Endgame Gear MPX390 Review

When Endgame Gear announced that they would be releasing another Cordura pad so quickly after dropping their first one some people had their reservations. After all, the MPC was well received by most reviewers (including our very own) but then again this isn’t merely an updated MPC: this, according to Endgame Gear, is ‘one of the most premium pads on the market.’

There are some changes: the texturing is different, the stitching is finer, and the silicon base makes it the world’s first silicon + Cordura pad according to Endgame. Does that make it worth it over the MPC or is this just a flash in the pan? Read our review to find out.

At A Glance


Endgame Gear MPX 390

Staff’s Choice

On its own the MPX390 is one of the best speed pads you can get right now.

Pros

  • Great finishing
  • Smooth glide and surface

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Intrusively sized logo

Specs

Height39
Length39
Thickness3mm
Stitched edgesYes
MaterialHybrid
GlideSpeed

First Impressions


What we have here is a premium version of Endgame’s pads. Whereas the MPC line was very much priced on the lower end of the spectrum this MPX390 goes to the other side with a price that sits firmly in the premium category. Endgame Gear justifies that price by virtue of this being the world’s first Cordura pad with a silicon base, and by making changes to the stitching and texturing. I don’t usually comment on prices in my reviews for a number of reasons (such as variability between regions and the fact that prices change over time) but here I think a lot of people will be wondering whether or not this pad is worth it over the more affordable MPC so I will try to answer that question throughout this review.

As far as the pad itself goes there are some things I immediately noticed. The fact that it comes in a flat package, for one. No worries about bubbling or laying flat at all: a flat pack is something I can always appreciate. The second thing that I noticed is that this is smaller than the MPC450. Not by a lot, but I can’t help but wonder why they did that since I didn’t really hear anyone complaining about the size of the MPC450. And then the elephant in the room: the logos. I believe that these pads were developed/made around the same time, which is why Endgame Gear (who are normally very good at responding to criticism on their products) couldn’t remove the often criticized and oversized logo from the pad. This one is a bit less intrusive though, but more on that later.

Performance


For those of you who don’t know what Cordura is I’ll give a brief rundown: it’s a type of fabric (there are many variations) that’s made out of nylon. It’s often used for things like backpacks and motorcycle clothing because of its durability and overall ruggedness. This type of material is handy for gaming surfaces because it’s built to last and it’s tear resistant and water repellent.

This pad, in other words, is made to last for years, and the fact that Cordura isn’t as sensitive to humidity and other external factors as most cloth pads means that the MPX390 will remain consistent throughout those years. Of course that’s the theory: I’ve only had this pad for a couple of weeks so I obviously can’t say how good it feels after years and years but I can say that it handles humidity and sweat quite well. Never once did I have an issue with certain spots of the surface feeling different than others, despite having pretty sweaty hands and using the pad for long and intense gaming sessions.

Of course all of this was true for the MPC line of pads as well (click here for my review on that) so what’s the difference? Well, the first difference is in the weave of the texture. This here feels a bit tighter and smoother than what the MPC line offers, which is good news if you’re someone who’s sensitive to how the texture of a mousepad surface feels. This, like the MPC, is still an insanely fast pad however. If you’re someone who desires control or that slightly murky feeling glide of a pad designed to hold you back this is not for you, but if you want your pad to be as slick as possible this is a great option.

What’s noticeable here is that there’s still a good amount of micro control. The Cordura surface is fast once you get going, and while you’re not going to get anywhere close to the amount of control a ‘regular’ cloth pad can offer you’d be surprised by the amount of stopping power and micro adjustment control there is. In case you’re interested in the comparison: in my opinion this has a bit more of that micro control and stopping power than the MPC but the overall glide speed feels a bit faster once you get your mouse going.

As many of you will no doubt notice we’ve also got the Endgame Gear logo in the top right corner. Pretty much everyone who (re)viewed the MPC had some form of a complaint here but interestingly that logo is now almost sublimated. You still feel it a bit when you run over it but this is far from the ‘hold it right there‘ feeling that you got when you ran over the rubber logo of the MPC. I’d still like it to be smaller and more subtle however.

Being the world’s first Cordura + silicon mousepad I of course need to talk about said silicon. The entire bottom of the mousepad is made out of this bright Endgame Gear yellow with the name of the company subtly debossed in the middle. This silicon base ensures that the pad stays absolutely put, even during the most intense gaming sessions. That’s nothing special (a lot of pads do that) but what’s more important is that the MPC390 also has a super solid surface feeling. This tight silicon material is completely bubble free and you won’t have any issues with the pad feeling spongy or as if your mouse feet dig into the surface with this one. Impressive.

Last but not least the stitching has been tightened up: I didn’t have a problem with this on their earlier pads but with this one being their premium product it’s good to see that the sides are now smoother and finished to a higher standard. You still feel it when you run over the edge (which can be a bit of a problem with the smaller size of this pad if you’re a low sensitivity player) but overall the pad is nicely finished.

Endgame Gear MPX390 Review – Conclusion


If I had to choose between this and the MPC without looking at price, availability, or any of that I’d go for the MPX390. Its fast Cordura surface combined with the tight silicon base gives it an almost hard pad feeling but there’s still an impressive amount of micro control and (to a lesser extent) stopping power for a pad that’s this fast. And fast it is. It’s without a doubt one of the fastest mousepads I’ve tested so far so if you’re into speed pads you can definitely consider giving this one a go.

But then there’s the price. This is a premium pad so it’s not so strange that it’s got a premium price tag attached to it but look a bit further and you’ll find the MPC450 which also has a Cordura surface and much of the same qualities. Are those differences worth the 35 dollars that sit between both versions? I’m not so sure. If anything I’d say that Endgame Gear has underpriced the MPC though, so I’m not saying that the MPX is necessarily overpriced. The pricing of both pads is just a bit strange to me.

In any case: on its own the MPX390 is one of the best speed pads you can get right now. The logo could be a bit smaller/less intrusive and I’m still not sure why they made the pad itself smaller too but aside from that you get a super smooth and reliable speed pad that will last you for many, many years.

This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.

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Andrei

What mousepad is best if i want a medium glide, like a very good stopping power and control but I still want my tracking to be good with a smooth glide: Cooler Master Mp510, Logitech g640, Zowie gsr se,Hyper x fury s pro, razer gigantus v2, endgame gear mpx390 or corsair mm300. Thanks!

Max

Out of those I’d go for either the G-SR-SE or the Gigantus V2. The V2 is a bit faster than the G-SR-SE but the G-SR-SE is a coated pad (so it’ll wear off after a while, depending on how much you use it, after which you can’t get the original glide back) while the Gigantus V2 isn’t. I personally used the Gigantus V2 for a while as my main; I also want a medium glide with a good amount of stopping power generally, so perhaps this could help you out.