INTRODUCTION

   It's CES time once again and just like every year we expect to see numerous electronics, PC hardware components and gaming peripherals unveiled by a very large number of manufacturers (big and small). Gaming peripherals have always enjoyed much praise in CES by gamers and if what we've seen so far is any indication then this year's CES is literally a gamers heaven. CORSAIR has a habit of releasing a large number of gaming peripherals each year many of which during CES and this year they clearly focused quite a bit of their efforts in the development and release of several gaming mice since they are unveiling not one but three models plus two high-quality mats. Today with us we have one of those gaming mice (didn't have time to wrap up our reviews of the other two) and more specifically the M65 RGB Elite Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse.

   Founded in 1994, CORSAIR supplies high-performance products purchased primarily by PC gaming enthusiasts who build their own PCs or buy pre-assembled customized systems. The company's award-winning products include DDR3 and DDR4 memory upgrades, computer cases, PC cooling products, gaming headsets, gaming keyboards, gaming mice, power supply units, USB flash drives, solid-state drives and system monitoring and control devices.

   The M65 Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse is the fourth model by CORSAIR to carry the M65 name/classification right after the M65 PRO RGB released in 2016, the M65 RGB released in 2014 and the M65 Vengeance released back in 2013. Just like with its predecessors for the M65 RGB Elite CORSAIR used an exclusive (currently anyways) Pixart sensor the PMW3391 which offers a maximum native resolution of up to 18.000DPI (dots per inch) adjustable in single DPI increments, has a maximum refresh rate of 1000Hz and can be calibrated for ultra-accurate and high-speed tracking on any mousepad. The M65 RGB Elite shares some similarities with its predecessor including the advanced tunable weight system which allows you either to adjust the weight center of the mouse and increase its weight up to 115g or decrease it down to 97g. Other similarities include an anodized aluminum frame, 2-Zone dynamic RGB illumination, improved OMRON switches for the primary buttons (up to 50 million clicks compared to the 20 million clicks of the ones used in the M65 PRO RGB), precision sniper button, 5 DPI presets, clickable scroll wheel and a total of 8 fully programmable buttons. True the M65 RGB Elite doesn't seem to be worlds apart compared to its predecessor the very good M65 PRO RGB but it seems improved so let's check it out.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The M65 RGB Elite gets shipped inside a yellow and black box that has a large product picture at the front along with the company logo, product name and the iCUE logo.

Another product picture taken from the side is placed on the left side of the box.

The product features and system requirements are printed at the rear of the box in 7 languages (two product pictures are used to showcase them).

Along with the M65 RGB Elite you're also getting the user manual, warranty guide and warranty information paper.

THE M65 RGB ELITE

Just like its predecessor the anodized aluminum enclosure of the M65 RGB Elite features a nice rubber coating over its exterior and weighs 115g with all three weights installed.

Once again on the left side we find two programmable buttons and the precision sniper button which basically reduces DPI and allows for more accurate/precise movement (there are also some small aesthetic differences here with its predecessor).

The company logo is located at the rear of the mouse and is also the 2nd RGB lighting zone.

The DPI selection buttons along with a DPI indicator LED are placed right over the scroll wheel.

Another difference between the M65 PRO RGB and the M65 RGB Elite is the pinkie grip which is longer now.

The clickable scroll wheel of the M65 RGB Elite seems larger compared to that of the M65 PRO RGB and its rubberized surface also features a different design.

Turning the mouse over we see 5 large PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) feet the laser sensor and the three aluminum covers.

Once you remove these covers you will gain access to the weights (black in this version) which you can remove to adjust the weight center of the mouse or its weight all together.

Both the screws and the weights add up to a total of roughly 20g.

At the end of the 1.8 meter long braided cable we find a regular (not gold plated) plug.

ICUE SOFTWARE

As always you can download the latest version of the iCUE software from the CORSAIR support page.

Once you install and launch the program it will detect and list compatible devices on the right side.

Click on the mouse to reveal its settings tabs and two product pictures which also indicate the current colors of the 2 RGB zones.

From the actions tab you can program all 8 buttons with actions, macros and software shortcuts.

Everything related to the 2-zone RGB lighting system is placed in the lighting effects tab so from here you can change colors and set effects (13 available ones) for each zone.

From the DPI tab you can assign a color for each of the 5 presets (6 including the sniper button one) and set the DPI for both axis.

Inside the performance tab you can enable angle snapping and adjust the pointer precision.

The surface calibration tab is very useful if you want the mouse to behave as best as possible with your mat.

Let's not forget that the iCUE software allows the end user to monitor the status of the system, use instant colors and adjust various settings from the drop-down menus.

Here you can see some of the colors of the 2-zone RGB system (3 zones really if you also add the DPI selection LED).

CONCLUSION

   The M65 PRO RGB was a great FPS mouse since aside being extremely fast and accurate with superb gliding capabilities you could also adjust its weight to suit your needs/style. The new M65 RGB Elite has two basic differences with its predecessor, the PMW3391 optical sensor by Pixart which this time over is much faster compared to the PMW336X used in the M65 PRO RGB (18.000 vs 12.000 DPI) and its design which removes some pieces of plastic from the enclosure (from the left side and the DPI selection LED), extends some other (right side pinkie grip) and changes the color of some of its parts (namely the base and weights). As for the 2-zone RGB lighting system it may not be the best we’ve seen to date but it’s quite good and almost identical to that of the M65 PRO RGB. Of course just like with the M65 PRO RGB the M65 RGB Elite is also a small to medium sized gaming mouse and so it did take sometime getting used to. I don’t expect this to be a huge deal for most gamers but it’s definitely something to think about if you’re out in the market for one.

   The M65 RGB Elite is a brand-new gaming mouse which means that it currently carries its initial price tag set at USD59.99 inside the USA and at 66Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Of course as expected the arrival of the M65 RGB Elite has also brought a significant price reduction on the very good M65 PRO RGB model so if you don’t want to climb as high then you should really take that into account. With that out of the way the M65 RGB Elite is a worthy addition in the FPS line of gaming mice by CORSAIR and although it’s not quite as “impressive” as the M65 PRO RGB was two plus years ago it’s still definitely worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Design
- Extremely Fast & Accurate (Pixart PMW3391)
- Very Good Grip (Rubber Coating)
- OMRON Micro-Switches (50 Million Clicks)
- RGB Lighting System (2 Zones)
- Weight Adjustment System
- 8 Programmable Buttons
- Precision Sniper Button
- 1.8 Meter Long Braided Cable
- iCUE Software (Available Settings)
- Surface Calibration Tool
- Available In Black & White Colors

CONS

- Current Price
- Size (For Some)