Corsair M65 RGB Elite Review

Corsair M65 RGB Elite - Distinctive Looks with Distinctive Performance

Corsair has a some really impressive gaming peripherals up in its arsenal but what makes these peripherals truly impressive and keeps them miles away from redundancy unlike others is the fact that Corsair keeps on revamping and upgrading these offerings, improving them and tailoring them as per user's feedback to hopefully overcome whatever drawbacks the previous generation product suffered from.
Today yet again I have one such product on my table for review and its the Corsair M65 RGB Elite Gaming Mouse which is the successor to the older M65 Pro RGB that features a similar design but that's probably the only thing that these two share in common as the newer M65 Elite is better in every possible way in terms of technology.

Coming in at around $60 or Rs 5,200 in India the Corsair M65 RGB Elite is on the humble side of the spectrum when it comes to pricing. Featuring an improved 18,000 DPI Pixart PMW3391 optical sensor over the 12,000 DPI Pixart PMW336X this new M65 is on the better side when it comes to accuracy on varied surfaces. A full aluminum body, weight tuning system, 8-programmable buttons and the famous sniper button is all backed up by two years of domestic warranty which is coated with RGB goodness in form of two backlit areas controlled by Corsair's own iCUE.

What's in the Box!?

Corsair brings the M65 RGB Elite in  a sleek box that's laced with the Corsair gaming colors of black and yellow. The front boasts an image of the mouse itself along with main features enlisted neatly on the left side such as  the dedicated sniper button, weight tuning system etc while the top has the Corsair sails logo in silver and other logos depicting various features.
At the back side the same story continues but with a detailed numbered diagram of the M65 RGB Elite which is a nice touch as one gets to know the features more clearly and can pay for the product with a little more confidence.

Accessories wise the mouse comes with technically nothing as you'll only get a warranty card, user manual and the M65 Elite mouse itself. Its kind of a shame that the mouse doesn't come with a carry pouch for the weights as it'll be a tedious job to carry them along to a gaming event along with the mouse or simply in terms of storing them safely.

A Closer Look

Corsair M65 RGB Elite is made out of solid aircraft grade aluminum frame which is light weight yet strong. The outer body has a rubberized finish which makes it easy and comfortable to grip and handle, though some parts underneath and in the front are simply powder coated aluminum but that's just the part of the rugged look. Wire is long at 1.8m and braided but isn't detachable which is fine with me but your opinion may wary.

The mouse has the same design as the previous M65 editions and the top is rubberized. You do find the two front and back arrow keys right behind the scroll wheel to switch DPI on the go and these are great as one can jump from a lower DPI to a higher one or vice versa using the arrow keys rather than having to cycle through all the rest to reach a particular setting like in a mouse with a single DPI switch button. Also the old Corsair Gaming logo is replaced by the traditional Corsair sails logo which is RGB.
The mouse does have a tapered to the right side structure which is quite favorable with mice that are aimed at FPS gamers and also provides a more snug fit to most users. Also the thumb rest is a bit more elongated for better comfort for those long gaming tournaments or during casual use too. 

You find the two forward and backward buttons on the side which are right above the famous 'Sniper Button' which helps you to set preferably lower the DPI to a setting of your choice set via the iCUE software when sniping enemies or taking crucial shots via sights.
The other side is plain and both these sides are made out of premium grade plastic and feel solid without any shade of cost cutting.

Under the mouse is where you find the trick that the Corsair M65 RGB Elite hides, apart from the usual rubber feet you will also find three weights that are screwed into the mouse and are removable as per the taste and requirement of the user.
These weigh in at 7gm each and in total makes the mouse weight in around 136gm which is at 115gm without these weights so plenty of room for tuning here. Also these weights can be easily removed or put back using a coin so no special screwdrivers or hex keys are required hence. keeping the process simple.

Software Overview - Corsair iCUE

The M65 RGB Elite is compatible with the iCUE software and hence the user has a full control over how to and what to make out of this mouse. My sample was detected flawlessly by the iCUE software on my system and even for the firmware update I didn't face any issues and the mouse upgraded in just a click of the button.

One can not only adjust the three RGB lighting zones on the mouse here but can also program the keys with Macros of one's choosing. These range from texts that can be really handy for immediate responses during in-game chats, application launches and even profile switching maybe for some particular instance in the game or maps. DPI settings are five in numbers and the sniper buttons counts as six, these are all programmable in terms of DPI aswell as the color of the indicator.
Lift height feature is really useful and one can customize it as per their playing style, length of the mouse pad etc. The surface calibration feature is something that some may find useful but for me it worked the same before and after calibration probably due to my play style and mouse surface which favors more of a grip and control nature.

