Dream Machines DM3 Mini Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Review

It does not matter if you are right handed or left handed, the DM3 Mini delivers a comfortable fit to your hands.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: Dream Machines
12 minutes & 36 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 79%

The Bottom Line

With complicated customizations, and the twitchiness of the sensor in daily use, we find the DM3 Mini tough to recommend fully! It does incorporate top-tier components, and the feel is sublime, but there are too many things which complicate life with this mouse to do so!

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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While we have had the pleasure of testing a couple of mice from Dream Machines in the past, all of our knowledge so far is relegated to the DM1 Series of mice. Since that time, Dream Machines had released the DM2 Comfy, Which was a spin-off of the DM1 mice, but had more aggressive styling, but kept the same sensor, which at the time was one of the best gamer-centric optical sensors available.

Sadly we did not get to see this mouse, but with time perpetually passing by, Dream Machines has upped their game once more, and we are here to tell you all about their latest submission to the world of peripherals.

Not to downplay the capabilities of the first three mice Dream Machines made, but reading the literature on this newest mouse leads us to believe that it has had the most development time, and all with professional gamers used to test the product and comment on changes that should be made before its release.

All of this means that even though our time with the DM1 mice was pleasurable enough, we should expect greater things from their newest product.

We are here with the Dream Machines DM3 Mini, which is slightly smaller than the others, it is lighter than the rest, and even without a full assortment of extra buttons or software, Dream Machines can offer an ambidextrous design. As to not eliminate anyone from using this product, yet at the same time, allow all of those same people to fit the mouse to their needs and desires comfortably.

While Dream Machines is certainly not a company that pops right to the front of the list when thinking of a company to buy your next mouse from, in what we have seen in the past, and with what you are about to see, you may just want to add Dream Machines to your radar. They are a company which is trying their hardest to become a big player in a huge market.

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When it comes to the specifications, the provided chart is short and sweet, but does offer information on all of the components that matter the most to those wanting to compare the DM3 Mini to any other mouse out there. The first thing we find on the list is information on the optical sensor used inside of the DM3 Mini.

We find it is the PixArt PMW3360, one of the best optical sensors to use at this time. There are six pre-set DPI steps, acceleration is higher than many others at 6.45 meter per second of travel, and it also provides an adjustable polling rate with 500Hz and 1000Hz options.

The DM3 Mini is small ad light, which is proven in the second part of the chart. The material used is plastic, all of which has a matte black rubberized coating applied to it. This is an ambidextrous design, perfect for claw, finger-tip, and palm grip users. There are four buttons in total, which are the main pair of buttons, the DPI selector button, and the scroll wheel is counted here as well. The switches under the main buttons are twenty million click Omron switches, while the secondary switches are sourced from Huano.

The scroll wheel and the logo on the heel are illuminated once it is powered, and while it is shown to be RGB capable, you are limited to red, blue, green, and pink as the options. With 118mm of length, 64mm of width, and 37mm of height, all told, the DM3 Mini weighs only 77 grams. The last thing mentioned here is the 1.8-meter cable, which is said to be super flexible and is not covered with braided material, it is left in its natural state.

At this time, we are unable to locate the DM3 Mini in any retail outlets on this side of the pond, but we can buy the mouse from Dream Machines. On-site, you will find the price listed at 179 PLN, which translates to $52.48. If the specifications and wording on site about the DM3 Mini hold up, the price is not all that bad for such a small mouse. However, there is no mention of free shipping through DHL, and from experience, shipping things overseas, it is not typically inexpensive to do.

In reality, the DM3 Mini will likely cost well over $60 to obtain one on this side of the big blue ball, and competition is already quite tough at that point in the market, which leaves Dream Machines with quite the handful of trying to sway us to their side. That being said, we should dive right in and see what the DM3 Mini is all about, and what capabilities it offers, and see if the investment is worth it.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation

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Opting for clean white packaging, it allows the words and images to pop off the backdrop. The front of the box is kept simple too. We see only the company name at the top, a view of the top of the mouse in the middle, and the DM3 Mini name at the bottom.

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The right side of the box is even less cluttered. Here we see the Dream Machines logo on the left edge, and the DM3 Mini product name following it.

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On the back, we see that this mouse is produced with help from Test-Gear. Below that is a list of many of the features such as the optical sensor, switches used, polling rates, DPI scales, LOD levels, the ambidextrous design, backlighting, as well as the size and weight of the DM3 Mini.

