The Minos X3 has been designed to satisfy the needs of all gamers, it features an on-the-fly DPI switch, an on-the-fly polling switch.
Product on Review: COUGAR Minos X3
Manufacturer: COUGAR
Street Price: UK: £24.99, US: $29.99
Cougar have been an impressive force to reckon with in the world of gaming peripherals and are certainly one to look out for. Not just in regards to outright performance, but also delivering brilliant value. This was displayed recently in both the Revenger mouse and the Immersa headset. This trend has taken another step with the Minos X3 gaming mouse.
Coming in at under £25, one could easily dismiss it as a ‘cheap’ mouse with no real credentials. The party piece of the Minos X3 is however the esteemed PWM 3310 optical sensor. Internally, it also features other premium components including renowned Omron switches. The Minos X3 is driverless and functions using a pair of dedicated switches to adjust the DPI between 400-800-1600-3200, and the polling rate between 125-250-500-1000Hz. As a cherry on top, there is RGB lighting that is controlled by a dedicated button with 10 preset modes.
Overview by COUGAR
COUGAR Minos X3 has been designed specifically to satisfy all the needs of pro eSports players: Pro-grade PMW 3310 optical sensor, 6 buttons, OMRON Switches, on-the-fly DPI, polling rate, and backlight color adjustment. You don’t need to pop out of games anymore, because you have you prepared for every situation!
Technical Specifications
Sensor: PMW3310 Optical gaming sensor
Resolution: 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 DPI
Game type: FPS / MOBA / RTS
Polling rate: 125 / 250 / 500 / 1000Hz
Switching: OMRON gaming switches
LED backlight: 3 zone backlight
Frame rate: 6500 FPS
Maximum tracking speed: 130 IPS
Maximum acceleration: 30G
Interface: USB plug
Dimension: 122(L) X 67(W) X 40(H) mm, 4.80(L) X 2.74(W) X 1.57(H) inch
Cable Length: 1.8m
Weight: 94g (0.21lb)
Resolution: 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 DPI
Game type: FPS / MOBA / RTS
Polling rate: 125 / 250 / 500 / 1000Hz
Switching: OMRON gaming switches
LED backlight: 3 zone backlight
Frame rate: 6500 FPS
Maximum tracking speed: 130 IPS
Maximum acceleration: 30G
Interface: USB plug
Dimension: 122(L) X 67(W) X 40(H) mm, 4.80(L) X 2.74(W) X 1.57(H) inch
Cable Length: 1.8m
Weight: 94g (0.21lb)
Packaging & First Look
Following suit with the more elegant, and mature gaming designs, the packaging features a large image of the product surrounded by minimal branding and a list of features. It clearly lists its sensor too, for those that pay attention to such things, and gives note to its RGB lighting.
The rear side lists its features in various languages as well as shows off its dedicated adjustment switches.
No braided cables here, but the overall aesthetic is rather sleek, and has a 1.8m long rubberised cable attached.
Closer Look
The birdseye view of the Minos X3 reveals that it is largely symmetrical meaning that it should be fine for left handers to use.
The mouse wheel is wide and is covered by a thick rubber grip and forms one of the lighting zones. Behind the wheel there is a button that is used to toggle the lighting effects.
Here we see the forward and back buttons sitting above a rubberised textured grip.
The rear end shows us the Cougar logo which is also a lighting zone, with the main lighting surrounding the base of the mouse, as seen at the bottom.
On the right side, the Minos X3 features more rubberised textured grip to aid with easy lifting.
Underneath, the Minos X3 has two large slip pads, one at the front and one at the rear. The sensor is positioned roughly centre to its overall length, noting that the top part of the mouse protrudes farther than the base. Also note the two dedicated switches for adjusting DPI and polling rate.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & ObservationsAs the Minos X3 is driverless there is no need to download any software, the settings are adjusted by using the included button and switches. So all you need is a USB port, and away you go.
