Whether you are sniping heads in a first person shooter, or commanding your character to move to a spot in a map in a MOBA, a proper gaming mouse is one of the deadliest tools in your arsenal.
The ROG Strix Impact is ASUS’ answer to the ever growing demands of gamers. Featuring Aura Sync for aesthetics, and built with precision and durability in mind while taking a minimalistic approach to design, all for a sub PhP2k price tag.
So, does it actually live up to the task? Or is it nothing more than a mouse with a light show? Let’s find out in this full review.
Packaging
One look at the box of this Strix Impact is enough to tell you that there’s something quite special inside. You can even open the front portion to get a window view of the mouse itself.
Apart from that however, there really isn’t anything notable inside. You get a quick start guide in several languages, and two ROG stickers.
Design and Build Quality
As with other ROG peripherals, the Strix Impact features the signature Mayan design that is composed of maze-like lines on the side of the device with a rubber-like coating on the buttons. If anything, it isn’t fancy like most other gaming mice in the market. And while it doesn’t have a numpad on the side (in fact, there’s nothing on the side), it does have an illuminated ROG logo with customizable lighting effects. There’s also a DPI indicator light, which unfortunately is static.
As simple as it looks from the outside, this device is actually made for long gaming sessions as it is equipped with Omron switches which have a 50 million click lifespan. The cable is long enough, and is covered by a thick jacket which doesn’t feel flimsy at all. The device is also lightweight and should be comfortable enough for all grip types. People with small hands will love this one.
Features
On the surface, the Strix Impact isn’t exactly the most feature packed mouse you’ll find, as it only has the DPI change button. But once you fire up ROG Armoury, you’ll eventually find out that this thing has a lot more to offer than just dpi changes.
The software allows you to customize the mouse to your desired preferences. For one, it allows you to set which dpi’s will be used when the indicator light is on and when it’s off. And while I personally think that two settings are enough for most games, I can see why some people would ask for more. By default, the values are set to 400 DPI when off, and 1600 DPI when on (The Strix Impact is equipped with a 5000 DPI optical sensor).
You can also set pointer acceleration, polling rate (1000 Hz max), which defines how often your mouse reports its position to your computer therefore affecting the time it takes for your mouse’s movements to be reflected on the screen, as well as how responsive the mouse buttons will be. If you want to, you can even change individual button functions.
Armoury also allows you to utilize ASUS’ signature RGB Aura Sync, which lets you synchronize the lighting effects with other ROG peripherals. There’s Breathing, Color Cycle, and Reactive (The ROG logo will light up for every click).
Performance
ROG Strix Impact Gaming Mouse Specs
- Connectivity: Wired USB 2.0
- Tracking: 5000 dpi optical sensor, 130 ips, 30g acceleration
- Responsiveness: 1000Hz polling rate
- System: Windows 10/8.1/7
- Requirements: Internet Connection (for optional software download)
I tested the Strix Impact with Overwatch and DOTA 2 on a 2K monitor running at 3440 x 1440 resolution, on default settings:
- DPI: 1600 (off) and 400 (on)
- acceleration: none
- deceleration: none
- Polling Rate: 500
- Button Response: 12ms
The Strix Impact performed quite well during gameplay. The lightweight design made it easier to immediately move the mouse for targeting in Overwatch, and being able to switch to a lower dpi on the fly made sniping easier.
The right and left click buttons were also very responsive, and didn’t require a lot of force to press, resulting to faster click response.
Moving my hero in Dota 2 to the exact point I want was very easy, thanks to the adjustable DPI setting. I was also able to quickly and precisely select targets with ease. There was no need to lift the mouse off the mat when scrolling through the map, all I had to was slide to the left or to the right, and it responds more than fast enough to get me the view I want.
Verdict
The ROG Strix Impact is indeed made for gamers who are in need of a tool which has the precision and speed needed in order to secure that victory. Even if this is being touted as a MOBA Focused device, it will still work well in an FPS game.
The design, while minimal, actually works. It simply doesn’t need to be fancy. Aura Sync is great, but I just wished they also made the DPI indicator part of the RGB scheme. And while the software offers a ton of customization, being able to switch only between two DPI settings at a time may feel like a limiting factor in some cases.
Regardless, if you’re looking for a decent gaming mouse with a good set of features without spending too much, the Strix Impact is still an excellent choice.
The Good
- Lightweight
- Performance in both FPS and MOBA
- Software
- Lighting Effects
- Price (PhP1,750)
The Not So Good
- Static DPI indicator
- Only two DPI settings at a time may be limiting
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
