Introduction
The mouse is one of the key components in competitive gaming. It needs to be according to one's preferences wherein a slight discomfort can cost the entire game. It is also one of the focal point in one's rig as it is visual seen upfront. There's a lot of gaming mouse out there today and you'd probably overwhelmed with the options just like myself. Most would like to stick to their favorite brands when it comes to peripherals. What if a popular brand for graphics cards enter the peripheral market? Would you try theirs? EVGA is a world renowned brand when it comes to graphics cards and recently they ventured into power supplies and peripherals as well. Follow us today as we take a look at one, the EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon.
EVGA's Take On the TORQ X10 Carbon
Introducing the EVGA TORQ X10 gaming mouse. Built with the highest quality materials including a real Carbon Fiber surface, this mouse was designed from the ground up to satisfy the needs of the hardcore gamer with a high quality laser sensor that provides up to 8200 DPI, an adjustable weight system, nine programmable buttons and a unique sizing system that allows you to adjust the height of the body.
We didn't stop there though. The EVGA TORQ X10 features the highest quality Omron switches with a lifespan of over 20 million clicks. We also included a full metal base that provides solid construction, the latest Avago 9800 laser sensor providing up to 8200DPI with 1000Hz polling rate, a 6FT silver coated USB cable, and much more.
Watch Overview Video below
Features and Specifications
Features
- Real Carbon Fiber Surface
- Ambidextrous design supports right or left handed gamers
- Adjustable height system supports all gamers
- Adjustable DPI up to 8200 DPI with On-the-Fly Sensitivity adjustment
- Adjustable weight system
- Highest quality materials including silver coated wire, Omron switches and Carbon Fiber surface
- Robust software allows full control over mouse including Macro setup, profiles and OSD
- Super low friction PTFE mouse feet
- Onboard storage can support up to 5 separate profiles
Specifications
- Max DPI: 8200
- Sensor Type: Laser (Avago 9800)
- Main Switch Type: Omron - 20 Million Click Lifecycle
- Programmable Buttons: 9
- Min/Max Weight: 121g/134g (without cable)
- Max Polling/Report Rate: 1000Hz
- LED Color: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Purple
- Feet Type: Low Friction PTFE
- Max Number of Profiles: 5 (512K Onboard)
- Height: 1.53in - 38.862mm
- Length: 4.64in - 117.86mm
- Width: 2.25in - 57.15mm
Product Warranty
The TORQ X10 Carbon is covered by EVGA's 3 year warranty which covers parts and labor.
Let's take a closer look on the next page.
Unboxing and Closer Look
The EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon has a rather unusual packaging shape. It may look large but there's nothing much inside the packaging. This is perhaps to showcase the mouse even while inside the box. I always like the idea of allowing buyers to get a feel of the mouse's size without opening it so you can tell if it would fit your preferences even at the store, for physical stores that is.
Inside you'll find the EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse along with a set of weights, accessories and a torx screwdriver to be used to adjust the height and size of the mouse.
Inside the accessories envelop are a different set of mouse feet. So you can remove the stock ones installed on the mouse and use these which are smaller in terms of surface area so in theory these will reduce the friction created between the mouse and the mousepad thus allowing the TORQ X10 Carbon to glide much easier on the mousepad.
Now here's a closer look at the EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse. It has an ambidextrous design so it can be used by both right-handed and left-handed users with ease. There are two red-colored macro buttons on each side and a DPI switch behind the mouse scroll wheel.
At the rear of the TORQ X10 Carbon is a torx screw that adjusts the size and height of the mouse.
The EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse does have an aluminum frame and core which can be clearly seen when we look at the bottom. There's a small red switch at the right of the optical sensor which changes the profile of the mouse. The mouse can store up to five different profiles using its 512K onboard memory.
The EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon's cable is sleeved and it comes with a Velcro scrap for neat cabling.
Weight Adjustment
The weight chamber of the TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse is on the center of the mouse which I find wise. Some gaming mouse have the weight chamber at the rear of the mouse making it quite imbalance in terms of weight distribution. Having it on the center gives it a more equal and balanced weight distribution.
You can find the weight chamber when you remove the top cover of the mouse. Do read the manual for this matter to make sure you do it correctly. It does need quite a force to be achieved.
There are three sets of weights wherein you can create nine different weight combinations. The weights are 2 gram, 4 gram and 6 gram weights.
You can add a maximum of 12 grams using the two 6-gram weights.
Let us move on to checking out the Unleash Software on the next page.
Software
The EVGA Unleash Software
The EVGA TORQ X10 gaming mouse comes complete with a full software package that allows complete control over the mouse. Customize the color, button settings, DPI and profiles. The EVGA Unleash software also has an OSD (On Screen Display) that makes it easy to see what profile or DPI setting you are using!
