Corsair Vengeance M95 USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse - Black

Pros: My 1st gaming mouse. Mouse works right out of the package. All the bells and whistles can be tackled in good time. Bright lights can be turned off. I LOVE having control over every function a mouse could offer and the onboard 6 user profiles! And how the leds light up to let you know which one you are using! You will see one to all six illuminated so a quick glance lets you know. The ability to go from one PC to another is great! I know this was made as a gaming mouse, but this hardware profile feature is going to be so useful to me! This mouse is not just for gaming! You can use it to make everyday task easier! If you hate typing in passwords for example, you can program macros (Not hard to do once you learn how) and assign them to buttons! This mouse can be your portable key! You can be as secure as you want by taking your weak password that you can remember and program this for entering the strong secure password, and that just leaves a little for you to type in manually. Great way to secure from online attacks, and still protects a bit if your hardware is stolen. I just LOVE the playback options you can assign a macro! When you assign a gun to a button, you can set up playback to repeat X amount of times, repeat while pressed or play until stopped which you will have to use your imagination on how useful that is in first person shooter games! I probably pounded over half the life of the mice I used shooting! There is a whole lot less clicking going on now! I'm learning lots! Angle Snapping, Report Rate, etc. I'm blown away by this DPI I've been learning about as well! Here I just thought my previous mice were horrible at certain times, when it's all about the DPI! Where some mice have done great in games and horrible in photoshop and vice versa, this one will do great in everything once you learn to use the DPI adjustment on demand! I just thought a high DPI ment the mouse was better at performing and here I'm learning that all those hours trying to make a selection in photoshop would have went smoother with a lower DPI! And the control you have in games now? It's clear why I wasn't doing so well! This mouse is a weapon! You can move VERY quickly and slow down when you need to! You NEED to learn about DPI if you want to finally have control over your mouse and have it work for you! Independent X-Y DPI folks! ??? Yeah, me too. Just think, how many games have you played where you want to move from side to side real fast but when you go up and down you got lost and didn't know if you were looking at the ceiling or floor because it happened too fast? You have control over that with this mouse! This mouse has made using my PC a whole lot more enjoyable! I don't even have to fire up the software! When I plug in the mouse, it just shows up in my taskbar!

Cons: It sure would be nice if the software user guide was put in the install so you could easily access it from the start menu! The quick start guide gave corsair.com/vengeanceM95 as the place to go, however that page couldn't be found at the time I'm writing this. Lucky the website is easy to navigate and I was able to find the software with little effort. This is a learning curve from the old traditional mouse, but not really that difficult with the help of the software guide. Make sure you either extract it from the software download, or you grab it off the site while you are there.

Overall Review: I've learned of an issue with signing into windows with my using this mouse as a password key. If your password has numbers, it doesn't seem to want to work for me. I can button the letters and type the numbers and it will work, but it appears there will be some complications along the way here and there. I wish I would have found this earlier in life! I was clueless how much a mouse could do till I got my hands on this. I don't know who thought all this up, but I am impressed! I think it would be great to have a profile share and vote/rate forum so users can share and have access to great profiles being able to view the most popular ones with ease. A link in the software to access this would be ideal. This is almost suggested in the user guide where it actually talks about sharing your exported macros.

Pros: 1. Can assign buttons to be any combo I want, any macro, any single mouse click, etc. 2. Every button clicks nice, smooth, very easily (can also be a con, more later). 3. Awesome fit & finish, looks/feels great. Lighting is rich blue and not intrusive. 4. The customizing profiles I make can be saved either on the computer or on the mouse itself, due to the mouse's own internal memory. 5. It's wired. Wired for me is always best for gaming, period. 6. Packaging is easy-open, thanks!

Cons: 1. I play one MMO, the rest are FPS's. I hoped this mouse would be good for both, but I cannot (maybe don't want to) sacrifice my seasoned skilz to get good with it in FPS games. (see below). So, I have to keep switching mice. 2. On my non-gaming computer that has Win 8, I cannot figure how to keep this mouse from invoking "gestures" like selecting files I simply swipe across - I will grant that this may be associated with the generic no-driver trackpad I also have attached, but man, it's so annoying. The M95's software should have a disable function for that (that's Microsoft's recommended fix for disabling gesturing, argh). 3. I have to think before using about where my hand is in relation to the button I want to press, adding delay, getting me either killed or in serious trouble more than I like. This is probably something I would overcome if I used this daily (more below). 4. It's right-handed only.

