Cooler Master’s CM Storm division today announce a new optical gaming mouse called the Spawn. We take a look!

Product on Review: CM Storm Spawn
Manufacturer and Sponsor: CM Storm (Cooler Master)
MSRP: £30 / €40 / $46

Just a week into 2011 and we have a brand new release from CM Storm. Last year we were graced with the Inferno gaming mouse and during fall 2009 the Sentinel gaming mouse both of these gaming grade mice impressed us here at Vortez and scooped up our coveted awards. But this time we have a new kid on the block, namely the CM Storm Spawn. Designed specifically for gaming professionals that prefer the claw grip, the Spawn, on paper is an interesting peripheral. The Spawn comes loaded with a 3500 DPI optical sensor that also includes on-the-fly DPI adjustment, manageable buttons, macro assignment and Japanese Omron micro-switches to further prolong life-span – all in an eye-catching red anodized finish that will certainly draw in eyes.

Although CM Storm haven’t launched a great deal of products since establishment, we are always excited when they do bring something new to the table. So, the Spawn looks to be a very promising rodent with plenty to talk about. So lets waste no more time, and get straight into the review.

CM Storm’s Take:

The Spawn gaming mouse is lightweight, ergonomically designed and forged with a reassuringly solid design. It is built for professional FPS gamers that prefer the claw grip.

Specifications

Sensor
– 3500 DPI Optical Sensor
Max. Speed
– 60 IPS (inches per second)
Max. Acceleration
– 20G
Image Processing
– 6400FPS (Frames per second)
Image Processing
– 5.8 Megapixels / second
Mouse Settings Storage
– Sentinel-X TM 32KB
Polling Rate
– 1000 Hz USB Transfer Rate
Button Management
– 7 programmable buttons
Cable Length
– 2 Metres
Gold Plated USB

Packaging & Bundle

CM Storm products are always presented in a professional manner and the Spawn follows on this trend. The product is brought to us in a bright, creative box that leaves little to be desired. The front indicates to us that the Spawn utilises a 3500 DPI optical sensor with 32KB onboard Senintel-X memory. The Spawn differs ergonomically from previous gaming mice from CM Storm by adopting a claw-style design. Over the proceeding pages we will take a look at its design in more depth.

CM Storm Spawn packaging is very attractive and catches the eye

The box actually opens out to reveal further details on the inside panel. Each of the features on the Spawn gaming mouse is highlighted and given an explanation. We also get a sneak preview of the Spawn, showcased behind a clear plastic cover.

Further details and a sneak preview of the Spawn

Inside the package, the bundle is rather thin. We have the mouse itself and a Quick Start Guide. Incidentally, the software that will come accompanied within this bundle was not included with the particular sample we received due to the software being still under development when our sample was sent across. As this is a pre-release review this is understandable. Alternatively we have been given a download link to the software. Those who will be purchasing this mouse should have no concerns about lack of software – a software CD will be included within the retail package.

CM Storm Spawn bundle

Closer Look

As we have previously mentioned the Spawn is designed for a claw type grip. Contrasted to the customary grip that has the fingers closer together. This design makes the Spawn much shorter in height and significantly wider in comparison to most of the gaming mice on the market to date.

The CM Storm Spawn has a distinguishing appearance. It has little resemblance to anything else we have seen before, making it stand out from the crowd with its unique red anodized exterior. Personally I really like the typography that CM Storm have chosen to use on the Spawn mouse, it looks great.

Attractive, bold and unique exterior makes the Spawn stand out

Taking a look at the sides of the Spawn we can see that both sides feature an anti-slip grip that is rubberized to really engage with the hand. On the left side of the Spawn we have the customary forwards and backwards navigation buttons.

The right side with anti-slip rubber

The Spawn is low profile

As you can probably tell, the Spawn is exclusively designed for right-handed gamers. Looking at the mouse ‘down the barrel’ so to speak, we can really see how wide the mouse expands to. It’s right side extends out to allow the ‘ring-finger’ to rest. A little later we will see how this variation in design affects usage.

The front of the Spawn – bring on the claw

On the top side of the CM Storm Spawn we have the left and right mouse click buttons which have a smooth high-gloss border. These small details may to some seem insignificant but they add up and show that CM Storm, whilst bringing the bigger features with the Spawn are also carefully observing the smaller details too. We have a scroll wheel the centre (which has a nice rubber feel to it and moves well) plus 2 additional buttons for DPI adjustment. 3 different options can be selected with the choice of 800, 1800 and 3500. Our buttons on the Spawn are protected with Omron Micro Switches which allow for a minimum guarantee of 5 million clicks meaning the Spawn will endure plenty of usage. The avid gamer need not worry about the Spawn’s life-span.

DPI on the fly

Finally on the underside of the Spawn there are 2 large Teflon traction pads, serial, model numbers and of course the optical sensor which features anti-drift control which ensures extreme stability. Essentially the optical engine provides lossless performance during lifts and drops.

The underside of the Spawn

Comparison – popular gaming mice

As with previous mouse reviews, its useful to compare the size, stature, and shape of the product under observation against a range of commonly used gaming mice. So below the CM Storm stands next to a series of popular gaming mice. These are as follows (from left to right)

+ CM Storm Spawn
+ ROCCAT Kone[+]
+ Logitech G9x
+ Logitech MX518
+ CM Storm Sentinel

As you can see from the selection of mice, the CM Storm Spawn is the shortest and widest of the bunch. It’s shape is unique. It also stands out due to its colour, which can’t be a bad thing!

