GAMDIAS ZEUS P1 RGB Optical Gaming Mouse Review

GAMDIAS' ZEUS P1 RGB optical gaming mouse is one of the best mice we've reviewed and it also sells for a great pricing considering what you get.

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Manufacturer: GAMDIAS
16 minutes & 20 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 97%
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The Bottom Line

GAMDIAS' ZEUS P1 RGB delivers all the features one could want, the HERA software is easy to navigate, and the shape, grip, and silky smooth tracking afforded combine to make this one of the best mice we have ever tested! And the very fair pricing just makes it better.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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We have not seen much from Gamdias as far as mice go, but the original Zeus eSports edition mouse was quite the show stopper. Not only did it come in high-end packaging that gave the buyer a feel of elegance and that they had purchased something high-end, but more importantly, the mouse itself was on point as well. It featured an aggressive design, a full feature set, plenty of buttons, a superior feel in hand. While we did run across a few small issues personally with it, we still feel that it was a solid product in our introduction to what Gamdias was capable of in mouse development.

Almost three years have passed since that review, and we have seen things improve in that time. While this latest entry to be tested sports a similar name to the original design, but that's about it when it comes to comparing these two mice side by side. This time around, there are fewer buttons at your beck and call, the shape has changed, and even the components inside of the mice are completely different. Most notably, where the Zeus eSports mouse is a laser sensor based product, this latest entry uses an optical sensor to do the tracking.

The newest mouse from Gamdias to hit the labs is the Zeus P1 RGB optical gaming mouse, and we feel it is something that many more users will find to their liking. Things have drastically changed from our introduction to Gamdias mice, for the better, and Gamdias has renewed our faith in them to make a great product. Simplicity is key in this design, yet at the same time, we do find a lot of the features that most users, especially gamers, will appreciate. Without giving it all away before we get deeper into the review, we kindly suggest that you take the time to read on, as Gamdias has turned over a new leaf and delivered a mouse which not only looks good but is on point when it comes to usage and performance as well.

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In the specifications chart, we see that it is somewhat limited in the information provided. First is a notation to the advanced gaming optical sensor in charge of tracking, and we then move right into the measurements. Here we find that the Zeus P1 RGB is 127.26mm in length, 72.45mm in width, 40.85mm tall at its highest point, and all told without the cable, only 125 grams in weight. Gamdias includes eight keys in this design, counting the pair of main buttons, the pair of side buttons, the scroll wheel click, and a trio of smaller buttons found behind the scroll wheel. The resolution of the sensor comes next where we find the lowest of the range is 1600 DPI, with a maximum of 12,000 DPI, and is offered with six steps in total within this range. The polling rate is set to 1000Hz, there are 20 million clicks to the lifespan of the main switches, there is a 1.8-meter cable attached to the Zeus P1 RGB, and lastly, we see that it is customizable via the Gamdias HERA software.

Things that Gamdias does not mention are things like the use of Huano switches to back the main and side buttons in this design, blue cased white switch Huanos under the mains, and black cases red switch Huanos under all of the secondary buttons. While they do address that the sensor is an optical version, there is no mention of the use of the PMW3336 which is housed inside. There is also no mention of the fact that this Zeus P1 RGB comes equipped with a pair of Holtek 8-bit MCUs either.

At this time, availability is quite high, and the Zeus P1 RGB is listed at most of the major locations anyone would tend to lean to for their peripheral purchases. What is even better at this time, is that the pricing of this mouse will not scare you away either. While Fry's electronics does seem to be still charging the MSRP for this mouse with a listed pricing of $69.99, we see that Amazon and Newegg are both quite a bit more affordable with their listings. At both locations, one can acquire this Zeus P1 RGB for just $49.99, with free shipping offered to Prime and Premier members. From what we have seen thus far, and accounting the pricing into the overall bang for the buck, Gamdias and their Zeus P1 RGB delivers all around.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation

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The packaging for the Zeus P1 RGB is busy, and will attract attention if found on the shelf at a big box store. The top section of the front panel is white, displaying the product name at the left, and to the right, we find the Zeus logo from Gamdias. In the larger black section, we find mentions of the double layered RGB lighting, the 12,000 DPI, a trio of viewing angles, another icon of RGB, and four at the bottom surrounded by orange, along with the larger look at the Zeus P1 RGB in the middle.

