Review: Thunderobot M301 Gaming Mouse

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Generally speaking, the mouse is an indispensable part the experience of using a computer. Whether it’s gaming, business, or casual use, a mouse is usually much easier to use than a touchpad or trackpoint.

However, finding the right mouse for you can be quite a journey, as usability is not a completely objective discipline. A lot of it comes down to personal preferences. Having said that, as an avid gamer, I’ve used my share of mice (or is it mouses?), from no brand track-ball based mice to the legendary Logitech MX518, and even more recently the Armaggedon Mikoyan Foxbat (the first version).

So, what’s the deal with the Thunderobot M301? I’m going to skip the spec sheet, because that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to find out if this mouse is the ONE for you.

Before that, a quick blurb about Thunderobot: it’s an Gaming brand that started in China back in 2014, and now they’ve made their way to our shores bringing not just peripherals, but also beastly laptops loaded with the latest tech. Their tagline is “Born for gaming”, so you can tell that the products should be viewed through that lens.

Getting back to the mouse, let’s start with a quick look at the sexy RGB lighting (despite it having nothing to do with gaming performance XD):

Now, I’ve never really been into lighting for computers before, because I used to run my machine 24/7, in my room, and therefore any bright lights beyond the simple LEDs (the old school ones, not the current Super-Bright ones that you see everywhere nowadays). But even I have to admit that this hand held peripheral’s color-cycling LEDs are a beauty to behold, sexy even, in the way that lighting can be sexy.

Out of the box, you get the mouse, an “accessory box” which essentially contains the user manual and a nice holographic Thunderobot sticker (which I will probably never end up sticking anywhere, if my past actions with such stickers is any indication).

From the pictures above and below, you can see that the mouse has a matte finish, which is not overly grippy, and is rather comfortable to use. The sides have a textured finish which also helps with the grip.

The cable is a standard braided cable, long enough for most users, and comes with a velcro cable tie that is attached to the cable itself, meaning you’re not likely to lose it.

A view from the top shows how the lights actually form the Thunderobot logo on the mouse, a nice touch.

In terms of usability, the shape of the mouse is rather good, not as tall as the MX518, but it fits in your hand well enough. It’s definitely not a small mouse, so you’re going to need medium sized hands to use it well. The scroll wheel is nice too, firm but without any annoying clicking sounds when you scroll. There are two side buttons on the left, leaving Southpaws out unfortunately.

Finally, the DPI adjusters work well enough. There are 5 levels of DPI settings, and each time you press the adjusters, the LEDs flash a few times in a specific color, with RED as the lowest DPI, followed by GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, and finally YELLOW. After flashing a couple of times, the sexy rolling colors return.

Having said all that, I received this mouse as part of a giveaway, so I’m not sure how much it’s being marketed for. On Shopee the price seems to be about RM200++, which may be a bit steep if you’ve already spent all your money on that spanking new GTX 1080 Ti (which you’re going to be gaming on, not mining cryptocurrency, I presume). Maybe in a few years, if the mouse is still working, I might come back and revisit this topic, to see if it provides enough longevity to be worth it.

Overall, the build quality seems quite solid, so barring any stupid accidents like dunking it in water, it should survive. If you’re looking for a good mouse with some sweet RGB, this might be worth the splurge. It’s not full on customization with software like you’d get with a lot of other brands these days, but sometimes simple is good enough.

To find out more about their products in Malaysia, visit their Facebook page at THUNDEROBOT Malaysia