No matter what type of user you are everyone has to use a mouse to interface with their PC or MAC and for some this is a totally moot point, but for others it is a very important aspect of their gaming environment.

Not many companies can say that they specifically make gaming mice, but Anker is a company that make that bold of a statement as it was founded by gamers for gamers in an effort to bring a great gaming mouse to market and one that was affordable as well.  Many of the high-end gaming peripherals get a huge price boost just by attaching the word GAMING upon it, but Anker keeps it real and at $39.99, and in some cases goes on sale for as low as $19.99, which is an amazing deal all around.

Features

Like most gaming mice the Anker is very customizable as far as weight and button programming goes and offers the end user the options of changing the colors in just about any color you can imagine. The Anker has an amazing 8000 DPI capability that can be adjusted on the fly depending on your need as well as 9 fully Macro programmable buttons for controlling your in-game experience.

Games that require multiple key commands to do a certain function can be well handled by the Anker and turned into a simple single-button click. You can tell when you first use the mouse that it has been ergonomically designed as the shape matches the contour of your hand allowing your hand to feel like it was meant to be placed there.

The bottom of the Anker mouse is geared to slide effortlessly across any surface including glass, but I found using a mouse-pad gets the best accuracy, especially in FPS games where the head-shot is the most important shot you can make and control and accuracy means everything. Comfort is also very important and how the mouse feels in your hand can determine the level of comfort you will have and this also will dictate how long you can play without getting a sore wrist or hand.

Most material used to make products is a cheap feeling plastic, not so with the Anker as it feels like it is made of high-quality material that does not make you sweat when you use it for long periods of time. You can also adjust the amount of weight that the mouse contains by simply adding or removing the included weight set until it has the feel you are most comfortable with. The weight can be adjusted between 140-160 Grams depending on your need. You can easily update the software online at anytime via their Anker update, which is included in the GUI for the Anker after you install the initial driver package.

Specifications

• Optical Resolution: 8000DPI
• Product Dimensions: 127 * 79 * 43 mm
• Product Weight: 140-160g
• Compatible system: WinXP、Vista、Win7、Win8

Setup and Drivers

I am not sure if the off the shelf version comes with the drivers, but I had to install mine from their website, which was of course no problem as I had online access and most gamers will as well.

Installation went very smoothly and the drivers installed without a problem. After the initial driver setup I opened up the control panel and began to tinker with the 16 Million colors to choose from as well as how to program the keys with Macro functions. Games like Star Craft 2 can be much more easily played with a few Macro keys programmed to do some of your functions and this also can help you win by way of not wasting time pressing a bunch of keys when a single click can do the same thing.

The Anker precision is totally programmable from the scrolling speed to the colors to the buttons. DPI, lights updates and general programming can be found in one of the 4 GUI’s that are a part of the driver package and are very easy and straightforward to use and implement. As far as programming the keys this is a bit tricky for the uninitiated, but after you learn how it’s done it’s no problem.

I will admit that for some this may prove a bit daunting as you need to follow directions and the pattern of how it is done, although once you get over that hurdle you are totally in the race. For me 9 well placed programmable buttons is more than enough and I feel most gamers will agree with this, but there are some users that actually want more for their style of gaming, I however was totally satisfied with what was available for my sytle.

GamePlay

I stated testing this playing Far Cry 3 after having a lot of trouble with my Logitech G series mouse that was way too small for my hand and felt like it was just plain floating too much, you know what I mean, when I am not even touching the mouse it is moving on its own volition across the screen and very frustrating. Plus I was not getting very many great headshots regardless of how I tried to make them. As soon as I changed out the mouse to the Anker I noticed a vast improvement in control and no more wandering cursor. I was easily able to program everything from reloading my guns to maps and sprinting crouching etc, etc. For Star Craft 2 I was able to program enough to be very helpful, but not enough for someone like White-RA or others who play professionally as there are just a major amount of commands in that game and 9 buttons will not cover them all.

Although the mouse boasts about 8000 DPI, I am never able to set it that high and the 3200 DPI is about as fast as I can use without feeling like the mouse is flying at light speeds across the screen, much too fast for me to control in any case. In truth FPS shooter games don’t usually require a whole hell of a lot of programmable buttons, but the accuracy of the mouse when it is tracking is king in this arena. My headshots and gameplay took a totally new direction by just changing which mouse I was using and this sold me on the Anker right off. I waited and kept playing with the Anker and began to try more intense key programming and after a few times it became very easy to do so. I feel my game was improved and my wrist stopped being sore, both to me were very important aspects and I was and am very satisfied with all gaming aspects of the Anker precision gaming mouse.

Conclusion

You always hear the line: You get what you pay for, but in the case of the Anker precision gaming mouse at $19.99 on sale you are getting way more than you paid for as this mouse is easily worth $49.99 when comparing it to the competition and their similar priced products. Regardless what any PR rep may think, price is always a ginormous part of buying anything in today’s whacky economy and since you can get the Anker on sale for almost the same price as lunch for at a decent Taco or Burger joint as $20.00 is almost a non-thinking price, whereas, I mean c’mon that is so low it will not put anyone back. The regular price is $39.99, but even then it is still a great price, and if you just chillax and watch the sales you can get it at that other previously discussed price.

My son has the Razer Naga, and that thing to me was way overpriced as it was not more accurate than the Anker, it just had more programmable buttons, but let’s do the math Razer Naga $79.99/ Anker Precision $19.99. I think about a zillion people will be able to afford $19.99, but $80.00 is incredibly too spicy a price for most taste buds even though it may have a few more bells and whistles. Personally I would endorse the Anker Precision Gaming Mouse, for me it just fit my style and my hand size perfectly and the buttons were all very easy and ergonomically placed for my control. My hand when measuring from the tip of my middle finger to the bottom of my wrist is 7-3/4 inches long and this is a perfect fit. My hand is considered medium size, a person with very small hands or large hands may like its size as well depending on their comfort level. I feel this is one very solid Gamers Gold Product and the first awarded in this class, you can quote me “Best $20.00 I spent in 2012”. Thanks for taking the time to hear what I had to say about the Anker Precision, Peace.