CORSAIR - DARK CORE RGB PRO SE Wireless Optical Gaming Mouse with Slipstream Technology and Qi Wireless Charging - Black

This is a great mouse and improves upon a Corsair mouse I’ve been using that is very similar, called the Dark Core RGB. This is the Pro SE version of that mouse meaning it has updated features and Qi Wireless Charging. You can still buy the Pro (non SE) version but in my opinion it’s a no-brainer to pay the $10 more to get the Qi charging. Despite a long lasting battery it is just so convenient for me to set the mouse on a wireless charging pad at the end of the day then to remember to plug it in every few days. It means my mouse is always charged and ready to go. If you do have one of the older non Pro Dark Cores there are some significant differences, such as a USB-C connector versus microUSB. I’m a big fan of USB-C and personally can’t wait until all USB-A and microUSB ports are extinct for good. The wireless dongle is much more compact (see photo, newer one on top) but unfortunately still not USB-C. Behind the pinky grip is a spot to store the dongle (see photo) which I absolutely love. There are only a few mice I’ve seen that have this feature and it makes it much less likely to misplace the dongle when storing or traveling. Another difference is the buttons on the left hand side of the mouse. The non Pro versions have a button surrounded by a thin LED and a back and forward button to either side of it while the new one drops the main button but adds a really nice multi-zone RGB strip. (see photo). All of the lighting effects can be adjusted with the Corsair iCue software, there are presets to choose from or you can create your own. Now, for performance, this mouse is hard to beat. I’ve played the ridiculously fast-paced Doom (2016) and didn’t have any issues with the wireless mouse or clicks not registering while I blast away demons. I also played games such as Halo: Reach without a problem. I will say I did not test the Bluetooth mode of the mouse, this was all in the 2.4Ghz wireless. Bluetooth compatibility is nice to have if your run out of USB ports but for gaming the wireless mode is the only way to go to get reliable ultra-fast performance. === Pros === Qi Wireless Charging Excellent weight and ergonomics Lots of RGB Customization Excellent Battery Life Bluetooth or 2.4Ghz Support Compact USB Dongle Mouse has USB-C Connector 18000 DPI === Cons === Dongle is still USB-A Overall – if you’re looking for a gaming mouse this is a very good option, especially with the wireless Qi charging

First off, I'm reviewing it as an owner of the MM1000 mouse pad with the USB 3.0 passthrough (for the Dark Core's USB dongle) and the Qi wireless recharging as you never have to bust out that damned USB charging cable. You'll have to use it in order to update the firmware and calibrate the mouse to your mouse pad, but after that, if you got the MM1000 for which this mouse is designed, you are all set! If not, that damned USB charging cable makes this mouse impossible to use while charging (it's so stiff and rigid). In any case, in use, this wireless mouse performs like a wired mouse but without the annoying cable that you need to bungie somewhere for slack while gaming. The sensors on this thing are also incredibly precise, and you can even adjust it in iCUE down to the single DPI. This mouse along with the MM1000 mouse pad make for the ultimate in gaming peripherals.

