COUGAR 700M is an adjustable laser gaming mouse which is dedicated to professional gamers who want flexibility and features the 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 processor.
Product on Review: 700M Laser Gaming Mouse
Manufacturer: Cougar
Street Price: £70 GBP / $85 USD
It’s been a while since we reviewed any COUGAR products at Vortez and yet over the last 12 months they have been steadily pushing the boundaries in a number of new markets for this seven year old company. Stepping into gaming peripherals appears to be a familiar venture for technology brands wanting to broaden their portfolios and COUGAR aren’t holding back in this arena.
Today we will be taking a look at COUGAR’s 700M – a professional laser gaming mouse with more customisation than you can throw a hat at. This flexible gaming mouse allows the user to customise button assignment, the weight system, palm grip and grip height to expand favourability and after an initial look we’re filled with anticipation, so without further delay let’s take a look at this exciting new peripheral.
COUGAR on their 700M
COUGAR 700M is an adjustable gaming mouse which is dedicated to professional gamers.
With the design strategy, “Framing Structure”, the parts and components are built on a simply folded aluminium chassis; which provides better product strength.
The arched frame supports the palm ergonomically, and it’s an adjustable and interchangeable palm rest module. The standard palm rest module can be replaced with a “Sport Mode” version provided.
The sniper button is designed with a 45 degree angle activation, to provide a quick access, better stability and more precise aiming during game play.
With the design strategy, “Framing Structure”, the parts and components are built on a simply folded aluminium chassis; which provides better product strength.
The arched frame supports the palm ergonomically, and it’s an adjustable and interchangeable palm rest module. The standard palm rest module can be replaced with a “Sport Mode” version provided.
The sniper button is designed with a 45 degree angle activation, to provide a quick access, better stability and more precise aiming during game play.
Technical Specifications
Sensor
ADNS-9800 Laser gaming sensor
Resolution
8200 DPI
Processor
32-bit ARM Cortex-M0
Game type
FPS / MMORPG / MOBA / RTS
Polling rate
1000Hz / 1ms
On-board memory
512KB
Material
Aluminum / Plastic
Software
COUGAR UIX™ SYSTEM
Programmable buttons
8
Switching
OMRON gaming switch
Profile LED backlight
16.8 million colors
Frame rate
12000 FPS
Maximum tracking speed
150 IPS
Maximum acceleration
30G
Interface
Golden-plated USB plug
Cable length
1.8m Braided
Dimension
127(L) x 83(W) x 38(H) mm
Weight adjusting
4pcs x 4.5g
Weight
130g
ADNS-9800 Laser gaming sensor
Resolution
8200 DPI
Processor
32-bit ARM Cortex-M0
Game type
FPS / MMORPG / MOBA / RTS
Polling rate
1000Hz / 1ms
On-board memory
512KB
Material
Aluminum / Plastic
Software
COUGAR UIX™ SYSTEM
Programmable buttons
8
Switching
OMRON gaming switch
Profile LED backlight
16.8 million colors
Frame rate
12000 FPS
Maximum tracking speed
150 IPS
Maximum acceleration
30G
Interface
Golden-plated USB plug
Cable length
1.8m Braided
Dimension
127(L) x 83(W) x 38(H) mm
Weight adjusting
4pcs x 4.5g
Weight
130g
Packaging & Bundle
Clean, tidy packaging
COUGAR has given 700M special packaging which stands out from the usual treatment peripherals get. This box provides an excellent view of the mouse inside, showing it off from a number of different angles. The reverse and sides of this box highlights some of the key features which 700M brings and all of the information is presented in a professional manner.
Some additional items within the bundle
Inside, there are an assortment of items which make up the bundle. These items consist of the following:
• User manual
• COUGAR stickers/transfers
• 4x 4.5g weights
• Interchangeable palm rest
The inclusion of the four weights allows the user to modify 700M to a specific weight preference and the optional palm rest can be swapped with the (larger) default rest. Both of these items provide flexibility which means you aren’t locked down to a specific weight or configuration.
Closer Look
Aggressive styling which gamers are sure to love
Rubberised lower grip
Consumers are right in pointing out that 700M has similar characteristics and a resemblance to the Mad Catz R.A.T series but designing a customisable mouse specifically for the gamer leaves few options available for the external design of such a peripheral. And we actually feel that COUGAR has planned 700M to have its own distinct attributes, allowing it to make its own individual impression.
700M combines a mixture of aluminium, smooth plastic and matt rubber for its construction. This mouse is available in two different variants: black or silver. We have the silver version and this mouse pairs up with other devices and hardware very well.
Ergonomic design with buttons galore
The right side of 700M has little by way of buttons or features except to say there is a honeycomb matt rubber material to help with grip, just as the left side has.
All buttons are supported by OMRON gaming switches. On the left side there some supplementary buttons; there is a “Fire button” which sits on the outer edge of the left button, two navigator buttons which sit just under the left button – in ideal reach of the thumb and a “45° Sniper button”
Incidentally – all of the buttons on 700M are customisable via the supplied software.
