Razer Diamondback 3G - Installation, Use and More

Installation and Use:

Seeing that Vista 64 Bit is an Operating System with limited driver support, I was glad to see that the Windows XP Professional x64 driver package installed flawlessly without problems. I had easy access to the Razer software which saw the mouse and allowed me to control it with ease. I find this to be an advantage over some the Logitech mice, as Logitech takes a lot of time to develop drivers for the 64 bit versions of Windows.

Diamondback Feet

After the mouse was installed and running, functionality tests were done to ensure that all the software features worked under Vista 64. I didn’t find one hiccup in the software and changes were made on the fly. I have to stress that software compatibility is known to be a problem under 64 bit versions of Windows, but Razer has done a marvelous job in this regard.

During the game testing, I noticed that the mouse was a little too jumpy for Battlefield 2142. Whenever I made the slightest movement with the mouse, it felt more like a “jerk” and was not smooth. Battlefield 2142 is not known to be a game for rapid movement, and this might be the cause. For ETQW and TF2, these games call for a high DPI mouse and the 3G performed like a Spartan. I was able to move the characters with great accuracy and ensure that my shots count. During my tests with Hellgate London, the mouse also performed very well. Even with the mouse set at 1800 DPI, my Templar character moved perfectly and did not miss a hit on the enemies.

Compared to other mice that I have owned such the Logitech MX500 and Microsoft Habu, this mouse fits perfect in my hands. I don’t have big meaty hands so this mouse will probably work well for scrawny people like me. :P  The MX500 had weights that I couldn’t get use to and the Habu was a bit too large for my hand.  For those that loved the Copperhead surface but want a smaller mouse, this will work well for you.

Technological Jargon:

Remember back in this review when I was mentioning numbers like 6400 FPS,  5.8MPixel, and 1800 DPI? The way how FPS is determined is by how many snapshots the laser takes per second.  This translates in less skipping and greater accuracy. No matter how fast you move this mouse, that kind of capture speed will ensure a no-skip experience. 5.8 Megapixels translates to the resolution that the laser can capture at. Your average optical based sensor can only capture at a resolution of 4.7 Megapixels. This makes the mouse more compatible with various gaming surfaces versus older LED/optical based mice as it can see the surface with greater density. DPI is relative to megapixels. The more DPI, again the more the mouse can see. The 3G is only 1800 DPI, but the laser makes up for that lack of DPI compared to the Copperhead or original Diamondback. In all, a laser mouse is much more superior to an optical mouse.

Diamondback Wheel

Diamondback - Dark Side

Seeing that Agilent is the manufacturer of the laser for the 3G, you can read up on the performance differences at this website.

Final Impressions:

I have to say that I am heavily impressed with the performance of the 3G. Software compatibility is flawless and there was absolutely no skipping to make mention of during the game testing.  I have to say though that this mouse is not meant for slow-paced tactical games, but for games that are pure shoot’em up like TF2, UT2K4, and CS:Source. If you require a mouse that has more steady control in games like the Battlefield series, then you may want something like the Logitech MX518 or G5. I have to compliment Razer on using the Agilent laser sensor for this mouse. It makes the 3G so much better than the older Diamondback. The Copperhead surface also makes the 3G easier to control, especially when you have sweaty palms after a big online match. I can attest to having that problem with the older Diamondbacks’ glossy surface.

The only negative points that I have are for the side buttons. I found them not to be spaced apart evenly which made them hard to press. I had to let go of the mouse a few times just so that I could track down the buttons. If the top buttons on the sides were spaced properly underneath the left and right mouse buttons, this problem could be avoided. A slight aesthetic issue is with the lighting on the sides of the mouse. It is not as bright as advertised to be on the box. The Habu had better lighting on the sides compared to the 3G.  As advertised for an MSRP of $49.99 U.S. ($47 CDN as of current exchange), it is a little pricey, but worth every penny.

Please post your thoughts and comments about the Razer 3G in our forum at the comments link below.  I'd like to thanks Razer for sending over this mouse to review.  It's been a good replacement for my previous mouse.