Customer Reviews

CM Storm Sentinel Advance 5600 DPI Twin Laser Engine Pro Gaming Mouse ( SGM-6000-KLLW1-GP )

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was pretty skeptical when first buying this as it was a company's first attempt at a mouse (mind you that Cooler Master generally focuses on cases and PSUs), but I was blown away by how good this mouse is. I've used a couple mouses in the past (from some lame wireless Microsoft mouses to a Logitech G5). I must saw that this is superior in almost every way to those mice. First off, I must say that the price for this mouse ($50) is generally the pricepoint for a good mouse. The G5 is around the same price (if you want a new one). So the price isn't a killer (which makes me very happy, because buying games makes me broke). Next, the shape: The shape is VERY similar to a G5, which I loved. The extra addon of weights is a perk over the G5. Also, the OLED screen is a major plus along with lasers that go up to 5600. I think it actually spoils me. I feel weird using a mouse without a screen now.

Although this mouse is great in many ways, it is not for everyone. I would only recommend this mouse to those with large hands (like me) and prefer the palm grip. This mouse is the most ergonomic I've had, but this opinion only applies to large-handed people. The claw grip also works but I find that it is difficult without removing all of the weights. This mouse is still a tad bit heavy if you prefer to claw your mouse. This mouse also should only be bought by gamers. Everyone else in my house finds it annoying because of the high level of sensitivity that it has. This is solved through setting up various sensitivities though. You should also be decently strong if you want to use this (no I'm serious!) The amount of force required to push the scroll down (middle click) is a pretty high amount (which may be good or bad for you). The positions of the extra buttons (which can the customized greatly from button pushes to scripts to macros). This mouse is also super sensitive. The review about the guy saying that he could move his cursor by blowing on his mouse is not exaggerating much. Just by typing on a keyboard that is on the same desk as a mouse will move it. You must be a semi-experienced gamer to appreciate this level of sensitivity.

As a gaming mouse, the CM Storm Sentinel Advance got it right in so many ways.
-5 profiles (each with a different set of controls for each button)
-Ability to change your profiles within seconds at any time (you can alter your dpi almost instantly without having to quit a game to change the settings)
-A OLED screen to help you pick your perfect dpi
-Customization of Lights is cool too (but i would still buy it without this)
-Super low to Super high dpi range
-Ergonomic grip (you also have a good grip for all those with sweaty hands)
-Good positioning of Customizable buttons
-Perfect Texture (Smooth yet grippy)

Some cons that may apply to you:
-only for gamers (or difficult to adjust to for nongamers)
-generally better for the larger handded people
-generally but not limited to palm gripping
-sensitive to the extreme
-large/decently heavy even without weights
-requires strength to middle click (doesn't really matter unless you play a game where you middle click frequently and you game for hours on end)

Let me start by saying I'm an avid pc gamer, and have been for many years (back since the original doom took the world by storm, lol). I've used many gaming mice over the years and am happy to say I've replaced even my most favorite one (until now) with Cooler Master's Sentinel! The mouse I replaced was a Logitech G5, which I had used for well over a year with pleasure. . . but it's really no match for the performance and features of the Cooler Master Sentinel.

I will tell you what I currently play on the pc to give you an idea of the performance you are getting within these titles. I know when I was reading tons of reviews for this mouse I wanted to know these things and could not find them.

Curently I'm using the Sentinel for:

Battlefield Bad Company 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Mass Effect 2
Borderlands
Counterstrike 1.6 & Source
Dragon Age
Left for Dead 2

Performance when gaming:

Playing each title while using the Sentinel provided me with a bit of a surprise. I had no mouse jitter and extreme precision throughout all the titles. The on the fly DPI switching was smooth and accurate, with a distinct noticeable gain throughout the dpi increase. I have heard this mouse is a little bit touchy with the mousepad you use, but I used an old school supermat and found it to work amazingly well and also pulled out my steelpad which worked flawlessly too. So both a cloth and smooth/hard surface performed very well for me.

Another great feature was after you install the mouse and load the software you can program 5 profiles onto the mouse and use them in different games. So for instance when playing modern warfare 2 I may want to enable rapid fire to give me a bit of an advantage when using burst or single fire weapons. . with the software CM generously provided, YOU CAN PROGRAM ANY BUTTON TO RAPID FIRE! That alone is worth it's weight in gold to some gamers. . . I myself am not much into that feature, but more than pleased that they included the option.

Fit & Finish:

I will say the mouse is on the bulky side, but to me this is one of the biggest pros! I have large hands and long fingers and this seems to fit me like a glove. But it's not overly large and I wouldn't see a problem with it fitting small/average hands either as the ergonomic curve is well designed. The grip was very good and I felt comfortable using higher DPI settings, knowing it would respond quickly and not fly out of my hands. . . which is an extreme advantage over some of the smaller gaming mice made with poor grip texture from such known brands as Razer and Logitech (altho they have large ones too, some are petite).

