Introduction
Mad Catz is well known for their outstanding and unique peripherals. Since they took over Cyborg, they have continued making the popular R.A.T mice and redesigned S.T.R.I.K.E keyboards to give their customers the high quality and high tech look they've come to know and love.
In this review we will check out their flagship mouse, the R.A.T 9. Coming in at $149.99, the 9 offers the latest and greatest that Mad Catz has to offer, from a 6400 dpi sensor, to the fully customisable hand and finger rests, this R.A.T goes for the big cheese.
Technical Specifications
Looking at the specs sheet the 9 looks to have it all. But specs alone won't see if it's worth a spot on your desk.
Specifications
Part Number - 43709
Available Colors - Matte Black, Gloss Black, Gloss Red, Gloass White
Sensor - 6400dpi Laser Sensor
Programmable Buttons - 2
Polling Rate - Dynamic up to 1000Hz
Acceleration - 50g
Dimensions - (WxHxD) 6.7 x 2.4 x 8.5
Weight - 15.8 ounces
Features
Zero Latency 2.4Ghz Wireless Technology
Wireless Receiver/ Charging Dock with 2 batteries
Four stage dpi switch - customisable in 25 dpi increments
Precision Aim - customisable to slow down dpi for a perfect shot
Rapid-Fire mouse buttons for fast and precise clicks
System Requirements
USB Port
Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP or OSX
Internet Connection (for driver download)
At least 175MB of hard disk space
The R.A.T 9 Mouse
The R.A.T 9 is finished in a slick glossy red on the top, but can be changed to a grippy rubber on the palm and right side. The flat palm can also be swapped out for a more pronounced hump. The premium price is reflected with the options and build quality.
The right side of the mouse is plain and unnoticed but the left side accomodates a host of LEDs, buttons, and switches. On the top left you will find the color changing Mad Catz logo, switchable between red, blue, and purple. In the middle you will find the four stage dpi switch along with the indicator on the far left. On the bottom left there are the 2 programmable buttons along with the crosshair marked precision aim button.
Moving the action to the back, start with unscrewing the allen wrench, and supports, you find the 7 removable weights. With the allen wrench you can adjust how far up or back the left thumb rest goes or swapping out the right finger rest. Although once you find your perfect fit you most likely won't be using it again.
Last but not least, the clicks felt smooth and precise along with the scroll wheel that only moves one tick at a time unlike Logitech's hyperscroll technology. A con to this mouse is the gloss finish. I found it to feel slippery and oily under my hand, unlike the matte finish of most other mice. Another down side is how often I found myself changing out the batteries. Even though it says 9 hours I feel that I am changing them twice a day. The receiver that you charge your batteries contrasts the mouse well though.
Software
The R.A.T. 9 software is a hefty 175MB, but gives you all the options you need and is simple. As mentioned before with the changing LEDs on the top left you can also use those to change between profiles. You can also name the profiles if needed.
The settings tab gives you the option to select dpi stages, and also program the Precise Aim button. The rest of the options are found under the programming tab.
Programming the 9 is made simple. Just pick a mode, name the profile, assign the keys, then save it. Change the mode at the bottom to assign different profiles to each mode, for example have Diablo on red, Starcraft on blue and Battlefield on purple so you can switch on the fly without the software open.
Conclusion
The R.A.T 9 is a solid mouse with great customization with hardware and software, but the gloss finish and the seemingly low life batteries let it down. There isn't a mouse on the market with the look of the R.A.T or customization which separates itself from the tight competition in the mouse market.
The comfort of the mouse is very ergonomic and has a nice, quality feel to it but is left down by the gloss finish. There are options however to get the mouse in a complete rubberized finish. So if you prefer a slick feel then go for gloss, but if you like a grippy rubber finish then go for rubberized. The weight of the mouse can be customized to be air light, or heavy with the 7 removable weights. The feel of the mouse can be completely customized with the extra parts it comes with as well. Overall the comfort is great and all the buttons are solid but skip the gloss unless its for you.
The customization of the R.A.T is unrivaled in the mouse market, with any aspect of the mouse can be changed to your liking. In the software the dpi can be changed from anywhere to 25-6400, with 25 steps between each selection. The programming is simple and the switching on the fly makes things simple. With only 2 spare buttons and another scroll there aren't many options for an MMO player, but R.A.T does offer an MMO version of the R.A.T 7.
The big complaint on the mouse is the price tag. Coming in at $149.99 is a heavy tag for a mouse. The Corsair K70 keyboard is only 129.99 for reference. The R.A.T 7 comes in at $99.99 with all the features of the 9, except the wireless connectivity. So unless you already owned a 7 and looking to upgrade or need wireless I would recommend saving $50 and going with the 7. Even though the 9 has great wireless and has 2 batteries so you are never stuck waiting for a charge, going dead in the middle of a firefight would leave you dead as well.
