Razer DeathAdder 3,500 DPI Unboxing and Review

I just received my new Razer DeathAdder today! This is the version that Razer recently re-released, with a 3,500 DPI optical sensor compared to its predecessor's 1,800 DPI, and a braided snag-free cable. I took some photos in the process of unboxing the thing, so here they are. Note: all photos in this thread are thumbnailed; click on them to view them in high resolution.

The box itself (gotta start somewhere, right?). Relatively inconspicuous:



Who doesn't love these air-pillows?



Finally, the meat of the matter:



Packaging shot:



Again, with less flash glare this time



Inside the flap, showing the product itself:



Little bit of printed info inside the flap:



Out of the packaging and into...the sub-packaging!



Finally, the mouse on its own, along with the cleverly hidden resource packet underneath the packaging:



Contents of the packet, in order (Certificate of Authenticity, Quick Start Guide, Master Guide, pair of Razer logo stickers, DeathAdder information card, Razer product catalog, and a little ad for Raptr gaming messenger):



Close-up of the new braided cable, very reminiscent of that on my old Logitech G9, and definitely one of the features I missed about it with my old DeathAdder:



Side-by-side of my new DeathAdder refresh (left) and my old DeathAdder (right). Aside from the cord, they are physically identical:



Close-up comparison shot to help differentiate the new braided cord with the old regular rubber-insulated cord:



Initial impressions: Awesome. This new and improved DeathAdder is everything I loved about the original, but more so. I had to do some in-game setting modification to adjust to the new DPI, but otherwise it's the same old DeathAdder I know and love. The Razer configuration software works just like it always has.

At 3,500 DPI, the DeathAdder is an optical mouse like none other. The only mice that even come close to this DPI are laser. Most other high-DPI optical mice are in the vicinity of 2,000 DPI. Beyond this, it's pretty much exclusively laser, right up to 5,600 DPI with the Razer Mamba and Naga, with the new exception of the DeathAdder.

With 1,000Hz polling and 1ms response time, the DeathAdder works just as fast as I can move or click it, just like its predecessor.

Ergonomically, the DeathAdder is right-hand oriented, with both auxiliary buttons on the left side of the mouse, perfectly positioned for thumb use. The general consensus is that the DeathAdder favors the palm-style grip over the claw-style, but works well with either.

In short, I recommend the new DeathAdder to anyone in the market for a medium-budget right-handed gaming mouse, at a pretty modest $60.

Let me know if you want more photos, different angles, or anything else. I do plan on getting some new shots with the mouse plugged in and lit up, too.

Thanks for reading!

Brendon/Shroom

 

how would you described the rubber-like palm area on your used DA. Obviously the new one is smoother... i would like to know what to expect after so much usage on this surface.

Edit: I don't want to know how great it still is... but like texture wise, balding, dulling, traction, etc.

 

Honestly, it feels the same as the day I got it. No peeling or anything. It looks like it might be a little worn smooth, but from a tactile standpoint there's no difference. And for all I know, that could just be an illusion from my skin oil accumulating over time. This is a mouse built to last.

 

cool. great pics BTW

 

Thank you! I had to borrow a camera for them; the best I have is a cell phone cam.

 

Great review! Very informative. Thanks!

 

Thanks for the great review! I am dying to have a Razer mouse as I have never used one yet. I held a couple in the store and it felt very comfortable. My questions is when I search for this mouse I get a lot of DeathAdder 3.5 generation mice. What are those, the older one or this new one? Believe it or not I want one of these mice, not for the gaming possibilities, but for office type of work

 

The "3.5G" is the new one, with 3,500 DPI and braided cable. "3G" is the original 1,800 regular rubber cable model. Although, if you look at the packaging, it should physically say 3,500 DPI right on the box, so it's not that easy to confuse with the original, which will be labeled 1,800 DPI.

For reference, here's a shot of the original 1,800 DPI DeathAdder 3G packaging:

 

Nice review Brendon. I concur that this is a great gaming mouse for $60. I personally use a Boomslang CE 2007 (desktop) and an Orochi (notebook), though I have bought several Deathadders for friends/family as gifts. There have been no wear/usage issues with any of them. Razer makes a top-quality product.

 

Thanks Chaz! Yeah, I've been nothing but impressed with all the Razer stuff I've owned so far (two DeathAdders, eXactMat + eXactRest, Belkin N52TE), and whoever gets my old DeathAdder is going to be lucky.

 

I hope it become one of the shell shockers. But 60 dollars is a nice price.

 

hey can someone help me i have a question about DPI settings with the new razer, u know how the old one had 450 / 900 and 1800dpi choices. wat does this new one have? my fav dpi is 400 and i wanna know if the new razer can do 400 dpi.

 

450 is still an option:

 

So i went to bestbuy and they had the Mamba and Deathadder floor models out. The Mamba def has a better hand feel to it and the thumb buttons are crisp clicky. The thumb buttons on the DA feel mushy clicky. I know both palms uses the same rubber top and basically the same shape, but the mamba has an ever so slight variation you can def feel. However the dpi buttons on the Mamba could have been placed better. The scroll wheels look identical, but the DA sounded noticeably quieter. The Mamba has more weight to it for more control, I was surprised how light the DA was (super light). The Mamba also has the same rubber stuff on the bottom of each side where you thumb and pinky rest, I wish they added this on the DA refresh.

I feel the Mamba has a better feel, but I don't really care for wireless, plus you gotta lug around that reciever base anyways. Also the intial bugs are a turnoff even if they are "fixed".
I wished the DA had the rubber on the bottom of each side, and not mushy thumb buttons, and I wish it had just a tad bit more weight. On the plus, it is cheaper and has a quieter scroll wheel.

AHhhhhhhhhh hopefully Razer will make a permanetly wired mamba with a quiet wheel scroll, and dpi buttons on the pinky side (like orochi?).

 

Ordered the 3500dpi DA to replace my ~1,5y old DA, which, unfortunately, had contracted the dreaded doubleclick typical defect. Hoping that the new model has the old quirks ironed out...

 

Good luck with that. My old DA, also a little over a year old, never had the "double click issue", and so far this new one doesn't either. *knock on wood*