When I built my own desktop PC for the first time a few years ago, I pulled out all the stops when it came to finding high-performance components and a sleek, minimalist case to house them in. I even treated myself a bit when it came to the monitor, going for a sharp display I had been eyeing for a long time. When it came time to secure a mouse for my computer, though, I didn’t have nearly that same energy.
I snagged a random $5 mouse from Best Buy and called it a day, satisfied with the basic functionality of it. It’s only now, after having spent time with a beefy high-performance mouse like the USB-wired Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite, that I realise how foolish I was. This mouse doesn’t just satisfy basic computing needs – it changes your gaming experience entirely.
Normally, I haven’t been one to go gaga for vivid, flashing LED-heavy computer tech. I’ve owned my fair share of LED headsets that I rushed to mute all of the lights on, as I simply didn’t see the need for it. The various illuminated sections of the otherwise matte black Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite, though, speak to me. Being fully customisable through Corsair’s iCUE software, they’re a fun way to add some personal expression to my desktop layout, but never obtrusive or distracting once I’m actually hard at work or diving into a game. Being able to assign different colors to each individual section of light on the mouse is an even nicer touch, letting me craft a slick palette of complementing colors with ease.
Pretty lights aren’t the main attraction of this mouse though. Even without fancy LEDs, the Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite has a weighty build that screams premium quality, and a sleek design that perfectly houses each of my fingers when I use it. I often found my ring finger awkwardly hanging off of or clinging to my old mouse, but the recessed rubberised grip at the right of the Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite gives that finger a comfortable zone to lay in without feeling cramped or uncomfortable.
On the left of the mouse, meanwhile, is the biggest unique feature of this mouse. Where your thumb normally rests is a deck of 12 small, numbered macro buttons that can be fully customised through the iCUE software. You can assign basic key-pressed like F5 or Caps Lock to these buttons, but you can also record custom macros in case you need to assign a key-combination like Ctrl-Alt-Z. This setup is a godsend for MMO enthusiasts who need easy ways to access intricate macros, but if you intend to use the full set of keys you might need to spend some time training your muscle memory.
The keys are pretty small and packed tight together, and I often found myself pressing the wrong key or even pressing keys entirely by accident as I went to grip the mouse.There are, of course, your standard mouse buttons as well and they’re equipped with Omron switches, rated for a supreme 50 million clicks. That’s a lot of clicking. Left and right-click perform their functions, alongside a quiet scroll-wheel with a gorgeous ring of light embedded in it.
Two extra buttons exist beneath the scroll-wheel, though. One button swaps between the five DPI presets of the mouse, while the other can be used to cycle through iCUE profiles in case you need different macro configurations for different games and apps. The profile swap is incredibly useful, but my DPI button doesn’t see much use. Once I found my preferred mouse sensitivity, I left it there and rarely ventured out of my comfort zone. You might as well use the profile-swap feature to access different DPI configurations if you’re one to swap around like that.
The bevy of sensitivity options are impressive, and the 18,000 DPI sensor offers a supreme level of accuracy, while you can crank the polling rate all the way up to 1000hz so it’s communicating with your PC at an unbelievable rate. The Scimitar RGB Elite has the chops to give you a serious edge for competitive gaming, particular macro-heavy MOBAs or MMOs.
