O-Sense
INTRODUCTION
Most gamers and professionals who require both speed and accuracy always focus in getting the best available mouse money can buy but always or at least most of the time they don't focus nearly as much in getting an equally good mousepad (glide surface). To be honest with you i used to be like that up until around 6 years ago when i first got two Razer ExactMat aluminum mousepads one of which is still "alive" and kicking (quite tough). Now for the past 5 or so months I’ve been gathering pretty much every single gaming oriented mousepad i can find in the market in an effort to see which offers the best bang for your buck and today after all these months of testing i can finally release this comparison. The products as clearly stated on the title are quite many so before you head to the next page you may want to take a look at the available information for each of the participating companies.
To test all 22 pads i spend at least 6-9 days using each of them with both the SteelSeries Sensei and the ROCCAT Kone [+] gaming mice while playing games and performing normal everyday tasks. Also although initially this comparison was going to be about 25 pads and not 22 i had to remove 3 of them since they arrived here in bad shape. Finally as always i gave my best but since this has been an extremely time consuming project (especially for a single person) some pads may have received a more in-depth look compared to others, however this was in no way intended on my part. Also I’m aware that some of you may not like my personal conclusions/opinion but do remember that reviews/comparisons like this one can never be the same as reviews in which we can actually measure the performance of a product. Bottom line i really hope you all enjoy reading it cause it really took a long time and effort to complete.
ABOUT ALUGRAPHICS
For more than 40 years Sommer has stood for innovative ideas, comprehensive know-how and perfect realization in product labeling and advertising technology. Our developers and manufacturing specialists work in these areas with active dedication for highest quality and innovative product and manufacturing possibilities, with the aim of recognizing market demands at an early stage and realizing these with convincing solutions. Against this background, with alugraphics® we have achieved an outstanding and entirely new technological development, opening hitherto unimagined product and design worlds. With alugraphics® we set new standards in brilliance and design of aluminium surfaces.
ABOUT CM STORM
Owning the PC trenches for almost two decades, Cooler Master ’s veterans present their scars from battles past as claims of triumph over the competition. United with a new generation of eSports athletes and engineers, now marching under the flag of CM Storm, the time has come to reveal truly ground-breaking, military grade hardware for the gaming revolution. Through long-standing research programs, CM Storm is co-developed with the world’s most prolific enthusiasts and eSports prodigies. Thanks to intensive testing and continuous feedback, the CM Storm division has been able to encompass and improve upon gamers’ needs and their tough to handle scenarios. By working directly with the gaming community we have injected our Storm Tactics into each and every product we make. Storm Tactics, with a heavily dedicated focus on Strength, Security and Control, will keep your most vital gear fortified and well-tuned at all times. 2008 marks a new era for Cooler Master, as its fierce Storm Gear stands ready at bay to mobilize and back up your gaming skills.
ABOUT COREPAD
Corepad is a manufacturer of “gaming” surfaces and replacement mouse feet, selling in various countries as of 2003. At this moment Corepad has many different surfaces on the market and do have the most models of replacement mouse feet around the world. All Corepad products are developed in co-operation with professional users to ensure the best performance and durability.
ABOUT ZOWIE GEAR
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 gamer’s performance by just 1%, we will do it. This is our mentality.
ABOUT MAD CATZ
Mad Catz is a leading global provider of innovative products for the interactive entertainment industry. Mad Catz develops and markets accessories for videogame systems and PCs under its Mad Catz (casual gaming), Saitek (simulation), Cyborg (pro gaming), Eclipse (home and office) and TRITTON (gaming audio) brands. Mad Catz also operates e-commerce and content websites for videogame and PC products under its GameShark brand, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary earphones under its AirDrives brand and publishes and distributes video/PC games. Mad Catz distributes its products through most of the leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
ABOUT MIONIX
Stars have always been important to every culture or ideology. In many regions they were also identified with gods, spirits, mysticism and priests by their people. Stars have been used in religious practices but even for navigation for hundreds of years. Many stars and even our sun have their own myths and the most prominent stars were also given powerful names. In some cultures stars were thought to be the souls of dead kings and gods. Just like many prominent stars, our products have their own myths, characteristics and capabilities. This is why we give our products names after the most prominent stars and this is why stars are important to our culture and ideology. Our goal from the very start is to develop quality products with an original design. It is also very important to us that we develop innovative products with unique features that users all over the world can identify themselves with. We love our work and Mionix will always stay true to gaming. Our products is not only the result of hard work, it is also our shared vision and a deep passion for what we do.
