Saitek Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Gaming Mouse

Hello. I' planning to buy a Saitek Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Gaming Mouse. However I wanted to see the thought and opinions of other people before buying it. Instead of posting rumors and etc please post just your opinion and thoughts of this mouse if you own one. Thank you!

Also I want to know if a new version of the mouse is coming out this year so I don't have to regret buying the mouse.

 

I haven't owned one, but from what I hear, it's one of the most comfortable mice available, but its sensor has quality issues and the software sucks.

 

I don't have a R.A.T. 9, but I do have a R.A.T. 7 which is basically a wired version. Personally, I find it really comfortable and like the fact that it can be customized to fit your hand best. I haven't had any issues regarding the sensors and I really enjoy using it for playing FPS games.

 

I tried a R.A.T 7 out for two days and I thought it felt nice but the tracking kept on skipping every once in a while. I don't know if it was a issue with my mouse pad or not but since then, I've had two Logitech Mice (MX Performance and G700) that have tracked perfectly fine on the same mouse pad. The mouse is pretty cool though.

 

The problem with the 7 (again, I haven't had the 9) is that it gives you the impression it's ergonomic because it's adjustable, but I happen to think that a lot of the adjustment is useless for ergonomics. I'd say in fact it's probably the least ergonomic mouse you can buy because most people will likely put it in the worst configuration for themselves.

Hella cool mouse though, especially in that limited edition white (if you can keep it pristine that is).

I'd recommend buying it if you like cool looking stuff, don't game, and if you don't use a mouse very often.

 

I couldn't agree more. Another mouse that comes to my mind that had absolutely no ergonomics whatsoever is the Razer Mamba. I owned it for about 2-3 days before I had to return it. I wanted to like it so bad because it was cool looking but everything about that mouse was poorly designed. It didn't feel right in the hand and I had to change my grip just to hit one of the extra buttons on the mouse. This is why I went back to Logitech and will never leave Logitech again. Every single Logitech mouse I've ever used felt so damn good in my hand and every button was perfectly placed as well.

 

Can we please talk bout the 9? Anyone?

 

Mouse comfort is ultimately a matter of personal preference. I have the Mamba, and I personally think it's the most comfortable and natural-feeling mouse I've ever used. You really can't objectively say that any ergonomically-designed mouse has "absolutely no ergonomics whatsoever", regardless of your own subjective opinion. For example, I used to own a Logitech G9, and none of the grip options really did it for me, but I understand that they're comfortable for a lot of other people.

 

"""Que in your favorite super hero music"""" Captain Obvious

Maybe next time I'll state the obvious

 

The core shape of the mouse isn't what I'm talking about - that *is* a personal factor.

It's the type of adjustment on offer, and where they start/end. The R.A.T. 7 (and by proxy 9 since they're exactly the same in this respect) offers very little in the way of worthwhile ergonomic adjustment IMO.

In terms of tracking - well, I have better and I've had worse, but many other reasonably decently-rated mice have the same tracking issues as the RAT. So I wouldn't rule it out on that basis, but yes, you can do better depending on your preferences. Primarily I just think the shape, and the scope of the shape, is fundamentally wrong and will cause problems down the line for many users.

 

That is what I meant. I know that the overall shape of the mouse is strictly personal preference and I would hope everyone here knows that. The adjustments on the R.A.T were never meant to change the ergonomics of the mouse and I understood this going in. The adjustments are only there for hand size and the way you grip it.

In terms of tracking, I've had worse as well but I prefer to have no tracking issues at all. I do not have any noticeable tracking issues with my G700 and I didn't have any in the three prior Logitech's I used. It seems as if a lot of these companies marketing "Gaming Mice" are making them look cool as hell but still using cheap sensors.

 

Are you serious that the Mamba is uncomfortable?

I have small hands and I find the Mamba to very comfortable, much more comfortable than the Logitech G500 that I used to use.

I still prefer the G500 and Logitech mice in general because the tracking on those are very, very precise.

I am using a Deathadder now (same shape as the Mamba) and it is more comfortable - I've always used it for general purposes, but swapped to my G500 when I gamed.

Maybe I will purchase the Mamba in the future for gaming but... I have very good experience in terms of performance with Logitech. Not sure about the Razer's laser sensor comparatively but I've heard it's not as good as Logitech's.

But in terms of comfort, the Mamba/Deathadder design is my favorite by far.