There is also a built-in display panel which shows your DPI setting as well as a customizable logo which you can design your own and upload onto the mouse, making it one of the first gaming mice I've ever owned to have this feature and really make you feel like you can "make it your own". VERY COOL! Then obviously there are colored LED lights which you can change color and effect of. For me this was a neat feature, as my gaming rig is blue LED based so it really complimented my setup nicely.

Other than that I will mention that the cord is a robed mesh material, versus the industry standard rubber which tends to not coil up as much and is a very nice touch for such a reasonably priced mouse.

Conclusion:

I couldn't really find anything I didn't like about the CM Storm Sentinel Advance gaming mouse. It has the features I would expect from a 100+ dollar mouse at a fraction of the cost. I honestly just ordered a 2nd one off amazon so I can have a backup if I ever wear this out. I think CM is just going to continue making gaming mice after such a successful product and I can only see their gaming line increasing in value and price as they make a name for themselves in this market. If you do most of your gaming on the PC and are looking for a competive edge at an incredibly amazing price .. . don't pass this bargain up! It's the best mouse I've ever owned and am proud to say I'm a converted brand gamer! COOLER MASTER FOR LIFE!

Right, so, the product itself has numerous features that are all well and good if you like bells and whistles, but it's important to remember that the more features you pile onto a product, the more parts there are that can break and will need to be fixed. One of the primary problems I have with the mouse is the tracking. On Windows startup, often the mouse fails to begin tracking at all, even though the left and right mouse buttons work, and I require several restarts before I can get the cursor onscreen to move. Another problem is that when it DOES track, it often skips and stutters, and when I need to lift the mouse when I run out of room on my mousepad, the "Twin Laser" sensor goes into some kind of snooze mode until I shake the mouse for a while.

Now for the fun bit, Customer Support. When I first addressed these issues at the CM Storm support forums, I was sent a Private Message from an Admin asking for my personal information, because CM had some sort of new mousepad in development and they wanted to show it off to me (I couldn't tell if the admin was trying to push a product on me, or was offering a free mousepad, because said admin spoke in broken English). I kindly replied that I wasn't interested in a new pad because I'd already spent $20 on a SteelSeries 4HD Gaming Surface (read: a really fancy pad), and that should have sufficed. The admin replied that what I "needed" was a brightly colored pad, on which the mouse's sensors would pick up movement easier. At this point I opened a new topic pointing out that on Amazon's page for the product, it advertises "Dynamic Surface Adaptation -- Tracks on all surfaces, ensures minimal lift-off distance", said that if a "brightly colored" mousepad was a system requirement, it should have been listed. I also quoted from another webpage describing how laser mice in general were, by design, able to track on ANY surface WITHOUT a pad. This topic was promptly deleted, and I was sent another PM from the same admin asking again for my personal info, and that there was a "new mousepad in development that would make me the happy user". Rather than create another support thread again, I posted within someone else's thread, as this person had described the problem in a similar manner. I stated that what I had to say was valid, I wasn't "trolling" against the company, and that rather than trying to push a new product on me, they should be focusing on the software error that was causing the tracking problems. Lo and behold, the next day I logged in to find "You have been banned. No reason has been specified. Date this ban will be lifted: Never."

If pointing out product flaws and advertising discrepancies is enough to bring down the corporate hammer, then I dread to think what happens to those who actually demand a refund. That said, it probably won't deter me from doing so. I recommend a Logitech product instead.

I just purchased this mouse after having used a Razer Lachesis for the past 2-3 years. I was excited to try it out, and really wanted to like it, but I was unfortunately disappointed in it.

I'm not going to recap on all its features, as those are mostly obvious from reading the product info or many other reviews... What I will do is share my experience with it.

From a construction stand-point, it's a very nice mouse. It feels very solid and looks very nice. The soft rubberized touch, which is common these days, feels nice. However, they did not use it on the main mouse buttons, which can make them a little slippery; and they really don't have much in the way of a texture either. Mouse glides nicely on my Razer eXactMat. Only gripe here is that the DPI adjustment buttons feel cheap and are not solid in place like all the other buttons. I do also wish the USB cable was longer. I routed it the same way as my Lachesis and it does not quite work out well. Another 8" to a foot would be great. Oh, and the cable is rather stiff; although that might soften up with use... EDIT: After only a few days of use, the right mouse button has loosened up and the plastic no longer is solid, now it has some wiggle and noise like the DPI buttons... After a few more days, I can feel the main left click button also loosening, soon it will make noise like the others.

