Dream Machines DM1 FPS Gaming Mouse Review

1. Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
2. Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation
3. Dream Machines DM1 FPS Gaming Mouse
4. Inside the DM1 FPS
5. Software
6. Gaming and General Impressions
7. Final Thoughts

TweakTown's Rating: 97%

The Bottom Line

One of the better mice we have ever used. The DM1 FPS is solid, it is more accurate than most, it wont cost a ton of get it, and should be on the radar of anyone serious about FPS gaming!

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

Dream Machines may be a company that never enters your headspace when it comes to looking for a new gaming mouse, but in the time we have known them, we feel that it should. What started as a company with one solid mouse design that is comfortable for many right-handed gamers, has blossomed into a set of mice, all virtually identical on the outside.

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However, we know that more times than not, it is what is on the inside that matters most, and with what we have seen with Dream Machines thus far, they have no qualms about changing components to stay relevant and at the top of their game.

In the pursuit to stay relevant, and up to date with the latest offerings out there, once again, we are looking at another DM1 design. What we mean by this, is that the shape, design, and layout is the same as what we have seen from Dream Machines, on each of the mice we have tested to date.

If you are a fan of the ambidextrous shaping without the left-handed buttons, and you like a lighter weight product that feels good in your hands, no matter the preferred grip style, and you are looking for a mouse that is touted as the next big thing in FPS gaming, it is highly likely you will want to keep reading.

What we have on the desk today is the Dream Machines DM1 FPS Noir, one of four color choices for this product. While at first glance, one may assume that this is the same as all the rest, it is not until you dig into the specifications of the internal components that you can find the major changes that have evolved over the year or two we have seen Dream Machines products.

What we can say, is that after looking around under the hood, and getting in many hours of gaming and general usage, we can say that if the mouse shape fits to your liking, things will only get better with use.

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Following the chart provided by Dream Machines as to the specifications of the DM1 FPS, things are just sort of thrown together, but we will do our best to sort it all out. Inside of the box, you will find either a Noir (white with black trim), Blizzard White - Matte, Ocean Blue, or Blood Red -Glossy finish on the top of the mouse.

All variations measure in at 126mm from front to back, 68mm from side to side, and the DM1 FPS stands 39mm tall. The weight of the mouse is taken without the shoelace covered cable, and is shown to be 83 grams. Also, said cable is 1.8 meters in length, and the UCB 2.0 connection is gold plated.

As to the components, under the hood is a PixArt PMW3389 optical sensor. This sensor is capable of tracking movements up to seven meters per second, and can be set at 400, 800, 2400, 3200, 4800 or 16,000 DPI. Holtex has provided the MCU for the DM1 FPS, and opting for Huano switches over Omron options.

These Huano switches are shown to last for up to twenty million clicks under the main buttons, but the side buttons are shown to last for only three million clicks. Lastly is the TTC switch used for the scroll where, where again, we see a twenty million-click lifespan.

The last bit of information we have not addressed has to do with lighting, where the DM1 FPS has lost the lighting on the heel, in favor of just illuminating the center of the scroll wheel this time.

When it comes to finding the DM1 FPS, we are left with two alternatives. The first, on this side of the pond, is to look for it in whatever search engine you choose, and you will find only eBay listings with the price set to $68. However, the only other avenue is to buy the mouse from Dream Machines directly. On the site, the offerings are listed in PLN for the currency, and you have to change the site location to the USA to get US dollar pricing.

To start, the DM1 FPS is listed at 219 PLN, and converting that to US dollars gets us to $56.86. However, when the location on site is changed, we see that the listed price is only $49.99 plus another $9 for USPS shipping. All told, direct from the manufacturer, the DM1 FPS will only set you back $58.98 to get what Dream Machines feels is the best mouse for FPS gaming out there.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe - Buy from Amazon
• CPU: Intel Core i9 7920X - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Corsair H150i Pro - Buy from Amazon
• Memory: G.Skill TridentZ RGB 3600MHz 32GB - Buy from Amazon
• Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Hybrid SLI - Buy from Amazon
• Storage: Samsung 960 EVO 250GB - Buy from Amazon
• Case: Cooler Master Cosmos C700P - Buy from Amazon
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G 1050W - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Buy from Amazon

Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation

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Our Dream Machines DM1 FPS Noir comes in a white box, with black printing on top. Nothing flashy to try to hype up the product, just a life-sized drawing of the view from above the mouse.

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On the right side of the box, we see the right side of the DM1 FPS. Nothing more than that, not even the product name, or a company logo is present.

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The back, or in this instance, the bottom of the box, is again a rendering of the mouse, this time looking up at the underside of it. We do see mentions of the main Huano switches, the use of the PixArt PMW3389 optical sensor along with the 12,000 DPI maximum. All we are then left with is the fact that Dream Machines works with TEST-GEAR.PL when it comes to design.