Pros Smooth and precise tracking Comfortable Qi charging capable Physical, fast wireless, and Bluetooth connections Braided USB-C for charging/data cable Includes separate sniper mode Interchangeable side grip On board memory for storing up to 3 profiles Lighting profile can be used to indicate system temps Micro switches have a solid feel Mouse has storage for USB dongle Cons iCue software is not very intuitive Saving profiles didn’t seem to save them to the mouse Doesn’t support light linking Hard to distinguish individual buttons Placement of sensitivity buttons leads to accidental clicks No OSD for mode changes Battery level only shown as tray icon Battery level only has low, medium, and high iCue doesn’t prompt for automatic download No automatic game profiles Design The Dark Core RBG Pro SE is latest generation of Corsair’s highest end wireless gaming mice. The latest iteration includes Qi wireless gaming that is compatible with any Qi charger, but more importantly their companion gaming mousepad. The specs state 128 grams but this one came in at 140-142 grams depending on side grip. The charging/data cable now uses USB-C instead of Micro-USB. The side grip is interchangeable between sleek and offering a finger rest. Underneath the side grip is a storage bay for the high-speed wireless USB dongle. Operation is through hardwired USB-C cable, High speed Slipstream wireless, or Bluetooth. On the underside of the mouse is a mode switch where you can choose off, Bluetooth, or high-speed wireless operation with hardwired mode switching automatically when plugged in. This is nice because you can then use the same mouse for regular work without a dongle and then switch to high speed on your gaming system. The profile is a medium height arch which decent compromise to allow the most popular grips with good comfort. The finger rest is particularly helpful if you use a claw grip. The back half of the mouse has a soft, textured surface to improve comfort and grip. In front of the thumb rest are three LED lights that indicate DPI mode and two configurable buttons. On the left click mouse button there are also two more configurable buttons. Usage and Performance The instructions say to plug it in hardwired first for initial configuration. But, out of the box it works if you just plug in the USB dongle. That said, unlike other brands, it doesn’t prompt to download their custom iCue software. This is good in the fact that you can get straight to using it. The bad is if you didn’t read the instructions or already know, all the advanced settings and profile setup is done through iCue. It would have been nice if, like other mice, on initial install on a new system it prompted you to install the configuration software. It’s not a deal breaker but just not as refined as one would think for what should be a high-end device. That said, without configuration the profile button switches between a couple of lighting profiles and the buttons on the side of the left mouse click button still work to change DPI mode. Operation is smooth and precise with no perceptible lag. A quick flick to the side to shoot and the mouse stops where you stop without overshooting. The slight texture also means if you tend to lift while moving you should have a good amount of grip to do so confidently. The main issue is the button profiles don’t make it easy to determine which button you are touching which leads to more accidental button presses. The DPI mode is a perfect example of this. To get really get to the capabilities of this mouse you need to install the iCue software. When you launch it after installing it looks slick, but unfortunately it seems looks came first. All the functions are there, but it seems they didn’t take a lot of time thinking of how to organize things and make the software simple to use. You can create macros but there is no obvious way to assign them after creation. After digging, you might find the menu has an option to go to support and you can browse their support website. There is a macro section but then part the instructions says macros aren’t supported without a keyboard which is strange if true because why would the mouse options have macro setup. Furthermore, when trying to map a macro to a mouse button it never seemed to work. In short, if macro activation is supported via the mouse setup of such functions is far from intuitive. Furthermore, there isn’t any sort of indication or default OSD that indicates mode changes or Macro activations. Another oddity is that there is a sniper mode in the DPI settings. This seems great because you can put very low DPI to allow precise aiming while sniping. What is strange is the DPI mode switch buttons don’t toggle through sniping mode. There also isn’t a pre-configured button for it. With further digging in the help you will find that sniper mode requires to map it to a button. That just seems a bit strange to go so far as to create the option for a DPI profile built in but not have at least a default mapping. It also further gives the feeling that the hardware is good, but the software just feels unfinished. Finally, when it comes to storing profiles, just when you think you have them stored on the mouse you might find yourself out of luck again. According to the specs, the mouse can store up to 3 profiles that don’t require iCue. It could be the confusion with the software but in use once the profiles were “saved” and the mouse was moved to a new computer it was like starting all over again. At least the positive part of this is the default profile isn’t horrible, but the process just doesn’t feel intuitive. On research, it seems others have had similar issues with older versions asking on different sites. Seasoned users have either pointed them to Youtube videos or other forums so it would seem this confusion isn’t isolated. Apparently, there is also an option to auto switch light and mouse profiles automatically when launching a game but this goes back to needing to do more research. Other gaming mice offer to automatically install the companion software and even auto search for games and even offer default game profiles and well as allow you to download and share from others. Corsair might have allowed loading shared profiles, but they don’t make it straightforward to find if they do. Final Thoughts The Corsair Dark Core RBG SE has a name to match its design, complicated. On the hardware front, it’s a solid mouse besides the button profile issue. It’s hard to comment on individual grip styles, weights, and button activations but the mouse feels well built. If you are a PC gamer and have tweaked every aspect of your system from voltages to clocks speeds until just shy of the point of failure or thermal overload, programming the Dark Core is just another thing to figure out. The big question is if the hardware draws you enough to warrant figuring out the configuration when more intuitive options exist.

