Testing

To test the Raider I used 2 different mice, a generic logitech optical, and a high sensitivity mouse, the Razer Krait. I used these mice for several Windows based tasks and in different gaming genres to see how well the pad performed during high speed gaming, precision gaming and in reptivite Windows applications.

Results

Generic Mouse

During Windows based tasks the mat seemed to perform fine. I was not inconvenienced by the size of the pad as much as I thought I would, only in Photoshop when long brush strokes were required did I stray to the edges.

In the FPS gaming test the pad again performed mainly without fault. Though the noise created when you move across the surface quickly (A slight scratch noise) can be a little grating. The main problem for me however, is that I very often found myself at the edge of the pad making it imperative for me to lift the mouse and recentre it. This was rather annoying, but thanks to the edge gulleys I was able to notice quick enough, and bring my hand back within the centre area of the pad without too much mishap.

The RTS gaming was much better. The less drastic and more controlled mouse movements lent itself perfectly to the Raider. It was big enough, smooth enough and plenty fast enough.

Razer Krait

The Windows tests were performed flawlessly and the increased sensitivity of the Krait was able to be used to its full potential thanks to the Raider.

FPS gaming was just as good as with the Generic mouse, but with the increased sensitivity of the Krait the problems of reaching the edge of the pad were greatly reduced. However, the movement noise was still present and a little irritating.

RTS gaming was a little harder with Krait as it was a little too sensitive for the game. But after turning down the DPI a little I was able to enjoy the smoothness of the Raider's surface.

The Krait was much more effective on this pad throughout all tests, simply because it is capable of utilising a much higher sensitivity and therefore requires less movement. This made getting to the edge of the pad much more difficult, meaning that I was able to keep control of the mouse for much longer during all tests.

One advantage to the surface used for this mat is that it does provide a fantastic middle ground between cloth and glass mats. It has a high movement speed like the glass mats, and smooth precision and accuracy like the cloth mats.

Comfort

The mat was farely comofrtable to use, though the sweat issue did start to cause problems after a couple of hours of gaming. When I game I tend to sweat, and this begins to cause problems with mats with this surface, as it makes them sticky and clammy. This makes gaming a little uncomfortable and can cause problems if you roll your mouse over a wet surface as the optical receiver will sometimes not recognise the light and your mouse movement will not be recorded.

Price

The price for the Raider is in the low to mid teens, the average price being £13. This is a prety reasonable price for a mat with this performance and this size.

Noise

The noise caused by the mat when you move across it quickly is a quiet, high pitched scratch noise. This is not annoying when movement is infrequent, but can be a bit irritating when you are in a high speed game and you constantly hear the swish of your mouse crossing the mat. This problem would of course be completely limited if the user was wearing headphones.