Function: During normal usage, it has very good tracking. It's lift-off distance is nice as well. However, it does have a Z-axis issue like many do. If you pick up the mouse a bit, the pointer tends to make its way towards the bottom left of the screen. (the Razer Lachesis also did this, but towards the bottom right). The main mouse buttons have a little too stiff of a click for me and while the wheel works well, to me does not have enough resistance.

Comfort & Design: Here is where I have issues with this mouse most. While its design is heavily ergonomic... I just do not feel comfortable on it at all. I know this mouse was probably not designed for 'Fingertip Grip' users, but it also does not say its exclusively for 'Palm grippers'. I also use 'Claw grip' from time to time and I could not comfortably use this grip at all on this; my hand sort of just slides right off the back-end... The mouse is rather long and I find it actually gets in the way. --The thumb rest feels odd to say the least; almost like you should have your hand sort of twisted for it sit comfortably. There is a harder edge in the thumb rest near the back end that just rubs me the wrong way, literally. Normal resting position does not feel right on the thumb rest. Location of the back and forward buttons, while being in a common spot did not jive with me cause of needing to move the thumb up a reasonable amount to hit them... It definitely does not make it easy to access them quickly while gaming. ---Due to my grip style, fingertip, I often pick up the mouse and move it a smidgen. Problem here is, there is almost no grip on the right side of the mouse at all. My ring-finger and pinky have nothing to grip onto. The mouse does not feel secure in my hand if I go to pick it up; in-fact a few times, it has slipped out.

Software: The drivers installed easily and seem to be easy enough to get working. The main control panel is a little cluttered and some text is very tiny; but it's all very functional. I'd say they did a pretty decent job on this. However, I don't know how they are doing with support as I do not see any recent driver updates or any firmware available. Which is not a problem as long as there is no issues with performance; which I can say has been fine.

Bottom line: A high quality mouse that seemingly works best with palm grip, but I'm unsure of what shape of hands it was designed for... Ergonomics seemed confused, especially by the contour of the thumb-rest.

Looks as if I'm still on the quest of my ideal mouse. I might have to invest in the newer version of the Razer Lachesis as that is the best mouse I've used to date, with my prior favorites being the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer series. Might give the customizable R.A.T. 7 a try, but it is rather pricey... May also try the Logitech G9x, though doubt I will like the position of the back and forward buttons on that either. ...May have to stick with Razer to keep the direct in thumb contact back/forward buttons and the 'on-the-fly' on screen display sensitivity adjustment (which I use a heck of a lot more than profiles and is a great addition to the normal DPI adjustment).

EDIT 3/18/11: Despite the buttons loosening and bothering me, I tried and tried to like this mouse. Removing all of the weights helps the feel a little bit for me, but it's still too long of a mouse and the weight is not well balanced... All the weight feels like it's in the rear, even without the weights installed. I've been gaming with it and I definitely feel as if this mouse inhibits my performance from my old mouse the Razer Lachesis... When I go to use the back/forward buttons (Which have the best feeling click on the mouse), I feel like I lose control over the mouse due to the grip of the mouse. The front of the mouse is much narrower than the middle/rear and it creates a very strange way to grip... When you go to press a back or forward button with your thumb while gaming, it feels as if you lose all of your grip on the left side of the mouse since the buttons are located so close to the top.

I have since decided to purchase the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 mouse and give that a shot. So far, I'm liking the R.A.T. a whole lot better than this Sentinel. It's got a much more solid feel in the build, I like the click of all the buttons better, and it's surprisingly comfortable... I will be doing a review of this mouse soon too after I get more testing in...

after less than a year the matte finish is peeling off and the metal grate on the top is rusting. still functional but ugly as sin.

Build
The build is VERY good here. Nothing feels cheap or plastic, and the rubberized sides are as good as the MX518. (). There is nothing to complain of the scroll wheel feels good, and has good grip. The buttons on the mouse face have to be pushed down a good way to work, which is great because it is impossible to accidentally hit the top buttons. My ONLY beef with this mouse is the scroll wheel to click it, it is quite hard. I mean I honestly can deal with it, but I can see why it was mentioned in some reviews. You have to apply quite a bit of pressure for it to go in. So if you are use to the easy click in scroll wheel like a Logitech mouse, it may take a while to get use to this.


Design
The Design is awesome. That is really all that needs to be said, 8 colors customizable, OLED DPI and Logo Indicator, great ergonomic s, etc. The lights up front are really nice, but when you use the mouse you hardly notice it anyway. The bottom is also very nice and well designed with a matte black looks and a flat bottom. The palm area is also very nice I could use this mouse for hours with no problems at all. One thing that I really like about the mouse, and that I think is neat is the mouse has a rope style USB cable. It is VERY nice and built well it makes you realize how cheap a rubberized USB cable is, in comparison to this rope look and feel. The cable is also like 5 ft long which is pretty sweet.


