Hey there, its mouse review time, a new unit from Corsair has arrived. Corsair are incredibly well known in the industry, they do almost every part for a PC except for Motherboard, Processor, GPU and Monitor. Their main target audience is definitely the upper mid-range market.
The Ironclaw RGB MMO/FPS mouse is a feature rich mouse aimed at right handed gamers looking for performance and ergonomics with the iCUE software and RGB accompanying it for advanced configuration.
Corsair Ironclaw RGB MMO/FPS Gaming Mouse Specifications & Features
Corsair Ironclaw RGB MMO/FPS Gaming Mouse Closer Look
Arriving in a bright yellow and black box, the Ironclaw is displayed with a photo on the front showing the shape top down, accompanied by branding and an iCUE logo.
On the back of the box, we have more photos along with mouse details in various languages.
Not a whole heap of stuff inside the box, there is a plastic bubble over the mouse which is unnecessary, a warranty guide, manual and disposal document.
Unwrapping the mouse, the excessive plastic continues with a sheet covering the bottom of the mouse, these things need to stop Corsair.
The top of the mouse shows a larger than average footprint as the shape is contoured for ergonomics. The cable feeds in from the middle, then we have a large scroll wheel followed by two buttons for profile and DPI selection. Off to the left we can see the forward and back buttons and a bulge out for a thumb rest. At the bottom of the rear the Corsair logo features which is RGB lit. No buttons feature on the right hand side of this mouse.
Looking at the front we have some metal casing to the right hand side, the now common Corsair grille at the front, main mouse buttons are part of the shell which is my favourite style, no grimy gaps. See how the mouse slopes off to one side? This angles your hand a little and can help alleviate common strain injuries, this is a well designed unit. The mouse wheel has an odd texture which might not be to everyone’s taste but it does step rather well and is pretty solid.
Examining the left hand side of the mouse you get a feel for the large thumb rest area, this has a rubberised finish and is very comfortable. The forward and back buttons are optimally located to avoid accidental activation which can happen on some mice and the three slots near the bottom are LED’s for profile and DPI selection indicators. You can also notice the high arc of the mouse definitely placing it in the palm grip section.
Over to the right hand side and the dip from the angle slope means very little is available here. The right hand grip is rubberised to help keep a firm grasp of the mouse, the top coating coincidentally is a smooth slightly rubbery texture, we have seen this on many products over the years, even after prolonged use this material tends to remain more or less in good condition.
Before powering on let’s have a look at the braided cable and golden USB connector, the cable braiding is very pleasant and you can bend the cable to stay in position, the connector is reassuringly sturdy with a rubberised finish. This is also where the product labeling sits, we have also see this on Fnatic mice as the bottom design has no room for the product and CE details.
Plugging the mouse in presents us with an immediate RGB rainbow dance from the logo, but nothing too over the top.
The LED indicator on the side is clear and easy to see just glancing down at the mouse even with it angled away a little.
Corsair Ironclaw RGB MMO/FPS Gaming Mouse Software
Corsair are unifying their software products under the iCue application. Many companies are doing this with the aim to both ease configuration of multiple devices under one application and of course to encourage customers to purchase further devices under their brand in order to enjoy the benefits of a unified software solution.
After selecting the device, the Profiles menu lets you create multiple profiles which are selected via the software or the button nearest the mouse wheel. Profiles can also be application specific.
The Actions menu takes you to the button assignment and macro programming area, it is quite intuitive and easy to set up.
RGB lighting is of course fully configurable as with previous RGB mice from Corsair; lots of modes, plenty of customisation, not that many LED’s. This can also sync with other Corsair products to unify lighting across the desktop.
DPI configuration is about as granular as possible, from 100 to 18,000 DPI this is a big range and should suit just about any requirement. Separate DPI modes can be set to each profile allowing for a great number of options. If you wish to use the Sniper DPI you must assign sniper to one of the mouse buttons as there is no dedicated sniper button. Further RGB configurations can be done to help identify the mode selected on the indicators on the side of the mouse.
The performance menu adds some options for Angle Snapping and Pointer Speed.
Finally for the software we have a really neat feature, Surface Calibration. This little app attempts to calibrate the mouse with your mat or any other surface by following your drawing of a spiral. This should help with tracking and accuracy, although to me there was no discernible difference, it is likely the tracking is just really good out of the box.
Corsair Ironclaw RGB MMO/FPS Gaming Mouse Review: The Verdict
With the Ironclaw RGB as part of the latest lineup of gaming mice, Corsair is hitting the mid-range market again with a quality product.
During general use, with my preferred 1600 DPI tuned in, moving around my desktop and using applications was flawless. The comfort the design allows is excellent, I can spend hours using the mouse without fatigue or strain. The materials feel great to the touch and there is a sense of quality about the whole build.
Under gaming conditions the mouse performs easily as well as any other mouse I have tried. The new title on Origin APEX launched while testing and I had absolutely no problem diving into the game and tuning into an 800 DPI which suited my playstyle perfectly. On a more serious test CS:GO I have a 600 DPI standard I like to use for that game, this DPI felt the same as other mice I hold in high regard where I also have 600 DPI. The sensor on this mouse is very capable indeed.
What’s hot:
- Excellent performance and build
- Excellent software and configuration options
- Very comfortable palm grip
- Price is quite good
What’s not:
- Too much unnecessary plastic in the packaging
- Needs a dedicated left handed model
So there we have it, a solid offering from Corsair for right handed palm grip users. With the excellent performance and quality of the Ironclaw RGB, along with quite a sensible price point of around £54 at the time of writing, this mouse is really giving the likes of Steelseries and Fnatic some serious competition. The only downsides being the overuse of plastic in the packaging which most manufacturers need to address and the fact that left handed users really need looking after too, it is difficult to pull score from this mouse so it is being handed the Platinum Award as I could use this mouse as my main daily driver with ease.
Thanks to Corsair for sending a sample of the Ironclaw RGB MMO/FPS Gaming Mouse in for review.
