When comparing Razer Deathadder 2013 vs Razer DeathAdder Elite, the Slant community recommends Razer DeathAdder Elite for most people. In the question“What is the best gaming mouse?” Razer DeathAdder Elite is ranked 2nd while Razer Deathadder 2013 is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose Razer DeathAdder Elite is:
The DeathAdder gaming mouse has a simple design and ergonomics that makes it comfortable for a wide variety of hand sizes and grips.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Comfortable gaming mouse for palm and claw grips
While being mainly designed for palm grips using a claw grip will still work, though with a weird placing for the palm.
Pro Left- and right-click buttons have a concave that helps fingers stay in place
The users fingers rest easily inside of the concave left and right buttons. By being concaved the users fingers also stay in place.

Pro Affordable
At $50 it's not an expensive gaming mouse for what it offers.
Pro Slightly larger than a common mouse
With dimensions, 127 mm/5.00” x 70 mm/2.76” x 44 mm/1.73”, Deathadder is just a bit bigger than an everyday gaming mouse.
Pro Accurate 6400 CPI optical sensor
The mouse has a 6400 CPI optical sensor with X & Y variable axis. No angle snapping, no acceleration, no prediction.
Pro Two side buttons in an easily accessible yet unobtrusive position
The two left side buttons are position so that they stay unobtrusive yet easily accessible.
Pro Braided cord
Helps prevent kinking, curling and protects the cable prolonging life of the gaming mouse.
Pro True rubber grip helps to get a better hold of the mouse
The mouse has a true rubber grip as opposed to common rubberized or plain plastic grips.

Pro Reliable, notched scroll wheel
High quality scroll wheel.
Pro Reasonably lightweight at 105 grams
The Razer Deathadder 2013 sits at a reasonable weight of 105 grams, which is 8 grams lighter than the previous 3.5 version.
Pro Synapse is well-designed driver software
Synapse can be a useful tool by saving a users setting to the cloud automatically, setting do not need to be remembered upon re-installs or using a friends PC.
Pro Rubber grips are smooth
Pro Left hand edition available
Razer offers a right and left hand edition for the Deathadder model.
Pro Comfortable for most sizes of hands and grips
The DeathAdder gaming mouse has a simple design and ergonomics that makes it comfortable for a wide variety of hand sizes and grips.
Pro 16,000 CPI sensor
The new Avago ADNS-S3989 optical sensor used in the Razer DeathAdder Elite gaming mouse allows for a whopping 16,000 CPI.
Pro Comfortable for large hands
With dimensions, 127 mm/5.00” x 70 mm/2.76” x 44 mm/1.73”, DeathAdder is just a bit bigger than an everyday mouse.
Pro Two side buttons in an easily accessible yet unobtrusive position
The two side buttons on this gaming mouse are programmable and have the exact same actuation as the left and right mouse buttons. They are also placed well where they are easy to access but are also unobtrusive.
Pro Reasonably lightweight at 105 grams
At 105 grams, the Razer DeathAdder Elite gaming mouse is reasonably lightweight.
Pro Synapse is well-designed driver software
Synapse can be a useful tool by saving a users setting to the cloud automatically, setting do not need to be remembered upon re-installs or using a friend's PC.
Pro Cable braiding protects it from accidental damage
The DeathAdder Elite gaming mouse has a 2.13m braided cable, that helps prevent kinking, curling and protects the cable prolonging life of mouse.
Pro Left and right-click buttons have a concave that helps fingers stay in place
The concave design of the left and right mouse buttons allows for fingers to stay comfortably in place .
Pro Rubber textured sides that help grip the mouse
Pro 5 Independently programmable buttons
All five buttons on the device are independently programmable with the Synapse software.
Pro 16.8 million customizable color options
The mouse's software allows for a wide selection of solid color options as well as colors that rotate.
Pro Price-quality balance
Not expensive and multi-functional.
Pro High quality
Can survive after been drenched with coffee
Cons
Con Requires signing in and connecting to a server before the mouse can be used to its full potential
To get the latest drivers or edit settings you have to download "synapse" an "online cloud device updater and profile storage" application. You have to register an account with your email and have it running in the background constantly for changes to take effect.
Con Poor build quality
Con Scroll Wheel may stop working
You can look it up on youtube, there's a video which explains how you can fix it but you'll need to physically open up the mouse and void the warranty.
Con Driver for side buttons in not open source
The mouse has two button for thumb control. The driver for the mouse and is not open source and not available for Linux users.
Con Distracting lights, wich can be turned of this can be done trough the Synapse software
Although the lights on the mouse look nice, they may bother or be distracting to some people. If they are too distracting, they can be turned off but that does require proprietary software that many do not like having installed.

Con Software issues
Using Razer Synapse causes slower boot up times as well as forced online sign in to use which is just a cheap attempt at an always online DRM.
Con Middle click dies way too fast
Several users of this mouse have complained that the middle click doesn't last long, in some cases not even 1 year.
Con Rubber coating
Like all of razer's mice, this one has a rubber coating. Which means that it's hard to clean, will drip oil after long period of disuse and generally less comfortable than hard plastic.
Con Rubber textured sides come off.
After prolonged use, the glue used to attach rubber textured sides no longer bind the sides.
Con Requires signing in and connecting to a server before the mouse can be used to its full potential
To get the latest drivers or edit settings, you have to download "synapse", an online cloud device updater and profile storage application. You have to register an account with your email and have it running in the background constantly for changes to take effect.
Con Scroll wheel squeaks
When scrolling using the mouse wheel, an annoying squeaking occurs. Surprisingly, this is a more common complaint than one would think... Google it.
Con Poor build quality, or longevity of product
Often need to get a replacement.
Con Distracting lights
Although the lights on the mouse look nice, they may bother or be distracting to some people. If they are too distracting, they can be turned off but that does require proprietary software that many do not like having installed.
