Price / Where to Buy:
US – Approx. $45 – [easyazon_link identifier=”B01FXDW95M” locale=”US” tag=”back2gaming-20″]Cougar 450M[/easyazon_link]
PH – TBA
[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B01FXDW95M” locale=”US” tag=”back2gaming-20″]
[/signoff] [section label=”Introduction”]Cougar is flushing out an entire line of peripherals and its not doing so slowly as we get past Computex 2016 and see a whole lot more from the company. Still, looking at the current set there still remains plenty to see from their lineup as we wait for the new ones to come out. One of the previous releases that sets the stage for Cougar’s entry-level peripheral line is the Cougar 450M. This 5000DPI optical gaming mouse features pretty much everything you need to for your first gaming mouse featuring good tracking and extra features. Let’s take a closer look at the Cougar 450M ambidextrous optical gaming mouse in this review. Read on!
Features
- 5000 DPI Sensor + 1000Hz Polling Rate
- 8 Fully Configurable Buttons + 512Kb of on-board memory + UIX
- Unique Ambidextrous Gaming Design
- One Mouse for All Gamers
| Product name | COUGAR 450M Gaming Mouse |
|---|---|
| Sensor | PMW3310DH Optical gaming sensor |
| Resolution | 50-5000 DPI |
| Polling rate | 1000Hz / 1ms |
| On-board memory | 512KB |
| Software | COUGAR UIX™ SYSTEM |
| Programmable buttons | 8 |
| Switching | OMRON gaming switches |
| Profile LED backlight | 2 ZONE 16.8 million colors |
| Frame rate | 6500 FPS |
| Maximum tracking speed | 130 IPS |
| Maximum acceleration | 30G |
| Interface | Golden-plated USB plug |
| Cable length | 1.8m Braided |
| Dimension | 135(L) X 67(W) X 40(H) mm 5.31(L) X 2.64(W) X 1.57(H) Inch |
| Weight | 105g (0.23 lb) |
Closer Look
The Cougar 450M comes in 2 colors: white and black. The main trim of the mice is green and both colors alternate with it. The packaging for the Cougar 450M is predominantly black with full color print. The product model is printed in bold in the front with the features highlighted underneath that text. At the back we get a diagram of the other features including the RGB lighting option for the logo and wheel as well as other details.
Cougar slips in a manual, and a sticker sheet along with the Cougar 450M inside its packaging.
As an ambidextrous-design mouse, the Cougar 450M features a symmetrical design with both left and right section of the mouse evenly proportional. The top shell is predominantly glossy and the plastic feel is there. Grip is fine though but for sweaty palms, keep a box of tissues ready.
The sides of the Cougar 450M are textured with dimples to prevent slipping. Slimline side buttons line the trim at the sides following the curve for visual detail. The left and right mouse buttons are sloped downwards and have rounded curve at the front. Its press feels a bit softer and actuation takes a bit more to feel because of the slope but the Omron switch do their job well.
Braided cable line the Cougar 450M and is capped off by a gold-plated USB plug.
Look at the glossy finish.
[section label=”User Experience & Conclusion”]User Experience & Conclusion
At $45, the Cougar 450M competes with most high-end optical gaming mouse like the SteelSeries Rival 300. For the most part, both mice have heavily contrasting appearance but the feel should be similar particularly for tracking. Extra feature like customization and software support are there with Cougar offering their own in the unified UIX software system which extends itself with a macro editor as well as customization but the Cougar 450M by itself can do away with those and is fully functional by itself thanks to its built-in DPI switcher.
Overall performance is decent and tracking is good enough for FPS players that want a high-performance mouse without much fluff and prefer optical. Most that are used to laser sensors might feel a bit lacking on this one in the out of box state but those that prefer to sit between 1000-2000DPI at 1000hz polling rate should be fine provided they have a decent surface also. The Cougar 450M works great on both soft and hard surfaces with soft mats providing much better experience in our personal opinion.
One of our notable observation about this mouse though is the quality of the build. While it looks great, the plastic does feel cheap and really gives the impression of a knockoff because of that. The left and right mouse button have a slight creak to them which also doesn’t help as its clicky feel makes it a bit noisy.
Overall though, its one decent gaming mouse for gaming use especially for left-handed people who need something affordable but won’t break the bank. The Cougar 450M gaming mouse is a good choice for its competitive price tag and overall good performance.