ABOUT NEWERTECH
Since 1984, Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech) has been recognized as the leading developer of performance upgrades and accessories for Macintosh and PC computers, iPods, iPhones, and iPads. NewerTech is headquartered in Woodstock, Illinois. NewerTech features a wide variety of the tech solutions consumers need, including: external storage solutions; NuPower replacement batteries for select Apple laptops; the NuRam line of memory upgrades; the Voyager line of docking solutions for data transfer; an extensive line of products for the Apple iPad, including the GripStand Station, for charging and syncing up to 8 iPad or iPad 2 units simultaneously; and the NewerTech Power2U, the only safe and fully UL-Listed in-wall solution for conveniently powering and charging USB devices at home. NewerTech continues in its mission to provide consumers with the tech solutions they need, backed by the quality, value, and dependability they have come to expect.
ABOUT ROCCAT
ROCCAT is the snow storm to the gaming industry. Everything called gaming before needs to be redefined. You will enter a world in which three attributes will keep you on the right path: alliance, independence and truth. DO IT YOUR OWN WAY AND DON'T TALK SHIT – this is the statement ROCCAT follows. The ROCCATEERS can be found all over the world. And it was a revelation which led them together to energize the crucial benefit. The lake Inari long kept the secret our ROCCAT scientists call "Aimo". With every ROCCAT tool you will more and more internalize its Energy. Become part of our alliance.
ABOUT STEELSERIES
From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making professional gaming gear that provide meaningful benefits to gamers of all skill-level, with the most demanding being those gamers whose lively hood depends on the performance of our products. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying! What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge. Fast-forward to today, and we've come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!
ABOUT TTESPORTS
Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. we do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success.
ABOUT QPAD
QPAD built its success on a grassroots commitment to the gaming community. Like you, we thrive in the madness of competition and embrace the free spirit of gaming. Our sponsorship of the Q Tour, communities, cups, tournaments, teams and LAN parties reflects this commitment. The knowledge we’ve gained has fed into our development of high quality products that have a great performance and given many a winning edge.
THE ALUGRAPHICS GAMERPRO BASIC
The first mousepad i had the chance to test is the gamerPro (basic size) by Alugraphics, one of the rather new companies in the field.
I was surprised to see that Alugraphics packs their own mouse feet with the gamerPro which they recommend you use for the best possible mouse gliding experience.
Aluminum pads have always been my favorite mainly because they are very durable and you can easily clean them if you drop coffee on them. The gamerPro basic measures 310mm in length, 230mm in width and just 0.8mm in height.
Some may think that the basic size offers a small surface are but that's not the case as you can see from the above picture.
With just 0.8mm height and a surrounding area which seems to be diamond cut the gamerPro looks and feels great.
The rear of the gamer pro features a nice anti-glide coating which worked flawlessly during testing since not even once did the pad move.
CONCLUSION
It didn't take long for me to get attached to the Alugraphics gamerPro Basic pad not only because i always liked aluminum pads but also because it provides excellent precision and speed/glide regardless with which mouse you use. Even when lifted several millimeters both mice still worked without issue. Size-wise even the basic version offers plenty of surface but i think the XL version would be best for professionals and hardcore gamers. The only issue i found during testing is that the aluminum surface is very soft (compared to other aluminum pads) and so in just 9 days of use we placed two dents on it (however we've been using it since then with our 3rd system and we've seen no more).
THE CM STORM CS-S BATTLE PAD H2
CM Storm sent quite a few of their pads including the mainstream Battle Pad H2.
