, good
performance as well as great finish.
Corsair Raptor M40 gets
four out of five stars