Page 3 - Subjective Performance Tests
Testing of a mousepad is quite subjective in nature, since there are no true objective benchmarks to spit out quantitative numbers for us to compare results when done. In order to make this subjective analysis a little more objective, I will be using my daily driver and the previously reviewed Fnatic Gear Flick G1, in addition to the HyperX Pulsefire FPS. The tests will be completed in both graphics and gaming scenarios. These are two crucial areas where a good mouse in conjunction with a good mousepad really makes a difference. My intrinsic familiarity with the performance characteristics of the mouse will make it easy to determine differences between mousing surfaces. We will then break it down to the details, and rate our mousepad based on the following categories:
Glide - For quick and effortless mouse movements across the mousing surface.
Control - For precise and accurate cursor/crosshair handling.
Grip - The mousepad's ability to stay in the same position on the desk without undesirably relocating itself.
Noise - Will this mousepad generate noise when the mouse is being used?
Starting with the category of glide, the HyperX Fury S was good. Moving the mouse was pretty easy, and there was not too much drag or resistance. The two mice I tested with both have Teflon feet already, and thus I felt like the glide was pretty good compared to what I have seen in past mousepads. This being said, the slightly less smooth surface compared to the XTracGear Carbonic XXL means there is still some resistance to movement. It does come down to a bit of preference, as better glide could mean a compromise in control, and this is more of a drawback for clothpads as a whole. Motions in both x- and y-directions are consistent in feel and feedback, which again is a good sign stemming from a consistent surface. Thus, I think the glide performance is good, but those wanting an even smoother feel should look at a different surface material.
As for control, I was quite pleased. I have been using cloth pads for a while, and the HyperX Fury S feels pretty similar. Overall handling of both the Flick G1 and the Pulsefire FPS on the Fury S was precise. I ran through some lasso tests on Photoshop, and I was happy with the experience. Personally, I think cloth pads will do better in this area compared to hard surfaces as aforementioned, but a lot of this comes down to preference. In game, the Fury S felt pretty similar to my Carbonic XXL, so I did not have much difficulty adjusting to the different surface. Sniping people down as Widowmaker in Overwatch was about the same experience as usual, and my amateur skills held me back more than anything else.
Moving to grip, I think the size alone made it quite difficult to accidentally move the HyperX Fury S at all. Considering I also put my keyboard on top of it with my mouse, this mousing surface was not going anywhere undesirably. The bottom surface does a good enough job of keeping the pad in place, such that even without anything on it, minor adjustments require a bit of force to move it. There was much less surface resistance in comparison to the friction between the table and the backing, so I would only expect the pad to stay in place. Thus, motion on top of the HyperX Fury S did not affect the placement of the pad.
Finally, for noise, this is one area all soft surface pads will be better, at least in comparison to the hard surface counterpart. Since cloth mousepads can absorb sounds, they are much better in the noise department. The one place where unintentional noise might be made is when debris gets caught on the pad and rubs against the mouse. Even so, the HyperX Fury S is pretty much as standard as you would find for a massive cloth pad, and thus it is no surprise there was very little noise created between either of my mice tested. Overall then, the HyperX Fury S gets a well-deserved passing mark in all categories. It may not necessarily have the best glide characteristics, but this is again more due to its material rather than something specific to the Fury S.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