The Battle Pad H2 is your typical cloth pad measuring 260mm in length, 210mm in width and 2mm in height.
Unfortunately the surface area offered is quite small especially for large gaming mice like the Hellion.
Because of their material cost-effective cloth pads like the Battle Pad H2 are almost impossible to clean without ruining them.
At the rear of the Battle Pad H2 CM Storm has placed a nice anti-glide surface which actually worked well during testing.
CONCLUSION
Unfortunately although the Battle Pad H2 proved to be somewhat accurate in terms of tracking its small surface ruined the entire feeling while the materials used are not what I’d call very durable. Still if you're on a very tight budget and you don't plan on keeping the pad for a long period of time then you might want to take a look at the Battle Pad H2.
THE CM STORM HS-M BATTLE PAD SSK
I was glad to see that CM Storm also sent their high-end alloy/polypropylene coated pads like the HS-M Battle Pad SSK.
This impressive pad measures 350mm in length, 260mm in width and 4mm in height.
The HS-M Battle Pad SSK is quite large and should be sufficient even for hardcore gamers.
You can easily see the top alloy coating and the bottom material from the above picture. 4mm in height is not much but it's still one of the thickest pads in this comparison.
The anti-glide material used at the rear of the pad is very good and so the pad didn't even move an inch during use.
CONCLUSION
Certainly one of the best mouse pads in this comparison largely thanks to its large surface and alloy coating which allowed both the Sensei and Kone[+] to perform flawlessly both in games and with normal everyday use. Tracking was precise and both gaming units were able to function even when lifted quite a few millimeters off. My only problem with the HS-M Battle Pad SSK was its thickness which if you have a small desk will make it a bit hard to place part of it beneath your keyboard (like i have to do).
THE CM STORM HS-M WEAPON OF CHOICE M4 SSK
Just like the HS-M Battle Pad SSK the Weapon of Choice M4 SSK also features the same alloy coating for improved glide.
The design however is quite different and so although the Weapon Of Choice M4 SSK measures 350mm in length, 260mm in width and 4mm in height it doesn't offer the same surface area as the Battle Pad SSK.
Still the weird design may appeal to some people and the provided surface area should be more than enough for most gamers out there.
The alloy/polypropylene layers are very easy to spot (1/3mm).
Since the M4 SSK pad is virtually the same as the Battle Pad SSK at the rear it features the same anti-glide material.
CONCLUSION
A very good mouse pad with one of the best surfaces in this comparison (just like the Battle Pad SSK) providing excellent tracking accuracy and speed, however the strange design and the 4mm height are the two things i didn't enjoy while testing it and since you can opt for the Battle Pad SSK i see no reason in choosing the M4 SSK, unless of course you are drawn to its special design.
THE COREPAD CERRO LARGE
Corepad is perhaps the latest manufacturer in the field offering a large range of pads from small ones up to gigantic ones. As you can see their packaging needs some improving (don't know if the retail product is shipped the same way) but the pad arrived here without issue.
The Cerro pad comes in 3 sizes, medium, large and xxxl. Today with us we have the large version which measures 425mm in length, 285mm in width and 4mm in height and thus it will not take up your entire desk.
This cloth pad offers enough surface area for even dual monitor use.
Although Corepad is a new player i have to say that the quality of the Cerro is above what i'd expect and just as good as what we see from the leading manufacturers.
Because of its size the Cerro large wouldn't move an inch even if it didn't feature a layer of anti-glide material at the rear.
CONCLUSION
Cloth pads offer large areas but unfortunately lack the tracking precision, glide smoothness featured by aluminum/alloy pads and the same applies for the Cerro Large. Still if you're not a hardcore gamer and just want a large, cost-effective mouse pad then the Cerro Large is a very good overall choice.
THE COREPAD KEIRA MEDIUM
The Keira Medium by Corepad was the first pad in this comparison with a hard plastic surface and so i was quite excited to check it out.
Unfortunately Corepad send us the medium sized pad measuring a total of 315mm in length, 255mm in width and 2mm in height.