Overall Review: For someone who plays MMO and/or RTS games exclusively, this might be perfect. I've always built my own computers and have been gaming for more than 15 years, mostly FPS, so my trajectory has been from a plain ball mouse up to laser mice, etc. The one I've gamed with now for years is the Logitech MX510. So, when Newegg asked if I would review this Corsair Vengeance M95, I was eager to try it out, seei if I could be a better gamer with a newer, more high-tech mouse. As it turns out, short answer, not at all. For me, having the most fun and getting good at gaming is not having any speedbumps between me and the game. My buddy, who always scores highest in every map, still uses an old roller-ball Dell mouse and laughs his tail off at me when I try new mice, keyboards, any peripherals. He says that any minute spent buying or using new gaming "toys" is one minute lost practicing and that it's practice that counts most. But eh, part of my fun in gaming is trying new things, although I hate him being on the other side and killing me so freaking fast, ARGH! Back to the review. The buttons click really easily, but when I'm trying to touch-find them, I easily click them. I have smallish hands, so this mouse does fit my hand nicely, but I'm a claw-gripper, and this mouse takes a light-touching palm grip, which I'm frustratingly trying to master. On the software, I see a lot of review gripes about the software here. For me, I absolutely had to read the manual (I know, zzzzzzzzz, me too). And yes, I obeyed Corsair's instructions and plugged it into my pc and updated the firmware first... they don't want us to try using a hub for firmware update, risking bricking the mouse. BTW, the one software bundle was a no-brainer for me to find, I googled Corsair M95 software download... took me right to it. The one bundle contains the firmware, manual, software, although you can download the manual separately (dunno why). The name of the file I downloaded from Corsair, at the time of this review, was M95_Setup_01102013.zip. Do I recommend this? If you have a mouse you've been great with for a long time, then no. If you are new to gaming and your main focus is MMO and/or RTS games, and trying to figure out your best gaming tool, then yes, this would be a wonderful mouse to cozy up for a long life together.

Pros: Not really going to go into much detail as I'm not able to use this mouse myself but I will list of the pros that I can see.. This mouse has a very very very good sensor that works on many surfaces.... (Ironically, it doesn't work as good with my mouse than on a desk.) The heavy mass scroll wheel looks very nice. Hardware Profile adjustment allows me to move from computer to computer. DPI Adjustment on the FLY makes it easy for me to adjust sensitivity whenever I feel necessary Heavy Weight makes it so USB Wire doesn't move the mouse when i let go. Low center of gravity... The plates under the mouse lets it moves VERY (and I stress this) smoothly. Mouse is heavy (Definitely want this) Braided USB Wire (Nice durability) Tons of Shortcut buttons Good rubberized grip.

Cons: You need big thumbs and a small hand and I cannot stress this enough. The buttons on the side are positioned so you have to adjust your hand to reach them. They should be more centered. Sniper button should be closer to thumb/under thumb All i can really say in cons is that YOU NEED SMALL/AVERAGE HANDS. 5 Stars for small/average hands, 2 stars for big hands. (I'm not rating 2 stars because it really isn't a huge con, its just a caveat and cant really be avoided unless you make it big then it wont fit those with small/average hands) Price, but you're getting a quality product.

Overall Review: My hands are above average for a Male of my age. This mouse is too small for me. If you have small/average hands then this mouse will be absolutely PERFECT I Would recommend this product. (But I'm going to have to get a bigger mouse for myself.)