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All we have remaining is the left side of the box, where you guessed it, we get to see a rendering of what the left side of the mouse looks like, as well as where the pair of side buttons are positioned.

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Using a plastic cover to protect the finish on the top of the DM1 FPS in conjunction with the soft open-celled foam surrounding it, Dream Machines ensures that their mice will arrive in excellent condition, just like ours. They even go as far as to cover the USB connector, as not to do any damage in transit.

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Along with the DM1 FPS, there is a guide for the mouse, which shows how to connect it, where to get the software, and the terms of the warranty. Sitting next to the guide is something we wish every mouse maker would send with their mice, and extra set of feet. In this instance, there are three PTFE feet, which can be easily swapped out when the original feet wear out over time.

Dream Machines DM1 FPS Gaming Mouse

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While the rendering on the outside of the box gave us a good idea of what to expect, the Noir version does pit a spin on it visually. The top cover is white, but the side panels and the bottom are black with this version. The pair of buttons are also black and sit near the top of the concave side panel, and are easily accessible.

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The heel of the mouse has a hard line that wraps around the back, above where the black and white plastic meet. There is also the Dream Machines logo on the heel, but unlike in other DM1 mice, this time it is painted on, and no backlit.

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The right side of the DM1 FPS is an identical match when to comes to the coloration of areas, as well as the concave shape the left side offers. The only thing missing from this ambidextrous design are the extra buttons or a way to insert them, for left-handed gamers.

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The view of the front shows that the main white buttons rest well above the lower portion of the black frame, and we also see that the frame extends between the main buttons as well. As to the cable, it comes out of the middle of this blunt-nosed design.

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In the black area between the main buttons is where you initially run into the scroll wheel. The center is made of clear plastic to enhance the backlighting found there, and has a thick, highly textured, rubber outer ring to ensure precise scrolling. Behind the scroll wheel is a shield-shaped button, which by default, is set to change the DPI levels.

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The cable is over six foot long, and the entire length of it is covered in a soft, cottony, black, shoelace cover, which is very flexible and lightweight. We also notice that near the connection is an in-line ferrite choke, and under the protecting cover is indeed a gold-plated USB 2.0 connector.

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The mouse glides upon three feet. A wider single foot at the front, and a pair of skinnier feet at the back ensure stability as well as effortless movement. There is a product sticker with the name and serial number on it, which is notched to go around the centralized eye of the optical sensor. There is also a quality control sticker which also provides the month and year the product was made.

Inside the DM1 FPS

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If you want to access the interior of the mouse, all of the feet need to be removed to access a pair of screws at the front, as well as a pair at the back. Once separated, we can see the top shell is not connected in any way, with all of the componentry installed to a single red PCB, and we are a fan of keeping things simple, as Dream Machines has done here.

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In this image, we can see the blue bodies Huano, twenty-million click switch, which requires medium force to actuate, and gives a solid click noise when used. The TTC switch on the scroll wheel is to record the scrolling movements of the wheel and is segmented in movement, but not as heavily as many we have had in our hands. The pair of side buttons are the softest to actuate, and when used deliver a thud rather than a crisp click.

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In the center of the PCB is the PixArt PMW3389 optical sensor. Since we have already explained its capabilities, we move on to the small pad style switch to the right of it. This is for the DPI selection, and while easy to press, the click is crisp and audible, and also when pressed a Windows 10 notification pops up to sell you which level is in use.

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Helping to keep costs down, the PCB and design is obviously from another design, where they have limited the light of the scroll wheel LED, and as to the heel of the mouse, there is an LED there, but is entirely covered with tape. Peeling that tape also allowed us to view the MCU, which in this instance is the Holtek HT68FB560, and while only an 8-bit processor, it is plenty of grunt to run the DM1 FPS without issue.

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The last pair of switches are seen in this image. The blue one is under the right main button of the mouse, and it feels like the other one, and delivers the same lifespan. The black bodied Huano switch behind it is for the press of the scroll wheel. It take s a fair bit of pressure to use, and offers a crisp click when used, but the level of noise is less than what is heard from the blue bodied Huano switches.

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From this angle, the backlit scroll wheel is hard to see, but there is a constant amber color shining through that clear plastic center. Other than that, when the mouse is plugged in, not much has changed aesthetically from the moment we took it out of the box.

Software

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Once downloaded and installed into a folder 32.5MB, you can click on the .exe and open the software to see what we have in this image. It is here that you can reassign keys, assign Macros, and change the report rate. In the middle of the menu is an image of the mouse where you can click on the buttons to be reprogrammed, while at the right is where you can adjust the sliders for the DPI levels in 200 DPI increments, and have one to six levels of choice. There is a lighting section present, but in our tinkering, no matter what we set, the amber LED never changed.

