The Krait is Razer's latest offering, targeted specifically for 'the rest of us' - i.e., the non-pro, non-FPS shooter fan. The Krait uses a 1600 dpi laser engine coupled with a whopping 6400 frames/second (5.8 megapixels/second) polling rate. Is it worth it? Can a mouse be 'better' for a specific task such as RTS gaming or FPS gaming? Read on to find out this review.

Upon opening the box I was immediately struck by how the mouse was presented. Razer has a traditon of presenting its products in elaborate ways, and the Krait is no different. It came in a fold out package that resembles a display case (see photos).



The mouse specifications are printed on the rear of the packaging letting potential buyers know exactly what to expect. The product contents were the Razer Krait, driver/application CD, certificate of authenticity, sticker, and other product information. Unlike the other Razer products that are available in multiple colors, the Razer Krait is only presently available in a single variety - orange.



The Krait shares the same sleek shape and design as both the Diamondback and the Copperhead. That's good news because not only does it look good, it provides a comfortable grip. The Razer Krait is slightly slimmer than the Diamondback, but still maintains a shape that fits user's hands. Those with smaller hands will find the svelte profile of the Krait pleasing. Below are three views comparing the Razer Diamondback and Krait.



Looking down on the mouse, one can see the size of the left and right mouse buttons. The third button is actuated by pressing on the scroll wheel. With the mouse being optimized for RTS/MMO gaming, there are no buttons on the left or right sides of the Krait, like what can be found on the Diamondback. Like other Razer mice I've tested, the Krait features an illuminated scroll wheel and light-up clear silicone side-rails. I really like this feature, as the rails give your palms something soft and grippy to hold on to, even after multiple hours of mousing. Plus, the Krait just looks cool sitting on the desk, all matte-black rubber and glowing LEDs (orange LED lights shining through the two side rails as well as the scroll wheel). It's pretty sexy!

On the bottom of the mouse are three large Zero-Acoustic Ultraslick Teflon feet, the optical sensor, and a few other tid-bits of information. The optical sensor has a resolution of 1600 dpi and a frame rate of over 6400 fps or 5.8 megapixels per second. It also has a motion detection speed of up to 40 inches per second and 15G. The sensor uses a red light that never goes off into sleep mode - a feature Razer calls Always-On. It's supposed to ensure an instantaneous response, albeit at the expense of saving power. Another common Razer trait is a long USB cable (7 feet) with a gold plated connector. Unlike other mice, the Krait sends 16-bits of data instead of the usual 8-bits or 12-bits data packets. This bypasses the slow 125 Hz polling rate supported by Windows XP and allows for much faster response time.



Here are the specs:

- 1200 APM (Actions Per Minute) Optimized for Real-Time Strategy (RTS) / Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming(MMOG).
- Infrared engine powered by Razer Precision
- 1600 DPI, twice that of conventional high performance sensors
- Ultra large non-slip mouse buttons, tactile response design
- Award winning Razer drivers featuring On-the-Fly sensitivity adjustment
- Frame rate over 6400 frames per second (5.8 megapixels per second)
- 16 bit data path, as compared to 8 bit and 12 bit data paths used by other conventional mice
- Always-On Mode - the optical sensor never powers down - provides instantaneous response at all times during gameplay
- High speed motion detection, up to 40ips and 15g
- Buttons - 3 physical buttons optimized for gaming response and independently programmable
- Non-slip side rails and new ergonomic ambidextrous design
- Zero acoustic Teflon feet for smooth motion over any surface
- Gold plated USB connector for maximum conductivity
- Size: 5.04" length x 2.5" width x 1.54" height
- 7 foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord

Installing the Razer Krait is as simple as plugging in a USB cable. Our Windows XP install immediately recognized the Krait as a valid device and we continued with the software and driver installation without a problem. The setup adds yet another icon into your system tray, from which you can adjust and customize the mouse to taste. Here you can tweak the sensitivity of the cursor and adjust the scroll wheel and double-click speeds. You can even reconfigure or create macros for each button. Advanced settings allow you to manually tweak the X and Y axis DPI of the mouse, and even dip the DPI down to 400.



Before I continue, I should mention that gaming testing was done on an SteelPad 5L, Everglide Titan GamingMat and F-Series F10/30 mats. I played numerous games, including F.E.A.R., Painkiller, Titan Quest, Roboblitz, D.I.R.T. - Origin of the Species, new Middle Earth 2 expansion, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Warhammer Mark Of Chaos. The Razer Krait performed flawlessly with these games. I have no complaints here, however, I didn't feel any difference in RPG/RTS games over a standard gaming mouse. Apparently, the Razer Krait's 1200 APM is nothing more than a marketing gimmick :] But, it was very good for a first-person shooters! :-) The mouse was able to pick up even the fastest movements in a FPS game and was very precise. Also the large buttons are extremely easy to use and very responsive.

In my opinion, they should make the Krait a bit cheaper and stop trying to market it as 'a device that will improve your RTS/MMO game'. It won't. But it is a great mouse, and if it were even $5 cheaper they might have more of a market than they would for just people who buy it because they are hardcore RTS players.

Overall, the Razer Krait most undoubtedly deserves the title of a gaming mouse. It simply is a gaming mouse with high precision, fast responses and a nice feel. It's also perfect for female gamers or anyone that likes a palm-sized mouse.

Pros
- incredible precision and smoothness of motion
- responsive buttons optimal for RTS/MMO players
- cool� design - nice orange glow
- robust drivers
- 7 feet long USB cable with a gold plated connector
- good price

Cons
- Does not significantly improve RTS/MMO gameplay
- Some of you might want extra programmable buttons, but personally I don't need them.


related links: Buy Razer Krait Gaming Mouse ($29.99)
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I would like to thank Razer for allowing this review to happen. The support they give to the gaming community is something that cannot be paid back, ever. They stand behind sites like TechAmok and push the industry to new heights.