Introduction
There are few names in the industry as well-known and respected as Corsair. Whether it’s their Cases, Coolers, Keyboards, or mice, as long as it has the Corsair name on it, you’re guaranteed a well-made, quality product. Ever since December of 2012, my personal mouse of choice had been the Vengeance M65, Arctic White edition. That was until September of 2014, when Corsair launched their M65 RGB Gaming mouse. The M65 RGB took everything that made the original M65 great and added RGB lighting to it. There were also a few minor tweaks to the over mouse, such as button and logo design. However, when you’ve created what is arguably, the best FPS and general use mouse to ever hit the market, why change anything? Also, if you do own the M65 or M65 RGB, there’s really no reason to upgrade your mouse. Until now! I’m beyond excited to say that I was lucky enough to get my hands on the all new M65 Pro RGB from Corsair. But is the M65 Pro enough of an upgrade to warrant buying a new mouse? Will you notice a difference, or will if feel like the M65, and M65 RGB before it?
We at Proclockers would like to thank Corsair for making this review possible. With so much competition these days, will the M65 Pro RGB keeps its title held by its predecessors as the best FPS mouse on the market since 2012? We’ve been hands on with the M65 Pro RGB for quite some time know. Also, the arrival of the M65 Pro also brought us, at Proclockers, the all new anti-fray, extended version of the MM300 mouse mat. Is the combination of the M65 Pro and the MM300 Let’s see what we came up with, and you can decide for yourselves?
About Corsair
Founded in 1994 as Corsair Microsystems, they originally developed level l2 cache modules called Coast modules, or Cache on a stick. These COAST modules were made for OEMs. After the release of Intels first processor to incorporate L2 cache in the chip, the Pentium Pro, Corsair began making DRAM modules, mainly for the server market. In 2002, Corsair switched their focus towards the enthusiast market. It was at this point that Corsair began shipping DRAM modules that were designed to appeal to the enthusiasts’ community who would use them for overclocking. Since then, Corsair has not only continued to expand their production of memory modules, but they have expanded into producing some of the best PC components on the market. Today, they make some of the best, highest quality products on the market. Everything from AIO coolers, mechanical keyboards, gaming headsets, solid state drives, gaming mice, ATX and SFX power supplies, and some of the best cases you can buy. One of their best, and most recognizable products, are their Corsair Dominator Platinum memory.
Corsairs take on the M65 Pro RGB
The M65 Pro comes with a 1.8 meter braided cable.
The M65 PRO RGB is a competition-grade FPS gaming mouse with the technology you need to win, the flexibility to make it your own, and the build quality to last. The high-accuracy 12000 DPI sensor provides pixel-precise tracking and advanced surface calibration support, and the aircraft-grade aluminum frame gives it low weight and high durability. Use the advanced weight tuning system to set the center of gravity to match your play style, and harness the power of CUE for advanced button configuration, macro programming, and three-zone RGB backlighting customization. Their tagline for the M65 Pro RGB is “The technology you need to win. The customization you need to make it your own. The build quality to last”
Specifications
- Color: Soft touch Black
- Resolution: 100 dpi - 12000 dpi
- Sensor: Optical
- Backlight: 3 Zone RGB
- Buttons: 8
- Report Rate (Polling Rate): Selectable 1000Hz/500Hz/250Hz/125Hz
- On-Board memory: Yes
- Mouse Feet: Extra Large PTFE
- CUE (Software): Enabled
- Cable: 1.8m Braided Fiber
- Dimensions: 118(L) x 72(W) x 39(H) mm / 4.65” (L) x 2.84” (W) x 1.54” (H)
- Weight (w/out mouse cord): 135.5g / 0.30 lbs. - w/o weights 115g / 0.25 lbs.
- Weight System: 3x screws, 3 weights, 20.5g total adjustability
- Warranty: Two years
Features
- 12000 DPI high-accuracy sensor: custom tuned, gaming grade sensor for pixel-precise tracking
- Aircraft-grade aluminum structure: light weight, durability, and optimal mass distribution
- Advanced weight tuning system: set the center of gravity to match your play style
- Surface calibration tuning utility: Optimizes sensor precision and responsiveness for your playing surface
- Optimized sniper button positioning: take advantage of on-the-fly DPI switching to instantly match mouse speed to gameplay demands
- Harness the Power of CUE: don’t just configure your mouse – program it with double macros, custom RGB lighting, and more
- Eight strategically placed buttons: gain an advantage by customizing your button configuration and play your way
- High-capacity Omron switches rated for 20 million clicks: ensure reliable performance that holds up through even the longest campaigns.
