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Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Advance Mouse


Date
: 09/26/09 – 05:34:57 AM

Author
:

Category
: Input Devices

Page 1 : Index

Manufacturer
: Cooler Master

I think everyone is quite familiar with Cooler Master and all they have to offer. They are of course most well known for their extensive line of cases and cooling products. While they have made their reputation off of these products, Cooler Master has ventured into other areas with success such as power supplies and laptop accessories.

Earlier this year Cooler Master launched their CM Storm brand to target the gaming community. With the launch came the Sniper and Scout cases that were targeted at LAN gamers.

Today Cooler Master adds another gamer oriented product to the CM Storm line with the Sentinel Advanced gaming mouse. The gaming mice market is certainly a competitive one and gamers can be very picky about their devices. From adjustable DPI (up to a crazy 5600) and profile management the Sentinel Advance may be just the perfect mouse for any gamer.

Page 2 : Package and Specifications

The package for the Sentinel Advanced is built to clearly display the mouse itself and a quick pictorial rundown of features on the front. The back has a more detailed list of features with pictures.

The sides are used to list the specifications and a short introduction of the Sentinel Advance.

Once you remove the box the mouse is sitting inside a plastic shell. Accessories include a StormGuard PCI slot cover to help protect your mouse from theft and a disc containing the Storm Tactic AP software.

Now let's take a peek at some of the features and specs before we delve into some more detail.

Features:

• Superior Gaming Grade Precision – Twin laser engine to ensure extreme stability and ultra precise tracking performance.
  
  
• Onboard Sentinel-X 64Kb – Safeguards your mouse settings and store up to 5 different game profiles.
• Octoshade LED Tech – Enable yourself to quickly recognize your active profile, by personalizing your mouse lighting with a spectrum of colors and effects.
• OLED Profile Management – Allows gamers to switch DPI and profiles on the fly with instant visual feedbacks.
• Tag Your Own Gaming Clan Logo – Upload your own clan logo and display it in all its glory on the OLED profile management screen.
• Weight Adjustment System – Five 4.5 gram metal weights allow you to select your ideal mouse weight with a 22.5 gram weight variation.
• StormGuard Security – Groundbreaking security system for safeguarding your gaming peripherals.

Specifications:

It is readily apparent that the CM Storm team has put a lot of research and development into the Sentinel Advance mouse. The Sentinel Advance has its sights set high, so now let's take a look and take it for a spin.

Page 3 : The Mouse

The Sentinel looked good inside the package and really looks even better out of it. The entire mouse is either gloss or flat black in color. The mouse chord is braided and has a gold plated USB connector.

There are a total of 8 buttons that can be reprogrammed but during our tour I'll identify the defaults. Six of the buttons are located on the front of the mouse and begin with the standard right and left click. The small button in front of the wheel is for profile switching and the two behind it are for DPI switching.

One thing that you'll notice is that it is ergonomically designed for the right hand, so left handers are out in the cold. Situated by your right thumb are two buttons for back and forward in your internet browser. The triangular shape in the center houses the OLED display (for DPI and logo) and the Octoshade LED which we'll explore more in a little bit.

On the bottom of the Sentinel Advance are four mouse feet. Towards the front are two forward facing LEDs that match the LED on the top. In the center is the 5600 DPI laser which should be sufficient for even the most hardcore gamer.

Towards the back is a removable cover that hides the variable weight system. There are a total of five 4.5g weights to adjust to your preference.

Page 4 : Installation and Testing

Now we get to the fun part, hooking up the Sentinel Advance and using it. After plugging in the mouse to an empty USB port, install the Storm Tactic AP software and your ready to start tweaking.

The main screen is where you can change most of the functioning of the mouse. Each setting on this screen can be changed to a different value for each profile. Each mouse button is programmable on all profiles except the default profile.

The color control panel is where you can change the color settings on the LEDs. You can change the color as well as the lighting pattern. Also on this screen is where you can upload a black and white bmp image of your clan logo to display on the OLED screen on the mouse.

The macro and script panels are simple enough, the place where you can create scripts and macros for use with the Sentinel Advance on the different profiles.

You can save your scripts and macro's to a library. In the library view you can keep track of your creations and also view what is currently loaded onto the Sentinel Advance's onboard memory.

The support and update tab has a link to the CM Storm website and has a utility for updating the firmware of the mouse should there be any bug fixes or enhancements in the future.

All of the supporting software and the stats are there, but a gaming mouse will live or die in the execution. I've been using the Sentinel Advance for a few weeks now and it has quickly become a favorite of mine for gaming. I have used it in my usual compliment of games like Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 and even some Counter Strike: Source. Not once have there been any odd tracking issues and with an infinite amount of DPI adjustments anyone can find their happy place. Now in an odd happening my wife actually likes the mouse, a rarity for gaming gear in my house.

As for surfaces everyone has their preferences but the good news is that the Sentinel Advance works well on both hard and soft surfaces. I've used the Sentinel on the ZOWIE GEAR P-RF, the ZOWIE GEAR P-RF, the SteelSeries SteelPad S&S as well as the CM Storm CS-S Battle Pad H2 (look for a review soon) and all surfaces worked perfectly. Much like I saw with the OCZ Eclipse Gaming mouse, using your standard generic mousepad results in less than desirable performance. This is actually noted in the manual for the Sentinel Advance that due to the high sensitivity of the laser lower quality mousepads won't work well.

The grip on the mouse is comfortable even for my palming style and all buttons are easily reached. Mouse clicks are smooth but once again like the thumb buttons on the OCZ Eclipse, the thumb buttons on the Sentinel have the same sort of plastic feel though not quite as bad.

Page 5 : Conclusion

When Cooler Master launched the CM Storm brand they were targeting gamers, and with the Sentinel Advance they are showing they are not content with just cases. For a first delve into gaming peripherals, the Sentinel Advance hits a lot of high notes. A 5600 DPI laser, onboard profiles and OLED screen all come together in a handsome package that allows plenty of tweaking. The LED lights while slightly gimmicky can allow for quick profile detection should you be switching in the dark.

In a couple weeks of use I really can't knock the Sentinel Advance for anything other than the fact that lefties are left out in the cold. Cooler Master and their team at CM Storm have done their homework and have released one heck of a mouse in the Sentinel Advance.

Advantages

• Onboard profiles, macros and scripts
  
  
• OLED customizable screen and colors
• Precise tracking

Disadvantages

• Only righties need apply

Overclockers Online would like to thank Cooler Master for making this review possible.