The Keira Medium however is in fact larger that the alugraphics gamerPro but i guess after testing the Cerro Large I’d also like to test the Keira Large.
The Keira Medium is only 2mm in height so you shouldn't have any trouble putting part of your keyboard on it (if it doesn't fit on your desk).
Corepad has also used a very effective anti-glide rubber material at the rear of the Keira Medium which didn't allow the pad to move even when pushed.
CONCLUSION
I wasn't certain as to what to expect from the Keira Medium pad and its hard plastic surface but it actually works extreme well and is just slightly worse in terms of tracking precision compared to the gamerPro by alugraphics. Also neither the Sensei nor the Kone[+] could glide as easily on the hard plastic surface so it falls slightly back in overall performance, however it's still easily one of the top 10 pads in this comparison.
THE COREPAD DESKPAD XXXL
Seems that the guys over at Corepad knew I’d like to test the large version of their Keira pad so they made up for that with the Deskpad XXXL cloth pad.
Huge is the only word that came to mind when i first saw the Deskpad XXXL which is quite natural since this pad measures a whooping 900mm in length, 450mm in width and 3mm in height.
With the help of the Hellion gaming mouse it's easier to understand the sheer size of the Deskpad XXXL. The Deskpad also comes in XL and XXXXL sizes.
Since this pad will probably take the entire surface of your desk you shouldn't worry at all about just how thick it is.
The rear anti-glide material is a must for such a long pad.
CONCLUSION
The Deskpad XXXL may not be as accurate as most of the pads in this comparison but its extremely large surface area makes it the ideal choice for professionals and generally people who work and/or play on multiple screens. That also means however that your desk needs to be almost 1m in length, something which may be too much for some people.
THE ZOWIE GEAR G-TF SPEED VERSION PAD
ZOWIE GEAR is a company almost as new as Corepad and they’ve sent us a total of 2 cloth pads, the G-TF and P-TF speed versions.
The G-TF speed version is an extra-large cloth pad featuring a water resistant texture and measuring 440mm in length, 320mm in width and 2mm in height.
Plenty of surface to go around for even the most demanding gamers.
The triple-stitched round edges should add to the overall durability of the G-TF pad.
I was a bit surprised to see the new rubber anti-glide material used by ZOWIE GEAR since it looks too glossy and so i really thought it wouldn't be very good, however i was wrong.
CONCLUSION
Without doubt ZOWIE has manufactured one of the best cloth pads I’ve used in my entire life with near-excellent tracking precision (for a cloth pad) and that alone is a huge success especially since we are talking about one of the new kids on the block. Quality is also great and so this line of pads should be able to withstand quite a bit of punishment.
THE ZOWIE GEAR P-TF SPEED VERSION PAD
The P-TF Speed Version is a medium sized cloth (fiber) pad, features the same water resistant texture and measures 320mm in height, 250mm in width and 2mm in height.
For most gamers the provided surface should be more than enough but for hardcore gamers i think the G-TF is a better overall choice.
The P-TF pad also features the same triple-stitched round edges just like its larger brother.
Although I’ve used each of the ZOWIE GEAR pads for almost 10 days i still can't believe that the rear glossy rubber anti-glide surface works as advertised but it does.
CONCLUSION
If you switch from the G-TF speed pad over to the P-TF speed pad you can't really tell them apart in terms of tracking performance, however you will certainly feel the difference in size (XL vs. medium) which is perhaps the only negative thing about it.
THE CYBORG G.L.I.D.E.7
The biggest surprised arrived from Mad Catz and was no other than the Cyborg G.L.I.D.E.7.
Leaving out the large robot drawing on its surface the G.L.I.D.E.7 is a XXL size pad made by synthetic fabric measuring a total of 500mm in length, 400mm in width and 7mm in height.
True the G.L.I.D.E.7 is not the largest pad in this comparison but even so it still manages to dwarf the Hellion gaming mouse.
The laser cut synthetic fabric used is water resistant and has a nice feeling when used but the 7mm height may prove to be an inconvenience to some people (like i said i like placing part of the pad beneath my keyboard due to my desk being only 1m in length).
