Introduction

I would like to thank OCZ Technology for supplying the review sample.

OCZ Technology has always been known to produce some of the best high performance memory modules on the market today. Their first entry into the gaming mice market was with the Eliminator in the first quarter last year, the mouse did not really meet the gamers and - in the end - OCZ's standards. Their new offering makes a much better impression, both on paper and when seeing it at shows like Computex or Games Convention. It is called Dominatrix and has recently started shipping. The mouse is only available in one size and has some very interesting features, which we will get into during this review.

Technical specifications from OCZ Technology:

• DPI Settings: 400/800/1600/2000
• 500Hz Polling / Report Rate
• Max Tracking speed: up to 45 inch / second
• Frame Rate: 7080 frames / second
• Software Setup Included
• Set X&Y axes up to 3200 DPI w/ software
• Onboard memory (save profiles)
• Customizable weight cartridges up to 40g
• 4-way tilt scroll wheel
• 3 Custom Modes
• Click / Keystroke Recording
• Unlimited Script Profiling / Grouping
• Import / Export Profiles
• Loop and Fire Key Recording Capability
• Ability to Record in Intervals / Duration
• Operating System: Windows XP, Vista (32-bit only)
• 3-year warranty

Packaging & Contents

OCZ ships the mouse in a similar packaging, when compared to the Equalizer. The theme and design of the package have changed to a darker blue & black and the flames found on the box of the Equalizer are gone. The Dominatrix mouse can be viewed through the clear plastic mold and the back mentions all the features of the device.


A plain manual and CD can be found within the package. The CD holds the manual, software and drivers to get the most out of the Dominatrix.


The device also includes a weight system, so that you may adjust the overall weight of the Dominatrix to fit your personal preference. This is a very nice feature, usually found on more expensive mice. There are seven weights, all of which are of equal size and weight.

A Closer Look

The mouse itself can be considered quite large and should fill out the palm of your hand quite nicely. It could be a bit too large for small hands, so your 12 year old brother may have a problem with the Dominatrix.


The rear features the mouse logo, which looks quite similar to that of the Equalizer one. Just the name around the Z logo has changed accordingly. There are two buttons in the middle of the mouse. The "M" stands for "Mode", of which this mouse has three. The DPI switch above that cycles through the available DPI settings. The mouse wheel lights up and can also be tilt left or right. OCZ has decided to go with a non-symmetrical design, so this mouse is only intended for right-handed gamers.


Taking a look at both sides of the Dominatrix, there are back/forth buttons on the left side and both sides have a place to rest your fingers on which are padded with stylish, blue rubber pads. This should improve the grip on the device and should make it easier to game for longer periods without having to worry about sweating or the mouse slipping out of your hand.


Just to give you an idea about the sheer size of the Dominatrix, it has been placed on a 120 mm large CD and placed next to several other mice. As you can see it is larger than all the others in the image above.



The underside of the device feels a bit flimsy. The cover of the weight compartment looks like a smily face. Turning it about 10 degrees to the right releases the cover.


The compartment consists of a circular foam setting, with seven holes in it. These can be individually filled with weights. Such a system does not only allow to increase the overall weight but also to change the center of gravity of the gaming device.


The USB connector is gold plated, which does certainly look nice, but will not make any difference in performance. USB 2.0 is a digital standard after all.


The "Mode" button has a multi-color LED. It changes between red, blue and green to let you know which mode you are in. There are profiles which can be customized within the software and directly accessed through this button. The semi-transparent wheel, lights up in blue, green or red as well, as you traverse through the different DPI settings with the appropriate button on the mouse.