Add to Chrome
Add to Edge
Add to Firefox
Add to Opera
Add to Brave
Add to SafariWhen comparing Zowie FK1 vs Razer DeathAdder 3.5G, the Slant community recommends Zowie FK1 for most people. In the question“What is the best gaming mouse?” Zowie FK1 is ranked 5th while Razer DeathAdder 3.5G is ranked 52nd. The most important reason people chose Zowie FK1 is:
The standard lift off distance on a cloth mouse pad is 1.5-1.8mm though it will be a bit higher when using a plastic pad being 2.2 - 2.4mm. To enable the plastic pad setting a certain button combination has to be pressed on the gaming mouse itself.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro A low lift-off-distance of about 1.5-1.8mm
The standard lift off distance on a cloth mouse pad is 1.5-1.8mm though it will be a bit higher when using a plastic pad being 2.2 - 2.4mm. To enable the plastic pad setting a certain button combination has to be pressed on the gaming mouse itself.
Pro Excellent 3200 CPI optical sensor
The Zowie FK1 gaming mouse uses an Avago 3310 optical sensor which is regarded as one of the best in the world. It has no built-in acceleration and no angle snapping. It’s practically jitter-less when set at 125 and 500Hz polling rate, and has barely noticeable jitter at 1000Hz.
The Avago 3310 has no native CPI, it is made to have each step of 50 CPI work as well as the previous one. With CPI steps of 400/800/1600/3200 for the FK1, all CPI choices should work equally well.
Pro Can be used by both righties and lefties
The Zowie FK1 gaming mouse uses an ambidextrous design with a wide base for the palm rest.
Pro Comfortable for most grip types
FK1 has a very universal shape and size, making it a safe choice for most people regardless of grip type and hand size. Except for people with large hands who use the palm grip, who may need a larger model of the mouse.
Pro No unnecessary functionality
Zowie has kept the mouse remarkably simple. There's no RGB lighting, adjustable weights, or superfluous buttons that end up only getting in the way. It's plug-and-play and requires no additional software. You can customize only the essential settings such as lift off distance, polling rate, or switch between left or right-handed modes with just a combination of specific button presses.
Pro Ships with a set of replacement feet
The Zowie gaming mouse has an extra pair of mouse feet in the box so users can replace their old ones when the time comes.
Pro Switches have a bit harder press so you don't accidentally kill your teammates
Pro Suitable for lefties
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.
Pro Large thumb buttons don't get in the way of the grip
The DeathAdder has two thumb buttons that are quite large and easy to press without getting in the way of the grip.
Pro Fits the hand naturally with a palm 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.
Pro Comes with a companion software for customised profile creation
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.
Pro Decent sensor, with several DPI options
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.
Pro Surface allows for easy sweat evaporation
The top of the mouse has a hard rubberized finish, which allow sweat to evaporate easily.
Cons
Con Two of the side buttons are unutilized in normal use
While the mouse has four side buttons, only two of them can be used at a time, depending on which hand you are using it with.
Con A bigger model might be needed for large handed people who prefer a palm grip
Due to its short height and the small hump on top of the mouse, it might not be suitable for people with large hands who prefer using a palm grip.
Con Slight lens rattle
There is some lens rattle when you pick up the device and shake it.
Con Only 4 DPI settings
Even though the ADNS-3310 sensor supports DPI settings in increments of 50, the FK1 only lets you choose between 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 DPI.
Con Not quite as comfortable as a non-ambidextrous mouse
Due to its thoroughly ambidextrous design, sometimes the ring and pinky fingers can touch the side buttons. Even though they are deactivated and won’t cause mispresses, they are still not as comfortable as non-ambidextrous designs.
Con DPI switch can't be used on-the-fly
A DPI switch is available, but it's located under the mouse, so it can't be used on-the-fly.
Con Pressing the main buttons may feel tiring after some time
Though it’s usually a matter of preference, the main buttons are a bit harder to press compared to other mice, which some people may find tiring after long periods of use.
Con Cord can break easily
The cheap rubber cord might be prone to breaking easily.
Con DPI switch is located under the mouse, so it can't be used on-the-fly
A DPI switch is available but it's located under the mouse. It cannot be bound to a different function.
Con Old legacy drivers may need to be used to solve acceleration issues
If you encounter some acceleration issues, you may need to replace the Synapse software with the old legacy drivers to eliminate this issue.
Con Mouse feet are too thin and will wear out over time
The mouse feet are really thin and will wear out over time. To avoid this, another set of mouse feet can be placed on top of the old ones to increase their height.
Con To decrease the lift off distance, a work-around needs to be used
Although the lift off distance is quite high at 3.5mm, there is a possible work-around for that (the mouse lacks the ability of changing its value). If you partly cover the sensor with a non transparent tape the lift off distance gets lowered but at the cost of losing a little bit of perfect control speed. You may want to experiment first to achieve your desired performance.
Con Sensor firmware update is essential
In order to make the most out of the S3888 sensor, it’s crucial to have its firmware updated. This eliminates the jitter that’s present without the update. Other than this, it performs quite well.
Con Side surfces feel like they are of inferior quality
The sides are a glossy plastic that feels inferior in quality to the top side.
