CM Storm Spawn - 3500 DPI Optical Gaming Mouse with Durable Omron Microswitches

Pros: - Very comfortable for the claw/fingertip grip
- Highly accurate and precise sensor
- Smooth efficiency
- Top notch buttons and button placement
- Simple and solid software
- Custom polling rate settings via software

Cons: - No customizable DPI settings beyond the three presets: 800, 1800, 3500
- No braided cable
- Stock firmware and LOD is bad / firmware must be updated for proper performance

Overall Review: I have been a long time user of the legendary Logitech mx518 mouse, and decided it was about time for an upgrade. After doing some browsing, I came across the CM Storm line of products. Truth be told, I found a good deal on the CM Storm Inferno first. To make a long story short, the Inferno was a cool mouse but very uncomfortable for me. Being a claw grip user, I needed something that fit my style - enter the Spawn. I ordered up one of these bad boys, returned the Inferno and the rest was history. It felt immediately comfortable for my claw/fingertip style grip, and the only thing that took a bit of getting used to was the higher DPI. When I say higher DPI, I mean the 1800 setting. I NEVER use the 3500 setting as it is just waaay too much, as on my old mx518 I would use around 1400-1500 tops. Once adapted, I immediately started noticing improvements in my game. Most notably, I used to be horrible with the "rail gun" in Quake multi-player games. If you are familiar with Quake, you know the rail gun to be a high precision, sniper type shot that requires dead on accuracy. Before writing this review, I just completely owned a server, with 14 impressive medals for what they consider to be impressive shots. I was never this accurate with the Logitech mx518 people, so this is tangible proof the Spawn can improve your game in FPS! The tracking quality with the latest firmware is top notch and feels smooth and deadly accurate. I loved my 518 folks, but it is now retired and I am a fan of the Spawn. You may be wondering, with such a glowing review, why the 4 stars instead of 5? Well, this mouses biggest shortcoming is its lack of custom DPI settings. You can switch between 800, 1800 and 3500 - period. While the 1800 and 800 settings have proven fine for me (once adapted), I would certainly like to have the option to set something between the two, or to even go lower than 800. This day and age, there is no excuse for not allowing such a feature in a mid-range gaming mouse. Even my aging 518 had it! Anyway, with that aside, this mouse is making me a believer more every day. The software is simple, straightforward and easy to use and allows for macros. You can also set your polling rate from 125hz to 1000hz. I prefer mine on 500hz.

If you have an aging mouse, use a claw/fingertip grip and might be looking for a new answer in game - the Spawn may very well be that answer. IF you're a palm gripper i'd skip it, because it is fairly short and a bit on the wider side to specifically fit the claw style. If you do get it, just be sure to flash it to the latest firmware to improve your LOD (lift off distance) and get the most out of it. Its accurate, smooth, comfortable and deadly in the right hands. My night and day improvement with the rail gun in Quake is proof enough for me! The Spawn also pairs up very well with the Mionix Propus 380 mouse pad in my experience. Im no salesman; just telling you whats got me results lol.

Pros: Nice looking Mouse

Cons: Mouse no longer works after firmware update.

Overall Review: For the 5 days I used the mouse, it worked great. The firmware update bricked the mouse - only the scroll wheel functions. Tried on several different PCs - same result :( Maybe it was a coincidence it stopped working after the firmware update...didn't realize you could "brick" a mouse. Sent a trouble ticket to Cooler Master - maybe there is a fix...