A front view of 700M
Observing the mouse from the front, we can see the orange aluminium frame which sits in the middle of 700M. Inside this frame resides a scrolling wheel which has a rubberised grip and what we regard as the ideal resistance – the increments are neither too loose nor too stiff. Each setting snaps effortlessly. Below the scrolling wheel there is an LED lighting system which the user can adjust to preference. There is 16.8 million colours to choose from.
Further back from the scrolling wheel there is a DPI switching button. This gives the user the option to jump to different sensitivity options on-the-fly.
From the front we can also see the extended reinforcement to cable connection. COUGAR has done this to ensure better durability.
Aluminium structure provides stability and strength
Flipping 700M over onto its side we can see the reverse of the mouse which contains a number of significant features. COUGAR has designed this mouse to have a sturdy aluminium support frame which is coated orange to coordinate with their colour-scheme.
In the very middle of this aluminium frame sits the ADNS-9800 laser sensor which is capable of up to 8200DPI. Coupled with the laser sensor 700M also includes the 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 processor and
512KB onboard memory – giving this mouse the capability to perform adjustments quicker and to offer higher technical specifications.
COUGAR include six glide pads on the base of 700M – all are placed in key areas to provide optimum traction.
Over the page we’ll continue to look at 700M’s features.
Closer Look (Continued)
Adjustable weight system
To modify the weight of 700M, COUGAR include 4x 4.5g weights. These weights can be placed into a cartridge which is pulled out of the top-side of the mouse. Weights can be loaded individually according to the user’s preference.
Palm rest can be swapped
Another item which COUGAR include in the packaging is an additional palm rest. COUGAR has designed 700M so that the palm rest can be detached from the mouse without the need for using any tools. Being able to change the palm rest is a particularly nice feature because the texture on either pad is different.
Furthermore the height of this pad can be altered too – presenting the opportunity to cater for different grips. Both the claw and palm grip are fully supported because of this.
Gold plated USB connector
700M uses a customised USB connector to assist with identifying it when it’s plugged into the back of the computer. COUGAR has given this USB connection gold-plating to supply better connectivity.
700M’s cable is 1.8m long and is braided to high-quality.
Software & Performance
COUGAR’s UIX System is a nicely designed piece of software that gives the gamer the option to fully customise the 700M. As shown in the video below, UIX is easy to access and provides control over such options as DPI sensitivity, polling rate, button and LED modification.
Performance
Due to 700M’s physical design and button placement, this mouse is suitable for FPS, MMORPG, RTS and other such genres. During our time with this mouse we tested it by playing different games and using it in the Windows environment for general tasks – we actually used it to edit the pictures in this review. We experienced not issues whatsoever during the entire process.
Being able to add weights to 700M and modify the height of the palm rest is a definite bonus to the whole experience because it helps you get comfortable with this mouse. Regardless of the hand size 700M offers great overall ergonomics and we found the button placement to be excellent.
The laser sensor inside 700M responds well to different mouse pad textures. The motion from the mouse is smooth and traction is very accurate.
Compared to other gaming mice, the learning curve with 700M is soft. Other models which are similar in their physical design have proven to offer a steep learning curve so this is certainly very encouraging. Overall, we’re very happy with how this mouse operates.
Conclusion
Gaming mice and other peripherals are generally quite subjective products to review, nevertheless we can still report back on our impressions of such a device, commenting on its quality, feature-set and testing performance and to that end, 700M is an outstanding mouse.
From a visual stand point 700M epitomises tech and gaming – bringing both of these entities together and forming an aggressive and extraordinary gaming mouse. COUGAR has combined aluminium, smooth plastic and anti-slip rubber. By using all of these materials we have a comfortable mouse and although 700M may look complex to the eye it retains a high level of ergonomics.
Customisation is surely the highlight of 700M, because there are numerous avenues to wander down with this exciting mouse; via the software buttons can be configured to the user’s preference, the weight can be adjusted to suit and the palm rest can not only be interchanged but can also have its height altered to cater for different styled grips.
Physical design and customisation aside, 700M excels in a range of different gaming genres and general usage around the Windows environment. With pinpoint accuracy this mouse gets the job done regardless of the surface pad texture. Flawless operation is what the gamer requires and 700M delivers just that.
It’s true that the £70 GBP / $85 USD price-tag does sting a little and for some it may be hard to justify but we are left in no doubt of 700M’s capabilities and is backed by a 3 year warranty.
700M has all the hallmarks of a prolific gaming mouse and yet it goes beyond these accreditations by offering up a whole new level of customisation and quality. What greater commendation can a product attain when the editor himself choices to use it for everyday use.
VIDEO REVIEW – VORTEZ TV
Pros
+ Visually impressive
+ Comfortable & ergonomic
+ Plenty of well-placed buttons
+ Button customisation
+ Weight customisation
+ Palm grip customisation
+ Aluminium structure
+ Height adjustable palm rest
+ Up to 8200 DPI
+ Excellent performance
Cons
– Quite pricey
+ Visually impressive
+ Comfortable & ergonomic
+ Plenty of well-placed buttons
+ Button customisation
+ Weight customisation
+ Palm grip customisation
+ Aluminium structure
+ Height adjustable palm rest
+ Up to 8200 DPI
+ Excellent performance
Cons
– Quite pricey
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
