Cooler Master CM310 Mouse Review

So you’ve made it to my latest mouse review, this time Cooler Master knocked on the door with their new CM310 Gaming Mouse with some nice tasteful RGB and all-around nice aesthetic peripheral. Let’s stop the faffing about and get into it, come and join me on this new review!

Specification

Some interesting feature pointed out on the packaging include:
⦁ Gaming Grade Optical Sensor – a 10000 DPI sensor offers peak performance during even the most troubling times and easy access DPI control buttons on the top for quick
adjustments.
⦁ Textured Rubberized Side Gips Comfortable grip with unmatched stability and control.
⦁ RGB Illumination Five preset modes and effects give your gear some flash.
⦁ Balanced Weight – Calibrated to 100 grams so not too light, not too heavy – just perfect for gaming and domination.
⦁ Ergonomic Shape – Ambidextrous design caters to both hands and all grip types

Whats in the box?

Its a nice simple affair with this mouse, you get the tidy looking Cooler Master CM310 along with a handy Manual.

The Closer Look

Right now the formalities have been dealt with, the contents and CM310’s specifications, it’s time to get down and jiggy with it, the mouse I mean this isn’t a dance review! From the unboxing experience its got a somewhat higher-end feel to it, the box has a sleeve and once removed the box itself has a clamshell style open to it with a flap to lift and reveal the goodies inside. Upon first glance of this mouse I thought it’s going to be a nice simple plug and play job, which indeed it is so no need for any additional software which is handy, but I was impressed by the more subtle accenting RGB on the CM310 compared to some mice where its like a DJ’s light show box. One thing that caught my eye straight away was the lack of braided cable, which from most mice I have looked at in the past felt like it was becoming the norm. Cooler Master seems to have broken from this trend with the CM310 and chosen a relatively durable looking rubber cable sleeving, I imagine only time will tell how this gets on with each different setup folks have. It’s also interesting that the CM310 has an ambidextrous profile, unfortunately the back and forward buttons are set up for right-handed users, but don’t let that put you off as they are still usable with the left ring finger which is good.

I’ve noticed the side grips have a nice texture to them and feel like they have a sturdier rubber and it feels like there is a little bit of padding to them which helps when using for a prolonged period of time. I like the interesting choice of plastic colour used in the USB plug, purple instead of black which is a nice detail that could go easily unnoticed. I’m a fan of the recessed pattern on the front of the mouse, they look like air vents but even if they aren’t they still look cool. The RGB is very crisp on the CM310 which is pleasant but it’s also not like having a discotheque rave under your hand; by hitting the circle button atop the mouse you can colour change on the fly with the three-zone illumination and five preset modes and effects to give the CM310 a touch of colour. The simple colour scheme with the scroll wheel and Cooler Master logo inlay is pretty neat too. Each colour is tied to a DPI setting on the impressive PMW-3325 IR Optical Sensor so you can have from 500 (Yellow), 1000 (Blue), 2000 (Purple –Default Color & DPI Setting), 3000 (Green), 4000 (Cyan), 5000 (Red) and if you really prefer it 10000 (White) for the highest possible setting.

Performance

Right so you’ve gotten through the visual portion now it’s the real deal bit of the review, how does the CM310 perform? I am actually quite surprised to say pretty well, it’s not overly fancy like some mice I’ve seen but don’t let that fool you it’s a very good workhorse mouse if you don’t want to go overkill on your peripheral budget – this mouse will be dropping in at an MSRP of £24.99 which for a mouse that can handle a 10000 DPI sensor is very impressive! I thought that not having many buttons on the CM310 would be a downside but it’s actually not, I’ve been used to having a mouse with half a dozen buttons on it but having minimal buttons on the mouse is actually refreshing. Plus the weight of the mouse is just right too at 100 grams it’s not too light and not too heavy.

I thought I’d try a new game in my collection to see how it performs and went with Quake Champions as it felt like a great idea at the time. Admittedly I might not be brilliant at the game but the fast-paced flitting around after opponents wasn’t a challenge for the Cooler Master CM310 as it kept up with my flailing around shooting at opponents which I was more than pleased with. I had the mouse set at 3000 DPI or green mode, I’ll be using the colour of each DPI setting from here on in, and it more than kept up even if I couldn’t keep up with the shooty shooty in Quake. I thought I’d try the CM310 in the good old classic CS:GO and again it more than happily kept up with the pace of games I played. I used blue mode for the DPI in CS:GO as it felt like the perfect sensitivity, I had tried green and purple modes but felt they were a teeny bit too high for me, however you may find higher DPI’s better depending your screen resolution as well as your skill level as mines not anywhere near pro level! Yet again the trusty CM310 is actually a really good budget mouse for gaming but also for daily computer usage too as again I use the mouse in the blue mode for DPI as its a pleasant a very smooth experience on the desktop which is always a bonus. One thing I felt was missing is having a software suite to give an aspect of customisation to the CM310 I feel would make this an even better budget mouse, maybe even the ability to map macros too would make it the perfect budget mouse for sure.

Cooler Master CM310 Mouse Review: Our Verdict

What’s Hot:

• Great price for a top-notch budget peripheral
• The CM310 is great as a daily driver and for gaming

What’s Not:

• It doesn’t have that many buttons so not one for those who like macro mapped mouse buttons
• There isn’t a software suite to have the possibility of macros or RGB customisation

So I guess its time for some closing words and I’ve really enjoyed this mouse, a lot more than I expected I would as I feared it may have been too small for my big hands or even that it might be too lightweight but its just right and that’s good. The price certainly caught my eye with the bargain MSRP of £24.99 and that undercuts a lot of competition plus having a sensor capable of up to 10000 DPI at this price is pretty damn awesome. I’ve really enjoyed using the CM310 over the time I’ve had it for this review, I’m going to be taking it to work as my daily mouse as its really enjoyable. I’ve been that impressed by Cooler Masters work on this great little budget mouse.

I can definitely safely say that if you are on the hunt a great mouse, that doesn’t need any fiddling about to get going and is great as a daily peripheral then I will happily recommend the CM310 if you are looking a sub £30 mouse that just works! This mouse gets the Value Award without a doubt as it rocks in at £24.99 but equipped with the same sensor as the pricier Razer Abyssus V2 plus the CM310 has more RGB on its side.

So, after all that, did the Cooler Master CM310 hit the spot and are you off to grab one? If you have anything to ask about this neat little mouse and I’ll do my best to answer questions. I guess this is me signing off then until next time, see you folks on the web!