Introduction:

Razer has been working hard to introduce new products specifically targeted to gamers. Two of these new products are twin “gaming surfaces”. One specifically designed for speed, and one for control.

Retail tubes

Don't red ones go faster?

Blue means control

Specifications:

Razer Mantis™ Control / Speed Mat

Precision Mousing Surface

1. Precision surface optimized for gaming

2. Speed / Control surface for high / low sensitivity gamers

3. Oversized 444mm x 355mm x 4.3mm design

4. Fibertek™ cloth weave for superior performance

5. Rubber base ensures grip on the smoothest surfaces

First impressions:
 

 

Specs

Both pads

Useful after the fact

The “Mantis” pads are quite large when compared to standard mouse pads. I actually had a bit of difficulty making room for them on my main system. As well I’m also left wondering how long the surface will last. It looks like the edges of the pads have a small bit of fray on them even before I used them. So I would have to think after a lot of use, the edges might wear out quickly. (I might do an update in a few months one way or another when I can get a better idea)

Control

Speed

Frayed edge

Other than the edges, the surface feels quite nice on both pads. The “Speed” surface feels a lot like spandex, while the “control” surface is more akin to the square pattern on the back of a backpack. The bottoms of both pads are a standard rubber base, indistinguishable from 99% of the mouse pads I’ve seen. (But it works!)

Control/Speed

Bottom rubber

Only 1 listed difference

Testing:

Tight fit

3X mice

A Razer Closeup

Well it just so happens that I have a ton of mice at my disposal. I think they weren’t spayed and neutered like the vet said. Not surprisingly, I still use my Razer Copperhead as my primary mouse. The other mice I use regularly are a Logitech MX Laser wireless mouse, and a Microsoft wireless notebook mouse normally used with my laptop. Both the Logitech and Copperhead have high sensitivity, though the Copperhead is still higher than the MX Laser. The Microsoft mouse is a low sensitivity optical mouse with quite a bit of lag time from the wireless signal.

For gaming, I have my standard set of games I always like to play. I can’t test things out on a game I’m not used to ;). For FPS games, I ran a little Counter-Strike:Source, some UT2004, and the UT (original) Mod, Infiltration (Best realistic mod ever, too bad it’s basically dead L ) For RTS/MMO/Slow gaming, Total Annihilation and EVE-Online take that prize

I of course also put the standard day-to-day activities in the “slow” category. Picasa, and regular windows activates (fixing bugs, trying to find bugs, hoping a bug doesn’t erase all my work that I’ve been doing the past 4 hours).

My Opinions:

Mantis: Speed

"Sensitvity = 1"

I think this is a clear case of personal preference here. The Speed pad advertises that it is better for low sensitivity gamers. I definitely don’t fall into that category, even in my daily windows use, I use very small precise movements. But about the only place I find I can use it, is with my laptop. It’s nicer to use than a shiny coffee table, and is much better with the Microsoft Wireless Notebook mouse. It just feels like it needs a little more resistance for more control. I think someone would love it if they had their config’s setup for very low sensitivity, just not my cup of tea.

Mantis: Control

"Sensitivity = 15"

Complete opposite of the Speed mat. It suits my game entirely. While I don’t think it was the same results from initially switching to the Razer copperhead, but I did notice that sniping felt more natural. Snap shots didn’t overshoot as often, and my overall movements where less erratic. With the MX Laser and Microsoft wireless mouse though, I think the timing lag with the wireless connection really showed up. The Razer Copperhead felt like it could do no wrong.

Conclusion:

My Choice

If I could change anything about the Mantis “Control” and “Speed” I would either make them much smaller, or much larger. For high sensitivity gaming, where you don’t need much movement, so why make it so big? If it were bigger, enough that I could fit my keyboard onto it, I think it would also solve the space problem. As for the rest of it, they are onto something here. It’s got a nice feel and just the right grip for high sensitivity gamers. If you run at 2000dpi, max out the sensitivity slider in your games and still feel like you are missing out, give the “Control” pad a shot.

For the Mantis “Speed”, it’s too smooth for me and that’s all there is to it. I would like to get some comments from someone who runs with a low sensitivity and has this mouse pad. It does seem to be everything they advertise, but I can’t recommend it from my experience.

Pros:

Good feel

• -         “Control” has just that

• -         “Speed”, very low friction

Cons:

• Frayed edges

• Too large / not large enough

Mantis: Control, Recommended 2000DPI gamers