Of all the components found in a modern gaming rig, none is more personal then the peripherals used to interact with that computer. For avid FPS players, that means the keyboard and mouse. They are the things allow players to control their game with precision, feel comfortable for long sessions and allows them to focus on winning. This is why gamers are remarkably picky about what they use for input devices.
Many will eschew the latest and greatest, sticking with what works. I’m no exception, as I’ve been using the same Logitech G15 keyboard (gen 1 of course) and Logitech MX1000 mouse since 2004. I just haven’t been able to find something to replace what I think is the perfect combo. Cooler Master is looking to change my mind, and the minds of gamers everywhere.
They’ve spawned a gaming focused subsidiary called CM STORM, and their Sentinel Advance gaming mouse is looking to make some waves with new features and interesting design.
That’s A Lot of Features You Got There
CM STORM is specifically targeting professional gamers and up and comers with this new mouse. The Sentinel Advance is touted as having an improved dual laser design, enhanced with Doppler Effect processing, that tracks in real-time instead of using software prediction like other “gaming” mice.
Now I know what a Doppler Effect is, and I’m curious how this applies to a computer mouse. For now let’s take a look at the list of specs provided in the product brief.
- 5600 DPI Storm Tactical™ Twin-laser Sensor
- 64KB Sentinel-X™ Memory
- OLED DPI Management System
- OLED Team Logo Personalization
- 8 Programmable Buttons
- Rapid Fire Tactical™ Mode
- 1000Hz Polling / 1ms Response Time
- Max Speed of 235 Inches Per Second
- Max Acceleration 50G
- 1mm Lift-off Distance
- Right-hand Ergonomic Design
- Gold-plated USB Connector
- 5 x 4.5g Adjustable Weight System
- Full-Speed USB
They do definitely go into a lot of detail. Shockingly there’s still more to be listed, and if numbers and specifications are your thing you can read on at the product home page.
I’m not really interested in specifications so much as I am interested in actual functionality. The dual laser sensor sounds intriguing, but we want to make sure the mouse is more accurate because of it. In extension to that, we want to know if 5600 dpi is a little too high of a rating.
The OLED screen, onboard processor, and adjustable LEDs also sound like an interesting way to personalize your device. However we want to make sure it’s actually fairly easy to do so. We’ll of course look into all this, but first let’s take a look at the mouse itself.
A Much Closer Look
While the accuracy and sensitivity of the CM Storm Sentinel Advance mouse are the most talked about features, coming in second to those are the myriad of programming options, including 8 programmable buttons.
The bulk of those buttons are found on the top on the mouse, near to and including the left and right click buttons. Though there are suggested options for each button (changing DPI is important, and so is left and right click I think), you can effectively make any button on the mouse perform any function. As for the movement on the buttons themselves, they feel quite solid while being easy to click. The scroll wheel is the same, providing enough resistance to make each spin distinctive without impeding quick movement when necessary.
The two remaining buttons are found on the side of the mouse, immediately accessible with your thumb. The buttons default to Back and Forward, but once again can be setup to do anything you desire via software. They are positioned well, sitting above where you thumb would rest, preventing accidental clicks.
Speaking of the thumb rest, it should be pretty clear that this mouse is for righties only, or at least those who mouse with their right hand. The mouse is designed to fit ergonomically into your right hand, so if you are in the minority of folks who use their left hand for mousing you may want to look at a more ambidextrous unit like the NZXT AVATAR.
For the majority of us who mouse with our right hands, the Sentinel Advance will fit like a glove. The profile of this mouse allows your hand to rest naturally on it, without bending the wrist in strange and interestingly painful ways. Microsoft`s original Sidewinder Mouse comes to mind in the strange and interesting department.
The shape of the Sentinel Advance is very close to that of my beloved Logitech MX1000, making it very familiar to me during use.
I also like heavier set mice, but if you prefer a little more spring in the step of your gaming mouse, the Sentinel Advance comes with 5 removable 4.5g weights. Removing these weights will allow you to easily adjust the weight of the Sentinel Advance from Hockey Puck to Shuttlecock and anywhere in-between.
Unfortunately CM STORM hasn’t included a method of storage for the removed weights, so just hope you don’t loose them.
Some Included Accessories
The accessory package found with the CM STORM Sentinel Advance gaming mouse is rather light, though one wouldn’t expect a lot of accessories with a mouse.
The total package includes a mini CD containing the drivers and software, and an odd looking card slot bracket. That odd looking bracket is actually called StormGuard™, and is meant to prevent your peripherals from disappearing into the hands of opportunistic scumbag thieves at your local LAN party.
Though the LAN parties I attend are quite safe and have a great track record, there’s always the possibility that someone may try something. This simple little bracket prevents this by allowing to tie and secure the cable of three of your peripherals directly to your case. Last time I checked most computers are still fairly large, and not very easy to sneak out of a well maintained event so hopefully your peripherals will stay put as well.
