CM Storm Mizar Review

[section_title title=”Performance”]Performance

Gaming

The CM Storm Mizar features on of the mouse popular laser sensors in the way of the Avago 9800 and obviously is primarily marketed towards gamers.  Having used the Alcor previously which is almost identical in construction and chassis, I felt the same about the Mizar aside from the obvious difference of the included rubberised grip.

Now I am a gamer who loves quite a high DPI and the Mizar caters to that point perfectly with the customisable on the fly DPI switching.  To put it to the test in games, I have decided on the Titan Fall BETA and Company of Heroes 2 (same games while using the Alcor).

Starting with Titan Fall BETA, I really did enjoy using the Mizar, bar one obvious problem which I would touch on in a moment.  Compared with the optical Alcor, the Mizar has a lot more going for it in terms of response and accuracy due to the laser sensor.  I really made use of the DPI switch and the customisable profiles via the software; this allowed me to tune the settings to my taste especially as I like a low DPI for sniping and a high DPI for close combat quarters!

While playing Company of Heroes 2, the on the fly DPI switching wasn’t used and the main focus for me was the accuracy and response as you could be ambushed/mortared at a moment’s notice so speed and reactions were the most important thing to have.  I have to say the Mizar was absolutely brilliant and suited me perfectly for Company of Heroes 2.  The reasons for this were not just due to the accuracy and the feel of the Mizar, but it was a very comfortable mouse to use and I give all the credit to CM Storm for this.

One issue which I touched on in the Alcor review was the use of the thumb buttons with my large hands.  I had the same issue with the Mizar although it was made a little bit better with the rubber grip; I don’t know why, it just felt a little bit better, probably due to the softer texture.  The build quality however is fantastic and I have no problems with the mouse’s durability.

Comfort

With the added rubberised grips, the mouse is bound to be more comfortable to use right?  Well yes it is and I really love the added texture to the already smooth plastic feel of the Mizar.  In terms of shape, it fits my hand nicely and feels very ergonomic.  Even while using it for numerous hours in a multitude of different games; it felt good which is definitely a credit to CM Storm’s design team.

One thing that would have helped would be the ability to adjust the weight but given the price range and the bang for buck features, I can understand and give CM Storm a let off.  Adjustable weights are a popular feature of gamers and I myself prefer a slightly heavy type mouse while gaming.

Software

The tailor made Mizar software was a very nice addition to the overall experience with the mouse itself and I did feel it added an extra dimension.  A couple of strong points with the software is the ability to change between the 7 different colours and even change whether or not they pulse, flicker rapidly or even turn the LED light off completely.  Another is the ability to re-map the button assignments which adds a level of versatility which a lot of other mice don’t offer and more importantly: the ability to create your own profiles as well as changing the 4 different DPI pre-sets.

The software itself is stable and I didn’t expect any crashes/glitches while using it; another credit to CM Storm.  All in all, I couldn’t find one issue with the software making it a fantastic compliment to the Mizar; even the GUI skin looked good!