Razer Diamondback Review

We’re working our way through playing with some of Razer’s recent gaming mice, and each one has its own unique characteristics. The Razer Diamondback is one of the lighter and smaller units in Razer’s offering.

After using Razer’s Deathadder Chroma for months, moving over to the nimbly-bimbly Diamondback was a big change in how we played games. It was a big change of scenery too, since the Diamondback boasts Razer’s Chroma-style LEDs (though the mouse lacks the Chroma branding in its name).

For those who prefer lighter and more agile mice like Logitech’s G303, the Diamondback will feel right at home in your hand. The mouse is 89g without the cable, which is just a hair heavier than the G303’s 87g.

Just like the G303, the Diamondback uses a symmetrical design philosophy. But unlike the G303, there is a pair of buttons on both the right and left side of the mouse, offering true ambidextrous support. We don’t see a lot of mice that are nice to lefties, so seeing symmetry in both shape and button layout is a breath of fresh air.

The Diamondback’s small size and taller sides also lends itself to gamers who prefer a claw grip. This design also lets you lift the mouse easily, without having to palm-grip the sides with a lot of force. The rubberized sides to the mouse help with traction, too. You can disable the buttons on the right or left sides, to eliminate accidental clicks with the ring or pinky fingers.

In terms of looks, the Diamondback comes in the standard Razer black matte with the triple-serpent design on the palm rest. It has of RGB LED channels flanking both sides, similar to the Mamba Chroma. And keeping with the Razer’s Chroma line, all of these LEDs are customizable in Synapse. (You can turn them off too, if you prefer less illumination on your desk.) However, RGB LEDs are becoming the standard in gaming peripherals, so we can’t give extra points for lighting alone.

And just like the Mamba, the Diamondback boasts a big 16,000dpi of responsiveness. That’s 60 percent more than the Deathadder (10,000dpi), and 25 percent more than the G303 (12,000 dpi). Of course, only the most discerning twitchy player will need anything over 10,000dpi, which many consider more than enough.

One thing that caught our attention was the mouse wheel. Depending on how (or what) you play, the Diamondback’s wheel could be a deal breaker for some. The wheel has stiff “notches” while you scroll, making it harder to scroll several lines in rapid succession. In contrast, the Deathadder’s wheel rotates much more freely, allowing for quick navigation through menus and faster weapon changes.

While this stiffness can help prevent accidental scrolling, it also requires more effort and time to scroll. While a few milliseconds may not seem like much, for players who need the fastest response, this wheel might not be the best choice. For those who would prefer more deliberate scrolling and don’t require fast or frequent scrolling, the wheel will be ideal.

At $90 the Diamondback is $20 more than the G303, which competes in the same space in terms of form and function. On the other hand, the G303 only has thumb buttons on the left, and sports a lower DPI than the Diamondback.

Overall, the Diamondback is a solid mouse for those who want a lightweight gaming mouse, need ambidextrous access, prefer high-sensitivity response, and don’t mind a stiff scroll wheel.