Lots of Options in One Place
The software included with the Sentinel Advance is much more then a simple control panel, and is actually one of the most feature-filled pieces of kit I’ve seen with a mouse. From the GUI you can adjust DPI settings, change buttons assignments, and create profiles for multiple usage situations, and that’s just in the first tab.
There’s tabs for controlling the LED colours, which can then be applied to a particular profile. You can also program macros and setup scripts. The software then saves these settings to the onboard memory on the mouse, meaning you can take this mouse anywhere and it’ll work as programmed, even without the software installed.
Let’s Light Things Up
Plugging in the Sentinel Advance is like turning on a light switch. The lighting on this mouse is rather impressive, if that’s your thing. Light is projected from both the top mesh and two front mounted lenses. These two zones can be programmed independently, using a feature called Octoshade™, to display 8 shades of colour. These colour combos can then be programmed to the Sentinel-X™ MPU to be used on the fly with corresponding profiles.
The OLED display is another nifty addition to the Sentinel Advance, displayed the exact DPI the mouse is setup with at the time. The display also reads off which profile your are selecting as you scroll through them. You can even program in a custom logo from a 32×32 BMP image, adding a little personal flare to your mouse.
Desktop Performance
Mouse testing is remarkably subjective, since the usage environment and needs can vary widely from user to user. Still I tried to put the Sentinel Advance through it’s paces.
Desktop performance is the most difficult to comment on, as it simply comes down to if the mouse is comfortable enough to use for extended periods of time. For my usage, I found the Sentinel Advance quite easy to use while performing lowly desktop duties. As I mentioned before, the experience was very similar to using my Logitech MX1000. Beyond that I don’t want to comment, as your mileage may vary.
I will however talk at length about gaming on the next page. This is a gaming mouse after all.
Gaming Performance
To test the CM STORM Sentinel Advance, I decided to step back in time and break out a game that is now 10 years old. Why the heck would I do that, you may ask? The reason being is that Quake 3 Arena, and it’s competitor Unreal Tournament, is still one of the most fast paced FPS titles that still works with modern Windows operating systems. I wanted to see how well the Sentinel Advance stood up in this environment, and play with it’s software to see if I could coax the best performance out of it. I think it goes without saying that the Sentinel Advance was up to the task
Jumping into an arena with default settings yielded good results, with the mouse matching my movements to the game movement with precision. The real fun started when I tweaked the DPI and sensitivity settings to a point where my movement was perfect. Did it get me a better score? Well…no, but the gameplay was smooth and accurate while I was getting my butt kicked.
Team Fortress 2 was another title where I was able to have a lot of fun tweaking the Sentinel Advance; this time making up profiles for each class.
TF2 is infinitely customizable on it’s own, allowing you to pick the class that best suits your play style, then picking how you want to play that class. For the Scout class my profile focused on accurate movement, since the class moves so fast. One mis-step and you run straight into a Heavy, getting turned into Swiss cheese. As for playing as the heavy, I wanted to make sure I could quickly heal, and quickly turn around to face my enemies. The slow moving lug really should be able to quickly cover all sides. I even assigned colours to each profile, so I didn’t get things mixed up while switching.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
In the end, the CM STORM Sentinel Advance gaming mouse is quite an innovative and technically adept peripheral. The huge selection of features will allow you to tweak it to your exact specifications, and you can even add some personal flare with the programmable lighting and OLED logo. The ergonomic design is very comfortable, and the buttons are well laid out and easily accessible. The extra security feature is an added bonus that will ensure you see use from this mouse at many LAN parties.
The only downsides I can find with the Sentinel Advance are fairly superficial, and basically run as direct opposition to the benefits I just pointed out. All the options that are available in the software may seem overwhelming to the first time user, and there is a bit of a learning curve. The mouse is right hand only, though making it ambidextrous might cancel out some of it’s benefits. As for pricing your opinion on that can go one way or the other. The Sentinel Advance will be priced between $70 and $80 USD, which is typical for high end mice in this segment.
Overall I think Cooler Master has done what any company should do when entering a new market; they took their time and executed exactly as they should have. The result is one of the most polished mice I’ve seen from a company who is new to the gaming peripheral space. The look and feel of this mouse make it a perfect candidate to replace my admittedly failing Logitech MX1000. With a recommendation like that, it’s hard not to give the CM STORM Sentinel Advance gaming mouse our Editor’s Choice Award.
Pros
- Extremely customizable
- Comfortable and easy to use
- Accurate tracking for precise gaming
- Visual customizations add personal touch
Cons
- Software may be a little overwhelming at first
Overall Rating: 9.5 / 10.0
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CM STORM Sentinel Advance Gaming Mouse Photo Gallery