Features
Hm, let's start off with 5600 DPI which is INSANELY fast. I tried to use it in game but it is so sensitive the only way I can see it being usable is for that sniper who needs really quick AIM. 1100 DPI is what I keep it on, that is dead stock as well. There is no lower DPI setting, but to be honest it is perfectly fine, it's not too fast and it's not too slow. The 3 speeds are 1100, 2600, 3800, and 5600. 2600 is not so bad, I was able to deal with it pretty well while gaming. It's good for games where you need to turn around fast (FPS). I also never even mentioned the weights yet it is very easy to put in and out, when I opened the box, the weights are already inside of the mouse. You get 5 4.5G weights, which I kept all of them in because I like the feel of a heavy mouse. It also makes the front nicer to move with all the weights in the back.


Conclusion
In conclusion this mouse it totally worth it, you get most of the Mamba's features (Except wireless) for half the cost. I think that speaks in loud words, not to mention the build quality and design is no slouch either.





Positives
+ Great Build
+ Price is excellent
+ Rope Style and long USB cable is certainly cool
+ Customizable OLED screen with DPI settings and Logo
+ Design that can certainly turn heads
+ Great Software





Negatives
+ Scroll Wheel is sort of hard to push in

I'm THE gaming mouse guy people talk to before buying theirs and I'm saying this mouse owns. First requirement for a gaming mouse is comfort, as in how does it feels to hold and is it easy to move around in game, and this mouse is off the chart for comfort. Smooth and curvy in an ergonomic way, weight system let you customize the heaviness, it fits your palm so well that it's actually hard to grip and pick up in intense games. Then the cliches, the lights are really cool, full spectrum of the rainbow, you can enable all colors and have WHITE, top light is bright. Software support is pretty crazy, they have so much functions even an intense gamer like me was intimidated.The only con is the laser sensor itself is really picky with the mouse pad. For sure it won't work with HP VoodooDNA Surface and CM Storm HS-M Battle Pad SSK, waste of $40 for me. Surprisingly it works with my old FlexyGlow xRaider. -__-

I'm going to address the issues people brought up first.

The middle click wasn't meant to be pressed directly down, you are supposed to slide into it with your pointer, it presses VERY easily this way, like it was designed to.

The loudness of the clicking, :/ can't be helped, although the longer you use it the more it goes away.

The tracking, make sure your using back panel USB 2.0 ports, it has GOLD contacts, using them in the front panel even on nicer chassis can ruin tracking, also an easy fix, insure your surface is clean, no salt residue, it will pick up salt crystals easily and make sure the actual lens is clean, only clean it with high quality rubbing alcohol.

No you can not find drivers for it on the Coolermaster website, but Coolermaster has another website dedicated to products with the CM Storm logo where you can very easily find the software. (search for CM Storm)

There should be NO conflicts with OS's, the drivers and processing are handled on-board, I can seamlessly switch between 32-bit and 64bit and then even switch between Mac and Linux.(so if your thinking that must be it look somewhere else :/, you don't have to install it it just runs where and whenever you plug it in, check your mouse settings in OS)

Finally, it IS designed more for a palm grip, if your going to use claw you have to take out all the weights and then use your thumb a little more to keep the back-end in place.

Now for my review, the mouse was designed by coolermaster with help professional gamers for professional gamers, and it fits the bill nicely. The grip is nice and what every other company should aspire to design, the reliability and sensitivity ARE perfect to a fault. Loud noises, slight bass, even talking near it WHEN it's on its highest dpi will move it. Turn the dpi down to something more manageable when your just using your desktop.

It's shining feature has to be the easily managed profiles and fast-switching of dpi's, perfect for people who play more than one type of game, I can switch from Starcraft, Starcraft 2 to counterstrike and battlefield, to java based games like Runescape or other mmo's like Mabinogi or Vindictus and always have a dpi that works best.

Lots of programmable buttons. Able to change the colors. Can even save different button/settings into multiple profiles. So far I've made profiles for web browsing, video editing and photo editing. Comfortable grip makes it nice for everyday use. Amazon was the cheapest place I found this product.

If you want to see a list of all the great things about this mouse you can read David Tran's review of this product. I'm just here to say it is ultra comfortable and if you game a lot the programmable options are great for switching between genres of games and getting the exact type of control you need for each. I rated the mouse 4 stars because the rubber coating peels off after normal use. It's purely cosmetic but it makes an otherwise very nice looking piece of hardware look lacklustre and dingy.

All in all this mouse comes highly recommended.