Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

DISCLAIMER: I am writing this review within the first few hours of unboxing the mouse, so everything is based on first impressions. Disclaimer x2: the mouse I am replacing is the 2014 version of this one, so I have a pretty good idea what it will be like owning this long-term. INTRO: I'll start off by saying that my previous M65 is still going strong 3 years later with no issues. The only slight problem that ever came up was the scroll wheel had an issue where it would scroll back up half the time when I was trying to scroll down, but a couple puffs from an air can and a clorox wipe seemed to solve that. The only reason I'm upgrading now is because I'm also upgrading to a Corsair K95 RGB Keyboard, so I decided to get an updated RGB mouse to go with it. The old mouse only had the static blue light, so I convinced myself that the little scare with the scroll wheel was justification enough. Also I'm putting together a spare parts PC for my brother. The fact I'm buying the same mouse even though my old one is still good says something in itself. FIRST LOOK: Upon first impressions I love this mouse. I loved the look and feel of my previous M65, and this one is only better. I went with the white shell top because I love the clean contrasting look of glossy white among the normally black sea of computer peripherals. I already know I'll be wiping it off obsessively to keep it clean, but it's worth it. Getting beyond the skin-deep stuff, I noticed right away that the sniper button was moved further toward the back of the mouse, putting it where my thumb rests naturally. I immediately sent Corsair a fist bump for that one because the position of the sniper button was my only real complaint with the old M65. I had to adjust my grip and reach for it, and that made me use it a lot less. Outside of FPS games, it makes a great quick macro button or extra key bind. TEXTURE/FEEL: Another change I noticed immediately was that the sides of the mouse (black areas) have a texture like an extremely fine sandpaper grit . On the old version it was a basic smooth plastic. I like the new texture, seems to have more grip and generate less sweat. The top is glossy and smooth, where the old one was matte and almost rubbery. It was a nice soft texture, but seemed to generate a lot of sweat. The overall shape and size of the mouse seems to be the same, but upon closer inspection there are some very subtle differences. The end result being ever-so-slightly more compact, so that my palm rests on the new mouse less, which is a good thing because my palm would build up a lot of sweat using the old mouse sometimes. So that's +3 Sweat Resistance from shape and texture. BUTTONS/ACTION: The feel of the L+R clicks is fairly light but clicky enough to feel responsive. With the old mouse, I did notice myself accidentally clicking quite a bit, but that was probably only after it was well broken in. It has 3 weight adjustment zones if you're into that. I think it feels a little better with the single weight at the heel of the mouse taken out, less overshooting on quick snaps. The position of the forward/back buttons is perfect, I much prefer having them both on the left side, in thumb reach, rather than symmetrically placed on each side of the mouse. The scroll wheel is nice and wide, and the scrolling action has a meaty feel so it's easy to distinguish between individual scrolls. Some people like a smoother, more free rolling action, but those people are crazy and probably smell weird ;). If you are way into MMO's or something you might want a mouse with 18 buttons on the side, but in my opinion the M65 has the perfect balance of complexity and simplicity in a gaming mouse. SOFTWARE/FEATURES: The dedicated sniper button is probably the most unique feature of this mouse, and it's awesome. The DPI controls behind the scroll wheel are also very useful, and another place where they improved over the old mouse: the new one has 5 DPI preset slots, old one had 3 (not including the sniper button). With the software you can customize the amount of DPI you want from each preset, or remap them entirely with different functions/macros. The new CUE software seems to be significantly improved, making it much easier to remap buttons and create macros. You can of course create and customize lighting/macro profiles, even link a lighting effect across compatible Corsair devices. I don't have the Void headset, but am able to link effects between KB+M. DURABILITY: Obviously I just got this one, but the old M65 survived a couple dozen drops from desk height onto a concrete floor (if lucky, a thin, hard rug to cushion). My office/gamer cave is in a concrete basement, and I shift things around a lot depending on what I'm doing, so some drops occur. I try to take care of my stuff, but I also put it through a lot of use, and Corsair's products have so far taken everything I can throw at them with a smile. Over the years I've purchased a lot of Logitech and Microsoft periphs because they were decent for budget prices. But budget prices beget budget materials, and budget build quality (alliteration is fun!), and I have the graveyard of old periphs to prove it. I also have a wireless Corsair headset that has seen some drops, and only developed one small crack after about a year and a half. Once I noticed that crack, I reinforced those areas with some electrical tape and now not only do they seem nigh on indestructible, I was able to cover up that lame Corsair gaming Antlers-or-whatever logo without disrupting the black satin-y look. Should be nothing but smooth sails from here (wink wink nudge nudge), but I will update my review if anything changes my first impressions. VALUE/BOTTOM LINE: Corsair makes quality products and the M65 is no exception. If you've never owned a true gaming mouse before, you will be blown away by the difference and never look back. I can't imagine a better all-purpose gaming mouse, and I think $60 is a small price to pay for such a crucial piece of any setup. It might be double the price of your typical Logitech piece, but it's not overpriced and gimmicky like a Razer, and still looks better than any of them. Don't tell Corsair, but I would probably still buy this mouse at $90. And that's why I give it 5 stars. P.S. Sorry I write long reviews... I just can't do it any other way. I appreciate your time if you made it all the way through.