[REVIEW] ARMAGGEDDON Alien IV G9X Gaming Mouse

[owikh84]

ARMAGGEDDON Alien IV G9X Gaming Mouse




Introduction

ARMAGGEDDON is a Singaporean brand, established on 11 November 2011. Although relatively new to the world of gaming peripherals, they specialize in gaming gear for professional gamers to help them realize their full potential in training and achieve peak performance in competitions. Today we have the chance to review the flagship gaming mouse called Alien IV G9X. The mouse has Count Per Inch up to 6400 CPI, PixArt 3305 advanced optical sensor, 7-level weight management and many other interesting features. Let?s see what the high-end gaming mouse has to offer.

Product Link: http://armaggeddon.net/gaming-mice/alien-g9x/

Suggested Retail Price: RM 139


Specifications

? 6 Macro-able? optical gaming mouse with 512 KB on-board memory
? CPI switching on-the-fly [default]: 400/ 800/ 1600/ 3200 CPI
? Software CPI setting: as low as 400 CPI up to 6400 CPI
? Adjustable polling rate (/second): 125 Hz/500 Hz/1000 Hz
? Frame rate: 6600 fps
? Acceleration: 20 G
? Advanced Optical sensor: PixArt 3305
? Adjustable mouse light effects and up to 4 colour options
? Total 6-Buttons with 2-Way Click scroll [save up to 7 macros in 5 available profile]
? High performance tracking speed: up to 160 inches per second
? Resolution range: 400 ~ 6400 CPI
? 6-button optical mouse
? On-board memory: 512 KB
? Cord length: 1.8 m
? 125 (L) X 82 (W) X 40 (H) mm


Unboxing


The front of the matte black box is illustrated with a picture showing the Alien IV G9X in yellow colour illuminated with Maldives blue lighting and some key features of the mouse. Near the bottom of the box shows the Alien IV G9X name and the tag line of "Great Grip Comfort, Balance and Weight Management?.


The back of the packaging describes the function of every button on the mouse, the 7-level weight management, dimension of the mouse, and system requirements. There is a big orange logo highlighting the mouse?s 2-year warranty accompanied by ?Very Durable? words nearby to emphasize that this gaming mouse is reliable and durable.


The accessories included in the packaging are pretty standard. You get a user manual, a set of replacement mouse feet, and a starter kit CD.


My first impression of the Alien IV G9X was impressive. It is a very attractive gaming mouse and the size fits just right on my palm. The mouse is very light measuring 125 mm X 82mm X 40 mm. However there is no information on the actual weight of the mouse. The mouse we received is the yellow colour version of Alien IV G9X. There are also blue and black versions available in the market. The black surface of the mouse has rubberized finish to provide an ultimate grip and comfort during heavy gaming. Coming from the front of the mouse you will find 1.8 meters of cable that has been covered in cloth braided sleeving along with a USB 2.0 connector.


The Alien IV G9X features six macroable buttons that you could customize using the included software. These include the left and right-click buttons, the scroll wheel click button, and a pair of thumb buttons as well as an additional button on the far right which serves as the double-click function.


The top of the Alien IV G9X offers a CPI on-the-fly button to adjust the sensors tracking speeds ranging from 400 to 3200 CPI, while you are gaming or working, without needing to go to the software for changes. Take note that you are able to set higher CPI up to 6400 CPI through the software. You also have the scroll wheel with motocross tyre print shaped grips on it to assure you don't slide on the wheel during heaving gaming. There is a curve located on the left side of the mouse to rest the thumb. Along the top edge you will find two thumb buttons that are defaulted for the forward and backward page functions and CPI level LED indicator on the front left.


Here you can see the right side of the mouse with the double-click button at the ring finger position. You could assign this button as another function such as forward page button if you like, through the included software.


At the rear edge you can remove the cover that houses the weights. You are given with seven 2.6 gram weight management system, you can add or remove them to suit your needs and desired feel.


