INTRODUCTION

   As most of you know Game of Thrones Season 3 aired 2 days ago and so after watching the first episode i still can't figure out why game developers have still to make an RTS based on the series. Sure it would take some time for someone to actually make a good RTS based on the series but since the storyline is already done and the landscape is also ready (based on the intro map) so why not? A 3rd person RPG based on the series was released last year and we did end up playing it but that's an experience I’d rather forget all together if possible (yes it was that bad). Luckily as things are now we have quite a few single and MMO FPS (First Person Shooter) games and since we are currently spending quite a few hours per day on some of them we decided to test the SHRIKE HL2 gaming mouse designed and manufactured by a brand new player on the block called Tesoro.

   Tesoro Technology USA Inc, a team of U.S.A gaming enthusiasts. With the objective of designing unique products specially catered to the gamers. We focused on PC gaming and our mission is to create products with better design, increase and reach for peak performances. In the recent years the gaming industry has developed into the ultra-competitive market that we see today. While we are still a relatively young company, established in 2011. Tesoro will continue to strive for the best and continuously evaluate our performance against the very best of the best. Tesoro could not exist without the gaming community who inspire us to excel in the design and production of our award winning gear. As a gamers company, we will continues to expand into new horizons and push the limits further with each product unveiling. We Strive to develop innovative cutting edge computer gaming peripherals to help improve your gaming experience. We maximize our ability to meet the needs of the fast changing PC gaming industry.

   The SHRIKE may be one of the first attempts by Tesoro in their way to try and take over a segment of the gaming peripherals market but it's actually quite good in both in terms of specifications and overall build quality. To be more specific the SHRIKE gaming mouse features an very fast 5600DPI laser sensor (adjustable in 5 increments), 8 fully programmable buttons, 1000MHz polling rate, 128kb of onboard memory, adjustable weight system (35g extra), LED illumination and a total of 40 possible macro configurations through 5 different mapping sets/profiles. Granted these are not breathtaking specifications and we have seen better quite a few times in the past but for a first try by a brand new manufacturer these are actually better than we had hoped. How do all of these translate in real world usage however is a whole different story and so as usual follow us as we try to find out exactly that.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Tesoro used a purple colored box with a large clear plastic cut and the specifications of the unit at the front.

The specifications list is placed on the right side of the box.

At the left side we see the system requirements and contents of the bundle.

As expected at the rear we find the specifications list in 9 languages right beneath a product picture and an image from the control panel.

Inside the box you will find the SHRIKE laser gaming mouse, weight box, software CD, user’s manual, quickstart guide and a brochure.

THE SHRIKE H2L

The SHRIKE is a medium sized gaming mouse measuring 124.6mm in length, 75.1mm in width and 42mm in height and weighing 126g. Design wise it may not be the best looking gaming mouse out there but thanks to the aluminum brushed finish look at the top (it's actually plastic) and the rubber coated thumb and pinky grips it's very comfortable.

There are two secondary programmable buttons on the left side right above the large rubberized grip area.

Two more programmable buttons are placed on the edge of the primary button.

The Tesoro logo is placed at the rear of the mouse (good/evil sides of a face much like Yin and Yang).

A single DPI selection button is placed at the top right above the scroll wheel.

The entire right area is rubberized for improved grip.

The scroll wheel doubles as a middle button.

The SHRIKE features a single braided cable and a gold plated USB connector, not bad for a first attempt.

Turning the mouse over we see three large Teflon feet.

The SHRIKE is actually using the Avago 9500 5600DPI laser sensor which has an image processing of up to 11.750fps, tracking speed of up to 150ips and up to 30g of acceleration.

Right next to the laser sensor we see the profile selection button and a small weight compartment.

The weight compartment has room for all 4 of the bundled weights.

Tesoro bundles a total of 4 weights, three 10g each and one 5g.

By placing all 5 weights on the tray the SHRIKE now weighs a little bit over 160g.

CONTROL PANEL

The control software bundled with the SHRIKE may not look on par with the design of the mouse but it's very easy to use.

So from within the control panel you can assign functions to all of the 8 buttons and the scroll wheel, create new macros, set the illumination colors corresponding to each of the 5 available profiles, adjust the 5 different DPI selection increments, set the polling rate, configure the liftoff distance setting and of course save each configuration on one of the 5 onboard profile slots.

Unfortunately the LED illumination of the SHRIKE is less than satisfactory and although Tesoro has released an updated version the illumination is just slightly improved.

CONCLUSION

   It's very rare for us to receive an input device like a gaming mouse designed and manufactured by a brand new company that actually ends up impressing us with its performance but that's exactly what happened with the SHRIKE. We ended up testing it for little over 6 days with games like PlanetSide 2, Aliens Colonial Marines, Bioshock Infinite and Crysis 3 but right from the start it felt right at home although when we shot pictures of it we were a bit worried that it wouldn't due to its design. The Avago 9500 5600DPI laser sensor may not be the fastest around but it's very accurate and responsive even when playing very fast passed MMO games like PlanetSide 2 (largely thanks to the rubberized grips and disabled angle snapping by default). Having the option to increase the weight of the SHRIKE is a nice addition although even by default the mouse is quite balanced. The only real downside for people who care about such things is the LED illumination which you can hardly see but that's not a feature i personally care much about especially when the rest of the mouse works as it should.

   With a current price tag set at USD49.99 inside the USA (Purchase Directly from Amazon.com) and at around 49Euros inside the EU the SHRIKE H2L by Tesoro is amongst the very few sub-USD50/50Euros solutions in the market today that you should really consider purchasing. True the illumination could be a lot better and the same can be said about the control panel but in the end its performance thanks to the Avago 9500 laser sensor along with the large number features more than just make up for that. So if you are scouting the web in search of a gaming mouse that can help you dominate the battlefield without emptying your wallet then the SHRIKE laser gaming mouse by Tesoro should be amongst the first ones on your list and that's also why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Overall)
- Design
- Very Fast & Accurate (5600DPI/Avago 9500)
- 8 Buttons
- Up To 5 Onboard Profiles
- Weight Adjustment System (+35g)
- Braided Cable/ Gold Plated USB Connector
- Price (For Some) 

CONS

- Illumination Could Be Better
- Control Panel Design