Introduction
Zowie are a fairly new company to the PC gaming scene but aim to offer peripherals targeted at users who require high end products for competitive matches and fast paced gaming. The Zowie EC2 eVo Gaming mouse certainly has a lot to offer and with features like a low lift off distance of just 2mm and switchable DPI settings certainly make it a good competitor in the market.
Specifications and features
Specifications
- Color: White
- Coating: Mirror coating
- DPI (Dots Per Inch): 450/1150/2300
- Frames Per Second: 6,400
- Inches Per Second: 60
- Max. Acceleration: 20G
- USB report rate: 1000/500/125 Hz
- Connector: USB
- Buttons: 5
- Length of cable: 2m/6.6ft
- Weight without cable: EC1, 97g – EC2, 93g.
- Dimensions:
- EC1: 128 x 43 x 62-70 mm / 5 x 1.7 x 2.44-2.76 in
- EC2: 120 x 40 x 58-65 mm / 4.72 x 1.57 x 2.28-2.56 in
Features
- 100% stable optical mouse developed by HeatoN
- Ergonomic designed right-hand gaming mouse
- 1.5mm lift-off distance
- Improved mouse wheel system
- Easily change to 1000, 500 or 125 Hz
- Plug and play! No drivers or software
- DPI adjustment: 450/1150/2300
- Operating system: Win2000/XP/Vista/7, Mac OS X V10.2 after
Packaging and accessories
The Zowie EC2 is well packaged and provides a potential buyer with the option to try the mouse’s fit before buying. This is a great feature of the packaging and something which I really liked. The mouse is also well protected and is fully viewable making it a lot more appealing to consumers as they know exactly what they are buying. The back of the box features the features and specifications in 5 different languages as well as a picture of Counter Strike Legend, Emil “HeatoN” Christensen who it would seem is promoting the mouse. Inside the packing you simply get the mouse, a Zowie sticker and some extra mouse feet which keeps it simple.
Closer look
The Zowie EC2 comes in two variants, the white glossy version which I tried as well as a Black version which uses a more grippy material. During usage of this mouse I found that the mouse definitely needed more grip and I think this may have been down to the cosmetic decisions made in development. For this reason I’d say the Black version is more suited to hardcore gamers as according to the Zowie website it features a more grippy material and is therefore going to be much better in fast paced gaming.
As well as this the mouse features 3 different LED’s which change depending on the DPI setting you are using. There are 3 settings which I have shown below
Red – 450dpi
Purple – 1150dpi
Blue – 2300dpi
In my opinion this is probably the biggest drawback to this mouse as you have to be comfortable with whatever dpi setting you use which could mean you end up with a pink mouse in a red setup, which for some users will be a game breaker. I love the fact that Zowie have implemented the multiple LED colours but I think it would’ve been better not to link this with the dpi setting.
As you can see the mouse is clearly aimed at people who use a palm grip and I have to say from personal usage of around 3 hours that I did find the mouse to be very comfortable and I experienced no discomfort whatsoever. However I did find that the design meant on occasions I would have to re adjust my hand as it would slip very slightly because of the material used. I think this version of the EC2 could definitely of benefited from at least a few rubbers grips on the side but this is something which I imagine Zowie will consider for their newer versions in the future.
On the left side of the mouse there are also 2 extra buttons which can be programmed easily in games or used in your browser as a back and forward button. These were easy to access for my hands, however I think anyone with large hands could struggle with them as they are placed far from where your thumb naturally sits.
Underneath the mouse we are presented with two black feet placed both at the front and back of the mouse, making the mouse usable on many surfaces and helping it to glide with ease. There is also a small button which is used for changing the DPI setting. In my opinion this is not the best place for the button and it would be more suited if placed near to the scroll wheel. This is because if you needed to change your DPI setting in a game you would have to flip the mouse over and press the button which is obviously going to take longer than simply clicking above the scroll wheel.
Results
In gaming the Zowie EC2 proved to be very comfortable and offered good control in both FPS and Strategy games. In Counter Strike Source and Battlefield 3 I found the mouse to be very comfortable; however I did find myself having to adjust my hand after intense moments which would suggest that the material used on the white version of the mouse is too slippery and needs to have more grip.
In Shogun 2 I found the mouse to be great for traversing the terrain quickly and again the adjustable DPI button did come in handy, however I found that the scroll wheel was very temperamental and would often scroll too far or too short of where I wanted to zoom. Again this is something which could be easily fixed in later iterations of the mouse and not something which is too much of a negative.
Conclusion
In conclusion the Zowie EC2 eVo mouse offers great performance for the price. If you can get past the aesthetic issues and low grip offered by the mouse then you will be more than happy, however personally i think opting for the black version (Which features better grip) would be a more wise option and make your money go just that bit further.
Pros:-
- Comfortable
- Adjustable DPI
Cons:-
- Needs more grip
- DPI switch colours
- DPI switch placement
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Performance
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Design
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Value