Madcatz has used a very efficient rear rubber anti-glide material which managed to keep the pad in place during all 9 days of testing (due to its weight i think that the pad would stay still even without it).
CONCLUSION
The G.L.I.D.E.7 is an very special mouse pad since it features excellent tracking precision (at least with the two mice used), is water resistant, both units used could operate when lifted a few millimeters, provides a huge surface which makes it ideal for multi monitor use and also looks great. However its looks make it only ideal for home use (i don't think it would fit nicely on your desk at work) while the huge surface area (only 1 size available) and its 7mm thickness are two things that may discourage potential buyers.
THE MIONIX SARGAS 460
Mionix is a company which although quite new has already produced some great products like the NAOS 5000 gaming mouse which i had the chance to test roughly 2 years ago.
The first out of the two mouse pads we received from Mionix is the Sargas 460, an extra-large sized cloth pad measuring 460mm in length, 390mm in width and 4mm in height.
For me large mouse pads provide a sufficient surface area for pretty much every use, however it never hurts to have an larger one like the Sargas 460.
As you can see the cloth is not well cut at its ends and so that may prove to be a durability issue (something i couldn't check in just 6 days of testing).
The anti-glide rubber material used at the rear did its best but still due to the large size of the pad certain parts of it did slide a couple of times during testing.
CONCLUSION
Performance-wise the Sargas 460 XL cloth pad by Mionix has almost the same adequate tracking precision as the Corepad Cerro Large (i think it's slightly better) but is far from perfect not only because of the rear anti-glide rubber material which proved insufficient to hold it in place at all times but also because of the quality of the cloth especially at its edges.
THE MIONIX ALIOTH 400
The Alioth 400 is the second mouse pad sent to us by Mionix so i really hoped it would outperform the Sargas 460.
Size wise the Alioth 400 is a large cloth pad with measurements of 400mm in length, 335mm in width and 3mm in height.
Compared to the all-black surface of the Sargas 460 the drawing on the Alioth 400 adds to the overall feeling.
The Alioth 400 may just be 3mm (1mm less than the Sargas 460) but you can easily see the different material used for the surface area.
Surprisingly enough although the anti-glide rubber material at the rear feels almost the same as the one found on the Sargas 460 still this time we encountered no problems with it.
CONCLUSION
Mionix has used a different coating material for the Alioth 400 that actually works and so instead of the just adequate precision of the Sargas 460 the Alioth 400 provided very good tracking precision, smooth glide and without moving at all during all 7 days of testing. If you like cloth pads then i really suggest giving the Alioth 400 a chance.
THE NEWERTECH NUPAD EXECUTIVE
NewerTech doesn't manufacture gaming pads but they do manufacture a pair of nice looking everyday high quality pads for office use (mainly) so i was somewhat curious to see if they could be used at all with games.
There are two versions of the NuPad Executive edition currently in the market, one measuring 228.6mm in length, 228.6mm in width and the one we have here with us measuring 228.6mm in length and 152.4mm in width. Both versions feature high quality Brazilian leather at the top and an aluminum plate right beneath it.
Well gaming is really out of the question just by looking at the above picture, still i went ahead and gave it a try regardless.
Due to the aluminum plate stuck between the top and lower sections of the pad the Executive edition measures 9mm in height. However also thanks to the aluminum plate the pad feels extremely solid (and can also be used for self-defense).
The NuPad Executive features a very effective anti-glide sponge rubber material at the bottom.
CONCLUSION
Although tracking was actually quite good the executive pad is certainly not suitable for gaming, not only because of the small total surface area offered but also because of its height since it's not what I’d call convenient. Still for office use where quality is the decisive factor i can think of nothing better than the NuPad Executive.
THE NEWERTECH NUPAD LEATHER
The NuPad leather is exactly the same pad as the Executive but lacks the aluminum plate in the middle.
There are also two versions of the NuPad Leather edition currently available, the large version measuring 228.6mm in length, 228.6mm in width and the one we have here with us measuring 228.6mm in length and 152.4mm in width. Both versions feature high quality Brazilian leather coating just like the Executive model.
