CORSAIR - DARK CORE RGB PRO Wireless Optical Gaming Mouse with Slipstream Technology - Black

AESTHETICS/FEEL: This is Corsairs version of the Logitech G502. The shape, size, and weight are very similar. It is a large mouse, made for right-hand palm use, with textured grippy material on the entire mouse. It has a total of 8 buttons. Each of these buttons feel crisp to press with mild/moderate pressure. The scroll wheel has very definitive steps and requires mild/moderate pressure to press. Both the buttons and the scroll wheel are ideal for my preferences. It comes with far more RGB than most mice with a total of 9 customizable zones which can make for some epic looking things. I’m not super into RGB but dang if the things you can do aren’t awesome which is something they had in mind for this. The lights are located on the scroll wheel, logo, on the left side of the mouse near the side mouse buttons (which are four of the zones), DPI LED on the front left. Last there are two LED on the rear on both sides. On the bottom of the mouse you have a switch that you can push left to turn on Slipstream wireless for gaming. Right to turn on Bluetooth. Or in the middle to turn it off. The slide switch is very easy to move with your thumb but isn’t light enough where it will accidently move. On the very front of the mouse is a plugin via USB C for charging, changing the onboard memory profiles, and surface tuning. I have no complaints about how this mouse feels. It is incredibly solid and feels great to use. PERFORMANCE: Previously, wireless tech wasn’t viable due to the latency. But now, with certain mice, you won’t notice a difference between wired and wireless even in competitive games. This mouse is no exception. I had absolutely no problems playing my favorite games. I have won multiple games on Apex Legends with this mouse, which I think is one of the most fast paced games out there right now where accuracy and reaction time are needed. I noticed no drops or skips. I have had the pleasure of being able to use wireless mouse from both Razer and Logitech. If I’m ranking their wireless tech I would say Razer, followed closely by Logitech, and then Corsair. Mostly judged by reaction speed tests. Another thing that I immediately noticed was that this mouse doesn’t feel as smooth as my Logitech or Razer mice. At first, I thought this was due to the wireless. But after thinking more about it I think it’s from the sensor itself. As it is present whether I am wired or wireless. Razer’s new Focus+ sensor is incredible. Logitech’s HERO sensor was top dog for a long time until the Focus+ release. So, ranking them I would do the same as above with the winner going to Razer, then just behind it Logitech, and then still very close behind that is Corsairs. With putting Corsair third with both their wireless and sensor it might seem like I’m telling you to buy another mouse but I’m not. As very few people would notice unless you look at that sort of thing closely and even then, it is splitting hairs. It could also be placebo. I have no formal tests other than reaction speed tests and gaming performance to make such claims. But I have tried a stupid number of mice and bought most of the top tier wireless gaming mice and would say that between the Logitech G Pro Wireless, The Razer Viper Ultimate, and this guy, it performs the worst but not to the degree that it would take away from my gaming experience in any shape, way, or form from the hardware inside it. What I really liked, and I think a major reason why it is so heavy, is because this has slipstream wireless AND Bluetooth. Most people might think those are the same thing, but they are two different technologies. You cannot game well on a Bluetooth mouse because the latency is too high. Most wireless gaming mice don’t use Bluetooth because of that, which is where this “slipstream” wireless tech came from which reduces that latency to those of wired mice. ICUE SOFTWARE: I really enjoy the ICUE software. There is a learning curve that needs to be done but it is short and sweet and takes a lot less time than Razers or Logitechs variants. It is pretty intuitive. Best yet the software just works. I’ve never had any problems with ICUE crashing, freezing, or not detecting a device. It takes a bit more system resources than I would like it to. Mostly from the system monitoring (GPU/CPU/RAM/Motherboard temps among others). You can do pretty much whatever you like in the software such as changing RGB color, adjusting performance (DPI, polling rate, brightness), or setting up profiles for games. The only option I wish they would add is the cloud settings that Razer offers. Where if you make a bunch of profiles you don’t have to download and then import them but instead they would just be saved under your account and automatically downloaded. I love that Razer does that. If I had to rate software. It would be Corsair by a large margin then Razer because it’s a bit more straight forward and does more than Logitech’s. PROS: • Cost in comparison to other wireless mice. ($79.99/$89.99 vs $149.99) • Can adjust the right side with modular part that attaches via magnet which is super easy and solid. • Very comfortable if you like palm grip. Not the best for others due to shape, size, and weight. • Supports Slipstream wireless for gaming and Bluetooth for laptop or other use. • Very satisfying crisp clicks that require mild/moderate pressure. • Excellent scroll wheel. Mild/moderate to press down and very well-defined steps. • Multiple RGB zones make it highly customizable. • Good battery life. • ICUE software. CONS: • Heavy. • Made for right-hand use. • Made for palm use. Not as good for other grip styles. • Can press the DPI button near the left mouse click on accident rather easily depending on grip style. • Great sensor and wireless (won’t notice performance loss when gaming) but not as strong as Razer’s or Logitech’s. • Mouse feet themselves scratch easily and are not as good as other products that have come out recently but are still solid. • Have to hard wire in if changing on board settings. • Both Razer and Logitech have a dock or something that keeps the wireless receiver close by along with the charging cable. This just comes with the puck which could reduce performance if your PC is far away. Also, makes charging more difficult because you’ll likely keep it in a drawer. CONCLUSION: The most important thing when considering a mouse is if the weight, shape, and buttons are right for your own preferences. If this mouse fits those preferences I think it would be an excellent choice. As the performance (wireless/sensor/buttons/weight/feel) are great. With it being so heavy you will be limited in competitive FPS. But with its number of buttons you could play a moba. I’d imagine it would also be good for Fortnite because you could put all your building supplies on your mouse. With it catering to right-hand use and palm grip that will also limit some. But I have almost no negatives, the ones that I do are minor, and for the price can easily be overlooked.

