Cougar 500M Review
Category : Mice
Published by Luca Rocchi on 11.01.16
With the 500M, Cougar has just another gaming mouse in its portfolio, which is suitable for right handed gamers and apart from that the rodent comes with a optical sensor from PixArt. There is also a customizable backlight as well as programmable buttons. At a first glance also the design is looking good and at this point we're rather curious to see whether Cougar is able to convince us with this product or not.
Today, we are taking a closer look at a new gaming mouse from Cougar, the 500M. The new 500M gaming mouse uses a optical sensor with up to 4000 DPI resolution, features customizable LED lighting and has a mixed grip as well as generally good build quality.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Photo Gallery
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Features
| Model number | 500M |
| Keys | 6 |
| DPI | 4000, optical |
| Materials | ABS |
| Polling Rate | 1000Hz |
| Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Cable | 1.8 m |
| Dimensions | 135 x 70 x 45 mm |
| Weight | 115 g |
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Closer Look
The most interesting feature of the 500M is definitely its body, which is made from different materials as well as smooth and rough surfaces. This combination allows for good grip. The shape is classic and the dimensions are average. The left side offers extra space, which allows you to grip the mouse nicely with your thumb. The materials used are of good quality and we can see that Cougar actually spent a lot of attention on details. The rough and porous surfaces ensure excellent grip, while the smooth top makes the mouse comfortable right from the beginning. The shape and arrangement of buttons make the mouse asymmetrical and usable only by right-handed gamers. The wheel is made from plastic and covered almost entirely with rubber. It's big, it can take quite some punishment, it provides good tactile feedback and it feels very grippy. Right behind the wheel, there is a customizable trigger. On the back of the mouse there is the Cougar logo in white.
Back
The 500M uses an optical sensor. It's actually an ADNS-3090, which is able to reach 4000 DPI resolution and there selectable: 400 DPI, 800 DPI, 1200 DPI, 1600 DPI, 2000 DPI, 2400 DPI, 3200 DPI and 4000 DPI. The bottom side of the mouse has been equipped with three small, black teflon feet arranged in a way to ensure little friction. The underside also features a small button to control the backlight. The sensor is located in the center part of the mouse body.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Software
Cougar did not include the software in the bundle. In this case you first have to go to the manufacturers website to download the latest version by yourself. The software GUI is perfectly in line with the attractive design of the mouse and it is practical and easy to use. With the supplied software, you can configure basically everything you might like to set yourself, such as for example, lighting colors, DPI, macros and much more.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Conclusion
| General | + | - | |
| The Cougar 500M is a solid product, and overall, we were impressed by the build quality and the comfortable shape. Apart from that basically everything can be configured the way you want it to be, thanks to the simple and capable software. Overall, the sensor performs well and the software is practical and easy to use. What could improved is the surface which you'll hold under your palm, since it's very smooth and a magnet for finger prints. |
- Design
- Build quality |
- Glossy finish is bad for fingerprint | |
| Performance / Ergonomics | + | - | |
| As usual, we used the Cougar 500M gaming mouse in both 2D and 3D environments in our tests. After a few days of use with standard office applications we can say that, despite being a gaming mouse, Cougar's new gaming mouse behaves very well in those scenarios as well as in gaming ones. We tested the Cougar 500M with RTS and FPS games without any problems. The ergonomics of the mouse is always very subjective but we did not experience any excessive hand fatigue. We have tested the Cougar 500M on a few different mousepads and the gliding charcteristics are not perfect; in our opinion the teflon glide pads are a bit too small. Larger teflon pads would help making gliding characteristics more homogenous. |
- Comfort
- Glide pads - Backlight |
- Glide pads are too small | |
| Software | + | - | |
| The Cougar's software is a pleasant surprise. It is well-structured, easy to use and with a tons of options. You will be able to change the aesthetics as well as all the functional aspects. | - Easy to use | ||
| Recommendation / Price | + | - | |
| If you are looking for a highly customizable gaming mouse with six buttons, RGB backlight and good build quality, then the Cougar 500M is worth a closer look. The Cougar 500M is available for 40 Euro at Geizhals. | - Price | ||
| Rating | |||
| The Cougar 500M receives good 4 out of 5 stars. | |||
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| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |