When taking Gigabyte’s Krypton gaming mouse out of its box for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Here was a company I normally associate with motherboards and graphics cards with their name on a fancy peripheral, one that promised an awful lot.
Silly me. It mostly delivers.
What’s in the Box
1x Krypton dual-chassis gaming mouse
1x box of weights
1x set of “tongs”
2x back plates
What I Liked
Clickwheel — It sounds silly, but like a man and his shoes, you can tell a lot about a mouse by its clickwheel. An object that’s used a lot, many companies skimp on it, including wheels that feel light, cheap and “clicky”. The Krypton’s was large, heavy, smooth and comfortable, making it great for both games (weapon switching) and browsing (scroll down to continue reading!).
Weights — Including customisable weights in a mouse is nothing new, but I loved the way the Krypton handles it with a sci-fi-esque “cylinder” system that you can see in action in the video above. It looks cool, sure, but the best part is that the different-sized weights can be arranged to get not just the right heft for the mouse overall, but to have them places in the most suitable parts of the mouse as well (including side preferences for lefties).
Speed — When you attach the Krypton’s “speed” casing (there’s also a “control” one included), the thing flies. But not in a cheap “look out this thing’s going out the window way”. It’s more of a “wow this thing is getting me around this map fast” kind of way.
What I Didn’t Like
Don’t Turn Left — The Krypton is an ambidextrous mouse, which is good news for left-handers who game on the left (I’m a lefty who uses his right hand), but the compromise for that is that the mouse isn’t terribly ergonomic. Especially around the thumb area, after extended periods you’ll start to notice, and in general it just feels a bit weird. This will be a concern if you’re going to be playing long sessions.
KRYPTON – Krypton is a stupid name, and I could live with that were it not emblazoned right across the back of the mouse in a font that makes it look like a cheap tribal tattoo. I know, I know, garish presentation is common among gaming mouse, but that doesn’t mean I have to start liking it.
Specs
Resolution: “up to 8200 dpi”
Max Acceleration: 30g
Report Rate: 1000
Frame Rate: 12000fps
Maximal Tracking Speed: 150ips
Supports 5 profiles and 70 macros
Final Word
If you play short, quick games like shooters, this is a fast mouse with great customisation and high-quality components. It is, in fact, one of the best mice I’ve ever used. Really good stuff.
Unless, that is, you play a load of, I don’t know, strategy games, where you need to be clutching at the mouse for literally hours on end. If so, while the Krypton isn’t instantly uncomfortable, its ambidextrous compromise and weird “grill” design down the sides means it’s not the best thing to be resting your hand on for 5-10 hours at a time.
The Krypton retails for $US70.
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