Pros: It's a bit long but, I hope this review is helpful. I bought the M95 to replace my ailing Logitech G7 that I purchased in 2007. Several months ago the middle mouse button broke when I dropped it on my desk while standing.(maybe a 2ft drop) Luckily, the software allowed me to disable the MMB as it was constantly sending info to the computer which caused all sorts of problems. Recently, it had been affecting the scroll wheel as well. So it was time for a new mouse. I had done some research on mice with more than one or two side buttons to make game play easier. Also, the G7 is wireless and I wanted to try wired for a change and not have to worry if the charging battery would finish before the battery in use was spent. I looked at price and features I wanted, taking reviews into consideration. When the price was right I jumped at this mouse. Unfortunately, without being able to physically touch the mouse to see how it fit my hand this still ended up being a blind purchase. As would buying any mouse online that you can't find on display at a brick and mortar store. It's kind of like buying footwear online from a company whose shoes you've never owned before. So first the pros: More buttons than my old mouse(Logitech G7). Button #15(the one directly behind where you place your thumb can be clicked by flattening your thumb and hitting the button with the middle knuckle. No need to move your thumb for that one. Left and right mouse buttons go all the way to the front of the mouse. Those buttons on the G7(and some others) do not and the gaps between the buttons and the chassis constantly collects debris.(Mostly oil and dead skin from hand. Ewww!) Wide range of DPI choices. Two choices on how to store profiles. (I use Hardware playback, as I only needed four or five different profiles.) Macro playback with four different playback options. (I haven't had use for this yet, but it is nice that it's there.) Contrary to other reviews, that say the extra buttons can not be mapped to the basic mouse buttons, according to the software pack I downloaded, Software: 1.00.00.14 Firmware: 2.24, you can. It gives you the option to map Left, Right, Middle, Forward, Back, Scroll up and down, No Function and a keystroke. The software also allows any button to programmed as an advanced button. These are Sniper, DPI up, down and select, and Profile up, down and select.

Cons: Top surface is slippery. It does not grip the palm like hard glossy plastic does. The white version of this mouse appears to be the glossy type of plastic. It's probably a better choice if you don't mind all white. Height and Length are too short for my 8 inch long hand. Adding a few millimeters to the height would fix part of the issue. Right mouse button curves in, making the mouse seem even shorter. My middle finger hangs over the RMB by an inch when I place my hand on the mouse. The RMB should be longer than the LMB as most people's middle finger is longer than their index finger. At the very least the RMB should be the same length so that bending the middle finger to it is more relaxing and does not add tension to the whole hand that makes longer sessions tiring. The thumb buttons appeared to be in a very logical and ergonomic layout. They seemed very distinct compared to how close buttons are on other mice in this category. Unfortunately, because of the size and slippery surface issues I discussed I find I have to constantly readjust my hand to click a different button from one I just used. I find the forward button(#5 in Win7/ #7 in Corsairs software), hard to distinguish from the back button.(#4 in Win7/ #8 in Corsairs software) Also, I find I have to reposition my hand to reach it. It doesn't take much, just enough to be annoying. Consequently, I can't program it for use in games. As I to often hit the #4 button instead. The button behind the mouse wheel is IMHO totally useless. It is way to far back to click on with your index finger without bringing the tip of that finger all the way to where it connects to your hand or by shifting your hand farther back on the mouse. (Yea, more repositioning!). Either way you only catch the front of the button. Luckily, Corsair did not program that button so at least you will not have to move a task to an accessible button. No display for which DPI setting you're currently in. This would only require three extra LED lights. These could be added to the aluminum frame below the DPI selection buttons. Only, 3 DPI settings + sniper setting. Old mouse could store 5. Technically the old one has just one more programmable setting and having the dedicated sniper button makes it easier to get to the lowest DPI setting you want to use. So, maybe this con is a draw in comparison. I don't know why the manufactures of mice keep going higher with the DPI modern mice are capable of. I find any setting above 2500 DPI to be way to sensitive. As such max DPI is not something I look for in a mouse. The instructions are 3 pics the last one being the link you are supposed to go to get the latest software update.(It did not work!) There was no mention of Firmware until you download the software pack. Go to Corsairs page for this mouse and under the software tab you'll find the most up to date software. It includes the Firmware(make sure you load that first!) and the users guide.

