Razer Naga Chroma Review

Lone Crusader

The Savage Ninja!
Super Moderator
Premium Supporter
Nov 24, 2011
18,890
Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
I thought that I'd find a review of this since I just bought one and it's so far the best moue I've ever had to this day. Quite impressed. :)

via Vortez

Introduction
Product on Review: Razer Naga Chroma
Manufacturer and Sponsor: RAZER
Street Price: £69.99 GBP - $79.99 USD

Razer have long been a player at the forefront of gaming technology for sometime and it would be a fairly safe thing to say that the Naga mouse is a firm favorite in the MMO gaming community. The body of the Naga has since developed over time, giving it its shapely ergonomic curves and the concave mechanical button grid where each button is shaped for a tactile feedback for easy no-see recognition. The tilt click scroll wheel increases the number of programmable buttons to a total of 19.

The Naga Chroma, as its name suggests, boasts the Chroma lighting system that is arguably amongst the most full and vibrant customizable RGB lighting we have seen. That isn't the only change, it is also equipped with the same true 16,000 DPI 5G laser sensor that is found in the Mamba Tournament Edition and is considered to be one of the most advanced laser sensors available.
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Overview by Razer
The Razer Naga Chroma's original 12 button thumb grid is outfitted with mechanical switches to give you tactile and audible feedback, so you can be assured of every actuation.

The thumb grid's buttons have a concave shape to allow each button to stand out individually. This allows for blind-find so you stay focused on the game, letting your instincts and reflexes lead you to victory.

Technical Specifications
- Total of 19 MMO optimized programmable buttons
- 12 button mechanical thumb grid
- Tilt-click scroll wheel
- True 16,000 DPI 5G Laser Sensor, with 0 interpolation
- Up to 210 inches per second / 50 G acceleration
- 1,000 Hz Ultrapolling / 1 ms response time
- Chroma lighting with 16.8 million customizable color options
- Inter-device color synchronization
- Razer Synapse enabled
- Zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet
- 2.1 m / 7 ft braided fiber USB cable
- Approximate size : 119 mm / 4.68 in (Length) x 75 mm / 2.95 in (Width) x 43 mm / 1.69 in (Height)
- Approximate weight: 135 g / 0.30 lbs with cable

System Requirements
PC or Mac with a free USB port
Windows® 8 / Windows® 7 / Mac OS X 10.8 - 10.11
Internet connection
100 MB of hard disk space
Razer Synapse registration (requiring a valid e-mail), software download, license acceptance, and internet connection needed to activate full features of product and for software updates. After activation, full features are available in optional offline mode.

Packaging & First Look
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The packaging is good quality and easily identifiable as a Razer product as well as clear indication that this is part of the Chroma range.

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The front cover opens up to reveal the product inside as well as some expanded information about its programmable buttons.

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At the back there is a diagram showing some of the key points of interest. The detailed specifications are listed in various languages.

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Inside we get the user guide as well as the standard Razer welcome pack.

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The Razer Naga Chroma features a 2.1m long quality braided cable a gold plated USB connector.

Closer Look

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The front of the Naga Chroma has a similar look to many of the latest line of Razer mice with the two mesh grills.

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Here we see the 12 mechanical buttons each with a unique shape, its a shame that Razer hasn't moved them forward just a little as many find the rear most column difficult to use.

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The Razer logo will light of the backside in glorious customisable RGB lighting.

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Razer have settled on this form with an extra rest for your third finger as well as including some rubberized grip.

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The mouse wheel is a tilt click type which can be programmed for each direction.

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Razer have carefully placed the sensor point at the center of mass which lies at the approximate midpoint. It appears to be more on one side due to the ergonomic shape, though it remains central to the mouse buttons.

Software & Lighting

Anyone familiar with Razer will know of their unified driver software Synapse 2.0 and that it can store profiles macros and customisations to your account. This does however mean that you have to go through the tedious motions of downloading, installing and signing up to use said software. The software is comprehensive with a list of profiles as well as a macro recorder and even has detailed stats of your device usage.
There was one downside I did find with the software, which may be rather crucial for those that wish to use the Naga in game MMO Configurator. Once enabled, you can use the MMO configurator in compatible games (including LoL, DOTA2, WoW, GW2) though the hotkey to do as such is locked to 'ALT +', and I was unable to change the binding in the Synapse software. As I am using a Tenkeyless keyboard, I was unable to open the configurator. I could have just plugged in another keyboard to access this feature but it kinda defeats the point.