Software

Under the hood the CM Storm Spawn has the Sentinel-X microprocessor with 32KB of memory allowing you to store settings, make assignments and apply advanced macros. In order to utilise this CM Storm have developed the ‘Spawn’ Software

To get the most out of your mouse you will need to install this software, which takes less than a minute. On the first page of the interface is the “Main Control” window. This allows you to assign certain commands from the drop-down list to 7 available buttons. On the far right we have the option of changing double click speed, scroll speed, pointer acceleration and angle-snapping. There is also a designated area for testing out the double-click speed which is handy.

On the next screen we have the ability to assign a number of macros to the Spawn. The various buttons on this page are self-explanatory. Click the new macro button, give it a name and then begin recording!

Then we have the “Custom” screen which allows us to further modifiy settings such as the DPI for each of the 3 available steps. These steps are of course accessed via the DPI up and down buttons behind the scrolling wheel. Available we have 3 options within the 3 steps – 800 DPI, 1800 DPI and 3500 DPI. Below this we can modify the pointer speed and then finally the polling rate.

For those who aren’t aware what the polling rate does. This option determines how often the mouse transfers information to the system. The settings here are measured in Hz. Hz can also be measured by ms (milliseconds) so the following Hz values equate to the corresponding delay time in ms –

1000 HZ = 1ms
500 Hz = 2ms
250 Hz = 4ms
125 Hz = 8ms
100 Hz = 10ms

So you probably want to have this at the highest setting to get the best response time. This will have an adverse affect on resources though.

Performance

Visual opinions to the side, we now have to consider the performance aspect of the CM Storm Spawn. In some ways, establishing if a peripheral is a good performer is quite a hard thing to conclude. After all we all have our own personal preferences; different shaped or sized hands and tastes. Nevertheless I will express my views on the mouse as best I can. So the real question is: How does the Spawn perform in game? As after all, it is a gaming grade mouse. In order to ascertain the performance of the Spawn it is necessary to put the mouse to good use for over a day within a selection of environments.

Gaming

Call of Duty Black Ops
Battlefield Bad Company 2

In both the games above the CM Storm Spawn is exceptionally precise and accurate. Being such a different shape and size, sometimes it is difficult to adjust from the mouse you use on a daily basis. The mouse I normally use doesn’t have a claw-type shape – yet still I had no problems with the transition. The Spawn is very comfortable to use and I didn’t think I would say this but the claw grip is actually great for gaming and FPS. The ‘ring-finger’ rests contentedly, buttons are all in assuming positions. Bear in mind that with the shape and size of this mouse that your palm will naturally sit on the pad slightly. The DPI buttons are easy to press, the only thing that perhaps could be improved is the fact that you can sometimes be unsure as to what DPI setting you are actually on. There is no indicator.

The optical sensor performs excellent on both hardened plastic surfaces and the soft cloth type – I tested both. I experienced no problems whatsoever during the testing period, movements are fluid, natural and accurate.

The claw is out! Showing the size of the Spawn

General usage – Operating System & Image Editing

The operating system is the fundamental element to the computer and we couldn’t do without it. We use its interface on a daily basis. Although the Spawn is primarily a gaming device, its interaction within the OS is pleasing. As I mentioned previously, button placement is ideal and causes no concerns. I actually edited the images on this review to test this area of the Spawn out, having to be accurate with pixel tweaking – you really need a device that is up to the job. There is no room for inaccuracy with a peripheral when you are editing images. The Spawn is precise once again. I can’t really speak more highly of this aspect of it.

Conclusion

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing quite a considerable amount of gaming peripherals, more specifically – gaming mice. It’s nice to be starting off a new year with yet another gaming peripheral. Both previous counterparts from the CM Storm, the Sentinel and Inferno caught our eye over the last 18 months and impressed, and the Spawn in similar fashion is a prolific release by CM Storm.

With its discerning, vibrant red exterior the Spawn focuses on an alternate grip than the traditional gaming mouse would have. The Spawn is lower profile, features a wide claw type grip and is specially designed for FPS gamers.
Under the hood we have a 3500 DPI Optical Sensor that features the anti-drift system – ensuring all movements are fluid, accurate and you experience lossless performance. I can confirm that in all the experience I had with the Spawn it was a pleasure to use. The onboard Sentinel-X 32KB memory allows you to store settings, manage up to 7 buttons and apply macros as and when you please.

Concerning comfort and durability the Spawn has all of these elements covered, firstly we have a combination of different materials used – anti-slip rubberized grip on both sides of the mouse so that you don’t have any embarrassing encounters in-game. Secondly, the durability is covered by way of the Omron micro switches that CM Storm guarantee will deliver a minimum of 5 million clicks. Avid gamers should have no qualms about life-span that’s for sure.

With an MSRP of around £30 / €40 / $46 the CM Storm Spawn is certain to dominate the mid-range market for gaming mice. The Spawn is a fresh approach, it looks unique and ticks all the boxes that assert it as a dominating product. Congratulations to CM Storm for bringing another innovative and diverse product to the table.

Pros
+ Unique, attractive looks
+ Alternate grip design
+ Powerful optical sensor
+ Customisable – (7 buttons + Macros)
+ Durable

Cons
– Lack of DPI indicator
– No braided cable