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For reference, when you click on a button to be changed, another menu shows itself. You may select a mouse function at the top, you can adjust the click rate to spam the key when held down, set a group function, or even set it to be used for multimedia control. As for the recording, you enter the keyboard clicks or mouse functions, and if there is an issue, you can right-click on steps in the Macro and edit them further.

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Clicking on the Macro Editor button on the main page open up the editor. You may add new Macros or delete them, but a profile needs to be created before you can import or export them.

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The system settings button brings up a secondary menu as well, and is where you to adjust mouse speed, double click speed, and scroll speed with a box to enter how many lines to skip at a time, even the option to scroll entire screen for things like PDF files or Word documents.

Gaming and General Impressions

DOOM & PUBG

For our testing, we opted to test the mouse with the preset DPI levels and have a go at gaming. The first four settings do not fit our game style, as we are constantly lifting the mouse, and is whey Dream Machines sets a hard 1.8mm LOD in the DM1 FPS. You have to control the cursor with a tighter grip if you are asking us to lift the mouse frequently.

However, the 4800DPI level was perfect for our usage, and in doom we were flinging around to kill enemies without issue, and shockingly, at suck high DPI range, when you slow down for accuracy, it is like holding a sniper button without all the effort. This also came into play with PUBG. It is the DM1 FPS that has been the vast majority of the reason we have upped our stats over the past couple of weeks.

You have to have the right tool for the job, and for us, the DM1 FPS has given us one of the smoothest, most accurate feelings in a mouse than we have had in a while. A mouse such as this is rare, where we have a product that on paper seems like an average offering, but once in the hand, all preconceived notions fly out the window.

Windows and Productivity

We also found that the same feelings we got in gaming, we felt at the desktop level too. You can easily fling the mouse around on a 4K screen, and when hovering over an icon, the mouse seems to sense that it is time to be more accurate, and does what you need of it. This also rang true when it came down to image doing.

Removing dust and scratches is a lot of our time spent in editing, and while using the DM1 FPS, we were finding less to go back and touch again, and without any angle snapping present, the cursor moved exactly as our hand told it to. The feel also comes into play here, as it would in gaming, as we feel no stress from hours of gameplay of hours at work.

Final Thoughts

With all of the sensors, all of the body shapes, and all of the marketing spin out there to persuade you in one way or another to pick another mouse, we urge you to rethink, and to buy something that to us is pretty sweet.

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Dream Machines does not spend the money on fancy packaging, nor is there a ton of marketing presence on social media or forums we frequent, yet they are here, and they are offering an outstanding peripheral for your hard earned dollar.

The shape is comfortable and allows hours of work and play without any undue stresses, the accuracy is at a level we do not typically see from the bigger players in the game, and the fact you have color options of the body, the DM1 FPS gets even more exotic.

The software may be minimal, and may not have all of the bells and whistles others provide, but at the same time, it is simple to use, light weight, and will keep many happy with the layers of functionality that it can offer.

Even though, we are pleased as punch with the DM1 FPS, there are a few points we think could be a concern. First off, for us the LOD set can be a bit low. While 1.8mm works fine at low DPI range, once you get halfway up, you tend to not lift as much and use the entirety of the mouse pad.

If the pad is not entirely flat, we did notice that the cursor would stop moving near the edge of our pad, and if we had an adjustable LOD setting, we would have no issues with this mouse at all. There is a lack of LED lighting, and even with the software showing control, amber is the only option we have with our DM1 FPS Noir.

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We did also find that the lack of profiles in the software was a bit of a letdown. With all the customizations that are offered in the software, it has to be set to one layer, which means reloading and unloading assignments as needed based on the task at hand, rather than pressing a button or swapping entire profiles via software.

On top of all of the fun we have had using the DM1 FPS from Dream Machines, including increased productivity at the desktop level, and upping stats in the games we have played endless hours of, when it comes to get one, you won't be bent over the barrel to enjoy what it is we have been expressing through this review. Direct from the manufacturer, the DM1 FPS can be had at just $58.98, which in our mind is a steal.

If you do not want to take that sort of avenue, you can spend more and use eBay as your source, but we have no reason you should not trust Dream Machines, and you can pay them with multiple sources, including PayPal.

All told, it may be lacking a couple of things that we feel this mouse could take advantage of having, but all things considered, we still enjoyed our time with the DM1 FPS from Dream Machines, much more than more expensive, over the top offerings out there today. That alone says a lot.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe - Buy from Amazon
• CPU: Intel Core i9 7920X - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Corsair H150i Pro - Buy from Amazon
• Memory: G.Skill TridentZ RGB 3600MHz 32GB - Buy from Amazon
• Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Hybrid SLI - Buy from Amazon
• Storage: Samsung 960 EVO 250GB - Buy from Amazon
• Case: Cooler Master Cosmos C700P - Buy from Amazon
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G 1050W - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Buy from Amazon