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This side of the box continues the white topped black panel layout with the Zeus logo at the top. The black section here shows off the full name of the mouse, and at the bottom delivers the EAN, UPC, and a serial number of the Zeus P1 RGB.

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The white on black continues around to the back as well, but this time at the top is the full name of the mouse. The lower section features the left side of the Zeus P1 RGB, and at the bottom delivers three key features listed in twelve languages.

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The last panel keeps the white topped pattern going around the entire box, but this time we had to lay it on its side to read. This is because the specifications list is too wide for it to fit in the vertical, so Gamdias presents it horizontally.

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Along with using the outer packaging for protection, we find a cardboard insert inside which is raised around the edges to take the brunt of mishaps in transit. There is also a form fitting clear plastic cover which locks the Zeus P1 RGB into place, not only keeping it from flopping around but also acts as a protective layer to the finishes applied to it. In this instance, the packaging is sufficient and delivered us our Zeus P1 RGB in perfect condition for images and usage.

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Under the inner packaging, you should locate the quick install guide for the Zeus P1 RGB. In it, there are many pages, but only one page per language. Each of the pages lists the requirements and contents, moves into where to find the software online, and at the bottom offers a rendering of the mouse pointing out where all of the buttons are.

GAMEDIAS ZEUS P1 RGB Optical Gaming Mouse

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Our first look at the Zeus P1 RGB is of the left side, and we find it to be lower in profile, and longer than most mice we test. The top section offers a body line near the main button which blends in as it moves towards the middle. There is an LED zone that separates the top and bottom, where we find a pair of silver buttons and a large grip area with hexagonal rubber shaping to ensure a good grip. Nearer the bottom of the mouse, we also see the second band of LED-lit plastic before we get to the black bottom section.

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From the back of the Zeus P1, we find the overall shape to be nearly ambidextrous in its design, with just the slightest lean to the right. On the heel is the Zeus logo which is LED backlit, and we also see the pair of LED strips curving around the heel and continuing over to the right side of it.

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The right side of the Zeus P1 RGB is nearly identical to the left, but the shaping of the hexagonally shaped grip area is less dramatic on this side. Both of the LED backlit strips continue along this side as well, there are no buttons found here, but there is a matching body line at the top.

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The front of this mouse is cut off bluntly, with a large separation between the main buttons at the top. Below those buttons, Gamdias does not leave the look plain and boring, rather they add a triangular shape above where the USB cable emanates from it, and even add cube shapes to either side of it to dress things up.

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The top of the mouse is made of slightly textured plastic without a rubber coating applied, which also carries out to the main buttons. There is a gold thunderbolt on the tip of the left click button, and between the two main buttons is a lightly segmented scroll wheel with a rubber inner section. As to the trio of buttons behind it, you can raise or lower the DPI with the first two, and by default the third smaller button cycles through the default DPI settings.

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The 1.8 meters of cable is covered in cloth braid, and ships with a hook and loop strap to wrap the wiring for when traveling becomes a need with this mouse. Near the end of the cable is a large Ferrite choke to eliminate noise, and the cable terminates in a stylized connection with a gold plated USB 2.0 connector in it.

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Under the Zeus P1 RGB, we find the eye of the sensor is shifted forward in this design but is centered. Two small feet at the front and one large one at the heel of the mouse support the Zeus P1 and allow it to glide effortlessly on nearly any surface. There is also the product sticker which is placed in the center, which offers the name of the mouse and is also where you will find the serial number if you have pitched the packaging.

Inside the ZEUS P1 RGB

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The screws to open the Zeus P1 are found under each of the feet, and once the three screws are removed, we gained a look inside of the mouse. At this point, we would just like to point out the offset weighting system found in the top half, where the metal bar runs down the left side of the mouse, of course, that is once the top half is inverted back onto the lower section.

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The PCB found in the top half of the Zeus P1 is where the switches are located for the side buttons, and even the scroll wheel is attached to it. The scroll wheel is backed by a TTC switch, but as for the other two switches located here, they are red Huano switches which are soft in their activation and emit the slightest of clicks once activated.

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The switches under the DPI selector buttons are also Huano red switches, and have the same feel and report as the pair we found on the side of this PCB.

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Under the left main button of the mouse, we find these blue cased, white switch, Huano switches. These are rated for 20 million clicks, they are stronger, requiring a bit more force to activate, and report with a more defined click than the secondary buttons do.