This dark core is a beautiful mouse the rgb is not overly exaggerated and the feel of it is awsum it has sum weight to it, but the weight helps feel more premium and the it last a good while b4 u have to charge it. The buttons are very well placed all in ur palm easy to reach without compromise

The gaming mouse is very responsive, offers pre-programmable buttons and USB or wireless connections. The RGB is nice but it's not the biggest draw for me. I added the attachment for a finger rest/extended attachment and it makes for a more comfortable grip. It has been great for gaming, the iCUE software has made it very easy to have control. The iCUE software lets you download lighting effects, set up your own RGB profile, program your buttons and even lighting effects, DPI mode, action buttons, surface calibration. It has a very straight forward approach and walks you thru the programming and lighting options. The software does compliment the great software. TRULY ENJOY IT!

1st off, I have held off getting and using a wireless mouse for a LONG time because I prefer the responsiveness of wired and never having to worry about a mouse dying halfway into a deathmatch. The Dark Core RGB PRO SE is one amazing mouse from corsair. I have used a Logitech MX518 and a G502 Hero for YEARS. I love Corsair KBs and other various PC parts from them, but now I decided to try this mouse. Comfort is great for my big hand. Cups the mouse and the buttons are in perfect placement. RGB is really nice. Various parts of the mouse can be customized to fit your RGB needs or just leave is static or not lit up at all. Your choice! Responsiveness is amazing! You can adjust the DPI settings to whatever you wish via the iCUE software. No lag at all that I can tell playing FPSs, RPGs and RTSs. Qi wireless charging is what sold me on this along with all other mentioned points. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a wireless Qi mousepad to combo with this mouse as charging would never be an issue. Battery life is LONG without a charging mousepad anyways and you can just plug it in for a couple of hours or just put it on a Qi charging pad. The iCue software is great. I have been using it prior to getting this mouse and was already familiar with what it can do. I use it for my H115i, Vengeance Pro RAM, Commander Pro and my K95 Platinum. Everything SYNCs like a dream! Though you can showoff your unicorn vomit in whatever way you please using the various presets, or you can also tailor each individual peripheral to your needs. I just do a solid static color. In the end, I have shelved my G502 for the Dark Core for the time being because the freedom of wireless has spoiled me. The mouse is just great for all kinds of tasks and gaming.

I am previously coming from a Razer Basilisk and I have definitely found a replacement in this new mouse from Corsair. I am definitely a 'claw' grip style user over a palm style grip, so the transition to this mouse was really easy. A few of the stand out features I really appreciate about thus are the fact that it has lots of connectivity options. It can utilize Bluetooth, a USB 2.4Ghz dongle, or a direct USB connection-for which they thoughfully include a 6 foot braided USB-A to USB C cable). I have opted to use the dongle, as I did want to enjoy the wireless mouse experience and not have to deal with Bluetooth which I still feel can be rather glitchy in maintaining connection at times. The dongle uses what Corsair calls their Slipstream technology that is supposed to keep response time down to less than 1ms. This is fast enough to meet the demands of almost all gamers and subjectively I have not noticed a diminishment in my responses and flick shots in fast paced FPS games like Modern Warfare and Doom 2016 over my wired mouse. As a matter of fact, I like the increased weight and grip-filling design of this mouse over my Razer Basilisk for shooters. The iCUE software I would still call a work in progress. I have Corsair Vengence RGB Ram and a Corsair AIO CPU cooler in addition to this mouse and I have always found their suite of customization to be a bit glitchy at best, not as bad as Razer Synapse but not as polished or user friendly as Logitech G HUB software. After updating the iCUE software, it did recognize the mouse and I was able to customize my RGB lighting and DPI profile settings. I figured out the RGB can be customized quite niftily to have specific lighting zones reflect the temperatures of my different computer components. For example, I have one zone that is customized to have different colors from light blue to bright red to reflect the temperature of my GPU while gaming. This is fun and is cool to demonstrate to guests and friends who I show my rig. My next upgrade to my set up is to get the Qi wireless charging mousepad from Corsair as this mouse is Qi wireless charging enabled! The idea of perpetual wireless use without worrying about the mouse dying in my next gaming session is super cool, not to mention it is just future proof as a lot of tech is moving towards being wireless charge enabled! Overall, I find this to be a great mouse and I definitely think it is worth your time and money to give it a try and see if you like it!

Upgrade from Logitech G602 Pros: Extremely comfortable grip Scroll wheel was very responsive RGB lighting a PLUS Option to go wireless Overall a great mouse