Format: PC | Genre: Hardware | Publisher: CM Storm

CM Storm, not a name you may have heard of, but that's ok. They are a branch of Cooler Master, maker of PC parts - such as cases, power supplies and the like. Where Cooler Master concentrate on the parts that go into building a PC, CM Storm are directed at the things that make PC's better to use for gaming. Keyboards, Mouse Mats and Mice. And mice are what brings me to the writing of this review.

In January CM Storm released a new kind of mouse. Rather than being designed for the standard 'flat' grip (probably how you hold your mouse), this new mouse the Spawn has been created for pro gamers who prefer the so called 'claw' grip. This is a style of grip that is favoured by quite a few players of FPS games.

So what makes a mouse designed for a claw grip different to a standard mouse. Firstly, it does not need to be as long, as your hand is not really resting on it. Secondly it is wider to make it more comfortable. Lastly it has a lower profile, again you do not need to have an ergonomic hand rest.

Comfortable, affordable accurate and good looking.

The Spawn has been created with all of these needs in mind, whilst still being a very aesthetically pleasing device to look at. The stunning red is accented with back rubberised sites black mouse buttons. There are 7 mouse buttons (2 main, 1 scroll and 2 side buttons) as well as DPI up and DPI down buttons sat just behind the scroll wheel. Quoting the website, these buttons all have
“Japanese-made Omron micro switches that can endure 5 million clicks.”
Oo Er. In practice the buttons all feel great, with a satisfying abount of travel and level of feed back. They are all programmable, not just for basic functions but also for macros using the bundled software. All of the settings are saved to the mouse using the Sentinel-X 32k microprocessor that is onboard. This is great as there is no need for drivers on each machine you use the mouse with - a feature I am sure many will adore!

The DPI settings allow you to flick the brilliantly accurate optical sensor (another one shunning the laser) between 800 - 3500 in increments of your choosing. I have moaned about lack of on the fly DPI switched in past reviews, however here I really wish they hadn't bothered. The trouble is the button to go switch the DPI up, is annoyingly easy to catch when you are using the scroll wheel. I ended up having to disable it. Part of this may have been due to my grip, but still.

Whilst I am griping, the software that is used to 'help' you get more accurate shots, is really very irritating. Basically it is there to help smooth out the path of the mouse. Others have done this before, but here it really just seems to interfere. Another issue is the lack of DPI display, so you have to guess what setting you are using.

Those problems aside, there is a lot to love about this mouse. If you use a claw grip, then you should love this mouse. The shape is perfect for you, the rubberised sides will help you lift the mouse with out losing your grip and the lightness of the mouse will make the whole process speedy. For others, this is still a nice mouse. You get a gaming grade optical mouse, with 7 programmable buttons and a pretty comfortable layout all for a really good price (£29.99 at the time of writing).

Comfortable, affordable, accurate and good looking. Does it do the job? I'd recommend to any claw grip style player!

The Scores

Build	8	Silver Y Award
Value	9
Features	8
Overall	8

Specifications:

• Frames Per Second: 6,400
• Inches Per Second: 60
• Dots Per Inch: 800 - 3500
• Max. Acceleration: 20G
• Buttons: 7
• Dimensions: (W) 75.5 X (H) 110 X (D) 35 mm (W) 3 X (H) 4.3 X (D) 1.3 inch
• Onbard Memory: 32kb

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The Good: Good price, looks great, very accurate optical mouse

The Bad: Light, DPI switch is a little easy to hit. May not suit all players

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Overall 8 / 10

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