 

I have larger than average hands and yes, I thought it was uncomfortable. I think the main reason why I found it uncomfortable is because I use the thumb buttons a lot. Ever since I started PC gaming 10 years ago, I've been using the thumb button very heavily. I forget which Logitech mouse I started off with but ever single one I've used since, had the thumb buttons perfectly placed for my claw grip. I think this is why I found the Mamba uncomfortable. The thumb buttons were placed in a way that I couldn't hit them without adjusting my grip every time. I wanted to like it so bad though because I thought it looked bad and I gave it a couple days to adjust to but in the end, I just couldn't get used to it.

I guess I'm just used to the way Logitech mice feel and I am very glad Logitech has kept the same ergonomic feel over these past 10 years. If it aint broke, don't fix it. Right? Also, like you said, Logitech uses very good sensors so it's also hard finding an alternative that tracks as well or better. They also use very good wireless dongles that NEVER lag and are small enough to keep plugged in while transporting.

 

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CAN WE PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW COMFORTABLE LOGITECH AND RAZER MICE ARE! THIS CONVERSATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN PM'D BETWEEN YOU PEOPLE NOT ON THIS THREAD. LET'S ONLY POST ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS OF THE CYBORG RAT 9 MOUSE PLEASE ?!

 

Chill the hell out, man. If discussion in a forum thread bothers you, go read some reviews on Amazon or something.

 

Dude, chill out. The discussion came up when talking about the R.A.T and how it performs or feels. No need to get your panties in a bunch. No wonder you only have 1 Rep point.

 

^ Rep.

*leaves*

 

I own the RAT7 and RAT9.

First, on tracking, I think these mice suck. I have been a long-term Logitech user (not that I love their products more than any other, their mice just last a long time for me) and where my Logitech mouse will track, the RAT fails.

To make the RAT7 & 9 eventually work, I ended up with an old fashioned mouse type surface. Not bad, but my small collection of great game pads went to waste. I heard that the stainless steel pad worked with the RAT mice, but I was a bit put out spending another $40+ for yet another gaming pad.

So, I made the mouse work and I was mostly happy. Every now and then the mouse would still lock in one axis. I assume this is because of the twin sensors to where one sensor decided to stop working? Cyborg likes to tell me my sensor is dirty - but I did extensive testing and it locked up on a perfectly clean surface with a perfectly cleaned sensor.

The other issue, well documented, is when you pick up the mouse and set it down the cursor will jump to the upper right. Well, think it was that way. Some direction. Now, every mouse will move around a bit when you pick it up and set it down, but the RAT moves much father. The fact that it moves the same way nearly every time points out to a hardware issue - not a user issue. In a FPS firefight, this can be a real pain.

Finally, in my mice, each one suffered hardware button failures at some point in their short life. The most recent, the RAT9, lasted almost 4 months before one of the thumb buttons failed out. I moved back to Logitech after that and was impressed by the precise tracking compared to spending 4 months away with the RAT series.


Design, I loved the RAT. Reliability, I'd probably advise getting the in-store warrenty so that you can plan on bringing this mouse back every 6 months or so to get a new one. That way you'll get new batteries (they swap every 4-6 hours of use, and that can't be good for longevity) and fix any of the buttons that fail out on you.

As for the sensor, it is workable - but not great. You'll have a disadvantage against people with more precise mice. I've missed a few good shots in Battlefield due to me slightly picking up my mouse - I don't do it often, but sometimes you just have to reposition.

Oh, and travelling. One trip I forgot to bring my pad with me and when I pulled out my mouse at 10pm, I realized that I had nothing that would track properly. Unlike my Logitech that will track on, say the hotel guide or a magazine, or even a non-reflective desk - the RAT9 wouldn't work on ANYTHING.

And, since if you own one of these mice, I'll tell you what I did to play that night. I was at a conference and when I was walking back to my room after learning that everything was closed nearby, I saw a cheap sign stuck to black foamcore, about 8x10in in size. So I grabbed it as the event was over and used the back of it as a pad. It worked.

Maybe that is a mark in the favor of the RAT. I don't think any other mouse is going to load you up with stories on how you had to be innovative to find a surface that your mouse will work properly on. Sure, you'll waste hours doing so - but maybe it isn't so bad to get away from your computer more often?

 

I've owned mamba and I own a RAT9. I have large hands and I prefer the RAT9, I sold the mamba. you can't adjust a mamba.

I had a philosophical debate about getting or not. It's expensive and I usually don't buy expensive things but imo it's worth every penny. I use it everyday. It's the connection between you and the machine. I give great importance to input devices and screens. Much more then raw performance or a cpu or a gpu. It would suck if you had the best notebook in the world and had to play fps's with a trackpad or with a lousy screen.
Also input devices if taken care can last much longer then desktops or notebooks. I still use the same dell ultrasharp monitor despite having owned several notebooks and desktops. Same for my logitech keyboard and RAT9. It's like a mattress, great part of your life is sleeping, just see how much you sleep in one year, it's better to get a great mattress it's worth every peeny.


