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SilverStone RVM01B "Raven" Mouse
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Conclusion
SilverStone packed a lot of innovation into the Raven Gaming Mouse and it all started by looking at how a simple gaming device could be enhanced to meet the particular needs of the average user and avid gamer. Features such as gaming profiles that define X and Y dpi resolutions coupled with programmable macro keys arm the gamer with endless customization options.
The Raven Gaming Mouse is also a stylish little bugger having been constructed of high strength plastic and carbon fiber helps to ensure the mouse can take some abuse. Silverstone also went to great lengths to make the mouse was perfectly balanced. By this we mean the exact center of the mouse is also the balancing point which gives you better control when using high quality mousing surfaces and a better feel when using the device.
One commonly overlooked feature of any mouse is ergonomics and styling. In too many cases one of these features is given more attention than the other. In typical SilverStone fashion we have a beautiful product, size is perfect, styling is top notch, and features are off the chart however we found the Raven rather cumbersome to use. Our fingers had difficulty accessing the rightmost silver buttons and the 2 buttons behind the center scroll wheel were inaccessible unless we completely released our grip on the mouse. These were minor issues at best given that we don't actively use the “extra” buttons found on gaming mice. Our biggest complaint was the large thumb wheel that just seemed to always get in the way and prevented us from getting a good grip on the mouse. In our opinion the Raven might be the best thing since sliced bread if only the pinnacle design feature was redesigned to be smaller and away from the primary grip zone.
Now for the ever popular list of Good things and Bad things
The Raven Gaming Mouse is also a stylish little bugger having been constructed of high strength plastic and carbon fiber helps to ensure the mouse can take some abuse. Silverstone also went to great lengths to make the mouse was perfectly balanced. By this we mean the exact center of the mouse is also the balancing point which gives you better control when using high quality mousing surfaces and a better feel when using the device.
One commonly overlooked feature of any mouse is ergonomics and styling. In too many cases one of these features is given more attention than the other. In typical SilverStone fashion we have a beautiful product, size is perfect, styling is top notch, and features are off the chart however we found the Raven rather cumbersome to use. Our fingers had difficulty accessing the rightmost silver buttons and the 2 buttons behind the center scroll wheel were inaccessible unless we completely released our grip on the mouse. These were minor issues at best given that we don't actively use the “extra” buttons found on gaming mice. Our biggest complaint was the large thumb wheel that just seemed to always get in the way and prevented us from getting a good grip on the mouse. In our opinion the Raven might be the best thing since sliced bread if only the pinnacle design feature was redesigned to be smaller and away from the primary grip zone.
Now for the ever popular list of Good things and Bad things
Good Things
10 buttons
2 scroll wheels
5 gaming profiles with macro support
Max 3200 DPI
Independent X&Y DPI settings.
Carbon Fiber
2 buttons near index finger are extremely easy to use.
2 scroll wheels
5 gaming profiles with macro support
Max 3200 DPI
Independent X&Y DPI settings.
Carbon Fiber
2 buttons near index finger are extremely easy to use.
Bad Things
Difficult to hold on to
Buttons require flexible fingers
Thumb wheel difficult to turn
Profile select button (thumb) difficult to avoid
Buttons require flexible fingers
Thumb wheel difficult to turn
Profile select button (thumb) difficult to avoid
Ninjalane Rating
We would like to thank SilverStone for helping make this review possible.
