Razer Copperhead Hands-On Preview

[Update 9/9/05: We erroneously reported that the Razer Copperhead was the first mouse to feature built-in memory. The error has been fixed.]

Following on the success of the well-received Diamondback, Razer has revealed its newest cold-blooded killer: the Copperhead. Razer's newest mouse sports unique improvements and innovations, including a 2000dpi laser sensor, 32KB of on-mouse memory, and an adjustable weight system.

Aesthetically, the new mouse features a new wraparound lighting system and a Razer logo that pulses with light. The mouse will be available with three different color lights: tempest blue, anarchy red, and chaos green. At a future date, Razer also hopes to offer different case styles for a nominal cost. Possible styles include translucent and camouflage-colored cases. The Copperhead closely resembles the Diamondback in shape, but the real differences lie under the hood.

Internally, the Copperhead is without a doubt the most sophisticated mouse we've ever come across. The Copperhead uses 32KB of onboard memory to store up to five different user profiles inside the mouse itself. You'll be able to take your Copperhead to any computer, and your personal settings will be right there with you. Instead of using a conventional LED-based optical sensor, Razer opted to use a 2000dpi laser-based sensor that uses a 16-bit data path to transfer movement information. The Copperhead will have always-on functionality--the mouse won't shut down after brief periods of inactivity since pausing midmatch to wake up the mouse is a great way to get sniped. The mouse will also stay active when lifted from the pad to help keep cursor movement consistent.

The new laser system samples at 1000Hz. The polling rate results in a 1ms response time. In comparison, conventional mice poll at 125Hz for a response time of 8ms. You will be able to adjust the USB polling rate to 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. Likewise, you can change the mouse's dpi setting to 400, 800, 1600, and 2000. In addition to providing the usual mouse sensitivity adjustments, the Copperhead will let you adjust the sensitivity along each movement axis independently. This means you can adjust the mouse to move very quickly along the x-axis and slowly across the y-axis. As with the Diamondback, you can make sensitivity adjustments on the fly with the click of a button.

In addition to the usual left, right, and clickable wheel buttons, the Copperhead features four side buttons, two on each side of the mouse. The buttons are fully programmable and can also be disabled. We found the new side buttons to be much more accessible than the ones on the Diamondback. Razer will offer a separate Pro-Tools upgrade kit that includes a customizable weight system and dummy buttons. The weight system will let you tune the weight of the mouse to fit your style. The dummy buttons can be installed to disable the extra side buttons.

The mouse will be available in late August with an MSRP of $79.99. The Razer Copperhead might be too expensive for some, but the price is only slightly higher than other high-end laser mice, and the Copperhead is currently the only laser mouse that sports features designed specifically for gamers.