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The left side of the box is identical to the right side, where we see only the logo and the product name.

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We also took the time to get an image of the bottom of the box, as it offers the three website addresses to locate more information on the DM3 Mini. We also see that while this product is designed in Poland, it is made in China.

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Inside of the box, we find the DM3 Mini inside of a two-part plastic container, which fights the mouse being crushed or damaged in shipping. As for this sample, it was delivered to us with not a single mark on it, and considering the trip it took to get there, we are pleased with the steps taken to ensure anyone around the globe will also get a mouse in outstanding condition.

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Tucked inside of the packaging, just under the mouse, we also found what is seen here. There is a guide which explains connectivity as well as how to use the mouse to enable the features with combinations of button presses to achieve the setting which is best for you. We also find a spare set of mouse feet, which is a huge advantage to the longevity of this product as well.

Dream Machines DM3 Mini Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse

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The view of the left side of the DM3 Mini shows us that this mouse sports an egg-shaped design, and the only thing to break up all of that rubberized matte coating is the body line which separates the left click button from the side panel.

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From the back, we can see the Dream Machines logo placed on the heel of the mouse. Lower still, we see that the back edge is sloped inwards before we run into the dividing line between the top and bottom portions of the mouse.

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From the right side, it is almost as if we mirrored the first image from this page. With no side buttons on either side of this ambidextrous mouse, there is nothing to get in the way of your grip, but some may miss the fact that there are no extra buttons to assign in games.

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From the front, we can see that the cable comes out of the middle of the bottom section of the mouse. Above it, we see the mouse had the main buttons separated around an inset section containing the other two buttons. We can also see there is not an ergonomic lean to one side or the other, so whichever hand you use on this mouse, the feel will be the same.

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On the top of the DM3 Mini, we find the rubberized, segmented, scroll wheel, which the center of it will illuminate when powered. Behind the wheel, we see the triangular shaped DPI button to allow users to cycle through the six DPI options, no matter which of the two scales you are using at the time.

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The cable is very flexible throughout its 1.8 meters in length, but sadly there is not a Velcro strap to help in times when traveling with the DM3 Mini is needed. There is an inline choke to eliminate noise and crosstalk, and the stylized connector has a gold plated USB 2.0 connection sticking out of it.

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Under the DM3 Mini, we see that three larger feet support the mouse and allow it to glide on nearly any surface. There is a product sticker just behind the front foot with company information, power ratings, as well as the serial number of the mouse. Lastly, we see that the eye of the optical sensor is centered in the design.

Inside the DM3 Mini

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By removing four screws, we can lift the top portion of the mouse from the base. Nothing is attached to the top of the mouse, as all of the functionality is contained on a single PCB in the lower section. Another thing we want to point out is the use of the LED next to the scroll wheel as well as the large panel at the back to illuminate the Logo on the heel.

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The left click button is backed with this D2FC-F-7N(20M), white, Omron switch. Not only does it have the feel and report we have all come to love, but it will also last you years due to the twenty million clicks this switch has.

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Backing the DPI selector button on top of the mouse is a white Huano switch. This switch requires slightly more force than the Omron switches to use, but the report from the two is very similar, with a solid audible click.

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As the box and all of the literature explained, we do in fact, find a PixArt PMW3360DM-T2QU optical sensor at the helm. With a DPI range from 400 to 12,000, the sensor will keep many happy with two DPI scales. There is a low DPI scale where selections are 500,600, 1000, 1200, 1400 or 1800, and a high scale where choices are 400, 800, 1600, 2400, 4800 or 12,000.

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Under the right click button, we find the second Omron switch, which is also a 20M version. Used to register the press of the scroll wheel, a white Huano switch is used, and we have no complaints about the choices made as to what switches to fit inside of the DM3 Mini.

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Once connected, you are greeted with the fact that the logo, as well as the scroll wheel, are illuminated in red LED by default. By pressing the DPI button and scrolling the wheel, you will have the option to turn the lights off or make them blue, green or pink instead of red.

Gaming and General Impressions

DOOM & PUBG

Typically we would play games with a range of DPI usage in the 3000 to 5000 range, depending on the mouse we were using. However, with the DM3 Mini, we find the 1600 DPI setting to be the sweet spot for shooters.

