Maximum PC - USA (2021-Holiday)

FOR CORSAIR, the M 65 has gained a

reputation as a legendary mouse. In the

world of these perfect pixel pointers, the

very name commands the same amount

of respect as the Razer Deathadder,

the Logitech G series, or SteelSeries’

Sensei lineup. The M 65 is the brand’s

quintessential mouse, unchanging,

unflinching, and in a somewhat

significant shake-up compared with the

other three we just listed, rather unique

in its design approach.

The shape of this mouse sets it apart

from its competitors. Its wide angle and

long, sweeping thumb rest give it a broad

presence that you might assume would

make it a sure shot for fingertip and claw

gamers and yet, it’s as equally at home

with a palm-gripper too. It's comfortable

and ergonomically impressive, there are

no flared buttons or egg-shaped rears,

just a clean-cut design, backed up by an

impressive aluminum chassis. That’s the

way it always was, and we can happily

report, that it hasn’t changed one bit.

The M 65 RGB Ultra has been designed

very much along the lines of “if it ain’t

broke, don’t fix it”, and that’s a philosophy

we can get behind. The new model

features the same weight tuning, the

same RGB setup, and the same “sniper”

button that has become synonymous

with the series, but Corsair has taken the

liberty of considerably ramping up the

internal hardware quite drastically.

Let’s start up with the switches. These

are your classical OMRON optical affair,

solid, reliable, pretty much the industry

standard at this point. They last an

eternity and provide a solid, responsive

feel. However, Corsair has paired this

with a neat bit of tech called 'Quickstrike'.

Through the use of a spring tension

system, it minimizes the gap between the

primary mouse buttons and the switch to

zero. There’s also a marked improvement

in total travel, meaning that when you are

pressing down, this mouse is seriously

quick on the click.

A modern take on

a classic design

Corsair M 65

RGB Ultra

Wired Mouse

9

VERDICT Corsair M 65 RGB Ultra Wired

Mouse

FLAGSHIP Impeccable design;

fits all grips; impressive

sensor; quickstrike buttons

are stunning.

DINGHY Can get greasy; minimum

requirements for hyper-polling.

$70, http://www.corsair.com

SPECIFICATIONS

Sensor Model Corsair Marksman 26K

Max Sensitivity 26,000 CPI

IPS 600

Programmable

Buttons

8

Weight 3.42-4.05oz^ (97-115g)

That might not sound that important,

and arguably, in-game, unless you’re an

eSports god fragging scrubs to win that

$1,000,0 00 prize pool, you’re not going

to notice it. However, for day-to-day use,

it provides an incredibly enjoyable click.

We can’t explain it, but it simply feels

lighter to the touch, quicker to press, and

is noticeably quieter too—all of which

rounds it out as being the nicest click

(genuinely) we’ve ever used.

PARTY TRICKS

It’s worth noting, however, that this is

only reserved for the primary buttons,

sadly the DPI switches, sniper switch,

and back and forward switches on the

side, still use the standard button setup.

Moving on from that, as we first saw

from the Champion series and the K 100

keyboard, the M 65 also features that

8,000Hz hyper-polling, although we’ve

still yet to see any in-game benefit

from that, it’s definitely there (although

by default the mouse is configured to

1,000Hz). As for the sensor, it’s a slightly

tweaked PixArt PMW3392, in the form of

Corsair’s first Marksman 26K, giving you

a top CPI of 26,000, a maximum tracking

speed of 650 IPS, and tolerances of up to

50Gs of acceleration.

The real party trick, however, comes

in the form of a six-axis gyro and

accelerometer. You can now bind certain

commands to the tilt of the mouse. We

tried tying this into reloading in certain

games by flicking the mouse upwards

and, genuinely, it wasn’t that bad. It takes

time to train the muscle memory until it

becomes an instinctive motion, but it can

be useful if you’re short of keybinds in

ARMA 3 , or World of Warcraft.

Ultimately, the Corsair M 65 RGB

Ultra is a fantastic and welcome new

edition to the series. It provides a suite

of new and impressive hardware without

compromising on the mouse’s original

design. And for that reason alone, it has

to be commended. – ZAK STOREY

HOL 2021 MAXIMUMPC 89