CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G – Gaming Mouse Review

The CM Storm brand is no stranger to us here at The Game Fanatics, and we got our hands on the latest gadget to join their family, the CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G gaming mouse.  I personally reviewed the Inferno mouse, which has been my modus operandi since I reviewed it, so I was extremely excited when Cooler Master sent me the Sentinel to review.

The Sentinel Z3RO-G is, without a doubt, the most customizable mouse ever! Is the mouse too heavy or too light for your taste? CM Storm has the solution. In the bottom of the mouse reside five 4.5 gram weights which can easily be removed or added to your personalized mouse design. Wondering what DPI you have selected? The Sentinel Z3RO-G possesses an OLED screen under your hand which will tell you the DPI by X and Y axis, which may be toggled up to an amazing 5600, and may also include a personalized logo of your choice, like a clan emblem or the or the logo of the latest killer game in cyberspace.

The mouse is housed in the trademark black and red box known to CM Storm products. Splattered on it is the fact that the mouse comes with a free game, Shattered Horizon. Opening the front door of the cover you’ll be able to feast your eyes on the gem that is the mouse which itself is housed in a plastic tray. The packaging is very catchy and bold, nothing less than we’ve come to expect of Cooler Master.

Apart from the mouse and code for the free game, you’ll also find the installation cd and replacement feet in the package. Though the mouse is indeed plug-and-play, you’ll need the CD to install the Storm software that will allow you to further customize the mouse.

The CD contains everything you need to operate the mouse, including a detailed user manual, as a paperback version is not included in the package.

After unpacking the mouse and holding it in my hands for the first time I had something that can only be described as a geekgasm moment. You see, the CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G gaming mouse is quite simply one of the most beautiful mice I’ve ever used. The sleek gray body, accented by futuristic curves bring out the black mesh top and the gorgeous OLED screen. The mouse is definitely ergonomically designed and fits perfectly into one’s palm as it glides across a surface. If you’re looking for a mouse to complete your rig set up, this is definitely it. The Sentinel Z3RO-G has  programmable light displays, which you can change from off to on, and breathing (my favorite) or rapid fire (where the lights glow when the mouse is clicked).

The mouse has 8 buttons. There’s the standard left right clicks and the scroll wheel, which is very unique as it double clicks when pushed to the right. Having been using the CM Inferno mouse the first thing I missed was the rapid fire (double click) button which lay on top of the right click, so this addition was very much welcomed, albeit it takes a bit of getting used to. On the top of the mouse you’ll also find the profile control button at the very tip, and the DPI+ and DPI- buttons between the scroll wheel and OLED display. On the sides you’ll find your traditional browser back and browser forward buttons. I do have one gripe about these two buttons however. Being that I have long fingers, I find it hard to use the browser forward button as my thumb cannot reach it unless I reposition the entire mouse. This is but a minor complaint, as I rarely use that button anyway. Another complaint I have is with the scroll wheel, and this may be because I’ve been spoiled by the Inferno mouse. The scroll wheel takes a bit of rolling, which is un-adjustable, and for people like who have to go through documents with several pages, the scroll wheel can provide a nasty challenge.

Now, one of my favorite parts of this mouse is the OLED screen. Forget the hardcore things like the twin lasers or the gold-plated USB, give me something new, something I can use to mark my territory, and boy the Cool Master do just that. The OLED screen displays any image you designate via the software provided in the CD. You can see this at work in the image to the right, which features our Unite Fist and the DPI setting the mouse was on at the time of the photograph.

At the bottom of the mouse, you’ll find a housing for five weights, each weighing 4.5 grams. It’s nice to know the level of customization that Cooler Master is giving to gamers, one that is not found in many other mice.

If you’ve used other Cooler Master CM Storm mice before then you’ll be used the interface of the software used to customize the Sentinel Z3RO-G, which can take a bit of familiarizing yourself with.

With the bundled software you can control most aspects of your mouse. Seen above is the in-depth customization options you have for colors, light style, and logo display. Along with that you can change button assignments, DPI levels, and general profiles to your heart’s content. You can also edit the Storm Tactics keys, which is useful for hardcore gamers, and you can add macros and scripts. A major bone I have to pick with the software is that every time you start it up, it revers your mice settings. I find that going the set it and forget it route alleviated my burden, but this problem is pretty annoying.

I put the mouse through its paces. First playing the included Shattered Horizons game (of course), then I played some Assassin’s Creed II, Crysis II, and Dragon Age II. Overall, I was really impressed with the mouse, and when switching games I could adjust the DPI on the fly with ease.

So bottomline, the CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G is an incredible mouse with minor defects. Ergonomic design, smooth use, responsive buttons, and the cool features Cooler Master threw in make the mouse even more worth it. If you’re looking for a stylish peripheral that’ll go above and beyond its call of duty, then this is the mouse for you.

If you are interested in the CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G Gaming mouse you can find it at the usual outlets, such as Newegg and Amazon.