In today’s gaming mousepad scene, a lot of attention is going to premium offerings that specialize in certain types of glide. While that’s all well and good for people who know exactly what they want out of a mousepad, we shouldn’t forget that there’s also a market for affordable mousepads that offer a middle-of-the-road glide. Today, we’re taking a look at one such pad. Read our full NZXT MMP400 review to find out what our reviewer thinks of it!
At A Glance
NZXT MMP400
The NZXT MMP400 is a very basic pad that’s available at a very wallet-friendly price. It’s a great starting pad for people who are looking to buy their first pad and don’t want to pay premium prices for some of the more top tier options out there.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Good quality stitching
- Good humidity resistance
Cons
- Smaller size makes it unsuitable for low sens players
- Doesn’t lay flat immediately
Specs
| Height | 41 |
|---|---|
| Length | 35 |
| Thickness | 3mm |
| Stitched edges | Yes |
| Material | Cloth |
| Glide | Speed-Oriented |
| Static Friction | 42.5 |
| Static Friction Angle | 6.9 |
| Glide Difference X/Y | 7 |
| Dynamic Friction | 1.72 |
First Impressions
The MMP400 comes rolled up in a bland cardboard box. This box isn’t extremely sturdy, but it should survive a couple of trips to LAN tournaments and the likes just fine.
What immediately caught my eye is that you get stitched edges. I know those are more common these days, but it’s nice to see them on an affordable pad like this one regardless.
Sadly, the pad is only available in one size. At 41×35 centimeters, it’s a bit smaller than a standard esports mousepad. I’ll speak more about how this can (potentially) affect its performance later on in the review, but low sens players should be aware of this.
Finish and Overall Quality
The MMP400 feels well-made. I can’t really find any imperfections or inconsistencies anywhere, and the stitching is also done well. The pad is also decently smooth to the touch, so I’ve had no comfort problems using this mousepad for an extended amount of time.
It’s not all great news, though. When you take the MMP400 out of the box and place it down on your desk, it doesn’t lay flat immediately. It took a couple of hours before the bumps at the edges started going flat. Even after that waiting period, there’s still a bit of a slope towards the edges. That slope isn’t something that really interferes with gameplay, but the edge curl that you get for the first couple of hours definitely does interfere with gameplay. If you decide to buy this mousepad, make sure that you’ve allocated some time to allow it to flatten out before going on a marathon gaming session.
Performance
Glide
The MMP400 has a medium glide that nudges towards speed more than it does towards control. The static friction is on the quicker end for a medium pad, and the dynamic friction is pretty much middle of the road.
What this results in is a mousepad with a smooth glide that doesn’t hold your mouse back when you want to make small corrections but with just enough stopping power to help you come to a stop after a glide. It’s never ‘extreme’ at anything: there’s not an extreme amount of control, there’s not an icy fast swiping experience, … It’s all very much ‘average’. That’s not a bad thing of course: it’s perfectly fine for a mousepad to not specialize at anything and offer a type of glide that suits the majority of gamers.
While this is not ideal for people who want a specialized pad, it’s perfect for people who are shopping for their first pad, or for people who want an average glide that trends a bit towards the speedier end.
The glide is consistent all across the pad, though the NZXT logo on the bottom right does interfere with the glide a little bit. Since the pad is rather small to begin with, it would be good if NZXT made this logo a bit smaller, or perhaps used a tag that’s on the outside of the mousing surface.
Base and Softness
The base of the pad has a rubberized fishbone pattern on it that does a great job at keeping the pad in place. Even on my leather-topped desk (which sometimes causes issues with pads moving around) it stays exactly where I put it.
The foam underneath the top portion is very dense. This means that you get a very consistent glide, as there is no way to manipulate the resistance of the pad by applying more pressure to your mouse. This is a logical decision by NZXT’s design team, if you ask me. Pads with a soft foam are popular right now, but they’re an acquired taste. If you’re making a pad that’s meant to appeal to a big mass of players, it’s a good idea to go for a consistent base.
Everyday Usage
For me personally, the MMP400 feels a bit too fast. I really gravitate towards controlling mousepads, but objectively speaking this is a good gaming mousepad. The glide and surface is consistent, the foam performs well and has no obvious bubbling at any point, and the stitching is done well and doesn’t cause any comfort issues.
The pad also handles humidity rather well. The surface weave is quite dense, so even if you spill a drink or something like that you will be able to grab some tissues to absorb the spilled liquid, as it takes a long time for it to get absorbed by the pad. Sweaty spots also don’t really influence the glide of the mouse itself. Of course you can feel them with your hand, which might influence the glide somewhat, but for the mouse itself the glide properties don’t change that much. Overall, I’d say that the MMP400 has no issues handling humidity.
For me personally, the size is just about right, even though I prefer a more traditional larger size. I play on a rather low sens and I don’t tend to run out of space when using the MMP400, but I did get really close to the edge a couple of times. If you’re someone who likes to use the entirety of a mousepad you might run into trouble due to the size.
Given the fact that the width of the pad is the traditional 41cm, I’d say that tactical shooter players (where most of the aiming action is done horizontally) will be fine, but if you’re playing a game where you have to make large movements on the y axis you might want to consider other options if you play on a low sens.
NZXT MMP400 Alternatives
Given the fact that the NZXT MMP400 is a very traditional ‘mid speed’ mousepad with a firm foam, there are plenty of alternatives to consider from a wide variety of brands. It’s worth noting that most of the ‘usual suspects’ (such as the Logitech G640 and the SteelSeries QcK) are a bit slower, so if you have tried those pads and you want something a bit speedier you can always consider the MMP400.
NZXT MMP400 Review – Conclusion
The NZXT MMP400 is a very basic pad that’s available at a very wallet-friendly price. It’s a great starting pad for people who are looking to buy their first pad and don’t want to pay premium prices for some of the more top tier options out there.
It’s a shame that it isn’t available in larger sizes, and it also has some trouble laying flat, but other than that there’s nothing objectively wrong with the MMP400.
It does nothing revolutionary or new, and die-hard mousepad fans won’t feel very amazed by this pad due to the fact that it’s very much a middle-of-the-road type of gliding experience, but for less than 20 dollars you really can’t go wrong with the MMP400.
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.
