When comparing Roccat Kone XTD vs Razer DeathAdder 3.5G, the Slant community recommends Roccat Kone XTD for most people. In the question“What is the best gaming mouse?” Roccat Kone XTD is ranked 17th while Razer DeathAdder 3.5G is ranked 52nd. The most important reason people chose Roccat Kone XTD is:
Like all Roccat devices there are Linux drivers available, making for a good choice for Linux users who want to retain the control of the setting of their mouse.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Good Linux drivers
Like all Roccat devices there are Linux drivers available, making for a good choice for Linux users who want to retain the control of the setting of their mouse.
Pro Good build quality
The weight and feel, feels solid and not cheap, the scroll wheel is silent when being used and there is zero button rattle. All this makes for a nicely feeling mouse that feels like the price paid.
Pro Good for an ergonomic palm grip
For those that enjoy an ergonomic grip device, the Kone XTD is a good choice since it allows ones whole hand to rest on the device easily and comfortably.
Pro Good weight due to adjustability
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 No Linux support
Con Button in front of scroll wheel is awkwardly placed
The button in the front of the scroll wheel is difficult to press when holding the mouse normally, while it is always nice to have more options of programmable buttons, the placement makes it difficult to use as ones grip will need ot be changes, which takes time off of other actions that one may need to perform.
Con Sticky light strip plastic
The plastic used for the light strip on the device tends to stick to ones skin, which can make moving ones hand feel odd.
Con Ostentatious logo
While not really visible when using the mouse, the logo on it may be off putting to some who want a sleek looking work desk as well as worthwhile gaming mouse.
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.