Reviewed: The Cooler Master Inferno

Buying a mouse can be a very finicky process, especially if you are gamer. They have been a source of debate since the beginning of time and will be for eons. Manufacturers have to consider hand sizes, grips and other preferences when building a gaming mouse - and it looks like Cooler Master have managed to hit the sweet spot.

Cooler Master’s ‘Inferno’ is the company’s second foray into the gaming mouse arena, and is targeted at FPS and MMORPG gamers. The list of features includes a 4000 DPI sensor, 9 programmable buttons and a Rapid Fire and Tactics Multiplier key for macro output. For a complete run down of the specs, take a look below:

• 4000 DPI Storm Tactical Twin laser sensor
• 128KB Sentinel-X Memory
• Ergonomic Design
• 11 Button Output
• 9 Programmable Buttons
• 1000Hz Polling
• 1ms Response Time
• Rapid Fire Tactical key
• Storm MacroPro Key
• Storm Tactics Key
• Lift-off distance of 2mm
• Full Speed USB
• Gold-plated USB Connector
• Approx. size in mm: (W) 80X (H) 135 X (D) 40 mm
• Net Weight:161.5 g
• Form Factor: Right Hand Ergonomic

With the features and specs taken care of, lets move on to the review.

Design and Build Quality:
Although the Inferno looks very imposing, it is smaller than many of the gaming mice available out there. The mouse has a curvy design and the sides are rubberized, which allows your hand to rest at a comfortable position and lets you game for extended amounts of time without tiring out. The various buttons on the Inferno are well placed, so it doesn’t require you to play finger twister to activate them.

Once powered up, your DPI settings are displayed by a very handy LED indicator, while a button in the centre shows you via 3 LED lights which profile has been activated. The lower half of the mouse features the orange Inferno logo and looks quite awesome. But the only issue I had with its design is that it was crafted with right handed users in mind. So, all you left handed gamers may have to look somewhere else for your fix.

Cooler Master has made no compromises with regards to build quality. The Inferno has a very solid feel to it, with no squeaks or flexing of the plastic bits. To test out the ruggedness of the mouse, we dropped it on our table from a height of 15 inches. What we heard was a reassuring “THUD”, not a hollow "Clank” which would indicate a very flimsy build quality.