First released in 2006, the Razer DeathAdder is a legendary gaming mouse that has gone through over 30 different iterations and sold over 10 million units. Its latest version - DeathAdder v2 - arrived last month.

The latest design is relatively unchanged from the original's. The v2 sports the original's iconic asymmetrical curvy shape and contour that fits the natural shape of your hand. When using it, you are resting your palm on it rather than gripping it. But I think it will suit both claw- and palm-grip gamers.

There are eight programmable buttons for you to customise the macros and secondary functions you need, by using the Razer Synapse 3 software. These buttons are all within easy reach of your fingers and thumb.

Apart from buttons for left, right and scroll-wheel clicks, there are two buttons on the left side of the mouse and two buttons on the top that, by default, lets you adjust the mouse sensitivity. A button at the bottom lets you cycle through your stored profiles.

The v2 can store up to five on-board profiles by using the Synapse software, with each profile able to have different sensitivity, lighting and custom button settings, so you can plug it into any gaming rig and be ready to go.

But the lighting setting (you can choose choose from 16.8 million colours) in the on-board profiles can only be activated if you install Synapse on the machine the mouse is connected to.

The v2 now uses a fabric sheathed USB cable that is far more durable and less likely to entangle than a rubberised cable. The new cable also has minimal drag for quicker swipes and better control.

Inside the v2 is Razer's Focus 20,000 dots-per-inch (dpi) optical sensor. It is a huge upgrade from the original's 1,800dpi infrared sensor, though just an incremental upgrade from the 2016 DeadAdder Elite's 16,000dpi optical sensor.

The v2 uses Razer's optical mouse switches, which are supposed to be faster and more durable than conventional mechanical switches. At 82g, the v2 feels much lighter than the Elite (105g). The best part is that Razer has kept the price the same as the Elite's, despite the slew of upgrades.

In terms of performance, the v2 does not disappoint. In fact, it is one of the best gaming mice I have used.

Whether playing role-playing games or first person shooters, it performed superbly. I could strafe, turn and aim as quickly, smoothly and accurately as I want. I also did not feel any aches in my hand after hours of gaming.

A downside is its asymmetrical-design, which suits right-handers.

Another minor complaint is that the scroll wheel click seems a tad too sensitive. It registers a click even when I was just scrolling through a web page.

Plus, the world now is very much different than in 2006. I prefer a wireless gaming mouse these days. And there are a lot of capable ones, such as Razer's own Mamba Hyperflux and Logitech's G502 Lightspeed, to choose from. Albeit more expensive.

You really have to be a DeathAdder fan to fancy the v2, as good as it is.

FOR

- Superb performance

- Timeless ergonomic design

- Comfortable grip

- No price hike from last version

AGAINST

- Not for left-handers

- Scroll wheel click a tad sensitive

- For DeathAdder fans only

TECH SPECS

PRICE: $109.90

SENSOR: Razer Focus+ 20,000 dots-per-inch sensor

TRACKING SPEED: Up to 650 inches per second

WEIGHT: 82g

RATING

FEATURES: 4/5

DESIGN: 4.5/5

PERFORMANCE: 4.5/5

VALUE FOR MONEY: 4/5

OVERALL: 4/5