INTRODUCTION

   Largely thanks to what i do i get to attend quite a few lanparty/events around Europe (unfortunately time is very limited so i rarely get the chance to travel outside from the EU) most of which are sponsored by manufacturers of gaming related peripherals such as gaming mice, pads, keyboards and headsets. Personally i think it's great that some manufacturers sponsor such events to showcase their products and at the same time support professional teams (at least the ones that have worthy members). I am mentioning all this because the EC1 eVo Gaming Mouse by ZOWIE GEAR we have here with us today was developed by HeatoN (Emil Christensen) a legendary Counter Strike professional player (used to participate in small tournaments up to 2002 myself).

   ZOWIE GEAR is an innovative manufacturer of competitive gaming gear, founded late 2008 with a mission to develop the best competitive gaming gear available. We are not limited by shareholders telling us what we can or cannot do. We are a free-minded company consisting of experienced and creative individuals, united in ZOWIE on a common ground; our passion for gaming. No boundaries. No compromises. Just gaming. ZOWIE GEAR has no ambition to become the biggest manufacturer of competitive gaming gear. We just want to be the best. If we can develop products that will increase a gamers performance by just 1%, we will do it. This is our mentality.

   I was caught off guard when i learned that Emil left ZOWIE GEAR earlier this month to further pursue his dream and re-launch Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP - his own professional CS team). Certainly everyone's entitled to their own opinion and actions and we all have our reasons but i feel that having people like Emil in key positions all around the gaming industry can benefit gamers (and people in general) all around the globe quite a lot so yes i was a bit surprised. Now regarding the EC1 eVo gaming mouse by ZOWIE GEAR well i can't really say that i was surprised from its specifications sheet mostly because with so many 6000-8000DPI gaming mice around it's somewhat hard to understand why both ZOWIE and Emil decided to use an 2300DPI optical sensor. That was my initial thoughts, however a gaming mouse is much more than just its DPI (dots per inch) so read on to find out just how well the EC1 eVo gaming mouse compares against other units with many times its speed.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

ZOWIE GEAR packs the EC1 eVo gaming mouse inside a classic box from which you can see the unit prior to purchasing it.

On the right side of the box ZOWIE GEAR informs you on how you can adjust the report rate without the use of software.

The unit features and specifications are listed in 2 languages on the left side.

Both the specifications and features of the EC1 eVo are placed at the rear in 5 languages right next to a picture of Emil (HeatoN).

A large ZOWIE GEAR silver case badge/sticker and two replacement glide feet are placed in the box along with the EC1 eVo gaming mouse.

THE EC1 EVO BLACK

The EC1 eVo features a nice rubber coating for the best possible grip and measures 128mm in length, 43mm in height and 70mm in width while weighing 97g.

Compared to the medium sized Sensei MLG the EC1 eVo is slightly larger so i wouldn't recommend it for people with small hands.

Two large (compared to the ones of other units) thumb buttons are placed at the left side of the unit.

A large ZOWIE GEAR logo is placed at the rear (unfortunately it's not illuminated).

The right side of the EC1 eVo is designed for improved grip (no pinky button).

ZOWIE GEAR has optimized the scrolling wheel by using an optical encoder instead of a regular mechanical one (it's illuminated and feels great but not that different compared to others).

Unlike other gaming mice the EC1 eVo comes with two rubber glides (instead of the usual 3) which take almost 20% of the entire bottom surface.

The optical sensor is placed at the center and right next to it we see the DPI adjustment button (3 increments).

The EC1 eVo features a 2 meter cable and a plain USB connector.

Only the scroll wheel changes colors when you adjust the DPI speed via the base button (red: 450DPI, purple: 1150DPI, blue: 2300DPI).

CONCLUSION

   After using the EC1 eVo gaming mouse by ZOWIE GEAR for almost 10 days mainly with Borderlands 2 and the beta of Planetside 2 i have mostly good things to say about it. The good is that it's very accurate, quite fast (surprised to be honest since 2300DPI is not what I’d call fast), glides very well, all of the buttons are very responsive and has one of the best grips I’ve ever encountered with a gaming mouse (largely thanks to its rubber coating and design) so if your hands are medium to large then you may not be able to find something equally good. The only downside i can think is that it comes with a regular cable meaning it may not last as much as other gaming mice with double braided ones and it lacks a pinky button which is not really that important. Now in the beginning i didn't quite understand as to why ZOWIE GEAR and Emil didn't opt for a faster optical sensor (even 4000DPI would be great) but after using the EC1 eVo i really have no problem with that.

   Specifications aside price is always an very important factor when deciding on a product and so the EC1 eVo currently retails for a price tag of USD54.99 inside the USA (Amazon) and 59.90Euros inside the EU (Caseking) which is quite fair considering what this gaming mouse has to offer. Let's put everything on the table shall we? The EC1 eVo requires no drivers, is fast, accurate, has an excellent grip, very good glide, high quality scroll wheel and buttons and comes with a pair of extra replacement glide pads. What more can one ask for from a sub USD60/60Euros gaming mouse? True I’d really like to see an gold plated USB plug (i think it adds to the overall image of a product) and a faster optical sensor (for more demanding gamers) but that's just me and so since i really enjoyed using the EC1 eVo (and it did score me a few kills i wouldn't with another one) it receives our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Switches/Scroll Wheel)
- Design (Grip)
- Surprisingly Fast And Accurate
- Size (Medium/Large Hands)
- Driverless
- Replacement Glide Pads

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Plain Cable/USB Plug
- 2300DPI Optical Sensor (Works Great But Wouldn’t Hurt To Have The Extra Power)