By: Aaron Lai
January 20, 2017
If you take a look back at 2016 and the trends in the consumer computing world, you will notice one big thing being custom colors and RGB. Previously, we would have seen three categories of products when it came to color schemes. One was an all-black look. There might have been some streaks of different accent colors, but predominantly the product would be black. Second would be a very bright color, whether red, blue, or green plastered all over the place. Finally, there would be a white version, which is pretty much the same as the first option, except in white. However, people never seemed to be satisfied, whether they called the monochrome products as lacking in creativity, or they did not like the bold color choices. Fast forward to today, and manufacturers are now producing products with rainbow lights, allowing users to pick what they want. Whether this was to quiet the complainers or not, this is now the current trend. At first, it started with LED strips for case lighting. Then, peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and headsets were given the touch of color. This explosion continued into the computer, with motherboards, graphics cards, memory modules, cooling fans, and even storage options being blessed with the RGB effect. If there is anything that could have been given the colorful treatment, it probably has already been produced. One thing that has been overlooked, however, is the humble mousing surface. Today, we look at Corsair's answer to this with their MM800 RGB Polaris in our offices for review. Armed with fifteen zones of RGB lighting, this mousing surface is another colorful product, but I have to wonder if it is any good. How will it perform, and more importantly, will the lights make me better at games? Read on to find out!
Arriving from Fremont, California, this review unit of the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris was sent to us via UPS and their Saver service. As an aside, I also learned during this review that the UPS Saver, despite having the name "Saver", is actually not the cheapest option from UPS. Oddly enough, the cardboard box holding the MM800 RGB Polaris is actually a USPS branded box, which threw me off for a second. Otherwise, the parcel arrived in relatively good condition. The box has no issues on it to speak of, which is good to see. Inside the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris is wrapped in large plastic cushions to protect it from any damage.
Pulling out the inner contents of the shipping container reveals the retail container of the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris. Following a similar color scheme we saw with the Corsair Gaming Harpoon RGB mouse, we have a yellow border with a yellow strip down each side. The Corsair logo is on the top left corner, while the product's name is on the bottom right. The front has a large image of the MM800 RGB Polaris, except scaled down in comparison to the actual product. A lot of features are listed on the front, translated in both English and French. The bottom shows some more logos representing the features. On the flip side, we have even more words, more languages, and more images of the Corsair mousing surface, but we will cover them throughout the review.
Before we open up the package, I have obtained the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your perusal:
Tech Specs
Warranty: Two Years
Dimension: 350mm x 260mm x 5mm
Material: Plastic
Mat Size: Standard
Optimized For: Speed, Control
Once you crack open the retail container, the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris can be found inside, held in a plastic tray. It is covered with plastic to prevent any surface scratches. The cable is also wrapped in a plastic sleeve. Three pieces of documentation are included with the MM800 RGB Polaris. One is a user manual, to help you with using the mouse surface, though it should be pretty obvious. Inside is a reminder to install Corsair's Utility Engine, or CUE for short, which you can download from their website. The second and third piece of documentation is warranty information, with one for general information, and another specifically for Australian consumers. As you may already have read, the Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris comes with a two year limited warranty.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
