Razer Deathadder Elite vs Chroma: Which is Better?
To buy the right computer device you need to check a lot of factors. These decisions are made especially easy if the brands are different. However, if you are stuck on two devices of same brand then this decision becomes complicated.
There are many gaming mice in the market today by Razer and we will be looking at two of them. We are going to compare the Razer Deathadder Elite and Razer Deathadder Chroma. We will look into some of their key features to see which is the better gaming mouse.
Razer Deathadder Elite Review
Razer Deathadder Elite is one of the best MOBA gaming mice that you can find in the market today. It is created with all the best qualities that a company like Razer can provide their users while keeping it budget-friendly.
The Razer Deathadder mouse is created with new esports-grade optical sensors. These sensors are highly sensitive, created to give that split-second edge over your opponents. This sensor can provide a sensitivity of 16000 dots per inch which is quite high. Paired with a tracking speed of 450 inches per second, this mouse can provide a resolution accuracy of 99.4%. This way you can land more kills than your opponents. However, there can be some mouse smoothing at higher DPIs.
This mouse comes with 7 buttons; 3 standard buttons (left, right and middle), 2 DPI control buttons and 2 buttons on the left panel. You can reprogram these buttons to carry out functions of your choice via the Razer Synapse software. Just like Logitech G Shift, you can assign essential tasks to the extra keys so you need not move more your keyboard hand much.
What makes these keys special is their hyperresponsive time. This can all be credited to the Razer patented Mechanical Switches. These switches have been created in collaboration with OMRON, the leading company in mechanical switch technology. These switches provide fast response time and accurate actuation with a lifespan of 50 million clicks.
The mouse is designed to keep long gaming hours in mind. It is best for Palm grip and Fingertip grip gaming style. An average gamer can sit behind a screen for hours without a break. Such long gaming hours can lead to carpal tunnel, tendonitis, RSI & wrist pain. Therefore, to provide interruption-free gaming the Deathadder is developed with an ergonomic design. The palm rests comfortably on the mouse without any need to bend your fingers. The rubber grips on the mouse avoid any misfiring due to a slipping.
Razer’s RGB lighting system is well recognised in the gaming industry. The mouse provides illumination in the scroll button and the logo. You can either use one of the presets or customize your lighting using the software and choose out of the 16.8 million colours that the mouse can project.
Razer Deathadder Chroma Review
Razer Deathadder Chroma gaming mouse has become one of the most recognised gaming mice in recent years. While this mouse displays the same performance as any other Razer gaming mice, it does so at fraction of the price. Its great performance has been recognised by many organisations, awarding it for the same.
The Razer Deathadder Chroma is a standard sized gaming mouse. It comes with 5 buttons; 2 standard buttons with a roller button and 2 buttons on the left panel. The optical sensor used by Deathadder Chroma is state of the art and can reach the highest sensitivity of 10000 DPI. However, if you are not comfortable with such sensitivity, then you can change it using the Razer Synapse software.
The buttons on this mouse are created with special switches. These switches are used all across Razer’s inventory and are responsible for the Hypersensitive response. These OMRON switches respond at the speed of light with pinpoint accuracy. During an intense FPS gaming session, you can be sure that every shot can be fired as soon as you think about it.
One of the hazards of long gaming sessions is developing conditions like carpal tunnel in your arms. To counter this problem, Razer makes sure to design all of their mice as ergonomic as possible. The curve of the mouse is designed so that it snuggly fits inside your hand. The palm rests gently on it without needing to cramp your fingers.
The one feature which sets Deathadder Chroma apart is mouse lift-off distance tracking system. Many times, while gaming you must re-adjust your mouse and bring it back to your action area. To avoid the cursor from moving you would lift your mouse but this sometimes causes your aim to get off track. Using the lift-off tracking tech, you can choose the height at which tracking is disconnected. Once the mouse is calibrated for your surface, you can easily adjust this setting using the Razer Synapse.