Under the Alien IV G9X you have the advanced optical sensor PixArt 3305, which is centered well at the middle of the mouse. The mouse is equipped with four extra-large Teflon mousefeet for a faster and smoother glide. Teflon is known to have longer lifespan than conventional skates. You will also find warranty expiry information and serial number here. The Alien IV G9X features a Maldives blue lightning. The blue light effects including the intensity and pulsation speed can be adjusted via the software.

[owikh84]

Software

The package is provided with a mini-sized CD that contains the software and driver to maximize the performance of the Alien IV G9X. The software is very simple and easy to understand and apply. There are five basic menus available in this software, which are the "Home Base", "Main Frame", “Button Setting", "Light Settings", and “Support/Updates”.


The first menu is "Home Base", which only contains a little preview of the features of the gaming mouse, there is no any function on this menu.


In the "Main Frame" menu you can adjust the axis sensitivity, scroll speed and double-click speed. You can save the settings up to five different profiles, load the profile or erase all the profiles and macros.


The next menu is the "Button Setting". There are a total of five profiles can be created, in which you are free to assign any button located on the mouse. It is very useful when you can personalize the buttons for each of the different application based on your preferences. The quick CPI setting on the lower left allows you to set CPI higher than the CPI button located at the middle of the mouse. With this software, you will get two additional CPI values which are 4800 and 6400 CPI. Last but not least, this menu provides three polling rate options ranging from 125 to 1000 Hz.


The “Light Settings” menu allows you to adjust the light intensity and pulsating rate. You can also choose to turn the light and pulsation off. It is a useful option if you don’t want your sleep is disturbed by this blue lighting when your machine is running overnight. Somehow I feel a little bit disappointed with the fact that the lighting colour is not adjustable. This is against the specifications listed in their website that there are up to four colour options are provided.

The last menu “Support/ Update” will lead you to ARMAGGEDDON’s website where you can download the latest driver and application.


Performance

The Alien IV G9X is very convenient to use, because in our tests the mouse is not stiff when used in a long period of time. The ring-finger button is also very helpful for those who want an extra command especially when playing game. We performed testing on the First Person Shooter aka FPS genre games such as the Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Ghosts, and Crysis 3. This mouse is quite comfortable to use and very easy to control. The left and right-click buttons are so perfect for FPS games because these buttons fit nicely on my fingers. The buttons are so accurate and precise to give multiple headshots. As for the Real Time Strategy aka RTS game genre, we played the Diablo III to examine its performance. Apparent the left and right-click buttons are extremely sensitive enough to help you while playing the game with this genre. The macro function is also helpful in RTS genre, because you only need to combine multiple commands and can be done with a single click.


Thoughts & Verdicts

Judging from the selling price, the ARMAGGEDDON Alien IV G9X is very comparable to its performance. Its build is very solid, convenient to use, and have the macro function. The mouse size fits just right to my average-sized palm. The buttons feel soft, have a very good level of responsiveness, accuracy and precision while clicking. There are some option settings including the scroll speed, double-click speed, and polling rate that you can customize based on your preferences. This is suitable for those who like to play FPS and RTS games. The 7-level weight management is certainly a good addition for greater customizability. We are looking forward for some lighting colour options, instead of just a blue colour. It would be nicer to have lighting that match with our gaming rig theme.

A comfortable fit, multiple macroable buttons, weight management system, on-the-fly CPI switching and pulsating lighting. That's a good summary of the ARMAGGEDDON Alien IV G9X that deserved some serious considerations.

Performance: 5/5
Materials: 5/5
Specifications: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Performance/Price Value: 5/5

Pros:
+ Good performance/ price ratio
+ Good build quality
+ Comfortable to use
+ Excellent response rate, accuracy, and precision
+ Software that is easy to understand and apply
+ On-the-fly CPI switching button
+ Included an additional ring-finger button on the right

Cons:
- Lighting colour is not adjustable.