Bottom Line Upfront: The Solid overall “wireless” mouse – that excels in gaming ... and then some ===================================================================================== Detailed Thoughts and Observations: ===================================================================================== I happen to believe that there is no such thing as “the” perfect mouse. It goes without saying that the more you tend to spend on any piece of hardware (be it computer peripherals, cars, clothes, cell phones, etc) – the more you tend to get for your money in regards to features and performance. It is often seen that manufactures leave out certain features to justify charging “more” for a product that is essentially very similar to the ones they charge “less” for. I think the CORSAIR DARK CORE is no exception to that rule, I’m looking at you CORSAIR DARK CORE RGB PRO SE edition with wireless charging and minor improved navigation buttons for about $10 more…..That being said the regular CORSAIR DARK CORE RGB PRO (non SE edition we have here) is still an excellent value for what you get compared to other manufacture’s models at similar price points already out there. I used the CORSAIR DARK CORE RGB PRO as my daily driver on my main computer for about week to see how it stacked up to my normal mouse of choice (that I won’t bring up here since we are focusing on the DARK CORE) before I committed to writing this review. I do a solid mix of a various “work” stuff and “gaming” stuff so I think I am finally able put my thoughts together about what I liked…and didn’t like about this mouse. For reference, my “work stuff” consists of mild application (C++, Java, HTML, Pyhon) development and debugging in various IDE environments, text/manual/reference document reading and research, in addition to heavy web browser usage – and my “fun” stuff consisted of playing several hours of “The Division 2”, “Jedi Fallen Order”, “Battlefront II” and “Call of Duty MW”. In my opinion, if “gaming” were the only thing I used this mouse for…I would give it 5 stars…. when I factor in all the little “nit-picky” things I ran into using it as my daily driver for all the things I listed above … I have to revise it to 4 stars for the reasons I’ll outline below. ===================================================================================== Pro’s / What I liked: ===================================================================================== Wireless Connectivity / Connection quality – • I personally have had no issues with wireless connectivity. I am aware others may have had some issues with their unit, but based on my experiences – it was rock solid with no noticeable lag compared to my old “daily driver” – which happens to be wired Very accurate and "customizable" DPI settings – • Its great to have a button for on the fly DPI adjustments within fingers reach for fast transitions between work and play…but more importantly switching roles or play styles on the fly in my games. Pays dividends when swapping from a long rage rifle or scoped weapon to a “area of effect” weapon like am LMG or the like Tasteful and bright RGB lighting – • These days EVERYTHING is RGB-able. People tend to fall into one of two camps. Camp 1: MOAR RGB EVERRYTHING people and the Camp 2: RGB makes my eyes bleed and is so tacky and cheap types. Fortunately, this has just the right amount of lighting to not scream “LOOOK AT MEEEEE” while its sitting on your desktop, while retaining a fair amount of customizability using Corsair iCUE app (which if you’re a gaming there is a highly likely chance you have it installed for some other Corsair hardware in your system already anyways) – the software opens up various color effects that range from solid, rainbow, to pulsing RGB options ... plus you can just shut it off and save some extra battery power for even longer run time while in “wireless” mode if you so choose Battery Life – • One word: Excellent. In comparison to various wireless “gaming” mice I have used in the past – this thing has a gone a whole week so far – RGB BLING at max – with moderate to heavy usage in the tasks I outlined above… and is still on the initial charge. USB-C interface on the mouse – • Thank you – enough said. I am tired of cost cutting and inferior charging that manufactures cling to with Micro USB or proprietary connectors with their products. Nice little “gaming” touches and Corsair quality – • The little things that manufactures do to their products to make them “stand out” or feel more “Gamer” friendly pays off over time and Corsair usually delivers on this by adding some extra features that you don’t find in the “price” range of other