Corsair Gaming Sabre RGB 10k DPI Optical Mouse Review

Introduction

Corsair produces some of the most popular gaming mice on the market today, from their MMO ready Scimitar, to their versatile Raptor M45, and many more. The Sabre walks a nice middle ground for Corsair, packaging a few extra gaming-friendly features, such as extra programmable buttons, as well as customisable RGB lighting, a 100g ultra light design, as well as their high-end 10k DPI optical gaming sensor.

“Ultra light weight at just 100g, the Corsair Gaming Sabre Optical RGB 6,400 DPI gaming mouse offers easy comfort and fluid reach balanced by consistently accurate tracking, 1,000 Hz refresh rate, eight configurable buttons, and super-responsive switches. Four-zone 16.8M color backlighting creates a beautiful, personalized look that matches your style.” – Corsair

Picking the right mouse for your desktop can be tricky, but equipped with everything you need for day-to-day work, as well as gaming, be that at home or in the world of competitive eSports, the Sabre is ticking all the right boxes. So let’s jump right in and take a closer look at what it has to offer.

“With advanced ergonomics that comfortably support your entire hand, you can wield the Sabre in a variety of grip styles. The adaptability in grip gives you the adaptability you need to compete in a wide variety of game types from FPS to RTS and MOBA. The 8 programmable buttons can be customized with ease to fine tune your play.” – Corsair

First up, we can see that the packaging is nicely designed, keeping in theme with all the other new Corsair Gaming hardware. All the main specs are detailed on the front, as well as a nice image of the mouse.

Around the back, a more technical breakdown of the features, but we’ll take a closer look at those in a moment.

The box also opens out at the front, giving you a nice look at the mouse design; handy for those picking one up in a retail store.

In the box, you’ll find the Sabre comes hard-wired with a black braided cable and a nice quality USB header.

A Closer Look

The Sabre has some really nice ergonomics, with a raised back, low front and a deep scoop with a small wing on the left side. This means you’ll be able to comfortably use the mouse with various grip types to suit your needs/taste.

There are two buttons down the left side which are set to forward/back navigation by default, although they can be reprogrammed in the downloadable software.

Down the right side, another inward curve for added grip, especially handy for fingertip grips, but there’s also a small wing here that benefits palm rest.

There’s a lot going on here, with a control switch in the middle that is perfect for DPI/profile switching, a good size scroll-wheel with a soft rubber grip, and two side switches to the edge of the LMB, which should be ideal for deploying macros.

There are four slipmats on the bottom of the mouse, which combined with the 100g weight give it exceptional glide on a wide range of gaming surfaces.

Performance

The Corsair Gaming software is really easy to use, not only for the Sabre, but also any other connected Corsair peripherals. All the buttons on the mouse can be easily reconfigured, and there’s a fully feature macro recording engine too, which should come in very handy for gaming.

The lighting is easily customised with some built-in effect, as well as an RGB colour selector. Lighting can also be synchronised between other Corsair peripherals to give your desktop some added flair.

The sensor can be configured easily enough and with up to 10k DPI to play with, you’ll certainly not be left wanting for tracking speed. Angle snapping can be enabled (off by default), although I can’t imagine why you would want it, lift-off height can be adjusted and there are even full X/Y adjustments available for the sensor. Finally, you can also set a colour of your choice for each DPI level to help you better see which one is selected at a glance of the mouse.

I was expecting great sensor performance from this mouse and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Smooth results, with virtually no jitter, angle snapping or acceleration. This is going to be a great mouse to use for gaming and the pixel perfect sensor means you’ll only have yourself to blame for missing a headshot.

I did notice that at 9000, the sensor went a little jumpy (see above), not enough to be an issue for gaming, it’s still very good, but I turned of Enhanced Pointer Precision and changed the lift-off from medium to high and bam! the problem was solved (see below).

Fast switches, fully programmable and a solid macro engine make the Sabre a well-rounded gaming mouse. It’s certainly got more to offer to the MOBA/FPS crowd than it does to MMOs, but it’s got just enough buttons and features to be well suited to virtually any game type. The fast and smooth tracking thanks to the lightweight design and great sensor are a benefit to gaming, as well as day-to-day work, meaning you’ll feel happy using this day and night.

The RGB lighting is stunning too, giving you a nice range of effects to add flair to your desktop, while the ergonomic and curvy design means that it feels light and comfortable in your hand, even after a marathon gaming/work session.

Final Thoughts

Price

If you’re looking for a great gaming mouse, without spending a huge amount of money, then the Corsair Gaming Sabre certainly fits the bill. Priced at just £40 from Overclockers UK, the Sabre is exceptional value for money and even comes backed up by a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Overview

After playing around with the Sabre for a few days, it’s easy to see why Corsair Gaming mice are some of the most popular on the market today. The Sabre sets a great example of how affordable doesn’t have to mean low quality. The build quality on this mouse is rock solid, with a good choice of plastics for the housing, a nice matte finish with a light grip, braided cable, as well as a premium grade sensor and switches; all of which give it a premium look and feel.

The build quality also leads into great performance, as the high-end sensor and switches performed flawlessly in gaming and work tasks. The buttons feel snappy and responsive, the scroll wheel has a nice tactile feel to it for added accuracy and the sensor delivered the kind of results that is sure to keep the eSports crowd more than happy.

To add further value for money, we’ve got nice bonus features such as fully programmable buttons, easy to use desktop software, onboard memory so you can take all your profiles with you, huge PTFE feet for excellent glide, customisable RGB lighting and the nimble 100g total weight of the mouse. All these features, with flawless performance at this price range is something you would be crazy to ignore, a great gaming/work mouse for any desktop user.

Pros

• Robust build quality
• Stylish aesthetics
• RGB lighting
• Excellent sensor performance
• Competitive price
• Great for virtually any work/gaming task
• Braided cable
• Lightweight design

Cons

• None

Neutral

• Right-hand only

“The Corsair Gaming Sabre Optical RGB is sure to appeal to those looking for a high-quality gaming mouse, but with so many great features and a fiercely competitive price, we expect it to be a popular choice for any desktop setup.”

Corsair Gaming Sabre RGB 10k DPI Optical Mouse Review

Thank you Corsair for providing us with this sample.