Once again the small size makes the NuPad Leather suitable for office/home use as long as it doesn't involve gaming.
Since the Leather pad lacks the aluminum plate of the Executive version it's roughly 5mm in height.
CONCLUSION
As expected after testing the Executive NuPad the Leather version provided almost the same good tracking precision but the size is still not sufficient for gaming use. On the bright side since it's shorter than the Executive NuPad i found it's more comfortable after many hours of use.
THE ROCCAT SOTA
ROCCAT provided us with 4 mouse pads, the first of which (and best of them all) is the Sota gaming pad.
The surface of the Sota gaming pad is made by a combination of both hard plastic and metal foil. Size-wise the pad measures 350mm in length, 270mm in width and 3mm in height.
This hard plastic/metal foil pad offers plenty of surface area for even the most demanding users.
For me hard plastic pads only come second to aluminum ones but the Sota with its metal foil coating comes really close to the first, at list appearance-wise.
The ultra-soft rubber base worked as advertised and kept the Sota in place throughout our days of testing.
CONCLUSION
The Sota gaming pad may not be the most precise one in this comparison but it does offer very good tracking precision, a large surface area and excellent glide (at least with both the Sensei and Kone[+] gaming mice) so it comes highly recommended for casual users and gamers.
THE ROCCAT TAITO
Also with us we have the entire Taito line of cloth pads which includes the mini, mid and king size models.
The 3 sizes of the available Taito models are the mini-size measuring 265x210mm, the mid-size measuring 400x320mm and the king-size measuring 455x370mm. All three models are available in 3mm and 5mm thickness.
The Nano matrix surface featured on all three models may be superior to what we see with most cloth pads out there but is nothing to get excited over in terms of real performance, still as you can see both the mid and king sized pads offer a very large surface area.
For reasons unknown to me ROCCAT send me the 3mm versions of the mini/king size models and the 5mm version of the mid-size one.
All three models use the same non-slip rubber material at the rear which really works as it should.
CONCLUSION
The rather entry-level Taito line of mouse pads is ideal for casual users and gamers but due to medium tracking precision and average build quality i can't really recommend them to people who spend many hours playing games. Performance aside however i really like the available size/height selection, a trend which i hope more mouse pad manufacturers follow soon (especially manufacturers of aluminum and hard plastic pads).
THE STEELSERIES 9HD
SteelSeries just couldn't be absent from this comparison and so they send two of their best pads to date, the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad and the QcK Diablo III Barbarian Edition.
The 9HD Pro Gaming Pad features a textured hard plastic surface measuring 320x270x2mm and as you can see it also comes with a cleaning cloth (only pad in this comparison with such an extra).
Size-wise the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad wouldn't hurt being just a tad larger but it offers sufficient surface for all your gaming needs (excluding multi-monitor use).
From the above image you can easily see the textured surface of the 9HD so it really comes as little surprise that this pad offers a semi-rough glide for the mouse.
The rear non-slip rubber base of the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad is without doubt one of the best in this comparison since the pad seemed to be glued onto my desk when using it.
CONCLUSION
The 9 days i spend testing the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad were amongst the best ones of this comparison cause simply put i don't think there are many mousepads out there that can match it's tracking precision largely thanks to the medium friction between it and the mouse. However although sufficient the surface area offered is not as large as i would like it to be. Still the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad secured (with ease i might add) a placed in the top 5 of this comparison.
THE STEELSERIES QCK DIABLO III BARBARIAN EDITION
The QcK Barbarian Edition is a medium sized cloth mousepad released just prior to the launch of Diablo III right next to several others peripherals by SteelSeries.
It features a size of 320mm in length, 270mm in width and 2mm in height which is basically the same as the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad.
Unfortunately unlike the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad the QcK features a cloth surface which as you can see is not cut very well at the corners.
The non-slip rubber base is also nothing like the one of the 9HD Pro Gaming Pad and although it doesn't feel as stable i didn't find anything wrong with it.
