As you all probably already know, Razer is a name that automatically pops to mind when you think about high quality gaming peripherals. As far as we are concerned, it has almost become synonymous with top notch gaming peripherals, as we haven’t tried or seen a Razer product that doesn’t live up to its name and perform accordingly, at least not yet.
Thanks to the guys and girls at Razer, we have a chance to take a look at their Diamondback 3G mouse that has been around for a while now, but we decided to go for it anyway, mainly because of its low price. At the moment it can be found for as low as $49.99 directly from Razer’s shop or as low as €30,37, if you consider buying it in Europe at some local retailer.
Unlike the first version of the Diamondback, the new 3G version refers to the third generation of infrared sensor, the same one that Razer used in its DeathAdder mice. Other noted differences are the lack of transparent shell which is now matte black and kind of rubberized for a better grip. Other things are basically the same as apparently Razer decided that when something is good, you don’t need to change it that much.
Turning back to technical details, the Razer Diamondback 3G comes with 1800 DPI Razer Precision 3G infrared sensor, has seven independently programmable buttons, On-The-Fly sensitivity adjustment, Always-On mode, 16-bit ultra-wide data path, Zero-acoustic Teflon feet, gold-plated USB connector and seven-foot cable.
As you can see, the mouse is rather large. It measures 128 x 70 x 42.5mm (LxWxH), but due to its sleek, ergonomic design you get a feeling that the mouse is much more compact. The mouse ships in a neat little box that shows all of its features and you can take a good look at the mouse itself without actually opening the box. The Razer Diamondback 3G is available in three different colors, Earth Green, Frost Blue, and the one that we are playing with today, the Flame Red.
The bundle includes a certificate of authenticity, quick start guide and a master guide that has a software installation CD.
The mouse really “shines” once you plug it in, literally. While the glow is quite noticeable it isn’t annoying, even in a completely dark room. The surprise was the Razer logo located on the shell, as we certainly expected it to light up, but on the other hand it would perhaps be too tacky and ruin the overall design and look of this mouse.
The mouse is ambidextrous, so it can be used by left-handed as well as right-handed users and it features identical side buttons on both sides. We had some doubts due to the fact that we had some bad experience with ambidextrous mice, as they are usually quite uncomfortable due to their symmetric shape, but once again Razer did a great job and the mouse feels very comfortable for both left-handed and right-handed user. Of course, this depends solely on ones hand, as this is purely a subjective thing.
The side buttons are transparent, and integrated into a transparent side stripe, so unless you take a good look at it you actually can’t see those buttons, which is another nice touch if you ask us.
As we mentioned before, the one of the differences when compared to the first Diamondback is the shell design which isn’t transparent this time.
The bottom of the mouse is dominated by the 1800 DPI 3G infrared sensor and three teflon feet. The overall design of the mouse is quite clean and simplistic, which is yet another thing that we like about this mouse.
The software installation is as easy as it can be. Just a few clicks on the "next" button and you are up and running. The software places a small icon on the taskbar for quick access to the button configuration panel, and various sensitivity settings. Razer's Diamondback 3G software is pretty much simple and self explanatory.
The first tab gives you basic sensitivity options, double-click speed settings, and On-the-Fly on/off option. The “advanced” tab was a bit disappointing as you can only select 800 or the 1800DPI setting. In the advanced tab you can also set master sensitivity control for both x and y axis, master acceleration control as well as the master windows control.
The scroll-wheel tab gives you basic scrolling sensitivity settings, while the last buttons tab lets you choose which the right or left hand orientation and button assignments.
We used the Razer Diamondback 3G for some casual gaming and normal office work and we were quite surprised how fast we got used to it. It works flawlessly on almost any surface that we tried it on, and you can really feel it glide if you pair it up with Razer’s Destructor mousepad. You can shoot your way trough your favorite FPS, use it for some long hour RTS sessions or just use it for some normal office work and browsing, or in short, Razer’s Diamondback 3G can take it all, it's truly a jack of all trades, and best of all, it doesn't cost a fortune.
Conclusion
Razer has done a great job with the Diamondback 3G, it has a better sensor than its predecessor, it has a great looks and it’s quite comfortable. We usually don’t like ambidextrous mice, but Razer certainly surprised us, as it is basically the only ambidextrous mouse that we felt really comfortable with.
Both right-handed and left-handed users can use it without any limitations, and there's no reason to shy away from it in case you're skeptical as far as ambidextrous mice go. Obviously, this makes it an ideal candidate for multi-user environments, in which both left handed and right handed users will use the same PC. So, it's not just a great choice for gaming, but for some small businesses, offices, design studios etc.
Considering its rather low price, the quality is remarkable and it feels very sturdy, which isn’t a surprise as Razer is well known for its robust peripherals. True, it is quite old now, but this also means that you can now get it at a remarkably low price. It can be found for US $49.99 directly from Razer, or as low as €30,37 if you look for it in European e-tail/retail.
Overall, Razer’s Diamondback 3G is a great gaming mouse and at this price we can recommend it without any doubt. If you think that 1800DPI is too low for you, you can always go for the more expensive 4000DPI Lachesis.