Time to put it to Test - Comfort and Functionality  

Comfort - It really does matter!

For reference I use the Corsair Glaive RGB with its textured side grip as my daily driver and when it comes to mouse comfort I'm very peculiar as I like to rest my hand fully sometimes mostly when I'm doing my daily work which makes me a palm gripper and when gaming I tend to switch to a claw grip most of the times depending from games to games mostly FPS and role playing so for me a mouse either has to be really good at one of these two or offer a perfect balance of both, the latter preferred more. And the Corsair M65 RGB Elite does quite well for me and I loved using it with all my heart during my long working sessions and even when playing. The weight of the mouse is solid under the palm and I like how it fits nicely offering all the weight in the front to middle portion while leaving the back portion almost hollow and light.
This feature in particular is my favorite since I mostly like to fix my mouse at an axis from the rear end and then point using the front portion of the mouse rather than moving the entire mouse all the time. This weigh distribution gives me a nice hold and grip over my movement hence making it more comfortable for someone like me. Even though its a rubberized top and long sessions on the PC can cause sweat to build up on the palm especially in summers, it wasn't really that much of a problem as the mouse shape both from the front and back offered quite enough ventilation to keep the palm sweat free. Overall the mouse is very comfortable to use and I'd say prefers more to a claw gripper if you have large to extra large hands or else if they are on the smaller side then it'll serve great as claw as well as a palm gripper making it a decent choice for a large number of people.

Performance - That's what you pay for!

While testing the M65 RGB Elite I put the mouse through a range of tests that included my daily work as well as gaming. Even though its a gaming mouse and that sniper button is aimed at gaming only the mouse is lovely to use for daily work be it as simple as an MS Office spreadsheet or something more control worthy like Photoshop. The weight of the mouse as for me especially with all the three weights included works really well and that sniper button is a life saver when editing small details in a photograph on a 4K monitor where switching between low to high DPI is necessity for swift performance. I also like the sound and feel of the clicks on this mouse as its tight but only to point where its comfortable and I feel that I'm holding a solid piece of tech under my palm with heavy sounded clicks.
As for gaming I found it really accurate and controlled when playing FPS games like Far Cry New Dawn, Apex Legends, Battlefield V and PUBG. In all these games I felt the mouse is not only apt for the various scenarios but also keeps my hand conformable when gaming with a claw grip thanks to its contoured shape and the elongated wing for the thumb. The DPI switch works really well in strategy games such as Command and Conquer where I could immediately switch to a higher DPI for skimming over the whole map and then bringing it down for other functioning.
However I did feel that the side buttons for forward and backward do touch the upper portion of my thumb more than usual due their sloping alignment towards the front so, someone with a thick thumb would find it a bit uncomfortable and unwanted since I like to use these to throw grenades in FPS and you don't want to throw them by mistake on your teammates do you? 
Overall the Corsair M65 RGB Elite is a solid upgrade over its predecessor and works really well for gaming and daily work alike.

My Verdict 

Corsair has been famous for revamps and upgrades to their existing lineups which often than usual results in a positively improved product in nearly every field possible. The M65 RGB Elite is no exception though and does exactly what one would expect from a product of this stature, delivering to the point performance and features at a decent price tag.

The build quality is solid and the ergonomics are on point for most of the gamers and users out there. Even though the design is a bit outlandish but it slowly gets to you and in the end makes it more useful only. iCUE implementation on the mouse is as expected and keeps it in harmony with other Corsair peripherals while at the same time offering full control over the customization of the mouse both aesthetically and functionally which is how a manufacturer's software should be for its product.
I'm not sure what kind of a person would need 18,000 DPI on a mouse probably someone rocking a triple or more monitor setup but in general the only bright side out of it is the sensor that is crisp and offers tight control in games and during productivity tasks. The adjustable weights go a long way in fine tuning the mouse and gives the user an option to tune the mouse physically as well along side the software customization hence, taking things a step ahead in making it a full customizable mouse.

"Corsair M65 RGB Elite is the perfect mouse if you are looking for a product that not only looks distinct but performs as such too, offering enough bling and customization to make it a product just tailored for you and all of this at a reasonable price tag."

Pros - 

• Solid Build Quality 
• Adjustable Weights 
• Competitive optical sensor
• Two color options - Black and White
• Two DPI Buttons
• Aptly priced 

Cons - 

• No Carry Bag for the weights 

I give it a 8/10 earning our Gold Award!