Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse (3389 sensor)

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Hi

I just picked up a Microsoft pro Intellimouse for about 350rmb, or about 51usd. This is my first review so please bear with me :^). 

 

First a little bit of history...
The Microsoft Intellimouse series was introduced in mid-1996 and the most well known and famous variant is perhaps the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 which was revered among gamers for its good shape and decent performance, this mouse is the mouse which the Microsoft Classic Pro IntelliMouse is based on. The IntelliMouse 3.0 shape was brought back in 2018 with the Intellimouse Classic, but it came with a Microsoft blue trac sensor which although was great for tracking on different surfaces was not so great for gaming, around this time there was a "Pro" version which included a 16k DPI Pixart 3389 sensor that was only released on the Chinese market with rgb and almost double the price tag. Recently the mouse was brought to the US market and will be available for 59usd. 
 

Specs:
Sensor: 100-16K DPI PixArt PAW 3389
Colours: White to Silver Gradient or Grey to Darker Grey Gradient. 
Finish: (Somewhat slippery) Rubber sides, semi-matte plastic 
Switches: 

Left & Right: Omron D2FC-F-7N 20M (white stem)

Middle: Kailh White Microswitch

Side buttons: Light Grey/White Kailh Microswitch
Wheel: Some sort of mechanical encoder, TTC Black? 
Cable:

2M Long Black, Braided (Not very flexible, and prone to fraying) 

RGB: Rear RGB Underglow
Software: Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Centre
Weight: Around 105G
Shape: Right Handed, Large, Palm/Hybrid Grip
 

Packaging 

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Nothing too special to see here, the mouse comes in a paper box with a few pieces of paperwork. The cable is somewhat folded which can cause the cable to develop bends and creases at certain areas, Logitech's way of wrapping the cable around the box is a much superior solution in my opinion. 

Build Quality: 
The mouse is built very well, and the finish is very nice, there is a minimal rattle. The mouse feels like its worth a lot more than its 50-60usd price tag. However, there are some areas where there could need improvement. Firstly the cable, the cable is branded and is not very flexible and is also prone to fraying after long periods of use, a mouse bungee can somewhat resolve this issue. Second, the mouse feet are pretty bad, they're a bit scratchy and sometimes catches on my mousepad (Right now I'm using the Artisan FX HAYATE OTSU). 8.5/10

 

 

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Switches: 
The switches are fine, Omron D2FC switches are a bit too light for my taste, and I much prefer the more rounded and softer feeling of the Omron D2F-01F switches or the Heavy clicks of Huano switches. The middle button is quite easy to press in compared to other mice, and the scroll wheel feels decent but not great. My only issues are with the side buttons which have a weird shape to them especially the back button, which makes them a bit hard to press in and often requires your thumb back to press the back button, it would be nice if they extruded the back button a bit. I also wish there was a physical dpi switch, somewhere on the mouse. 8/10

Sensor & Tracking:
The PAW 3389 is a sensor originally developed for Razer by PixArt but recently more and more mice manufacture have been using it (Namely Dream Machine, HyperX and now Microsoft). It has adjustable DPI from 100 to 16 000 in increments of 50, Polling rate is 125, 500 or 1000hz. Tracking is excellent as you would expect, does not spin out, no sensor rattle, and no noticeable acceleration or deceleration. Tracking on this mouse is flawless. 10/10

Size and Shape:
It is a large, right-handed mouse with a shape that somewhat resembles that of an EC1B with the right side of the mouse resembling that of the Steel Series Rival 310. here it is compared to my GPW: YMMV, for me its a bit on the large size, but still quite comfortable, but again my hands are super tiny.

 

 

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Software: 
This mouse uses Microsoft mouse and keyboard centre, in which you can adjust the DPI, Polling rate, angle snapping, Rgb, etc. The software is quite intuitive and clean, my only issue with it is there not being an option to type in your dpi, the slider is quite difficult and slow to use. 9/10
 

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Design: 

It all comes down to personal preference but I think the mouse looks pretty dang good, I really like the silver gradient colour and the simple design of the mouse. The RGB is not overdone and accents the mouse pretty well. 10/10

 

Conclusion: 
For 59USD this mouse is a very good buy, it has excellent tracking and build quality. If you're looking for a large right-handed gaming mouse for under this is a very good option, as long as you don't mind the weight. 

Pros:
Great Value
Great Sensor
Great Build Quality 
Decent Switches
Intuitive Software 

Cons:
Bad Cable
Bad Mouse Feet
Weak RGB game (if you care about it)