Mionix have sent over their first non-cloth gaming mouse pad the Propus 380. It features a unique surface texture designed for optical and laser sensors.
Product on Review: Mionix Propus 380 Gaming Mouse Pad
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Mionix
Supplier: Meroncourt
Street Price: £18 inc. VAT (At time of review)
The most underrated component in any gaming configuration has to be the beloved mouse pad. Some would even claim its presence isn’t a necessity. But in essence, combining a gaming mouse with a decent gaming pad will be complimentary. It’s a fair point that if you were to spend between £30-70 on a gaming mouse to enhance your esports endeavours then you really ought to invest in a quality gaming surface to compliment the setup. Afterall its the sensor that will be doing all the hard work, it surely behoves the avid gamer to choose carefully.
The pad we are to look at today is from gaming masterminds Mionix. Being their first non-cloth gaming pad the Propus 380 combines a rubber underside with a topside of PVC plastic and a metallic surface for improved mouse response. The surface has a unique treatment that provides optimal tracking for better overall performance for both optical and lasers sensors thanks to the silver metallic coating.
Mionix’s Take:
Mionix Propus 380 is the physical answer to performance, design and innovation. The new developed surface is treated with a special silver-metallic plastic coating. According to test results, this special coating offers optimal tracking conditions and improves the overall performance of the mouse movements. A thin base made of PVC-plastic has been implemented to give the stability from a hard mousepad without compromising the flexibility from a soft mousepad. The backside is made of natural rubber to ensure a steady grip.
Technical Specifications
Material
– PVC-plastic base
S.Q.A.T value
– 9
Surface
– Ultra-fine texture
Dimensions
– 380mm x 260mm
Thickness
– 4mm
Back
– Rubber based backside for a steady grip
Compatibility
– LED-optical & laser
Closer Look
The Propus 380 being a hard surface mat cannot obviously be rolled up so unlike a cloth mat it does not come in a tube but rather a card board packet. As always, Mionix take care of the design and typography with plenty of style to catch your eye and keep you intrigued.
Mionix Propus 380 packaging
Extracting the pad from the packet reveals a very stylish, elegant looking surface. The shape is great and overall size satisfying.
An overview of the Propus 380
On closer inspection the surface has a gritty visual appearance that sparkles. Although this appears to look rough it is in fact very smooth. There is a tendency with hard surface pads to feel rough and coarse, but the Propus 380 is anything but that. We have a thin green accent that rests between the underside and the top surface – an added touch that looks really nice.
A close up of the surface
The Propus 380 is 4mm in thickness which is about the maximum thickness you ideally want on the desk. Any thicker and it can obstruct.
4mm thickness on the Propus 380
Finally, on the underside is rubber material that appears to be woven. This material covers the entire backside of the Propus 380 to ensure that the pad doesn’t slip away when given added pressure. Some pads have poor surface friction in this regard and the pad can move around, especially on glossy desk surfaces but the Propus 380 appears to have a good quality underside here. Over the page we will consider to what extent.
The underside of the Propus 380
Performance Testing
Giving the Mionix Propus 380 a thorough test with optical and laser mice will help us to establish good overall performance and identify any potential problems. Mouse pad tests are subjective in a many ways, but the opinion given by myself will be based on personal experience with the following variables included:
Testing Mice
• Logitech MX-518 (Optical)
• CM Storm Sentinel Advance (Laser)
Environments
• Gaming
• Graphic design
Using a laser mouse and an optical mouse should give a nice variation in tracking. The movements that are used in gaming compared to graphic design are poles apart, and so, this will also present good test feedback.
Gaming
Loading up some of the most popular FPS like Call of Duty Black Ops and Battlefield Bad Company 2 revealed that initial usage was noticeably good. Glide is exceptional, the smooth, hard surface provides great contact for both the optical and laser sensor. Both reacting well to the surface texture material. Tracking was also faultless.
The underside of the Propus 380 is kept firmly secure on the desk due to the rubberized material underneath, I even tried placing my hand firmly down on the pad and putting all my weight into moving it in any direction and it literally doesn’t have any play in it whatsoever. I’ve seen some of the best pads move ever so slightly but the Propus 380 even on a glossy surface does not move one iota.
Graphic design
Cutting out objects and the requirement for extreme care with brush strokes is important when you are wanting to create good work inside a graphics package, and even more so for myself as I am a perfectionist! The Propus 380 remains a strong candidate in this department too. Mouse movements are again accurate and movement is fluid and without any problems at all. can be relied upon in this department too, it yields some very accurate mouse movement. The integrated metal foil helps reflect the light on both the optical and laser sensor in both mice tested.
Conclusion
It’s hard to get excited about a mouse pad. To the ordinary punter you would be looked at very strangely but the enthusiast and more particularly the gamer should have some pride in their desk attire.
The Mionix Propus 380 does excite. It’s a gaming pad with some great styling and comfort. It works extremely well with both optical and laser sensor gaming mice. Tracking is flawless thanks to the unique surface texture that on face of things appears rough but is actually surprisingly smooth. The Propus 380 provides you with more than adequate glide on a large, extra wide surface area.
Priced at £18 Inc. VAT compared to the likes of Razer and other rivals the Mionix offering here represents good value for money.
If you are in the market for a gaming pad upgrade and like me, prefer a hard and flexible solution then the Propus 380 is a great route to go down. It won’t cost you as much as other gaming pads out there and will work flawlessly with optical and laser sensors. This is Mionix first attempt at a non-cloth pad and they have excelled themselves. I can highly recommend this gaming pad.
Pros
+ Unique surface
+ Wide tracking surface
+ Excellent glide & tracking
+ Compatible with optical & laser sensors
+ Looks great
+ Good value for money
Cons
– There are none
+ Unique surface
+ Wide tracking surface
+ Excellent glide & tracking
+ Compatible with optical & laser sensors
+ Looks great
+ Good value for money
Cons
– There are none
