We first saw Razer introduce the Razer Deathadder in 2007 and since then have had constant mice updates throughout the years but have never seen RGB lighting until now. With the production of the Razer Deathadder Chroma, Razer is offering gamers a simple mouse that is very diverse in customizability, as well as a clean aesthetic. Along with the mouse, the Synapse software allows users to navigate with ease when trying to customize their mouse’s functions whether it be the lighting display or the internal functions of the mouse.
- Mouse Stats – key features of the mouse (bullet point format)
- Hand Size Guide – measurements of the mouse vs. hand sizes
Table of Contents
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
What’s in the box section
If you’re having trouble connecting the mouse to the PC, the Deathadder Chroma comes with a set of instructions to connect the mouse to the computer as well as other basic information on the functions of the mouse. When the Razer Deathadder arrives, you are presented with the mouse, along with a software guide that explains how to navigate around the software and how to use certain functions.
Mouse Design Section
Size & Weight
The Deathadder has an overall weight of 105g. Although not heavy, this weight provides for a sturdy grip and does not feel light. With regards to size, the Deathadder has a length of 12.7cm/5”, a width of 7cm/2.76” and a height of 4.4cm/1.73”. This size is perfect for people with medium to large size hands, for most small hands this would be too large and other mice such as the Roccat Kone Pure or the Logitech G Pro would be better suited. This mouse also caters towards players that want to use different grips such as claw or palm grip, either or can be done using this mouse. One drawback of the Razer Deathadder is that it’s a right-handed mouse, meaning that its Razor’s first mouse that is not ambidextrous.
Main Switches
With the arrival of the Deathadder, Razer had released their new mechanical mouse switches in collaboration with Omron. With the addition of these new main switches, users are able to reach 50 million clicks (which is 30 million more clicks that previous Omron switches), before replacing the main switch which provides sustainability and reliability for years of use. The company has also claimed that their switches have become more distinctive and therefore results in fewer misclicks when using the mouse.
Buttons
Additional buttons may be one area where other mice have an advantage over the Deathadder. Located on the left-hand side of the mouse above the thumb grip, the Deathadder limits its users to only 2 buttons which restricts the number of key bindings that can be made. With such limitations, certain games may become a bit more difficult to play as the user may want additional buttons on the side of the mouse.
Design, Shape & Texture
The overall coating of the Deathadder is a hard plastic material with 2 rubber grips on either side of the mouse, along with a textured scroll wheel allowing a sturdy grip. We’ve tested the mouse over a long period of time, yet the mouse remains to be grippy regardless of the amount we used it. The main 2 buttons are carved into a ‘W’ shape with slight indents where the user’s fingers would be placed allowing for control and comfortability. The shape of this mouse is very slim and narrow, which is why we suggest it to people with small/medium sized hands. Furthermore, the Deathadder presents itself as a minimalistic mouse, that is very aesthetically pleasing to look at and will add character to any setup.
Cable
The cable on the Deathadder is braided together by a 7 foot long, fibre cable. Due to the cable being braided by multiple fibre cables, the cable is more resilient towards fraying and damage. The 7-foot long cable allows gamers to have their mouse a long distance away from the computer if need. On the contrary, this long cable may get in the way if the user is trying to acquire a neat aesthetic, however, this wasn’t a problem for us as zip ties can be used to organise if need be.
Mouse Features Section
Optical Sensor
Synapse by Razer provides users with plenty of options whereby they can change their optical sensor sensitivity along with other optimizations. The Deathadder is equipped with an optical sensor that allows for up to 16,000 DPI, providing gamers with the maximum customizability. The optical sensor requires a smooth and non-reflective surface to play on. This won’t be a problem for the majority of users, as a standard mouse mat would be a perfect surface to play on.
Polling Rate
Another function found within Razers software Synapse under the performance sub tab, is adjustable polling rates. Synapse provides the user with the option to change their polling rates between 125Hz, 500Hz and 1000Hz, all of which we didn’t experience any performance issues or lag. Other mice marketed at the same price point such as the Corsair Dark Core, don’t offer the same customizability as the Razer Deathadder as it comes with a set polling rate of 1000Hz.
Lift off distance a.k.a LOD
Lift distance is another customizable function within the Synapse software but isn’t explained to the user. Lift off distance is the distance between the optical sensor and the mouse pad. By adjusting the lift distance, the user is changing how sensitive the optical sensor is to movement when elevated from the mouse pad. Synapse offers its users set adjustments for the LOD (Lift-Off Distance) whereby 1 has very little LOD and 10 having more LOD. For gaming, we wouldn’t suggest using a high LOD but the option is there if wanted.
Game Types
The Razer Deathadder is a mouse that supports all games but excels in particular game types. First person shooters (FPS) are a prime example of this, as not many users would need more than 2 buttons on the side of the mouse to play their chosen game successfully. On the contrary, other game types such as open world and tactical shooters may pose difficulty when using the Deathadder as some players may require more than 2 additional buttons. A better mouse for these game types may be the SteelSeries Rival 500 as it provides 13 additional buttons.
Connectivity
In order to connect the fibre cable to the users pc, there must be a free USB port where the user can plug in the cable. When plugged into a 3.0 USB port (found in most gaming computers), the mouse was showing significant improvement from when the 2.0 USB was being used. There was considerably less lag input and overall performance was improved when using the 3.0 USB port.
Software
Polling rates and other optimizable components on the mouse can be adjusted within the Synapse software if the user wishes to do so. The software features a user-friendly design and sticks to Razers typical theme of having a slick and simple design, with easy navigation around the software. Synapse gives the user full customizability of its performance located in the performances sub tab, here the user can alter the DPI, mouse acceleration as well as the polling rates. Other sub tabs consist of the lighting page. Users can change the colour of their mouse, along with different lighting patterns. Synapse provides its users with the option to cycle through these different patterns at different hues, partnered with Philip Hues, the range of colours reaches 16 million different hues. Synapse also allows its users to calibrate their mouse accordingly to the mouse mat they are using. It comes with pre-sets if the mouse mat is by Razer but also gives the option to calibrate a custom setting if the mouse mat isn’t listed. If there are multiple users of the same mouse, synapse has allowed users to set up different accounts. However, Razer decided to use cloud storage for these profiles instead of native storage which resulted in the software, at times, becoming slow due to the software constantly having to update its user’s information. This can also be an advantage for some users that travel, as their information can be accessed from different computers.
You can read our Razer Synapse Gaming Software guide right here.
Drivers
Aside from the initial installation of Synapse, the user won’t need to reinstall any software to that computer. However, there are occasional updates that the software requires its users to download. As mentioned previously, Synapse uses the cloud to store its user’s information. It’s not allocated to one specific mouse and therefore if the user wants to customize the mouse from a different computer, the user would have to reinstall the software onto the other computer.
Our Verdict
The Razer Deathadder Chroma isn’t a mouse that took the market by storm as it’s not much different from previous mice marketed at the same price. Overall, the mouse offers gamers comfort, control, and quality, therefore a good choice for most games.
However, there are some drawbacks such as the lack of buttons on the side of the mouse, this may pose a problem for people who want to play a variety of games. Additionally, the software is slow due to the cloud storage that stores all its user’s information. This also means that users are reliant on the software and if wanting to change the customization of the mouse from a different computer, they would need to install the software onto that computer. This may become a hassle for some if traveling and switching computers occur often.
For the price amounting to £59.99, we would recommend it to most users, especially casual gamers looking to play first-person shooters and other casual games. With the Xbox One X now allowing gamers to connect their mouse and keyboard to the console, we believe this mouse appeals to new arrivals of gaming peripherals.