Overall Review: My first problem with this mouse is the soft-touch finish that covers the entire top of the mouse. The G7's top is smooth glossy plastic that my palm grips to. If I place my palm on it and let go with my fingers the G7 goes where I move it. In contrast, if I attempt the same maneuver with the M95 my palm slides ever so slightly over and down the right side of the mouse as I move it around. This may not sound like a big deal. However, when I'm griping this mouse with my thumb, ring and pinky finger(claw grip) and then attempt to hit any of the thumb buttons, for which I have to release the mouse with my thumb, the mouse moves slightly because it does not grip my palm.(unless I press down hard which makes my hand tense up.) If you are playing a game while doing this it means that your mouse movements become inaccurate until you re-grip the mouse with your thumb again. It also is very tiring. On a related note, although there is nothing to compare it to in the pictures online, It also seemed as if it would be taller than most mice because of the thumb buttons. It is not. I read some reviews that stated this mouse was small for larger hands. Unfortunately, none of those reviewers said how big their hand actually is so, again no point of reference. So, to make this review more helpful, my hand is approximately 7.5 inches from the tip of my middle finger to the base of my palm.(where hand meets wrist) For my hand, the most comfortable mouse I've ever held is the Performance Mouse MX mouse by Logitech. I found it on display at a brick and mortar store, so if you really want to know how big it is as a reference, try your local office supply store. The height and length of the MX mouse is perfect for my hand. Unfortunately, it is not a gaming mouse and doesn't have enough thumb buttons for it's price IMHO. So, with the Height of the M95 being to low,(for which only a couple of millimeters would solve.) the length being to short combined with the slippery surface which causes me to HAVE to use a claw grip it is a real challenge to find a grip that works. If I claw grip with my fingers slightly bent with the front of my palm(bottom of my knuckles) on top of the mouse just above the Corsair logo. The base of my palm is a couple to several millimeters away from the back of the mouse. Griping the mouse this way, I can click the back button(Mouse 4 in win7/ 8 in Corsairs software), the button directly behind it #9, 13 and 12 (the front and middle bottom buttons) and #15 the big one directly behind the space designed to rest the thumb. Button #14(the sniper button) directly in front of the space is only a slight stretch to click. The forward button (#7 button / #5 in Win7), as mentioned, under Cons, is a challenge to reach and identify. Reaching the two buttons farthest back(#10 and #11) is not an issue as these two are the Profile up and down buttons and don't need to be reached quickly. Maybe, I just need more time to adjust to it

Pros: Customizable buttons, placed well with a good weight. Decent enough software, though a little less than intuitive

Cons: After about a year (I think, might be less, I don't have the paperwork any more) my wheel has lost it's mind. It scrolls randomly when used and occasionally will scroll even when not touched.

Pros: Very solid construction, Customization, Appearance, Thumb button positions, backed by the Corsair name, surface testing in the software.

Cons: Shape initially caused my hand to cramp, some "phantom" tracking issues (see other thoughts),

Overall Review: Initially I was getting some "Phantom" tracking with this mouse, after changing the Report Rate form 1ms to 2ms all has returned to normal. Software feels a little clunky, should improve with future releases, some features like uploading profiles to the mouse, were not that obvious...reading the manual is a must. The mouse works for a Fingertip Grip small (for a male) hand, I switched from a dying G9x, which was slightly more comfortable. Comp specs: AMD FX-4170 8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 936MHz SABERTOOTH 990FX

Pros: Due to my hand size being rather small I felt that all the buttons were in almost perfect locations for me. The Corsair Gaming Software that you need is very easy to use, and it is easy to program all the buttons. The fact that you are able to adjust how high or how low the most needs to be from a surface for the laser to detect is really awesome as well. The DPI and profile change are easy to setup and use.

Cons: I ended up taking my friend's which he thought was dead, but was only an issue with the sensor high by default being set really low. The mouse worked amazingly for me for about 1 - 2 months, but after a when my computer restarts, or boots up the USB isn't recognized by the computer due to lack of connection. About 4 or 5 months after my friend got his, his completely died. The computer didn't even realize something was plugged in. About 8 to 9 months after I had mine (about 8.5 - 9.5 months since it was bought) mine died the same way. The USB connection on this mouse is poorly made, and I wouldn't recommend anyone buying this mouse when they could get another one that is better with more programmable buttons.

Pros: Build Quality, Precision

Cons: Edited review - The straw that broke the proverbial camels back was the fact that a hardware update through the corsair utility failed and rendered the mouse a very attractive brick. Multiple attempts to re-flash it using different usb ports and 2 other computers to no avail. No power was lost during the update, for the record. It's a known issue and Corsair doesn't even offer support for this product now. What a shame.