CONCLUSION
The QcK Barbarian Edition pad is by far the best looking pad of this comparison (just like with the rest of the game branded QcK line) but because of its rather plain cloth surface it lacks the tracking precision required for it to be in the top 5 pads of this comparison. Personally during all days of testing i felt that It would be best if it was placed on my wall and not my desk.
THE TTESPORTS DASHER GAMING MOUSE PRO
Our friends over at TteSports released the Dasher gaming pad a while back and i've been using it with my secondary system almost from the very start (this is the 2nd Dasher i received from TteSports specifically for this comparison).
The Dasher measures a total of 400mm in length, 320mm in width and 4mm in height and is also the only pad that comes bundled with a carrying bag and a Velcro strap.
The surface of the Dasher is very large and is made by a cloth weave material for improved tracking precision.
Just like with most cloth pads the edges are not cut perfectly.
TteSports has used a rubber anti-slip material at the rear of the unit which does a good job although at first it may take some while for all of the pad to sit well on your desk.
CONCLUSION
Overall the Dasher is a good all-around pad for both games and general use although it lacks the tracking precision found in other hard plastic and aluminum pads. It has however proven to be quite durable since even after almost a year of continuous use with my secondary system it still feels almost as new.
THE QPAD HEATON
QPAD send us their mid-end Heaton medium sized gaming pad.
The Heaton features a surface are made by a hard plastic material called Carbytek and measures 365mm in length, 280mm in width and 4mm in height.
The surface of the Heaton gaming pad feels a lot like the one of the 9HD just a bit larger.
Here we can see the 3 layers of materials that make the Heaton gaming pad, the 2mm rubber base, the 1mm ABS board and finally the 1mm Carbytek hard plastic top.
The anti-slip material used is quite effective and kept the pad at the same exact spot during all 7 days of testing.
CONCLUSION
The very good tracking precision of the Heaton gaming pad along with the high quality materials used and its quite large surface (although called medium) are more than just enough to place it between the top 5 pads in this comparison.
CONCLUSION
After spending countless hours to test all of the 22 mousepads in this comparison i finally understand the large differences in both performance and quality between the various materials used such as aluminum, hard plastic and cloth something which is simply not possible just by swapping pads every now and then. Still since I have used a large number of pads in my life i can't say i was surprised with since even after testing all 22 i still believe that aluminum is the way to go if someone wants the best possible combination between tracking precision and quality. Thanks to this comparison however i did find out that there are hard plastic mousepads currently in the market that may lack the durability of aluminum pads but offer the same and perhaps even better tracking precision. Cloth pads, plain and/or improved however not only offer the best bang for your buck since you can swap them every now and then and still have something new on your desk but also come in huge sizes making them ideal for multi monitor use. True i can't recommend a normal cloth pad to serious gamers but for casual users and people who like to play once in while a cloth pad could be the way to go.
Comparisons in general are easy since all you have to do is to decide which the best overall product is after testing based either on their performance or a price/performance ratio. However comparisons like this one were you can't really measure the performance of a product are very difficult since you need to decide which product is best solely based on your personal preference/taste which of course may not be on par with that of other people. However there’s really no other way to do such reviews/comparisons so personally after using all 22 mousepads i have chosen the 5 best ones and thus i have decided to give our Platinum award to the alugraphics gamerPro basic pad and the SteelSeries 9HD Pro Gaming Pad while our Golden Award goes to the QPAD Heaton gaming pad, the Corepad Keira Medium pad and the ZOWIE GEAR G-TF speed version pad. Of course since many months have passed during the course of this comparison many of the manufacturers included have released new models which may find their way to the lab, that is if i find the courage to do something similar again (single reviews are possible however).
- Alugraphics gamerPro Basic (35€)
- SteelSeries 9HD Pro Gaming Pad ($43/30€)
- QPAD Heaton Medium Gaming Pad ($45/38€)
- Corepad Keira Medium Pad ($25/20€)
- ZOWIE GEAR G-TF Speed Version Pad ($28/25€)