competitors. The interchangeable pinky rests are nice touch, as is engineering a little hole to store the USB dongle while traveling or using it in wireless mode is much appreciated (as someone who has lost may a “dongle”). ===================================================================================== Cons / What I DIDN’T like so much: ===================================================================================== The mouse wheel – • I personally found the mouse wheel’s “clicky-ness” to be annoying in anything..literally anything…outside of gamming. There is a nice “weight” to the wheel so as to help not accidently activate it or hit while “gaming” – but that same virtue makes it highly ineffective in scrolling through large documents, photos, RFCs, manuals, web pages, etc (like I said literally everything else). This may not bother you at all. But my old “daily driver” mouse happened to have a physical toggle switch on it that let you toggle between the modes of 1. Clicky-ness and/or 2. Super Smooth hyper fast scrolling … on the fly. Why can’t they incorporate something like this here? Mouse “weight” / feel – • The mouse seems to have good build quality, but also feel very “light”… as in too light. At this price it is not uncommon to have actual “weighted” gaming mice at this price point – and the lack of customizable “weight” options is a bummer. Having a light touch mouse is blessing in some games/weapons ... while simultaneously being a curse in others… sniper rifle standoffs for instance. Good things on the fly DPI adjustments are easy to pull off here. The forward/back media button on the left side – • They felt a little off to me. It seems like they are more difficult to depress accurately than my old mouse. Maybe its more of a “I need to use the mouse more” to get used to it. Still, if I am nit-picking…I happened to think it could be designed better to make navigation better…which would also explain why the “SE” edition seems to get a “better” version of these buttons…might be worth the extra $10 in my book alone “Source” change button – • The button location is larger and more oversized than I would prefer and is also taking prime real-estate front and center in between the two main mouse buttons. Seems like this could 1. Be smaller and 2. Located somewhere else and replaced by another button or feature that would be more useful here. How often are people saying I wish I could switch sources ASAP .. in game ... I am honestly curious ... maybe I am missing something? Ergonomics for me – • I’ve always thought I had “normal” sized hands and have used the traditional “Palm grip” (read “lazy” grip) style…however unless I used a more hardcore “Claw” or “Tip” grip style ... I found myself having a harder time reaching the buttons or being more effective in games and especially in productivity applications. I think this is a huge pro for gamers with larger than average hands, just not me for personal reasons. Reliance on iCUE software – • Reliance on any propriety software to get all the features of a products is a necessary evil these days .. and while I had/have had no major issues with iCUE and this mouse … I have had issues with iCUE recognizing this mouse without having to update it first. Unfortunately, I ran into a bug where it would not update itself in through the iCUE software … nor could I update it by downloading it through Corsair’s website as well. I actually had to go to the Windows Registry, locate the actual H-KEY Local machine hardware entry, delete it, so that I could install the update. While this isn’t hard … this should have to happen either .. and may be beyond the general skill level of SOME gamers … in my case here, I would not have been able to get the mouse to be recognized in iCUE without updating it first… odd .. but it works flawlessly now. ===================================================================================== Summary: ===================================================================================== The CORSAIR DARK CORE RGB PRO Battery is an overall good mouse for the money that excels in gaming above/over productivity. The good far outweighs the bad, and for the most part … the issues I brought up were pretty subjective. I think there are better options for those of us that need better ergonomics for “work” stuff – but that will almost always cause an increase in price, especially if you want the same stellar gaming features that are offered here at the same time. I don’t think anyone who choses this mouse will be disappointed, especially at this price point….but there is definitely some room for improvement to make this a grand slam 5 star product.

