Model:  X-710

Manufacturer:  A4Tech

Provider:  A4Tech

Reviewed By:  Tom

Review Date:  12/05/05

Software

The X710’s software package seems to mimic the standard Windows Mouse Properties applet, with the addition of a few pages. The software is very complete and will allow customization of almost every aspect of the 710’s performance. The CD also includes A4 Tech’s Mice Judge software, which I’ll cover on the next page.

Performance

One interesting item that A4 Tech has developed with this mouse is the Mice Judge software. This turned out to be my number one disappointment with this mouse. My first problem is that Mice Judge uses one (1) driver for every mouse. If that’s not stacking the deck, I’m not sure what is. Second, after both Miguel and I ran an extensive lineup of high performance mice at this program, I don’t see any correlation with the scores and the mouse’s overall performance. Here is a chart outlining how Mice Judge lined up our test subjects…both Miguel and I ran the Diamondback Plasma and got the same score on separate systems, so we assume that these numbers will match up.

Chart from the Raptor M2 run

**click to enlarge**

For instance, the highest scoring mice in the lineup are not the X710, but the much maligned Rapter-Gaming M2 and the Logisys Curve Mouse. Remember, the Raptor is the mouse that was famously exposed to be using an 800 dpi chip in a supposedly 2400 dpi mouse, producing a rather skip-prone result. To have this mouse and the X710 get even close is a totally unfair, as the X7 is actually a very solid performer. The highly praised Razer Diamondback and the ultra accurate MX1000 were given poor marks, as was the Optorite M-101. If you wish, you can head over to A4 Tech’s website and run a few of your favorite mice through the gauntlet as well and see what you think…but I’ll stand by my assessment. Feel free to fire away in the forum!

I took the X710 for a complete shakedown all the way through Far Cry at the Realistic level. One thing Far Cry will reward you for is accuracy…the more Merc heads you can hit, the faster they go down and the fewer rounds flying in your direction. The X7 was an excellent mouse for this, and the dpi shifting also worked seamlessly in-game. The shift button itself is small enough to prevent the accidental bumps that would happen with the Raptor-Gaming M2, although I personally still don’t like the placement much.

The six Teflon feet make for a smooth ride, and I didn’t have any real complaints about the layout of the side buttons…they’re much more usable than the ones on the Diamondback. The slightly textured sides also made hanging on to the X7 really easy. The X710 is just a touch smaller and shorter than the Razer Diamondback, and is not quite as tall as the MX1000. If you have smaller hands and don’t like the feel of those two mice, you may want to give the X710 a try.
 

Next: Conclusions