CM Storm Sentinel Advance Review

Time for another hardware review as it seems to generate more traffic than anything else on the site. Today I'll be looking at the Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Advance 5600 DPI Twin Laser Engine Pro Gaming Mouse. This little bad boy is a treat to review because of it's very 'cool' design meant for showing off.

Here are the major selling points:

• Superior Gaming Grade Precision Twin laser engine to ensure extreme stability and ultra precise tracking performance.
• Onboard Sentinel-X 64Kb Safeguards your mouse settings and store up to 5 different game profiles.
• Octoshade LED Tech Enable yourself to quickly recognize your active profile
• OLED Profile Management Allows gamers to switch DPI and profiles on the fly with instant visual feedbacks.
• Tag Your Own Gaming Clan Logo Upload your own clan logo and display it in all its glory on the OLED profile management screen.

Unmentioned features are 8 buttons, full macro support, robust configuration software, interchangable weight system, several lighting features (some dynamic). Personally I have all LEDs set to display red. When I click the mouse buttons the front (outward facing) LEDs flash white.

The mouse glides across any surface with ease. The mouse wheel is stiff which I like because it makes precision easier. The weights while useful for some is eyecandy for me. I like my mouse weightless. The LED screen which shows your clan tag is a bit too small to really get much out of it. The design fits in your hand very easily and doesn't cause cramps after a full day of merciless slaughter... I mean playing games. The only complaint I have is that the bumper pads on the bottom that make it slide smoother are very large and collect dirt in a manner that is hard to remove. This is unavoidable regardless of what model you choose. The max DPI is 5600 and I rarely use it. I'm pretty happy at 3600 with minor tweaks in-game. The switching on the fly works well for both DPI and profiles. The lasers are ultra responsive and work on any surface including my clothed belly and my hairy leg.

I have never owned a mouse that I liked as much as this one. It has a perfect blend of functionality and aesthetics. Cooler Master has pleased me yet again with another excellent product.