This is the upgraded version of the Razer DeathAdder. 3500 DPI instead of 1800 DPI. This is the main difference, although I believe the newer version has a gold plated USB connector and obviously different drivers for each model. Either way both models are identical in physical shape.
The arc of the mouse is by far the most comfortable I've ever used, in that it actually follows the curve of one's hand how it instinctively would grab a mouse. It is also a right handed mouse, sorry southpaws, which adds to the comfort and control of the mouse. I can't say I know what the mouse grip is made out of, but it is completely slip resistant and oil resistant/absorbent. The sides of the mouse are a hard plastic and between the teflon feet and light weight of the mouse there is almost no resistance to movement.
I upgraded from a Logitech Revolution wireless mouse and wireless mice, while convenient, can't compete with the accuracy and precision that a wired mouse provides. My old wireless mouse would lag and skip across the screen and often when closing a program it would accidentally close the window behind it as well, which I never quite figured out why it did that (I'm guessing radio interference?). With the DeathAdder, I have not had that problem once and every click I make is exactly where I expect it to be.
I played with a Logitech G9 and MX518 as well as the Razer Salmosa, which all felt like solid and accurate mice, but they lacked the feel the DeathAdder has. The technical specs are important, but it doesn't really matter how accurate a mouse is if it still isn't comfortable to use. In short, I'm pretty happy I went this way. However, the Razer Salmosa was a close second, but it just seemed like a simple version of the original 3G DeathAdder.
As for gaming I haven't had a whole lot of chances to test it out yet. I've played a bit of Left for Dead with it and after some getting used to and tweaking the settings (independent X and Y sensitivity, button assignemnt, acceleration, etc.) it is way easier to shoot hoards of zombies in the head. I also have played a bit of Fallout, and while the mouse is definately smoother, I can't say it has affected gameplay all that much. I've tried this mouse on my desktop and laptop (Vista and 7 respectively) and both operating systems seem to run the Razer software perfectly fine. Windows recognized the mouse immediately and it works fine with the windows drivers, but I highly recommend downloading the latest Razer drivers for maximum performance. The level of adjustment this mouse offers is wasted otherwise.
Other thoughts:
The blue lights on the mouse wheel and the glowing DeathAdder logo are pretty cool. I can see them becoming annoying after a while, but they are easy enough to turn off in the settings.
The DPI and Polling rates can be lowered from the 3500DPI and 1000ms if desired, but I only notice a decrease in accuracy and performance so I'm not sure why you would.
My only real complaint is the "On-The-Fly" sensitivity switch is on the bottom of the mouse. I'm not sure how on the fly that is if I'm playing a game, which is the only time I would need to use that feature. Ultimately, it's not that big of a deal, but it is kind of false advertising in my opinion.
I can't stress enough how form fitting this mouse is, not to mention that is looks pretty cool at the same time. Something about it just feels "right." Granted it took me a couple days to get used to it, but now I don't think I could go back. If you already have a Logitech G9 (or something similar) I can't say I'd tell you to go replace it right now, but if you are looking for an upgrade this is the way to go. Razer Deathadder 3500 High Precision 3.5G Infrared Gaming Mouse (RZ01-00151400-R3)
I like this mouse. It's stylish, fairly comfortable and customizable. I play a lot of fps and spend a lot of time on the computer in general. I have pretty big hands. I've found this mouse to be true to its claims on comfort and ergonomics. I can use it for long hours with no fatigue. The exception to this is my right ring and pinky finger pressed against the right side of the mouse can get sore after many hours of intense gaming. This may just be an issue with my personal grip style, I don't know. The software is easy to use and there is almost every setting you could ever want to adjust on a mouse available. However, it took me a long time to find the correct settings for my personal system and games (I use 1800 dpi, 500Hz polling rate, 7 sensitivity with a cloth pad). I find the default settings are far too sensitive and I doubt anyone will ever use the highest. If you have a low end system keep in mind the higher polling rates will use some extra cpu cycles and may cause you to lose a few frames per second. This is probably not a concern for most gamers with high end systems. This mouse uses an Avago ADNS-S3888 infrared led sensor, upgraded from the S3668 used in the original. You have to lift the mouse ~1 inch off the surface before it loses contact which took me a while to get used to.
There are only a few things I don't like about it. I don't like that you can't set the razer logo led to solid instead of pulse. I also don't like that the slick glossy plastic material on the sides gets dirty very easily. It somehow manages to accumulate gunk faster than any other surface, requiring regular cleaning. The matte top is very sensitive to moisture. If you just washed your hands, got out of the shower, or they are the slightest bit moist from sweat or whatever you will notice the whole mouse looks like it is soaked in moisture. Furthermore, the mouse gets warm very quickly with both leds on, which ends up making your hand sweat and lose grip. I find turning the leds off may help with this problem. Some people complain about the braided cable on this version being worse than the plain rubber insulated original. I do find it tends to cling to the edge of desks, but this can be fixed by simply gathering up extra slack with a twisty tie. Coming from a conventional mouse the unique shape of the deathadder took a very long time to get used to. Don't expect to just jump into your games out of the box and be a better player. However, I think once you grow accustomed to it you'll love it.
EDIT: 1/27/2011 The Black Edition (with glossy sides problem mentioned above fixed!) of this mouse is now available from the Razer Store. $5 Coupon Code RZH1GHF1V3 Free Shipping code RZRFRSH1PUS. It's the same mouse with rubber side grips, a black scroll wheel and no leds. - Deathadder - Gaming - Mouse - Gaming Mouse'
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