The Razer Deathadder Chroma’s most attractive quality, other than its high performance, is the lighting system. The mouse uses an RGB lighting system that can project light in three different formats; spectrum cycling, breathing and static. The spectrum cycling setting will cycle all 16.8 million colours through your device. Breathing mode pulses the colour of your choice every 7 seconds while static lighting constantly emits any colour of your choice. The colours and format of cycling colours can be chosen with the Razer Synapse software.
To better Deathadder Chroma’s performance, it has active surface calibration. The system actively monitors surfaces colour, topography and other varying properties. These properties are compared to originally recorded data to allow quick response and accurate movement.
Also read: Top 7 Best Mouse Bungees for Gaming
Razer Deathadder Elite vs Chroma – Comparison
| Razer Deathadder Elite | Razer Deathadder Chroma | |
|---|---|---|
| DPI | 16000 | 10000 |
| Acceleration | 50g | 50g |
| No. of buttons | 7 | 5 |
| On-the-mouse DPI buttons | 2 | None |
| Dimensions | 5 x 2.76 x 1.73 in | 5 x 2.73 x 1.73 in |
1. Design
The designs for both these models are standard. They both resemble any gaming mouse in the market today. They are created keeping ergonomics in mind for long and intense gaming sessions. The only place where these two mice differ is their weight. If you compare the weight of Deathadder Chroma vs Elite, then you will find the latter to be heavier than Chroma.
2. Sensor
Razer, like any smart tech company, likes to keep its technology quiet. In the field of developing computer mice, it would be the optical sensor. Both of these devices use Razer developed optical sensors each with its features.
The Razer Deathadder Elite uses PMW3389 optical sensor. They are top of the line, providing Elite with up to 16000 DPI sensitivity with a resolution accuracy of 99.4%.
The Razer Deathadder Chroma uses a PMW3989 optical sensor with a sensitivity of 10000DPI. Its accuracy is about the same as Elite’s and doesn’t differ from it a lot other than the high sensitivity.
Another difference between these two sensors is that 3989 is capable of lift-off tracking which means the cursor doesn’t get off tilt when picking up and re-placing the mouse.
While pretty much the same, Elite has an advantage over Chroma as it uses updated optical sensors providing higher sensitivity and performance.
3. Compatibility
Both Razer Deathadder Elite and Chroma are compatible with Windows and Apple. To be specific, these mice are compatible with Windows 7/8/10/XP and Mac OS vX10.9 – 10.13.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is the Razer Synapse version. While Synapse 2 legacy is compatible with all the above-mentioned versions, the Synapse 3 Beta is only available on Windows right now. Make sure to download the right version, especially if you are going to use a Mac OS based system.
4. Buttons
If you compare the buttons of Razer Deathadder Elite vs Chroma you don’t see much difference other than the number. The 5 buttons (3 standard and 2 on the left panel) are the same in both mice with 2 additional DPI controlling buttons on Deathadder Elite. Both mice use OMRON switches in their buttons and they are all reprogrammable.
The only difference you will see is over prolonged performance. Chroma buttons seem to lose their durability faster when compared to Elite, whose keys can last for 50 million clicks on average.
A small knit pick is that the side buttons on Elite, other than being better performers, are textured for a more gripped feel. The scroll button on Elite also has small dimples which assist in more accurate scrolling.
5. Synapse
The Razer Synapse is a gaming software developed by Razer to give the user better control over their devices. Every peripheral developed by Razer can be customized as per the users need using this software. In the case of mice, you get control over their sensitivity, RGB illumination and button functions. In the case of Deathadder Chroma, you can also control lift-off tracking height.
There isn’t any significant difference between Deathadder Elite vs Chroma and their relation to Synapse. However, Deathadder Elite doesn’t have an onboard memory system to store data and requires you to use the Razer Cloud for this function.
Conclusion
Now that we have looked into all the governing factors of both Deathadder Elite and Deathadder Chroma, you should be able to make a more informed decision. While both mice provide great performance and have their unique abilities, the user must choose the mouse which is more suitable to their needs.