- High-mass scroll wheel: a rubberized exterior is wrapped around a metallic core for great feel and tactile precision
- Extra-large PTFE glide pads: great feel and swift, precise movement with minimal effort
Packaging and Unboxing
The front of the packaging shows the M65 Pro and names some of its main features.
The rear of the box has a diagram of the M65 Pro as well as a breakdown of all its features.
The right side of the box lists the package contents in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The left side of the box goes more in depth on some of the main selling points of the mouse.
Top flap lists the model number, serial number and bar code.
The front flap opens to show the M65 Pro RGB in all its glory. The inside of the flap illustrates the 3 RGB lighting zones.
The M65 fresh out of the Box.
The M65 unpacked and ready for use.
The Corsair M65 Pro RGB comes packed in an attractive black matte finished box, with yellow trim. The Corsair Gaming logo that was displayed on both the box and palm rest of the M65 RGB has been replaced with the traditional Corsair sails logo. The front of the packageshows an image of the M65 Pro RGB. Although it looks similar to the M65 RGB, I assure you there are some significant upgrades to the mouse. Along with the image of the M65 Pro, the front of the package also depicts some of the main features of the mousesuch as the 12k dpi, RGB lighting, and aluminum frame. The front also has a magnetic flap that can be opened. When opened, you see the M65 Pro RGB in all its glory. On the inside of the flap, you see a break down the three-zone, 16.8 million color RGB backlighting. On the rear of the box, there is a completer breakdown of the M65 and its features On the right side of the packaging, there is an explanation of the contents of the box as well as the system requirements. This information is printed in 4 languages. English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The left side of the box goes a bit more in-depth on the main features of the M65. These main features again include the 12,000 DPI sensor, RGB lighting, and Corsairs comprehensivebacklighting software suite.
A Closer Look
At first glance, the M65 Pro looks very similar to the M65. However, there are quite a few major upgrades to the M65 Pro, once you get into it. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the Corsair Gaming logo on the palm rest has been replaced with the classic Corsair sails logo and the Corsair name on the left mouse button. Aside from those two differences, the two mice are the same weight and size. Why chance a good thing I guess? The M65 Pro comes equipped with Pixart PMW336x sensor. The PMW336x is very similar to the PMW366 that Logitech previously had exclusivity with. Since they no longer do, Corsair decided to use that sensor with the M65 Pro. However, it has a slightly different feature set. The PMW336x is a 12,000 DPI Optical Sensor with surface tuning technology. This technology allows the M65 Pro auto tune itself to have precise tracking on any surface. This is a significant upgrade from the 8200 DPI sensor in the M65 RGB.The M65 Pro also has an adjustable polling rate, or report rate. At 1000hz, it has a 1ms response time. This is ideal for gaming, especially in a fast paced game such as CSGO. There are also 3 additional settings of 500hz, 450hz and 125hz. These settings give you the respective response times of 2ms, 4ms and 8ms. Essentially, as the polling rate decreases, the response time increases. Like the M65 RGB, the Pro version also has a 1.8 meter braided cable. I’m not sure if the cable on my M65 RGB is worn down a bit, but the cable on the M65 pro seems a bit thicker.
The M65 Pro has a 1.8 meter braided cable.
The M65 Pro uses an aircraft-grade aluminum structure. This frame is very durable, especially given its light weight. Using this aluminum frame optimizes the M65 Pro for mass production. Like the M65 RGB, the Pro version has 3 small removable weights.With the weights in, the M65 Pro weighs in at 135.5grams, with all three weights removed, the mouse is only 115 grams, 20.5 grams less. This may not sound like a lot. However, after lifting the mouse 100 times in an extended gaming session, that weight can make a huge difference. Allowing the user to adjust the weight of their mouse to better suit their style of play is yet another great feature of the M65 Pro.The Surface Calibration tuning utility automatically optimizes the M65 for your playing surface to ensure precisetracking, no matter what surface it’s on. The M65 Pro is fitted with extra-large PTFE glide feet. These feet have a great feel. They allow for precise movement with minimal effort.
