Zalman ZM-M600R Optical Gaming Mouse Review

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

While cases and coolers are something we are all used to from Zalman, many may not think of them when it comes to peripherals. In fact, in our many years reviewing peripherals, there have only been two products that have crossed our desk. Even though it has been a while, and we had to check our archives to remember the Knossos mouse or the ZM700K keyboard, we found then that their products were on point and were worthy of your attention. Even though they are not well known for these types of products that does not mean they are not on point with what they do offer.

Today we are taking a look at a simpler design when it comes to gaming mice. First of all this mouse is ambidextrous, it is compact, and it is very light. It lacks side buttons, and only offers a total of three buttons counting the page back button found at the top. There are also two pieces of software that come with this mouse. One of them is a backup assistant, and the other is called the Zalman Button Manager which will add some things that cannot be done with the mouse directly. Although this is billed as a Real 4K DPI mouse built to aid with the higher resolution of 4K screens, and is designed for gaming. This is something that most users would look at, and likely pass over upon the first glance, but maybe, just maybe we need to give it a fair shake first.

The mouse in question is the ZM-M600R, which seems like it should be the name of a motorcycle, but all the same, we are dealing with a mouse that is said to be ready for anything you can throw at it. That being said, we intend to put this mouse through its paces and see just what Zalman is up to this time. Considering our last look at one of their mice was a very aggressively styled and feature rich design, the ZM-M600R has its work cut out. Also comparing it to the rest of what the market has to offer, the bar is pretty high, so let's see if Zalman has a contender for gaming, or if it is just a glorified everyday mouse with a lighting effect in it.

In the chart provided by Zalman, across the top, we find some top tier features listed. There is a 32-bit MCU inside, it offers a 1000Hz polling rate, 4000 DPI, and it is capable of tracking with 20Gs of acceleration. There is custom firmware to allow 16 stages of DPI adjustments, it offers 20 million clicks of lifespan with Omron switches, can scan any surface at 6469 FPS, it has an auto change RGB LED system built-in, and can track movements up to 60 IPS. Right out of the gate it seems Zalman is on the right page with what it packed into this mouse.

Next to the image of the ZM-M600R, we find a list of more specifications and features. It states here that they use the best technology and specifications, and highlights the use of the Avago A3090 sensor, the use of a 32-bit MCU, the four levels of DPI built into the mouse, and that the LED in the scroll wheel changes colors to signify which DPI mode is in use. Via custom firmware, you can change DPI settings, even more, there is a 600 DPI mode for serious aiming, and adjustable polling rate built into a switch under the mouse. Skipping over a few specifications we already covered, we find that this is engineered by humans for the best feel. We also see it is a bilateral design, the button on top is made to allow a page back function and the logo in the heel of the mouse auto cycles through many colors as it blends from one to the other.

While it looks like the ZM-M600R is widely available outside of the US, as we looked around, we only found one location on this side of the big blue ball that is selling it. It happens to be Neobits.com that is offering a current listing, and there we found the ZM-M600R listed for $34.95. This is very affordable when it comes to the world of gaming mice; no doubt about that. What exactly you get for this investment is what we are about to show you in fine detail. As far as what it looks like on paper at this time, considering the parts used and the billing that comes with this device, things are looking promising for Zalman. At editing time, we did find a listing on Amazon for $27 including free shipping, which sweetens the deal somewhat.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS X99-E WS - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• CPU: Intel Core i7 5930K - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Memory: KLevv Cras DDR4 3000 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Matrix Platinum - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Storage: Intel 730 480GB - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Case: SilverStone TJ11 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Power Supply: Corsair AX1200 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Buy from Amazon