Even at this setting, we still found the mouse to deliver a solid mix of accuracy as well as quickness to navigate our 4K screen. Using this setting minimized the amount of lifting in game, but you do have the option for the default 1.8mm of LOD which allows the cursor very little time to wander when lifted.

You can opt for a 2.4mm setting by holding the scroll wheel down and using the left mouse button for 1.8mm or the right mouse button for 2.4mm. When it comes to gaming with the DM3 Mini, while small in our hand, it took no time at all to get accustomed to it, and return to making headshots, or swinging around wildly to deliver shots to enemies attacking from all directions.

Windows and Productivity

Using the DM3 Mini for productivity is a "sticky" situation. While gaming tends to have us looking all over the place all of the time, the sensor feels very smooth, as long as it is kept in motion. When it comes to highlighting text in a document or trying to copy and paste a link from a browser, we noticed the cursor was twitchy. It is almost as if the sensor has a delay.

Finite movements are hard to accomplish from a resting state, and when it came to editing images, we did long to use another mouse as the jittery reaction of the DM3 Mini left much to be desired when it comes to using it for day to day tasks. Adjusting the DPI lower just caused us to lift the mouse all of the time, and raising it made the cursor jump wildly more than it does with the midrange settings. Sorry to say this, but this is an instance where a gaming mouse is great for gaming, but when it comes to anything else you may do with the PC, you are going to want to swap mice.

Final Thoughts

The button combinations to change all of the settings are nice, as we do tend to appreciate products without a bunch of software bloat. However, we feel that by doing it in the way Dream Machines has, complicates things while in-game. By the time you remember the key combo to change what you want, make that change, then look back at the screen, you will likely be dead. If you take the time to play around with the DM3 Mini before trying to be competitive, you will find a sweet spot and be able to game easily at that point.

We do wish there were more buttons on this mouse, as programming could have been made easier, as well as the love we have to a page back button for browsing, but we digress and nowhere in the name of this mouse does it mention use outside of gaming. The reality is, however, that people do use a PC for more than just games, and for those that do, you may want to look at other devices. If gaming is all you do, and you want a mouse with accuracy and smoothness, as long as you keep the sensor tracking continuously, then the DM3 Mini is right up your alley.

Dream Machines does build a solid mouse with a fair amount of grip. It is smaller and lighter than many we test, and this makes it easy to handle, as well as being easy to throw around on the mouse pad, and the concave side panels make lifting the mouse a breeze too. With two DPI scales, ambidextrous design, and the use of top-tier components, Dream Machines came very close to delivering the perfect tool for gamers.

It does not matter if you are right handed or left handed, the DM3 Mini delivers a comfortable fit to your hands. Had they included a Velcro strap on the cable, it would have led us to praise it for traveling too, as its simplicity and compact size lends itself to get by with a familiar mouse at a friend's house or while out and about in the world with a laptop.

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It is strange this; while there is much we like about the DM3 Mini, it seems for every pro we find a con. Sadly, Dream Machines is so close to a perfect device, yet the issues we find with it can easily be a deal killer for those looking to not only game but use the PC for other things as well.

We knew that at $52 the Dream Machines DM3 Mini had the cards stacked against it right out of the box. While the DM3 Mini offers a slew of customizations and options, we feel that the key combination system is awkward and complicated, and only after much use with they become second nature and usable on-the-fly as intended. We also feel that at this price point, the DM3 Mini needs more.

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Things like profiles, the full RGB scale of optional colors, and more buttons just to name a few. If this mouse were in the $30 range, we would be more than happy to recommend it wholeheartedly. As things are currently; unless all you do is game on your PC, we do feel there are better options out there.

Not just in price, but the bang for the buck is higher in many other solutions which cost the same, which negates the whole point of the DM3 Mini. Dream Machines made a hell of a go at the DM3 Mini, and are very close to perfection, but we feel they lost touch with what is needed in games, or when it comes to switching game titles or using it on a basic level.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

Performance 75%
Quality 95%
Features 75%
Value 70%
Overall 79%

The Bottom Line: With complicated customizations, and the twitchiness of the sensor in daily use, we find the DM3 Mini tough to recommend fully! It does incorporate top-tier components, and the feel is sublime, but there are too many things which complicate life with this mouse to do so!

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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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