Using the Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) Software, you can customize the M65 Pro in many different ways, making it fit to your personal play style. Through the CUE software, you can remap buttons, create macros, customize the RGB backlighting and more. In the CUE software, you are able to set each of the 3 RGB zones to separate colors and effects. You can also span the same colors and effects across all three RGB zones simply by checking a box.The M65 Pro sports high-capacity OMRON switches on the Left and Right clicks. These switches rated for over 20 million clicks.They are just 2 of the 8 programmable buttons the M65 Pro has to offer. On the thumb rest, near the left mouse button are the page back and page forward buttons. Also near the thumb rest isone of my favorite features. This also happens to be one of my most used buttons, the dedicated sniper button. This button, when held down, lowers the DPI to the default setting of 400DPI. But like every other button the M65 Pro, you can either remap it, use it as a Macro, or just leave it as is!As the Sniper button, you can set the dpi as low as 100 DPI. In a game like GTA, or any other first or third person shooter, the sniper button makes shooting very easy. On the top, close to the center of the mouse are the DPI up and down buttons.
In the middle of these buttons is a small LED indicator. This LED has 5 different colors, each for a different DPI setting. You can set each DPI setting in the CUE software, adding even more customization to this amazing mouse. Finally, we come to the middle click which doubles as the scroll wheel. Its high-mass scroll wheel has a rubberized exterior on a metallic core. It has a great feel to it and tactile precision. These features guarantee the M65 will have a long life, even under heavy use.Speaking of which, even after hours on end of gaming and editing, my hand never got tired. This is an extremely comfortable mouse. Its soft touch finish helps prevent you hand from slipping off, even when sweaty. Its sleek design can support many different grip styles and still feel natural and comfortable.
When all 3 weights are removed, the weight of the M65 goes from 135.5 grams to 115 grams.
Right side view of the M65 Pro.
The left side view of the M65. Here we see the page front and back buttons as well as the Sniper button.
Here is the view from the front of the M65. This shows off the scroll wheel and Corsair branding.
This is also where one of the RGB lighting zones is.
The sails on the palm rest are another RGB lighting zone. Below the scroll wheel are the DPI up and down as well as the DPI indicator LED. Although programmable, these buttons are very useful in their default settings.
The extra-large PTFE glide feet ensure that the M65 will have swift, precise movement on any mouse pad. The air-craft grade aluminum frame is light weight and durable
Corsair Utility Engine (CUE)
The Corsair Utility Engine software is one of the best pieces of software I’ve ever used for customizing a mouse or just peripherals in general. With the CUE software, you can create Macros, set up custom lighting profiles, re map buttons, and much more. I had been using the CUE software with my Strafe mechanical keyboard, as well as my M65 RGB. When I plugged in the M65 Pro, it was automatically detected. After a simple firmware update, it was ready to go. As I may have mentioned, I use the M65 in its default settings. As is the same with the M65 Pro RGB. In the few games I do play, the sniper button is a great feature. The page forward and page back buttons are very handy while surfing the web, and the on mouse DPI presets are used quite a bit in different games and applications. For example, Photoshop, I tend to use a much lower DPI than I would in say The Division. That being said, for programs like Photoshop and especially Premier Pro, having the ability to set up custom profiles using macros was extremely helpful. How, you may ask. Well, in photo shop, the command line for rendering out a picture is Control, ALT, Shift and W. Not a huge deal when doing a few pictures. However, for this review alone, I edited 65 pictures. It’s much easier to click one button on the side of the mouse, then 4 each time I render a picture. The macro function saved me a total of 195 keystrokes. This save me a significant amount of time while editing. Even more so in Premier Pro. I was able to create six macros in Premier pro for my most used commands. It only cuts off a few seconds per command. However, over hours, sometimes 8-10, of editing video, this can save a decent amount of time and effort. Not only are you able to set up custom profiles, but you can download custom profiles for the M65 Pro as well.