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The optical sensor used to deliver the 1600 to 12,000 DPI range of tracking is this PIXART PMW3336DM-TZQU sensor. We find this sensor to track well at any DPI level, and with such a wide range of DPI settings, it is easy to find a perfect level of control to suit your specific needs. Most of our usage was at DPI level 4, where it is tracking at 6200 DPI.

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The first of a pair of MCUs in control of the Zeus P1 RGB is what we have here. This chip is a Holtek HT68FB560, which is an 8-bit MCU.

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The second of the pair is this Holtek HT82F553 8-bit MCU. The best we can figure is that one of these is used for tracking and possibly the onboard memory storage, while the other is used to control the lighting capabilities of the Zeus P1 RGB.

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The last view inside of the Zeus P1 RGB brings us to the blue cased, white switch, Huano switch used under the right main button. Again, this is slightly stiffer than the red versions, the report is louder, and it also offers a 20 million click lifespan.

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Be default, the lighting is not that impressive with the Zeus P1 RGB, but with the HERA software, that can be addressed. Currently, the bands along the sides are set to blue and will cycle through all of the colors, but the logo on the heel is red and will pulsate on and off at this time.

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From another angle, we can see that the bands of light on the side had changed into a teal color when this image was taken, but the scroll wheel is not that brilliant in color display. The wheel is clear and should display more brightness, but in our sample, the lighting is not directly applied, so you get more of a bleeding of light rather than a direct source for it.

GAMDIAS HERA Software

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The key assignment tab in the HERA software is what you would expect it to be, where you go to remap the mouse. In profile one, to the right, you cannot change any of the functionality, but by selecting any of the other four profiles, you can change anything but the left click, that function is always left click.

There are 18 groupings of defaults to be used in command changes, everything from disabling them to keyboard keys, Macros, media controls, and Skype functionality; it's all there ready to be used.

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Macro management is some of the most robust we have seen from any mouse manufacturer. The left side of the window is all about the creation of folders to contain the Macros, naming them, renaming them, duplicating, deleting, and even linking to programs, and once one is made it will appear in the window. On the right is where the commands will appear in the larger window, and once done, you have a multitude of options to control and edit what you just recorded.

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In the tab marked mouse control, this is where you can adjust the basic functions of the mouse. The cursor speed, vertical scroll speed, and the double click speed can all be adjusted on the left side. On the right, you can pick a preset DPI level, or by clicking and dragging you can change it in 200 DPI increments to a custom level. This is also where you can adjust the polling rate.

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Moving on to LED color selection in the mouse luminance tab we get two options, singular color or lighting effects for the LED zones. In the single color tab, you can use the RGB sliders or direct enter the color code, and you can also choose to use one of the 34 preset options below.

There is also the option to adjust brightness, which carries over to both tabs of color selection. Under lighting effects, HERA offers the ability to choose circular wave, breathing, neon, responsive fade in, and a parallel wave mode, but in this tab, you can also adjust the speed of the mode displayed as well.

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With the Zeus P1 RGB, you can also assign sound and timers to each key press. This means you can pick from pre-selected wave files which play short melodies with each click. This is also where you will address any sounds programmed from the following tab as well. Below that, you can address timers, but once again you need to go two tabs down the list and set them up first, then apply them to a button in this tab.

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In the sound file edit tab, this is where you can address what sounds you would like the buttons to make. There is a sound recorder so that you can use a mic to record anything you say or something you found on the internet, name it, rename it, and save it into the list to be used in the previous tab.

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The same thing goes for timers as well. In the timer setting tab, you can create the timer by name, set how long it is to run with days, hours, minutes, and seconds, create reminders, and even choose where the message will display on the screen once the timer has run out.

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The last of the tabs is for updating and support of the Zeus P1 RGB. Along with a huge logo at the top, the lower section displays the model of the device you are using, shows which firmware version is currently on it, and has a one-click check for update option. Below that there are similar offers for HERA, where we see the current version in use and a place to check if it is up to date. If you do happen to run into an issue with the device, at the bottom, click on online support, and it delivers you to the Gamdias home page.