Mice choices are very personal. I've tested loads of them. I love the RAT9. For me it's the best one in the world. But that's for me. I known many that dislike. I known many that prefer the mamba, many that prefer the RAT9. Both are great. It's really a matter of personal choice.


I didn't had any issues with reliability. At least mine works in every almost surface. Most times I don't use a mousepad. Mine doesn't lock or anything. It's well built, looks fragile but it's not, it has fallen to the floor many times and it's in perfect working condition. I've the mouse since the pre order so that's many months of use. And I use it every single day.
But it's not perfect, like other mouse it has pros and cons.
The battery life isn't great usually it lasts me 8hours of continuous playing. I've noticed that battery performance degraded over time. But anyway you have to carry the charger since it's the receiver too. Just swap no issues. The receiver is HUGE and bulky. no way portable. but anyway the mouse is also BIG.
I love the customization. It feels so natural in my hand.
It has a special software but I don't use it.
It's one of a kind. What any other mouse can you adjust perfectly to your hand?
Having tested the RAT7 I can say that the performance is exactly the same. no lag issues whatsoever. That's a myth that wireless has lag, that's not true at least in high end ones. Of course cheaper wireless ones can some issues.
I own the razer kabuto too because of portability. RAT9 is just huge and the receiver doesn't help. The razer kabuto doesn't need a receiver, it uses bluetooth, and it's handy and small and it feels good on the hand but it's too small for me. But very portable I carry it all the time.
I use a 12" for portable things that's why I use the kabuto. When I use and carry a 15", 17" notebook I always take the RAT9.
There's some things I would change in the RAT9. I would like a corded mode that would also charge the battery and I would like a micro receiver. I also dislike the charging leds because it doesn't seam very accurate, but it looks great and you can change the colour.

The battery uses a proprietary format, it fits perfectly in the mouse and that's great but I dislike "proprietary" formats. I think I would prefer a AA li-ion but maybe that would make it work less time. But the most thing I hate, you can't buy new batteries. What will I do when the battery only lasts a couple hours? But imo it's still a very long way for that to happen. I bet I'm going to brake it before that happens.

I rarely change the mouse parts or adjust them. I've just adjusted to my hand and always use it like that. It feels like the mouse was built just for my hand. The perfect balance handling feeling weight size.
It also has a weight system that improves even more the customization. Works like mamba, they are very similar in concept but they feel very differently in your hand (either you like more one or another) even after customizing the RAT9.

For me, the mouse isn't perfect but it's the most perfect that there is.

Technologically speaking is one of the most advanced mice in the world. But it wouldn't expect otherwise, it's a premium, like a ferrari, expensive too.
My advice for someone considering a RAT9 or 7 is to TRY it before you buy. Despite all the reviews there's no way to say if you are going to love it or hate it. YOU just have to try it to known how it feels for YOU and not for others.
It's like cars, some prefer porshes some prefer ferraris, both are great and are high end premium and perform greatly. But they feel very very differently.
Grab some similar ones, play with them, see how it feels, how comfort you are and just get what it feels better for you.
Don't buy the RAT9 or a Mamba or whatever just because people say it's great or not.

Good luck with your choice.

 

"Try it" is as good advice as any.

Unfortunately, HID is the place where you can't just try for a few days - you have to live with it for a good while to get the measure of it. However, trying as many as possible will eliminate the obviously unsuitable candidates.

Even beyond that though, it's easy to use mouse or keyboard and to ignore the slight signs it's giving you that it's not suitable - as in the case of the RAT after extensive adjustment. These days I know what to look out for though, so the moment that starts I switch to something else.

 

put it this way. there's no way in the world to known what you will like before you try it. sure you can estimate but that's it won't give the certain sure that you will like.

if you could just grab the mouse before you buy even without playing or anything, just to see how it feels in your hand it would be great. Don't known how it is for you but around here where I am stores have a large selection of unbox mice for people to try, like cell phones on display. it would be great if you could do that...
Even without adjusting the RAT9 if you can grab one you would known if it is for you or not.

other then that it's quite difficult to judge. just like I made a mistake with the mamba. I thought I would love it and I bought it but then I didn't liked it very much. and sold it.

sorry but there's no solution.

 

I wish I can try either the RAT 7 or RAT 9.

I've also heard some people claim the Deathadder 3500's optical sensor is very good but I don't think so. Maybe it's my Mionix mouse pad? I will change to a Razer Scarab next; it has very good reviews.