On opening the packaging and holding the mouse, the first impression is not what you would expect. Sure, it is lightweight, but it doesn’t feel ‘cheap’. It doesn’t feel like it is poor quality. In the hand it is comfortable to hold in any grip style and is light enough for tip grippers to take full advantage of. Those that like solid, heavier, ergonomic style mice that are a little larger and more palm orientated may prefer a different option, but for everyone else that want a no fuss daily driver, the Minos X3 seems just about perfect. Fans of FPSs will certainly appreciate the side grips, shape and balance of the body as it makes controlled lifting a breeze with no spin out or interference.
Compared to some other mice we have used that is in this price range, the Minos X3 doesn’t suffer from squishy side buttons with long travel that plagues many other mice in this category, instead they are fast, clicky and responsive. As Cougar has included the use of Omron switches too, the main mouse buttons too feel pleasant to use. The scroll wheel is set rather low into the shell, meaning it doesn’t stick out and get in the way, and has well pronounced stops.
The LED lighting button on the top also has a satisfying click to it. It toggles between 10 different effects, including a colour cycle, breathing colour cycle, and various static colours (blue, cyan, red, green, yellow, orange, pink, white) as well as ‘off’. The lighting looks attractive and gives a nice accent to the mouse. Sure it doesn’t feature any advanced lighting effects, but it serves as a nice bonus feature.
Performance
Setting the Minos X3 to its highest DPI setting, we test it out on various surfaces. The PWM 3310 sensor does well in standard setups on black fabric mouse mats, and does well on most matte surfaces such as cardboard, but it may get a little erratic on glossy/coloured surfaces. To top it off, there was no noticeable problem with jitter or any other motion anomalies, making the Minos X3 a perfect implementation of the 3310 sensor.
This precision translated well in game, CS:GO felt fantastic as there is zero acceleration from the optical sensor, providing you the utmost level of precision and reliability.
Conclusion
When we first received the Minos X3, the pricing wasn’t initially apparent and it would be very easy to have assumed that it was a plain-Jane optical mouse that is sat in the no man’s land of £30-40. Its construction is solid with smooth plastic and rubberised grips, but lacks that slightly more premium finish of more expensive mice. despite that, it feels great to hold and the buttoons are responsive and tactile. Its sensor provides reliable and accurate performance in and out of games, to which is almost the idealised implementation of the PWM 3310 sensor. It is at this point where we comprehend the price tag of £25… wait, what!?
This is actually a fantastically competitive move by Cougar, and what we assume has happened is something rather logical, something we have seen previously with the GIGABYTE XM300 (and the 3988 sensor). That is, they have taken a high quality optical sensor that was the staple of the mid to high end gaming mice in the past, and have brought them to the entry level market. If you take a older high grade optical sensor (that has likely fallen in production costs) and assume you get the implementation spot on in regards to its performance, and then place it in a relatively neutral, well made shell, you could create a no brainer mouse that would satisfy the needs of all gamers, from beginners to Pros. That is exactly what Cougar have done with the Minos X3. Sure, the PWM3310 may not have the all-terrain conquering ability of the latest optical sensors (3320/3330/3360), but that isn’t really much to consider when the majority of people will pair their gaming mouse with a gaming mouse mat.
The only people that may want to avoid this mouse would be those that specifically desire a mouse that is bigger, heavier, and features programmable/remappable buttons via software. For everyone else, if you are looking for a great quality mouse that will simply game, the Minos X3 should be the baseline you look to.
Sometimes saying that a product is ‘good for the price’ is more of a condescension than it may actually deserve, that situation arises here also. The Minos X3 is a top-class gaming mouse that has been made affordable by removing just enough polish and grandeur found in its more expensive peers. This isn’t just a mouse for those on a budget or are looking to save some money, it is also for those that realise they need nothing more.
Pros.
+ Comfortable for all grip types
+ Precise optical sensor
+ Good quality construction
+ Driverless (dedicated switches on the base)
+ Price
Cons.
– Some may prefer a larger/heavier mouse
+ Comfortable for all grip types
+ Precise optical sensor
+ Good quality construction
+ Driverless (dedicated switches on the base)
+ Price
Cons.
– Some may prefer a larger/heavier mouse
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