As the PC gaming industry gets bigger and bigger with new games being released every month, your mouse must be getting unresponsive and might act up on you in the middle of a game. Cooler Master introduces another weapon for the battlefield, The CM Storm Spawn. Cooler Master was kind enough to send us one to try out for all the gamers hunting for a new gaming mouse.
Packaging
The CM Storm Spawn comes in a tiny neat packaging which details the specifications of the mouse and also has a window where you can see how the mouse actually looks like. There’s a promo when you buy a CM Storm Spawn, it includes a free gaming pad. The CS-S Battle Pad H2 compliments the Spawn pretty well, better hurry though while supplies last.
Design
The first thing I noticed with the Spawn is its shape. It’s definitely designed for Claw grip users (It’s on the box too “œClaw-Style Ergonomic Design”). Being a palm grip user myself, I find it a bit awkward, but still I got used to it in no time. People with small hands might like it too as everything sits comfortably even if you’re using the palm grip. It also features a heavy-duty USB wire which can certainly handle your occasional tugs.
Features
The Spawn features 7 fully programmable buttons; two thumb buttons, left and right click, scroll click and two On-the-fly DPI adjustment buttons. The On-the-fly adjustment buttons seems placed too close to the scroll wheel, and you might accidentally up your sensitivity while switching weapons in most games. The anti-slip rubberized grip and the dotted rubberized side grips are very comfortable for long hours of gaming. The Ultra Swift Teflon Feet glides smoothly across the included CS-S Battle Pad H2, suffice to say, it glides along any surface smoothly.
The Spawn packs a 3500 DPI Optical sensor and is very precise in tracking your movements. I tried playing with Starcraft II and the joy of using a 3500DPI sensor is unmatched. You can scan the map with ease and when the time comes when you need to micro your units, you can adjust it on-the-fly and switch between 800, 1800 or 3500 DPI. It also sports the Sentinel-X on-board memory which means you can bring your mouse and your settings with you anywhere you go. The clickable buttons use Omron Micro Switches which provides excellent tactile feedback and boasts a guarantee of 5 million clicks.
Software
The one that was sent to us didn’t include a CD with the drivers. Alternatively, you can download the Spawn drivers at their website – http://www.cmstorm.com/en/products/peripherals/Spawn/.
There are 4 Tabs in the Spawn’s software.
Main Control ““ You can see the assignment of buttons, control the speed of the scroll, and double-click rate and pointer acceleration.
Macro ““ The macro tab has everything you need macro related. Create, save or delete macro data.
Custom ““ Custom tab is where you can set the DPI settings for your on-the-fly DPI switching. This is where you can control the acceleration of the pointer too.
Support/Update ““ Where you can find support for the product and update your driver/firmware
Verdict
The CM Storm Spawn is definitely a gaming mouse to consider especially for Claw grip gamers on a budget out there. If you use palm grip, I advise you to check out the mouse if you’re comfortable with the shape. The CM Storm Spawn is already available for Php1,500.
CM Storm Spawn Specifications:
- Dimensions: 75.5mm[W] x 110mm[H] x 35mm[L]
- Sensor: 3500 DPI
- Maximum Tracking Speed: 60 Inches/sec
- Speed measurement: 6400 FPS
- Buttons: 7 Fully Programmable
- Feet: Ultra Swift Teflon
- Wire: 2-meter gold plated USB connector
Editor’s note: This post is contributed by Andrei Lim with some slight revisions by the editor. Andrei was born with a game controller in his hand, started gaming at the age of 6 when he first got his NES and SNES. He has beaten a lot of games and continues this legacy with his gaming rig.