 

imvho sensors are very overrated. probably I'm gonna be full of critics but based on my experience with mice I've to say that's all about the same above 3000dpi. you can't really tell the difference. you simply can't be that fast even if you are a super ninja. your body and your brain cannot do it. it's like the refresh rate in monitors. there's no way whatsoever that a refresh rate higher than 120mhz can be perceived. the human eye and brain have it's limits.
I known that there will be some superhumans around that will disagree with me and with medical science. It's always like that.
Actually I've tested it with razer mamba and RAT9. I've put the dpi at max and tried them. Didn't noticed a single difference. It proves I'm human.

 

Show me some "medical science" that proves in absolute terms that no human being can perceive the difference between 120Hz and anything higher.

 

The DPI isn't what makes or breaks a sensor, it's how high the perfect track speed is and how well it tracks on different surfaces. In that respect, the 3500DPI optical sensor on the deathadder is almost unbeaten.

 

Just to let you know, a superior sensor can do a lot of things better than just a high DPI setting.

 

Hey hey now. The G700 has a 5700DPI sensor.

 

before i owned a mamba, i have like 800dpi only and was fully used to it, owning another mouse with a higher dpi will make you get used to it, until i reached the stable 4k dpi and 1.8k dpi stable on sniper handling. its just that owning any type of mouse depends on your own precision, ergonomics and dpi rating concerned. the only real deal is you never know unless you use one.

 

how bout some Physical evidence: u have a fluoresent light bulb in ur room?? did u know that depending on current consumption this bulbs can sometimes work at 100hz. And it seems like its solid white right?? well no, its constantly flickering but HUMAN eye stops seeing flickering after 60hz. so google

 

Actually it is a little more complicated than your theory makes it out to be. To support your theory, if you view a image flickering back and forth between white and black, most humans will only be able to see it flicker below a refresh rate of 60hz. Above 60hz, all we will see is a grey image.

Where things begin to get a little tricky is when we introduce fast moving images which require higher frame rates to avoid judder and artifacts. The quicker the image is moving the higher the frame rate it will require. Every human's retinas are different and some will notice artifact at at higher frame rates. A easy test to prove this theory can be done with any 120hz/240hz television. Everyone who has one of these TV's will usually say their movies now look like soap operas when watched at frame rates greater than 120hz. This is because we are used to watching movies at 24hz and at this refresh rate, the film has serious amounts of judder that completely disappears at frame rates above 120hz. A lot of people will usually say that the 120hz picture looks unrealistic but in fact, it is more realistic. We are just accustomed to movies shot at 24hz.

Lastly, when it comes to PC monitors, some people will get headaches if they use 60hz displays while others won't. I've heard some people say they get headaches with anything less than 85hz.

Now onto my point. Cable TV broadcasts at 60hz. We all know that movies still look normal when we watch them on HBO and Showtime. So, if you've ever seen the soap opera effect on a modern TV, you can see a difference between moving objects at 60hz vs. 120hz. The 60hz picture is still introducing judder while the 120hz is removing almost all of it.

 

And from what I've read, it's a good sensor, but as funky monk said, DPI is the least important aspect of a sensor, after a certain point anyway. I'm not familiar with the G700's sensor, but the point he was making was that the DeathAdder's optical sensor has among the highest perfect control speed of any sensor. Perfect control speed is the maximum physical speed you can move your mouse without experiencing any tracking errors. If your motions exceed this speed, tracking becomes erratic. Naturally, higher = better.

How about some relevant comparison? Staring at a steady flickering source is nothing like watching fast motion on a display. And 60Hz is not some magical barrier of human perception; if you look directly at a dim fluorescent lamp, you may not see any flicker. But try looking at the light cast by that lamp on a white wall, and you will probably notice it. Also, try waving your hand rapidly in front of your eyes while looking at a fluorescent lamp; you will not see your hand moving smoothly across your field of vision; rather, you will see "frames" of it, maybe just a handful of them from one side to the other.

I can't tell you how bothered I am when someone complains about higher framerates in TV or films looking "cheap".

 

Like I said in my post there are a few superhumans around here that can see and move faster then light.
http://www.tweakguides.com/files/FPSCompare_v05_beta.zip

dpi wise about RAT9 couldn't find anything faster. It's comparable to other high end mice.

 

The G700 is faster DPI wise. I still don't see how this is relevant though? Yea, it can get 5700 DPI but I've never felt the need to play games at DPI levels this high.