Overall, the amount of customization they jammed into the M65 Pro is amazing. Being RGB, there are 16.8 million color combinations possible through the CUE software. Not only can you set the M65 pro with such lighting effects as a rainbow effect. With this effect, the RGB backlighting with scroll through the entire color wheel. With color shift, the lighting will gradually fade in and out of different colors. The pulse effect is very similar to the shift effect, but a more sudden change in color. In both shift and pulse, you are able to set it to random colors, or set two specific colors go switch between, another great feature of the CUE software is being able to span the lighting effects across multiple Corsair RGB devices. You are even able to set the lighting effects to go along with the music. The CUE software is just another reason that in my opinion, cements Corsair as one of, if not the best peripherals manufacturers in the industry.
In the CUE Software one of the many things you can do is re map the buttons of the M65 Pro.
You can also create custom lighting profiles using 16.8 million colors.
You have the ability to set each zone with separate colors and effects, or span them across all zones.
In this setting you are able to set the DPI settings for the 5 different settings shown by the DPI indicator LED, the DPI of the Sniper button and the Pointer speed.
In this section of the CUE software, you can import and export custom Lighting and DPI profiles as well as Custom Macros.
There is even a dedicated support page with links to the Corsair website and the CUE user manual.
The MM300 Extended Mouse Mat
Along with my M65 Pro RGB gaming mouse, came Corsairs’ MM300 extended mouse mat. Measuring in at 930 mm x 300 mm x 3 mm, this mouse mat is large enough to cover a large portion of the desk. It is similar to last years’ model, the MM200. However, the MM300 has a few major upgrades worth mentioning. The first thing you notice is the design. There are two new designs. One solid black, with a yellow strip on the bottom edge and the Corsair name and Sails logo in the middle.
This one has an MSRP on $19.99 on Amazon. The other has a better build quality overall. The entire border has anti fray stitching to prevent the surface from peeling up over time. It dawns the Corsair name and sails logo in the bottom right corner of the extended mouse mat. In addition to that, there is a larger sails logo directly behind the smaller one with a black and, mostly, gray design spanning the entire mouse mat. The textile-weave surface is designed for pixel-precise targeting and low friction. The MM300 is optimized for both optical and laser mice. The under-side has an anti-skid rubber base. This helps to prevent the mat from moving around on the desk. Not only does it look great, but its superior build quality sets it apart from the competition.
The Front of the MM300 box.
The MM300 Mouse Mat measures 930mm x 300mm x 3mm.
The edge around the MM300 has heavy, fray proof stitching.
Final Thought and Conclusion
There’s no surprise that I absolutely love this mouse. I’ve loved every iteration of it since December of 2012. It amazes me that Corsair continues to make innovations and improvements to an already incredible mouse. The increased DPI of the Pixart PMW336x sensor allows for even more precise fine tuning. A feature, that when it comes to a gaming mouse, it always welcome. I personally like the fact that what I’d considered to be the “classic” Vengeance M65 design has changed very little over time. With the exception of a few buttons changing from the original M65to the M65RGB as well as the logo, it’s essentially the same awesome mouse I instantly fell in love with almost 4 years ago.
The amount of customization you are able to do in the CUE software goes far beyond just changing the lighting profiles. With the multiple different DPI settings, you can fine tune the Corsair M65 Pro to fit your exact play style in many different games and applications. The programmable buttons and macros made a massive difference in editing the pictures for this very review. On average, I saved about 15 minutes or so with the use of macros on the mouse. Over the course of 10 reviews, I’ll save hours of my time. Add the performance, and customization to the fact that the M65 Pro is another in the line of what I consider to be the most comfortable mouse I’ve ever used, and we have another great product from Corsair. With all the feature packed into this mouse, you’d expect to pay $80 to $100 for the M65 Pro RGB. However, that’s not the case. Right now, you can grab the M65 Pro RGB for only $59.99 on Corsairs direct website or Amazon.
So if you’re in the market for a new mouse, I can’t think of any reason to get any other mouse, especially for the price. After using the M65 Pro RGB, I’m very happy top award the M65 Pro from Corsair with Proclockers Editors’ Choice award. If you need a new mouse, or you’re like me and just always want to own the best hardware and peripherals money can buy, go buy this mouse now! You will not be disappointed!
Pros
- RGB Lighting
- 12,000 DPI
- Another M65 mouse
- Braided Cable
- Removable Weights
- Light Weight
- Fully Programmable
- Macros
- CUE Software
- Syncs up with my Strafe RGB Keyboard
Cons
- None
