Razer DeathAdder 3.5G vs Zowie EC1-A

This mouse is well-known for its ergonomic shape well-suited for lefties. Its sizable groove on the right side guides the left thumb to a comfortable spot. The left side has a slightly angled surface that gives freedom for the rest of the fingers to position themselves as they please.

The DeathAdder has two thumb buttons that are quite large and easy to press without getting in the way of the grip.

Due to its curves, it feels natural to hold the mouse with a palm grip. It has a defined thumb groove on one side and an open side for your ring and pinky fingers on the other. The general contour of the mouse is curved so it feels like it is specifically molded for you hand. The mouse relies more on its shape rather than textured finishes to maintain your hand’s grip.

Although it’s an older mouse, its Synapse 2.0 software is still updated (as of Spring 2017) and allows you to change DPI, polling rate, create macros and reassign buttons. All of the options are tied to profiles. Keep in mind that certain modifications will not work unless the software is running in the background. The software also has optional stats and heatmaps that track your mouse usage. The software is PC and Mac compatible.

This mouse comes with the Avago S3888 sensor, which is decent, but doesn’t offer perfect performance. Some of its original issues can be fixed with a firmware update. Originally, it has four DPI stages of 450/900/1800/3500. However, its 1800 DPI option is native and is regarded as the most accurate one with the highest perfect control speed. If you use the updated Synapse 2.0 software, these options increase to include every value between 100 and 3500, with steps of 100.

The top of the mouse has a hard rubberized finish, which allow sweat to evaporate easily.

The Avago 3310 sensor used by this mouse is exceptional. It delivers a true portrayal of mouse movement with no jitter, acceleration or prediction. The available DPI choices of 400/800/1600/3200 are all native and should ensure an equally good performance, regardless of which one is chosen.

Though it may look tame, the mouse’s shape is quite ergonomic. Its subtle curves help your fingers position themselves while also allowing various grip types. For the same reason, the bulge of the mouse is located strictly in the middle, making it accommodating for the most amount of people, and even more for gamers that have big hands. Nevertheless, it may be more suited for palm grips because of the subtle curve at the right side which provides support for the ring and pinky fingers.

The EC1-A delivers accurate mouse cursor movement that is essential to any gaming mouse. Virtually flawless, it has none of the precision-altering flaws that are apparent in other mice.

Although the buttons have Huano switches, which are more stiff, the shell of the mouse somehow negates this and makes them click easily, just like typical Omron switches.

The mouse comes with two mouse feet that are larger than normal and ensure smooth movement over the mousepad.

The EC1-A includes a set of thumb buttons which are standard for most mice.

The switches don’t randomly break down, no component excessively rattles and the scroll wheel doesn’t degrade easily. Although the mouse has a rubber cable which is quite vulnerable to bending and damage, the mouse as a whole is well built and can be expected to last.

The mouse has a smooth plastic coating that doesn’t feel slippery. You can easily hold the mouse with a comfortable grip even without the rubber sides.

The EC1-A has only a few customization options, all of which are sensor related. It is possible to change the lift off distance, polling rate and the DPI settings (400/800/1600/3200).