Gaming and General Impressions

DOOM & OVERWATCH

Gaming with the Zeus P1 RGB has been a pleasure. The lower body design allows for a comfortable palm grip but also lends itself well to those who prefer to claw grip their mice. The sides are shaped well, and when the need arises to lift the Zeus P1, the grips added there along with the shape makes it very easy to accomplish without feeling awkward in the slightest.

The buttons are all within reach, making selecting weapons, throwing grenades, activating special attacks, or anything you wish to program this device to do as easy as can be.

Tracking offered with the optical sensor is smooth and direct, with no signs of any software tampering to try to correct movement, like angle snapping would do. From 1600 to roughly 8500 DPI, the Zeus P1 is easy to handle and does not feel out of control, but once you get into the higher range of DPI options, we do feel you lose accuracy, and it is easy to drift off target.

As we mentioned earlier, roughly 6000 DPI seemed to be our sweet spot for most of our gaming and daily driving needs, but with the DPI buttons easily accessible, you can slow it down or speed it up without much effort when the need to snipe comes up.

Windows and Productivity

For web browsing, we noticed no irregularities, double click issues, or any wandering of the sensor, no matter the DPI level it was set to. We spent quite a bit of time in Photoshop adjusting and fixing images, and found the Zeus P1 RGB to be an extension of our hand, much like if we were attempting to draw it on paper. Every finite move is where we wanted it to go, and we were not constantly overshooting the mark like we have seen with high DPI mice in the past.

Whether gaming or doing daily tasks, the feel and fit of the Zeus P1 also come into play, and we found no discomfort or signs of fatigue, even after long sessions of usage.

Final Thoughts

As we usually are, we try to be as blunt as possible with our reviews, and with the Zeus P1 RGB, we find no reason to scold Gamdias or knock this mouse in any major way. While some may not appreciate the lower rounded shape of the mouse, we thoroughly enjoyed using it. The buttons are all within reach, easy to access for usage, and even though the secondary switches are not as strong as the main pair of switches, we never found ourselves accidentally clicking something we did not intend to.

The use of Huano as the switch manufacturer is not a bad thing either. The main switches have a feel similar to Omron switches, just with slightly less force needed to activate them, and the fact that the click being reported once used is not as loud either, which is a good thing, to our ears. The glide of this mouse is smooth on multiple surfaces we tested it on, the tracking is top notch, and even though 12,000 DPI is near crazy as a top end limit, we were able to use most of this range with full control over our movements. On a technical level, we are not left wanting a single thing.

Aesthetically, we like what the Zeus P1 RGB delivered as well. Dual strips of LED lighting down the sides, a large logo flashing on the heel; our only disappointment was the lack of light coming from the scroll wheel. Once the HERA software is in use, the multitude of color options, modes, speeds of mode presentation, and adjustment to the amount of light brightness were all great to have access to. On top of the aesthetics and options, the HERA software delivered in every aspect a gamer would ever need or desire.

Not only do you get full control over all of the basics, but the Macro support is insane, and we haven't even gotten to the noises you can make with it or the fact that this mouse will keep you from being late for an appointment or keep you from burning a pizza. With some of the best software we have seen, which will also cover multiple Gamdias devices all-in-one suite, this is another feather in the cap for the Gamdias Zeus P1 RGB over many other offerings on the market at this time.

What is hard to believe at this point is the lack of money it takes to acquire a gaming mouse of this caliber. Considering everything we have seen in the Zeus P1 RGB, everything we have raved about it in its design and features, we expected the pricing to be much closer to the $100 mark. With the Zeus P1 RGB, you only need to release half that amount from your grip to obtain one of the better mice we have ever tested. For around $50 at either Amazon or at Newegg at this time, we see no reason why you should pass up on the Zeus P1 RGB, or at the minimum, give it serious consideration.

If you are in the market for a new mouse, we strongly urge you to take a look at this latest mouse from Gamdias. Even if you are not in the market when it comes to a mouse like the Gamdias P1 RGB, you may want just to bin what you currently have, and move onto something better anyways, and this mouse is likely the answer for many.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

TweakTown award
Performance 97%
Quality 98%
Features 100%
Bundle and Packaging 92%
Value for Money 98%
Overall 97%

The Bottom Line: GAMDIAS' ZEUS P1 RGB delivers all the features one could want, the HERA software is easy to navigate, and the shape, grip, and silky smooth tracking afforded combine to make this one of the best mice we have ever tested! And the very fair pricing just makes it better.

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

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Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

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