INTRODUCTION

    Modern gaming mice have become showcases of sensor engineering, RF optimization, and power‑management design. Wireless performance has also improved dramatically through refined 2.4GHz protocols, better shielding, and more efficient microcontrollers, bringing response times extremely close to wired operation. Equally important is battery architecture, high‑efficiency MCU platforms, adaptive polling logic, and ultra‑low‑drain sleep states allow premium mice to sustain 1000–8000Hz wireless polling for days rather than hours. What was once a trade‑off between freedom and fidelity has become a mature, highly optimized ecosystem. It’s within this landscape of mature wireless performance and week‑long battery endurance that be quiet! steps in with their brand-new Dark Perk Ergo and Dark Perk Sym gaming mice, two fresh contenders aiming to bring the brand’s engineering philosophy into the competitive mouse space.

    We are the German premium brand manufacturer of quiet hardware components for gaming, workstations and desktop PCs. Since our foundation in 2001, we are proud to have more than 20 years of experience in the industry. Our goal from the very beginning has been to develop products of the highest quality that are not only quiet, but also extremely powerful. With a wide range of power supplies, PC cases, water and air coolers and fans, we have established ourselves as a leading manufacturer in this field.

    Both Dark Perk models share the same high‑end internal platform, built around the PixArt PAW3950 sensor with a maximum 32000DPI, 8000Hz wireless polling, optical primary Omron Optical switches (D2FP-FN2), 2.4GHz RF wireless connection and ultralight 55-56g chassis that glide on 100% PTFE skates. They deliver up to 100-110 hours of battery life (1000Hz polling), supported by efficient RF design and low‑power firmware, and integrate with be quiet! IO Center for full customization. Where they diverge is in their intended user, the Dark Perk Ergo uses a sculpted, right‑handed ergonomic shell designed for players who want palm support, natural wrist alignment, and long‑session comfort, ideal for FPS and general gaming where stability matters. The Dark Perk Sym, on the other hand with its fully symmetrical shape, targets competitive players who prefer agility, fingertip or claw grip styles, and a balanced feel that works equally well for left‑ and right‑handed users. Together, they cover both ergonomic and ambidextrous preferences without compromising on the shared performance foundation.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

For both models be quiet! uses black boxes that have a product picture, their logo and the model name at the front.

The product specifications are printed at the rear.

As far as packaging goes, I think this is sufficient.

Each box contains the Dark Perk wireless gaming mouse, 1.8 meter long braided USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, 2.4GHz RF wireless dongle, replacement PTFE feet and the user manual.

THE DARK PERK ERGO & SYM

As with most wireless gaming mice today the 2.4GHz wireless dongle is tiny, even compared to the USB-C to USB-A adapter.

The black and orange braided cable is a nice touch by be quiet!.

The Dark Perk Sym model measures 123mm in length, 66mm in width and 39mm in height and weighs 56g (notice how the front is angled slightly towards the left).

On the other hand, the Ergo model measures 120mm in length, 66mm in width and 40mm in height and weighs 55g.

Both mice have two configurable buttons on the left side (LED indicator just over the rear button).

They also have the same primary buttons and the same rubberized clickable scroll wheel.

The USB-C charging/FW update port is located just under the primary buttons.

Turning both mice around we see that the base is perforated and of course the sensor, on/off switch and the DPI mode button (5 modes).

Be quiet! obviously focused on performance and grip so neither of these two mice stands out much (if at all really).

IO CENTER SOFTWARE

Once you install the software and plug the braided cable with the adapter and the dongle onto your PC it will detect whether not a new firmware is available (if it is you will need to connect the mouse and the dongle with your PC).

The IO Center software detects and lists compatible devices on the initial tab.

From the first screen of the software you can configure/remap buttons with actions and create macros.

Second screen allows the end user to set the DPI levels for each of the 5 available modes.

Inside the settings screen you'll be able to manually check for new firmware updates, set the polling rate, enable power saving mode, adjust sensor sensitivity, click speed and button response time, set lift-off distance, enable/disable features like angle snapping, ripple control and motion sync and adjust the time for the sleep function.

IO CENTER WEB

You can perform all functions of the IO Center software online from the IO Center Web (minus mouse sensitivity and click speed).

CONCLUSION

     In the end, both Dark Perk models show that be quiet! approached its first gaming mice with a clear engineering agenda, clean, purpose driven design, a top tier sensor platform, and power efficiency that supports real world use. The PAW3950 sensor by PixArt delivers the kind of raw accuracy, motion stability, and high‑speed tracking that competitive players expect, and the 8000Hz wireless polling option gives both mice the responsiveness needed for fast, micro‑adjustment heavy gameplay. Their 55/56g chassis designs, ergonomic for the Ergo and symmetrical for the Sym, ensure that the sensor’s performance isn’t held back by fatigue or grip limitations (alas they may be just a tad small for some people). And while battery life will always be a limiting factor for wireless hardware during my tests, I found that be quiet! is mostly accurate with their reporting (over 90 hours at 1000Hz polling), at the same time however going to 8000Hz cuts the advertised number to roughly half. Overall, both the Dark Perk Ergo and Sym land as confident first entries, technically solid, thoughtfully shaped, and built around a sensor and battery system that can keep up with modern competitive demands.

    Currently both the Dark Perk Ergo and Sym Wireless Gaming Mice by be quiet! retail for 99.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is honestly set higher than what I was expecting (always compared to the competition). At the end of the day both Dark Perk wireless gaming mice are very good at what they were designed to do and even though you may find models with better specifications for less things like build quality and support also matter which is why both are getting our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- PixArt PAW3950 (Speed / Accuracy)
- 8kHz Wireless Rate
- Battery Life (Up To 110 Hours)
- Design / Fit / Weight
- Silent Primary Buttons (Omron Optical)
- IO Center Software / Web

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Small Size (For Some)