Corsair Vengeance M90 Mouse Review

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After testing most of the products within the Vengeance brand from Corsair, we finally put our hands on the M90 mouse. So far, we’ve tested the combo mouse/keyboard for FPS games, the M60 and K60, and the K90 keyboard for RPGs and strategy games. The M90 mouse is a perfect match for the K90 keyboard. Featuring 15 programmable buttons, the peripheral reaches 5,700 dpi of resolution. The user can create six profiles stored in the internal memory and 50 profiles that can be saved in the PC. Let’s take a look at its physical characteristics and then test the mouse.

Figure 1: M90 mouse

Just like the M60, the Vengeance M90 also has a rubberized upper body of plastic over an aluminum metal frame. It’s not as robotic-looking as the M60, but it’s still futuristic. There are no buttons on the right side. On the upper body, the user can find the solid metal scroll wheel with a rubberized scroll surface, a small button just under the wheel, and two more on the top left corner, sharing the space with the left click button.

Figure 2: Right side

The left side is where everything happens in the M90; that’s where the nine macro buttons are located, bordering the small niche for the thumb to rest. All the buttons have different sizes and shapes.

Figure 3: Left side

[nextpage title=”Introduction (Cont’d)”]

There’s no weight adjustment system on the underside, just the Avago ADNS-9500 laser sensor that reaches 5,700 dpi of resolution and two Teflon pads for precision gliding.

Figure 4: Underside

The six feet cable is cloth-wrapped and features a small strap to keep it thigh. A blue USB connector on the tip makes it easy to be spotted behind the PC.

Figure 5: Cable

The Corsair symbol is lit by a soft white light, and a blue light shines from under the scroll wheel, the button right under the wheel, and the two small buttons on the top left corner.

Figure 6: Illuminated M90

[nextpage title=”Main Characteristics”]

The main characteristic of the Corsair Vengeance M90 is the nine macro buttons located on the left side of the body. Altogether, the configuration options sum up to 15 buttons. One of them, located where the tip of the thumb rests, is similar to the M60’s “sniper” button. When pressed (and it needs to remain being pressed), this particular button quickly alters the resolution to a value previously set by the user. Once the sniper button is released, the M90 turns back to the previous dpi setting.

Figure 7: Button configuration

The user needs to download the software from Corsair’s website because there’s no installation CD inside the bundle. The application can manage both the M90 mouse and the K90 keyboard for those who have both of them. It allows the user to program the functions of 15 buttons, adjust the resolution in three stages (plus the sniper button), and create profiles for different games. As we said previously, six profiles can be stored in the 48 KB internal memory and 50 profiles can be saved in the PC. When recording macros, the user can set four playback options and several delays.

Figure 8: Resolution programming

There’s no dedicated button to change the profiles, so the user has to choose one or two for that task. We recommend using the least accessible button, since changing the profile in the middle of a match is kind of a rare thing (in the case of World of Warcraft, it’s useful to create macro sets for the same character, like a PVP – player vs. players – loadout, and a PVE – player vs. environment – loadout). When you click on the profile, the application shows a review of the whole configuration. The program also tests the quality of the gliding surface being used (be it a mouse pad, a bare tabletop, etc.), and it can adjust the lift distance.

Here is a tip for those without patience or who lack the inclination to program macros: a Corsair employee has a blog where he posts profiles for games like Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scrolls Skyrim, Batman Arkham Asylum, and several others. The good thing is that these profiles are editable themselves, so they can be used as a stepping stone to creating your own profiles.

[nextpage title=”Testing the Corsair Vengeance M90″]

The M90 is not indicated for those who like lightweight peripherals. It’s a heavy mouse without a weight adjustment system. The thumb buttons are hard to click to avoid being pressed by accident, but some users may find them a little too hard. Since there are many choices, it’s interesting to first test how easy it is to reach the buttons and only then assign particular functions to them. The tip here is to leave the seldom used functions to the least accessible buttons. Unfortunately, size and shape are the only things that differentiate the buttons. Only time will make it easier to memorize which button controls which function. The situation, however, gets tougher when we consider the fact that the user can create 50 different profiles. It would have been interesting to have had some way of visually distinguishing the buttons, be it some engraved numbering or some use of colors. Unfortunately, the wheel doesn’t scroll horizontally, but it is one of the more precise we’ve tested, thanks to its rubberized surface.

The peripheral is not only
indicated for gaming. With 15 buttons at its disposal, the M90 is excellent to use with applications such as Photoshop, for instance. We also tested it with FPS games, although it’s not the focus of the mouse. Here the weight became an issue, but the sniper button, previously displayed by the M60, made sure our sniper shots were always precise.

The software is the same one from the Vengeance brand we previously complimented. It offers nice extras, such as the adjustment of the lift distance, but that was useless because the mouse is so heavy we didn’t actually lift it around the mouse pad.

[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]

The main specifications for the Corsair Vengeance M90 include:

• Gaming-grade laser mouse
• Right-handed design
• Connector: USB
• Assignable buttons: 15
• Tracking Resolution: Up to 5,700 dpi selectable on three levels
• Maximum velocity: 165 inches/second (400 centimeters/second)
• Acceleration: 30 G
• Polling rate: 1,000 Hz/500 Hz/250 Hz/125 Hz
• Response time: 1 msec/2 msec/4 msec/8 msec
• Approximate size: 4.7 x 2.7 x 1.5 inches (120 x 70 x 40 mm)
• More information: https://www.corsair.com
• Average price in the U.S.*: USD 64.99

* Researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this review.

[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

The M90 is geared towards the MMORPG e RTS fans, but it can also be used by FPS players (although we think it’s a little heavy for that). It’s a good match for the Vengeance K90 keyboard or some similar gaming-grade keyboard, but the M90 itself provides such a wide array of configurations that it can work on its own. The aluminum metal frame is discreet, but it still stands out. The idea of having most of the programmable buttons around the thumb area is interesting, but that can cause some confusion, because the only way to single them out is through small differences in size and shape. Not all buttons are easily reachable, and they are a little hard to click.

Strong Points

• Fifteen programmable buttons
• Dedicated button for sniper shooting
• Precise scroll wheel
• Aluminum metal frame has a futuristic and elegant design
• Colored USB connector is easy to find behind the PC
• Nice touch to include a strap to secure the cable

Weak Points

• Heavy mouse with no weight adjustment system
• Hard buttons with no visual clue to differentiate