INTRODUCTION
If you've been paying attention to everything that goes around in the PC gaming industry then you should know that the latest DOOM is scheduled for release in May so i expect many gamers around to world to look for new and better gear to get the maximum possible entertainment/experience from this title (especially one which we've been waiting for roughly 10 years now). Just in case however you don't look forward to playing the upcoming DOOM game there are others you may be interested in including Tom Clancy’s The Division, Far Cry Primal, Uncharted 4, Homefront Revolution, Battleborn, Fable Legends, For Honor, Scalebound and many more (unfortunately i don't see a really good RTS being released in 2016). Bottom line no matter what game genre you enjoy playing due to the large amount of PC games released in 2016 (some of which are quite impressive) an upgrade of your gaming peripherals (if old) should be well worth it. To that end Tt eSPORTS continues to upgrade their gaming peripherals and the Ventus X Laser Gaming Mouse is among the latest ones to leave their factory line.
“Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. We do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success. Thermaltake has been a well-known brand in the gaming & DIY market for PC Chassis, Coolers and Power Supplies PSU for many years. The brand personality of unique, aggressive, vivid and stylish makes Thermaltake an expert in creating exciting things and fascinating environment for gamers and enthusiasts. Tt eSPORTS inherited the brand personality with unique and creative design by observing users’ behaviors and requirements. The fan cooling design on Tt eSPORTS Challenger keyboard demonstrate the brand spirit. It is the worldwide first keyboard with fan cooling function that could dry your hand sweats and blow tension away during cut-throat competition.
The Ventus X Laser Gaming Mouse is actually an updated and larger version of the award winning Ventus Laser Gaming Mouse which Tt eSPORTS launched in late 2014. The Ventus X features the same air-through body ventilation we first saw in the Ventus (slightly different however), OMRON switches for the two primary buttons, adjustable weight system with three removable 4.5g weights and the same Avago (part of Broadcom now) ADNS-9500 laser sensor which offers a maximum resolution of 5700DPI with high speed motion detection up to 150IPS and 30G's of acceleration. The Ventus X however is not ambidextrous like the original Ventus (because of that it's now more ergonomic for right handed users), has a nice matte coating over most of its body and rubber textured pads on both sides, features 128Kb of onboard memory to store its 5 available profiles and has a total of 6 buttons (instead of 5) which can be used for a grand total of 30 macro commands (5 profiles x 6 buttons). So has Tt eSPORTS improved on the original Ventus just enough for people to even consider switching to the Ventus X?
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
A large product picture is placed at the front of the box right over the main product features and next to the company logo.
The new control panel GUI and a few words about the product in 15 languages are placed at the rear of the box.
You can check out the Ventus X and its main features by opening the front of the box as seen above.
With the Ventus X laser gaming mouse Tt eSPORTS also bundles a carrying pouch, two stickers with their logo, warranty information paper and a quick installation guide.
THE VENTUS X
The Ventus X comes in black matte color and measures 128.8mm in length, 71mm in width and 42.6mm in height.
Aside the expected buttons (2) the left side of the Ventus X also has a large textured rubber pad for improved grip.
The rear of the mouse is also perforated (slightly less compared to its predecessor) and you can see the company logo right beneath.
An on-the-fly DPI selection button is placed at the top.
Whereas the original Ventus had both sides identical the Ventus X has a different shaped right side that also has a textured rubber pad.
The clickable scroll wheel features a nice rubber coating, is almost inaudible when used and has a LED which flashes to indicate the DPI setting you've chosen.
Tt eSPORTS has placed 3 large PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) feet.
Right next to the Avago ADNS-9500 laser sensor we see the weight compartment which opens to reveal three removable 4.5g weights.
If you want you can remove all three weights along with the rubber pad used to hold them.
The 1.8 meter long braided cable ends at a gold plated USB plug with the company logo on it.
Although the Ventus X has but a single LED backlit color black and red has always been my favorite combination.
CONTROL PANEL
As usual since the mouse at hand doesn't come with a bundled driver CD you should visit the official support page to download the latest drivers/software.
Once you install the latest drivers/software if the firmware version on the mouse is old it will prompt you to update it.
The control panel allows you to program all 6 available buttons, choose between normal and battle mode for the illumination effects, set the DPI for the available levels, adjust polling rate and lift-off distance, turn the two LED areas on/off and add/edit/remove Macro commands.
This time over the control panel is also present in the taskbar making it far easier to access/launch.
CONCLUSION
The original Ventus laser gaming mouse was a balanced ambidextrous model with good overall performance thanks to its air-through body, the ADNS-9500 sensor by Avago and its primary switches by OMRON. The ambidextrous design however gave it a smaller body than what most gamers wanted and not the best possible shape. The Ventus X improves on that and although it’s not ambidextrous as its predecessor still it’s larger, has a much better shape (ergonomic) and not only features a matte textured coating but also rubber pads on both sides for better handling/grip. Both the laser sensor and the weight system remain identical with those used in the Ventus but thanks to the larger base (and PTFE feet) you should expect even better accuracy. The control panel is not really that much better compared to the one used in the Ventus but it’s a step up and so it’s easier to navigate. Unfortunately another feature which has remained the same is the single LED color and although as mentioned earlier I happen to like the black/red color combination others may want more.
The Ventus X already counts several months in the market but that has only made things better since currently it retails for just USD49.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 46Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). The Ventus X is of course not alone in that price range but it’s certainly one of the best “contestants” not only because of its air-through design, available buttons, weight adjustable system and laser sensor used but also because of its size, grip and OMRON primary switches which is why it gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design
- Matte Texture Coating & Side Rubber Pads (Grip)
- Air-Through Design (Cooler Hand)
- 128kb Onboard Memory
- Accurate & Fast (Avago ADNS-9500 Laser Sensor)
- Up To 30 Macros In 5 Profiles
- Weight Adjustment System
- OMRON Primary Switches
- Braided Cable With Gold Plated USB Connector
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- Single Illumination Color
- Avago ADNS-9500 Acceleration (For Some)