 

I should have put a "rolls eyes emoticon" after my post. I was just trying to be sarcastic. By the way, here is the sensor that the G700 uses. When it comes to DPI, I've never played with anything over 3700.

http://www.avagotech.com/pages/en/n...ces/navigation_sensors/laserstream/adns-9500/

 

Watch a movie at 240Hz and tell me it doesn't look different than a movie watched at 60Hz. Have you ever heard of SOE (Soap Opera Effect)? It is what happens when a movies frame rates meet or exceed 120Hz. Most all judder that is seen at 24Hz-60Hz is mostly removed creating super smooth motion. Most everyone can tell a difference, it just depends whether or not you like watching movies with artifact and judder (like most Americans) or if you like watching a movie with no judder and ultra smooth motion.

Sports like Football and Hockey are also where 120Hz-240Hz excel. At 60Hz, the average human will see image blur and tracers. You may not see it if that is what your used to but when compared side by side, it is easily noticeable by the average human.

 

Anyone know someone who has this mouse?

 

sorry to be sarcastic, but those who are interested may want to see a review or demo in youtube

Review: Cyborg R.A.T 9 Gaming Mouse - YouTube

not only this but among other things. im not implying on anything but imo its better to see facts

 

I own the RAT 9. Use it at 1800dpi. Never higher. Never less. Tracking seems fine so far. Slightly better than my 1st gen Deathadder. Though it does jump if the surface is uneven (probably time to clean my mousepad I guess). No other problems even though I bought mine 2nd hand.

 

thank you

 

I own a R.A.T. 10 if that helps. It's better than the 9.

 

I don't think that's a thing...

 

One last question. Is it a mouse or a rat?

 

well modesty aside its still a 'mouse' which is a computer device in general terms . they just named it RAT because of the distinction of what flexibility and ergonomics they offered.

 

I just purchased a rat 9, it came today. So far my overall thoughts are awesome. I couldn't be happier with it. So far no issues with skipping or stability. I have a G700 as well and while I do like it, it wasn't as comfortable as I would like (too small for my hand).

I would highly recommend the Rat series, so comfortable.

I just sent back the razer swtor mouse (essentially a naga epic). The hardware was great but the software is horrible; very unstable and most of the time wireless didn't work properly.

 

I love people who comment on comfortable mice after 1 day of use

I also found the RAT7 great for the first few days (as I did the G9, the Imperator, etc). Then when I went seriously mousing for extended periods, the twinges started. So the adjustments began, until I (as I've said before) realised that the kind of adjustments on offer didn't actually address fundamental ergonomic issues.

 

When you use it for 10-12 hours a day, 1 days comfort can help determine quite a bit.

I love how people contribute nothing to a conversation other than smart comments.

 

"smart" ≠ "experienced"

 

lmao, touche` some how my comment was filtered. (;

 

After my G9X broke, I decided to get this mouse (RAT 3 version on sale). After using it for a week, I kind of miss my G9X. They feel nearly identical, but there's 1 major issue ...the scrolling wheel will not do several rotations if you slide it once really fast ...you have to slide ...and slide ...and slide, which is extremely annoying on the finger (especially in FL Studio when I'm digging through sound libraries).

Is the 5/7/9 the same in regards to the scrolling wheel? It was kind of difficult to justify 49$ (#3) vs 129$ (#9) since the #3 fits perfectly in my hand like the G9X has

 

Personally, I tend to give a little less credit to 1-day opinions. Most 1-day opinions I see are either:

* 6 OUT OF 5 STARS! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!1!!!11!11 This product could not get any better, even if it printed money!

or

* -10000000 out of 5 stars! Absolutely terrible! What a piece of garbage! The product is garbage, the company is garbage, the support is garbage. Even the packaging (which I threw in the garbage) is garbage for taking too much garbage space in my garbage can that the garbage man later picked up and took to the garbage dump.





If we were talking about a professional review journalist, then I could trust a 10-12 hour ownership experience to provide an objective and relatively unbiased review of a product. But for random internet opinions, I think that a 1-day ownership experience still has too much "happy" / "upset" emotion in it to be considered objective.


I, myself, owned a Cyborg RAT7 for about 1 month. At first I loved the comfort of the mouse due to the configurable shape, the "sniper" toggle button on the side, and the click-feel of the mouse buttons. I could not be happier after 24 hours of ownership.

But eventually, you start seeing the flaws of the product. The Philips Twin-Eye laser sensor does not tolerate imperfect mousing surfaces well, and has a Z-axis movement problem when you lift the mouse. The teflon feet are small, wearing them down faster. The adjustable weight system allows you to adjust weight, but not balance. The configuration software is rudimentary... you cannot adjust USB polling rate, and macro programming is unintuitive. These are things that you start seeing only after a few days or few weeks of use, if you are not a professional hardware review journalist that specfiically knows what to look for when reviewing hardware.