Sources
http://www.cyborggaming.com/prod/rat9.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Catz-R-A-T.../dp/B003CP0BHW
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/i...rface_review/1
Mad Catz is well known for their outstanding and unique peripherals. Since they took over Cyborg, they have continued making the popular R.A.T mice and redesigned S.T.R.I.K.E keyboards to give their customers the high quality and high tech look they've come to know and love.
In this review we will check out their flagship mouse, the R.A.T 9. Coming in at $149.99, the 9 offers the latest and greatest that Mad Catz has to offer, from a 6400 dpi sensor, to the fully customisable hand and finger rests, this R.A.T goes for the big cheese.
Technical Specifications
Looking at the specs sheet the 9 looks to have it all. But specs alone won't see if it's worth a spot on your desk.
Specifications
Part Number - 43709
Available Colors - Matte Black, Gloss Black, Gloss Red, Gloass White
Sensor - 6400dpi Laser Sensor
Programmable Buttons - 2
Polling Rate - Dynamic up to 1000Hz
Acceleration - 50g
Dimensions - (WxHxD) 6.7 x 2.4 x 8.5
Weight - 15.8 ounces
Features
Zero Latency 2.4Ghz Wireless Technology
Wireless Receiver/ Charging Dock with 2 batteries
Four stage dpi switch - customisable in 25 dpi increments
Precision Aim - customisable to slow down dpi for a perfect shot
Rapid-Fire mouse buttons for fast and precise clicks
System Requirements
USB Port
Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP or OSX
Internet Connection (for driver download)
At least 175MB of hard disk space
The R.A.T 9 Mouse
The R.A.T 9 is finished in a slick glossy red on the top, but can be changed to a grippy rubber on the palm and right side. The flat palm can also be swapped out for a more pronounced hump. The premium price is reflected with the options and build quality.
The right side of the mouse is plain and unnoticed but the left side accomodates a host of LEDs, buttons, and switches. On the top left you will find the color changing Mad Catz logo, switchable between red, blue, and purple. In the middle you will find the four stage dpi switch along with the indicator on the far left. On the bottom left there are the 2 programmable buttons along with the crosshair marked precision aim button.
Moving the action to the back, start with unscrewing the allen wrench, and supports, you find the 7 removable weights. With the allen wrench you can adjust how far up or back the left thumb rest goes or swapping out the right finger rest. Although once you find your perfect fit you most likely won't be using it again.
Last but not least, the clicks felt smooth and precise along with the scroll wheel that only moves one tick at a time unlike Logitech's hyperscroll technology. A con to this mouse is the gloss finish. I found it to feel slippery and oily under my hand, unlike the matte finish of most other mice. Another down side is how often I found myself changing out the batteries. Even though it says 9 hours I feel that I am changing them twice a day. The receiver that you charge your batteries contrasts the mouse well though.
Software
The R.A.T. 9 software is a hefty 175MB, but gives you all the options you need and is simple. As mentioned before with the changing LEDs on the top left you can also use those to change between profiles. You can also name the profiles if needed.
The settings tab gives you the option to select dpi stages, and also program the Precise Aim button. The rest of the options are found under the programming tab.
Programming the 9 is made simple. Just pick a mode, name the profile, assign the keys, then save it. Change the mode at the bottom to assign different profiles to each mode, for example have Diablo on red, Starcraft on blue and Battlefield on purple so you can switch on the fly without the software open.
Conclusion
The R.A.T 9 is a solid mouse with great customization with hardware and software, but the gloss finish and the seemingly low life batteries let it down. There isn't a mouse on the market with the look of the R.A.T or customization which separates itself from the tight competition in the mouse market.
The comfort of the mouse is very ergonomic and has a nice, quality feel to it but is left down by the gloss finish. There are options however to get the mouse in a complete rubberized finish. So if you prefer a slick feel then go for gloss, but if you like a grippy rubber finish then go for rubberized. The weight of the mouse can be customized to be air light, or heavy with the 7 removable weights. The feel of the mouse can be completely customized with the extra parts it comes with as well. Overall the comfort is great and all the buttons are solid but skip the gloss unless its for you.
The customization of the R.A.T is unrivaled in the mouse market, with any aspect of the mouse can be changed to your liking. In the software the dpi can be changed from anywhere to 25-6400, with 25 steps between each selection. The programming is simple and the switching on the fly makes things simple. With only 2 spare buttons and another scroll there aren't many options for an MMO player, but R.A.T does offer an MMO version of the R.A.T 7.
The big complaint on the mouse is the price tag. Coming in at $149.99 is a heavy tag for a mouse. The Corsair K70 keyboard is only 129.99 for reference. The R.A.T 7 comes in at $99.99 with all the features of the 9, except the wireless connectivity. So unless you already owned a 7 and looking to upgrade or need wireless I would recommend saving $50 and going with the 7. Even though the 9 has great wireless and has 2 batteries so you are never stuck waiting for a charge, going dead in the middle of a firefight would leave you dead as well.
Sources
http://www.cyborggaming.com/prod/rat9.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Catz-R-A-T.../dp/B003CP0BHW
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/i...rface_review/1
(Lots of girls gaming out there). Good scientific review however.