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The Chroma lighting is fantastic and competently renders the majority of colours with vibrant accuracy, though we found the white to be slightly pinkish purple. This however is a common problem with RGB lighting and if you wanted an attractive 'white' lighting, you may need to find a product with dedicated LEDs or wait until RGB lighting is refined that bit better. There are 3 lighting zones, the wheel, the logo and the button grid. It is unfortunate that Razer are yet to implement individual button lighting, and this would be a pretty epic addition when they finally release it, though for now the variations of breathing, reactive, and cycling effects are attractive and provide many customisation options.

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Performance Testing

Setup, Design & Observations
In the hand, the Naga Chroma has a rough textured plastic coating that seems good at deterring fingerprints and sweat, though with use overtime may wear, revealing noticeable smooth spots. This material feels good quality, though isn't quite the same as we experienced with the Mamba Tournament Edition. I personally prefer the smooth/cool touch of the latest ROCCAT mice, though I am happy to see the decline in use of rubberized plastic.

The button grid comprises of 12 mechanical buttons in a concave dish, each button can easily be distinguished by touch alone making accidental presses difficult to do. Buttons 10, 11 and 12 are relatively difficult to press without due dedication and adjustment in your grip and will take a little getting used to, but its something that won't be perfect for everyone. Each button actuates with a tactile click and feels good. The main mouse clicks feel good too, requiring a decent amount of pressure as to prevent misclicks, but not too much to cause fatigue.

The tilt click mouse wheel when rotated gives tactile feedback for each notch, and the left, right and centre clicks give a solid response.

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Performance
In the Synapse software, the slider adjusts the DPI in increments of 50, though you can choose an exact DPI setting between 100-16,000 in any whole number. At 16,000 DPI the pointer speed is very difficult to control without slowing it down, though its likely most gamers will prefer the 400-4000 range. Testing the sensor on various surfaces at its maximum DPI, our results we similar to the Mamba TE, that is, excellent tracking on black fabric mouse mat, coloured mouse mat, plastic mouse mat, white paper, glossy coloured card, real wood desk, glossy wood laminate, and even tracked reasonably well on the glass of a tablet. Making this undoubtedly a very advanced laser sensor indeed. Purists, and FPS fans may prefer the performance of an optical sensor with true 0 acceleration, though the precision and performance found here will unlikely let you down.

Conclusion

The Naga Chroma shines with maturity, something that can truly be felt while gaming. Our tests show that the sensor the Naga Chroma is using performs brilliantly on pretty much every surface we could throw it at, reminiscent of the Mamba TE that uses the same true 16,000 DPI sensor. By giving the Naga Chroma this flawless precision combined with the 12 remappable buttons, MMO gamers will surely fall in love all over again.

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The Chroma lighting is vibrant, giving relatively accurate colour representation of the full spectrum except for white, which looks pale pink/purple. In regards to comfort, the Naga is strongly matched for palm grip users though claw grippers won't find any real fault either. Finger tippers may struggle with the width/size of the Naga, but at just 130g, it should remain usable.

The Naga Chroma hits the market at a fairly reasonable price as a premium MMO mouse, matching the RRP of its various rivals. Although it is difficult to ignore the great competition (G600, Scimitar, Nyth) that the Naga Chroma faces, despite that, it will undoubtedly be a firm favourite with gamers everywhere.

The Naga sets the standard in the field of MMO gaming mice and the latest refresh maintains its relevancy and appeal by equipping it with the vibrant Chroma lighting and one of the most advanced laser sensors available.

Pros.
+ Ideal for MMO gamers
+ Suitable for various grip types
+ Well balanced design
+ High precision 5G Sensor
+ Vivid Chroma lighting
+ Tactile thumb button grid w/ mechanical switches

Cons.
- None