I have been a corsair iron claw used for gaming for awhile before deciding that the palm grip wasnt the best for me when I wasnt gaming so I made the decision to become a dual mouse guy. I picked up the Dark Core purely to use as a mouse for productivity and internet browsing while keeping the iron claw for gaming. Within weeks of using the Dark Core I realized that it was meant for more. I now use the Dark Core for all FPS games while still using the Iron Claw for MOBA's because I prefer mapping the Iron Claw's chunky buttons to my abilities in MOBA style games. However for FPS games the smoothness and comfort of the Dark Core is a better fit for me. I hope this helps I would highly recommend either mouse but they seem built for different types of gaming.

Good mouse, but you have to get used to it. Even though it looks comfortable in a real world it is not as good as it looks like. And here is why. Biggest problem of this mouse is a right button. it is so soft and easy to click so you simply cannot rest your middle finger on a button because you will make accidental click everytime you even move mouse. Lift your mouse just a little and drop it, you will get right click! But the rest are good. Mouse is light enough to be used even in fast games. RGB lights are beautiful as every RGB thing from Corsair. Click latency is very low, around 7ms. So, it is almost perfect mouse. Hope in next iteration Corsair will do something with right button. I have 10 days to play with the mouse. If it will be hard for me to get used to it., I will return it

I've been a Corsair fan for awhile and my whole desktop is decked out in RGB goodness. With that said, some of their products hit harder than others. So far, in my few weeks of ownership, the Dark Core RGB Pro is pretty solid. I wish the battery life was a bit better but honestly, I'm going full blast with the synced RGB so I can't knock it for that. It's a 10 out of 10 for me. Will long-time life chance my score? I guess we'll see but for now, it's a winner!

The Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro (DCP) comes nicely packed with a wireless receiver dongle, documents, a USB-C to USB cable and 2 interchangeable side grips. The mouse is made of a black-matte finish plastic with a rubberized palm rest and textured thumb rest. As the description suggests, there is RGB backlighting in several areas such as the Corsair logo on the palm rest, sidelines, wheel scroll, and battery/DPI indicator. The RGB light is very clear and can get very bright on the default level. It truly does look cool, especially if you are into RGB lighting. The mouse is rather large, and it has some weight to it. I feel that it is best suited for large hands or if you are used to placing the entire hand on top. I found it comfortable to handle and lift with my medium-sized hands. The mouse is not slippery. You can also change the left side with an included side grip that allows the ring and pinky finger to rest on the mouse, rather than on the surface of the mousepad. I prefer not to use it as I like to glide my fingers on the surface. The RF dongle is stored under the replaceable grip cover. The DCP features eight buttons in total which are well placed. It has the usual left/right, forward/back on the left side grip, up/down DPI selectors on the top left, profile selector on center-top and the scrolling wheel button. While not a big deal, I did click on the DPI buttons accidentally a couple of times. Clicking feels very responsive and satisfying while being not too loud, and the rubberized scrolling wheel felt secure and moved effortlessly. The mouse’s “feet” move smoothly over hard, soft or cloth mousepads with very little friction. As far as performance, the Dark Core Pro delivers. Out of the box, the mouse’s optical sensor is set at 18000 DPI. Having a 17” laptop screen, this was a welcome benefit. This setting can be changed on the fly, in case you need different DPI depending on the game. The mouse offers three ways to connect -USB, Bluetooth, and RF Wireless. I tried all three and honesty, while Bluetooth had some lag, I could not tell the difference between wired and the wireless RF that uses a 1ms, 2400Mhz bandwidth with their new “SLIPSTREAM” technology, which Corsair claims more doubles accuracy and distance as well as reduces significantly input lag. I had no trouble at all play-testing it with C-S: GO, which requires lighting reflexes and accuracy in a high frame rate environment (I did mess around with the DPI a bit). While I suck at the game, I still enjoyed the experience. I downloaded Corsair’s iCUE software to see how much more I can get from this mouse. This software allows for controlling lighting effects, remap actions to each mouse button, create macros (useful in a MOBA) and create profiles. It’s useful, but I found that it is not a necessity in my opinion. Corsair claims that the DCP has a 50-hour battery life from fully charged. It uses a USB-C to USB cable for recharging, although I am not sure how long to fully charge an empty battery would take, or if it features quick charging. Until recently, I was never a fan of gaming wireless mice. However, with the latest advancements in wireless technology, now it is hard to look back. I would highly recommend taking a look at this mouse, especially if you are a competitive gamer to see how it stacks up to any other wired solution.

Excellent mouse. If you love Corsair products its a must get.

I love this mouse. Great feel and functionality. The buttons are set up sorta weird to begin with but nothing a little tinkering won't fix.