Features
- Allows full control of the EVGA TORQ X10.
- Easy to switch between right/left handed mode.
- Ability to reassign any of the 9 buttons.
- Designed with usability in mind.
- Heads up display shows key settings at a glance.
- Flexible macro and profiling system.
- Angle Snapping support (Default Off)
- Adjustable LED color and brightness.
- Available for Windows 8, 7, Vista
First you need to download the EVGA Unleash Software at the EVGA website.
Here's Unleash Software's default page. On the upper-right are the lighting control which you have two parts, the front-end and the rear-end lighting of the mouse.
On top indicates the current DPI and sensitivity setting of the mouse followed by five tabs below. Then you can see a diagram of the mouse and the location of the macro buttons on the middle. Near the mouse figure is the left-handed and right-handed modes you can choose from which is set to right-handed mode by default.
Here's the Button Settings tab wherein you can assign different functions to the different buttons of the gaming mouse.
Simply selected which button number you would like to have a function, look under the Settings list for the particular function you want to assign as listed in the Overview list. On the image above, I saved a macro and named it 'test' which I have assigned on button 6.
On the Advanced Settings, there are three tabs; the DPI settings, OS (Optical Sensor) settings and the LED lighting settings. The DPI settings is shown first wherein you can see sliders the allows you to increase or decrease the DPI settings and polling rate into five modes. The mouse does have LED indicator for these DPI settings to be shown later on this review.
There are several settings you can tweak on the Optical Sensor settings which also includes some you can tweak normally using the windows mouse settings application.
On the LED settings, you can select the color you want, the brightness level and if you want it on, off or breathing mode.
On to the Macro settings, this is where you can record macros to be assigned in one of the buttons of the mouse. Note, the macro can record even keyboard functions which as you can see in the captured image above, I have pressed the letters D and S multiple times using my keyboard.
Lastly, on the Profile Management tab you can save and load saved profiles to and from the mouse and computer. Although I find five profiles to be too many for a single user but if there are multiple users in a computer, or if you are playing several games at a time and have setup macros and set the mouse for a particular game, this would really come in very handy.
LED Lighting
Some are very particular with LED lighting colors to match their rig's color theme. Fortunately, the EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon got the basic colors so it can surely fit most preferences.
The LED lighting is somewhat subtle, not too bright nor too little, just enough to make a good accentuation on the mouse. The LED lighting appears on the front-end near the mouse scroll wheel and on the rear-end where the EVGA logo branding can be found.
Here's the mouse using the default red LED color on both ends.
Here we have blue on front and green on the rear.
Here we have blue on front and green on 10% brightness on the rear.
DPI Setting Indicator
There's a DPI setting LED indicator on the middle of the TORQ X10 Carbon. Pressing the DPI switch will change the DPI modes from 0 to 4 as indicated with 4 red LED bars on the DPI indicator.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
The EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse is an impressive gaming peripheral which landed it on my workstation as my permanent gaming mouse. Let me breakdown my experience of the mouse below.
Comfort and Feel
The EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse has an ambidextrous design to cater both left-handed and right-handed users. At first touch, I knew this mouse was going to fit my preferences and it certainly did. It has a typical mouse shape so if you are not using some sort of odd-shaped gaming mouse prior to your purchase, the TORQ X10 Carbon would certainly feel like home in your palm. The size and height adjustment is a huge plus so the TORQ X10 Carbon can also cater users that prefer larger mouse. I also find the weight adjustment very handy and given that the weight chamber is at the center of the mouse, the added weight is equally distributed.
Build Quality
The Omron switches are a standard when it comes to building quality gaming mouse. The aluminum frame also gives it a very sturdy and solid structure. What impresses me with regards to build quality is the mouse scroll wheel which I find very solid and responsive. It is still plastic though but it sure it top-notch. I comment a lot about the mouse scroll wheel a lot in my reviews because this part is prone to wear and tear faster than other components of the mouse wherein it loses its responsiveness or breaks apart totally. Overall, the EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon's build quality is superb.
Software and Lighting
Software was very easy to use and navigate. Also very responsive and the functions you can assign to the buttons are plenty. Some gaming mouse software have a very limited option when it comes to macros and key assignments, not with the EVGA Unleash. I really find the addition of media player function keys available for assignment very handy. I like navigating through my media player and managing the volume using my mouse given that my hand is on it every time. The LED color options are also plenty. What I like about the LED lighting is that it is not too bright and flashy.
The EVGA TORQ X10 Carbon gaming mouse was a great addition to my PC. You can find it at Amazon for $43.50 at the time of this writing. Certainly a bang-for-buck gaming mouse in my book!
Likes
- Super Build Quality
- LED lighting color options
- Easy-to-use and feature-packed software
- Centered weight adjustment options
Dislikes
- None
