General Discussion

While a review of a mouse pad might not sound like something you need to read, MMORPG.com hardware reviewer Jeremy Star was pleasantly surprised by his experience with the Razer eXactMat with eXactRest and thinks you might be too!

If you're like me, you've probably never considered spending money on a mouse pad. In the ancient days of PC gaming, I used a cloth mouse pad that came for free with a game for my archaic ball-mouse. With the advent of optical mice, I stopped using a pad at all with my wooden desk, and when I switched desks, I started using a cheap Star Wars mouse pad that my wife bought for me.

Enter Razer with their eXactMat gaming surface. I scoffed when I looked up the price, I laughed when I thought about someone paying more than five dollars for a mouse pad, and I cried when I realized I wished I had owned one all along.

The Hardware - Do I look like chopped liver to you?

The Razer eXactMat with eXactRest is a large - we're talking Goliath - mousing surface made from anodized aluminum. (Which sounds much cooler if you happen to have a British accent.) It has two surfaces: a rough one for control, and a smooth one for speed. Both are anti-reflective, non-slip, and abrasion resistant. The eXactRest is a gel wrist-rest that spans most of the bottom of the pad, which means it's probably three times as long as a normal wrist-rest.

Read the whole review here.

Great review!

The wrist rest is a nice addition to the pad as the first ones that came out were without it.

I pick up on of these about a year ago, it is one of the best thing i ever bought for my computer. I could feel that i had better control over everything with the Razer eXactMat with eXactRest. The only thing that was bad with the pad is that the little rubber feet came of pretty quick.

I'd have to say this review was pretty much exactly how my experience went. At first, when I saw that thing, I couldn't fathom who would spend that kind of money just on a mouse pad, but then I started reading some of the reviews and I got interested. Finally, I found the mouse/rest combo for such a good price (less than the mat alone normally goes for), that I had to try it, and I can assure you, from the moment I first moved my new Diamondback across it, I never thought twice about the money. It's probably the cheapest performance upgrade I've ever purchased! The only real drawback is the real estate it takes up on your desk, but even though my desk is rather small, and I'm cramming two monitors on it, I managed to find the space for it.

There are some other really great benefits that weren't mentioned. First off, you'll end up keeping your mouse cleaner in the long run, because the pad is very sensitive to debris on its surface. You'll feel them as you move the mouse, allowing you to clean it before it ends up collecting in the optical area of the mouse. Secondly, by having a truly dedicated "mouse zone," you'll end up keeping that portion of your desk cleaner, and correspondingly, the mouse will stay cleaner as well.

You will also probably be as thrilled as I was to find that both mouse surfaces are quite enjoyable to use. I often switch every few months between each one, just to enjoy the different feel of how the mouse moves. Personally, I enjoy the precision that the Control side allows me, but the ease of movement on the Speed side is amazing, also. Trust me, if you went to the effort and expense of buying a gaming mouse, you owe it to yourself to get the full package and get this mouse pad. I can't really recommend the pad, myself (I ended up storing it), because my desk and chair are set up at the perfect height such that I don't need the wrist rest, but for those who sit a bit higher, the wrist rest is very comfortable.

Great review, and a great product!

"mousing surface made from anodized aluminum. (Which sounds much cooler if you happen to have a British accent.)"

Not trying to sound like a pedant (ok, I am), but us Brits would say "aluminium". That extra "i" makes a big difference.

Back on topic, though -- maybe it's my advancing years (32 ) but a wrist rest on my mouse mat really makes those long gaming sessions a lot easier. Before I got one, Monday after a weekend WoWing, EQing or whatever, my whole right arm could be aching, but now everything is hunky-dory.

Thanks for the review.  I was contemplating buying this because I have a precise mouse, now I just needed a mat that was just as precise.  I am a rare breed of digital artists who totally suck with a tablet but my mouse painting is great.

Alright, I'm officially drooling. I'd love one of those. In fact, I'm going to get me one of them things!

Where can you pick up these things?  Besides the online store, What retail stores have them available?

I have owned one for some time and I would never replace it with something else. Paired with the death adder mouse, it is absolute gaming heaven. I have used Razer products for a few years now and I was a skeptic at first also. I could not see spending the kind of money I did on a mouse and game pad, however; as a game enthusiast it is one of the most important tools in my arsenal. I have yet to see a Razer product let me down...