It’s no secret that Razer’s top tier gaming mice are priced near the very top of the market. That’s not to say that they aren’t worth their price, though it can represent a hurdle for players who are on a budget. Razer’s HyperSpeed line is the answer for players like that. It’s a more budget-friendly line of mice, with some compromises made in order to drive the price down. The DeathAdder V3 is the newest Razer mouse to get a HyperSpeed edition, and it’s got a ton of impressive specs. Read our full Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review to find out if it’s worth your hard-earned money!
At A Glance
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed
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The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is anything but a budget mouse with nerfed specs. In practice, it’s very much a DeathAdder Mini with modern specs and a flawless gaming performance.
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Great build quality
- Great main buttons
Cons
- Coating could be better at handling sweat
- Only 1000Hz out of the box, needs a separate dongle for higher polling rates
Specs
| Sensor | Razer Focus X 26K |
|---|---|
| Polling Rate | 125 / 500 / 1000 Hz |
| Button Switches | Razer Optical |
| Button Force | 66g |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Shape | Ergonomic |
| Length | 12.2cm |
| Height | 4.1cm |
| Weight | 55g |
| Width | 6.4cm |
First Impressions
Packaging
Since the HyperSpeed is more of a stripped-down type of product, there’s not a ton that you get in the box. Inside the box of the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, you’ll find:
- The mouse
- A USB receiver (1000Hz)
- A USB-C charging cable
- An extender dongle for the receiver
There are no stickers, grip tape, or any other fancy things in the box. If that helps lower the cost of the product, that’s completely fine with me. I personally don’t use grip tape on most mice, and stickers are just a nice cosmetic extra. What I would have liked to see is a set of replacement mouse feet.
The Mouse
Since Razer doesn’t seem to be completely sure what they want their HyperSpeed line to be, let’s first clear away some confusion. This mouse is cheaper than the top tier model, but it isn’t a straight up takedown model of the Pro.
The Viper V3 HyperSpeed, for example, is very much a 1:1 budget version of the Pro. It has the exact same shape as the Pro version, and makes quite some compromises compared to the Viper V3 Pro. These include using a rechargeable battery, having a higher weight, and having a (technically) inferior sensor.
The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, on the other hand, is smaller than the DeathAdder V3 Pro and comes packed with a bunch of high end specs. Yes, it has a technically inferior sensor (though this won’t be noticed by 99.99% of players when gaming) but other than that this is very much a high tier mouse. If they would’ve called this the DeathAdder V3 Pro Mini, I don’t think anyone would’ve batted an eye.
So if you’ve been looking for a smaller DeathAdder; this is it. It uses the HyperSpeed name, which might suggest that it’s a budget mouse with some heavily cut corners, but that’s not the case at all.
All of the above is also reflected in the pricing. Whereas the MSRP of the Viper V3 HyperSpeed is $69.99, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is currently being sold at $99.99. So yes, it’s a more budget-oriented Razer mouse, but it’s definitely not as budget as that other HyperSpeed mouse. Confusing, I know.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
Shape
As mentioned, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed (I might refer to it as ‘DAV3 HyperSpeed’ or just ‘HyperSpeed’ at certain points in the review) is basically a smaller version of the V3 Pro. It’s shorter, thinner, and has less height. This brings the HyperSpeed’s shape and overall feel in line with other extremely popular ergo mice such as the ZOWIE EC line and its many, many clones.
There’s a rather pronounced flare/overhang at the front (that’s kind of a DeathAdder trademark at this point) which might bother some users, but since I place my ring finger underneath the overhang it feels great to me personally. It even helps me with picking up the mouse after a swipe.
Other than that, the DAV3 HyperSpeed has a very natural-feeling shape, with no deep curves or any other aggressive design choices that force you to hold the mouse in a certain way. The slope is gradual and focused towards the middle, and the back section isn’t so wide that it ‘locks’ the mouse in your palm. This is a safe ergonomic shape that should suit a very wide variety of hands and grip styles.
For me personally, the shape is a definite upgrade over the DeathAdder V3 Pro. That one always felt a bit too big/unwieldy to me. With the Pro, I had the feeling that I had to keep my fingers too wide in order to use the mouse, and seeing as I prefer to use a more pinched grip style (I have 18×10.5 cm hands and use a claw grip) this is a fantastic ergo shape for me. If you’ve always felt like the Pro was too big but you liked everything else about it, then the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is your answer.
Coating
The coating on the V3 HyperSpeed is the same smooth-touch coating that you’ll find on the recently released Viper V3 Pro. This is a coating that performs fantastically under pretty much all circumstances, but I personally prefer the feeling of the grainier coating that’s present on older Razer models like the DeathAdder V3 Pro.
There’s an argument to be made that this smooth-touch coating performs better, but I personally never had any issues with Razer’s more textured coatings. As such, this is a bit of a downgrade in regards to how the mouse feels for me.
With that said: I am comparing two really good coatings here. This current coating is among the best coatings out there, even with the fact that I preferred the feeling of the older ones.
Mouse Feet + Dongle Storage
Razer has ditched the smaller feet on the Pro version in favor of two large skates and a sensor ring. These feet are well-rounded, smooth, and on the faster side for stock feet. I had absolutely no issues with these feet across a variety of mousepads, so unless you’re a mouse feet aficionado there’s absolutely no need to replace these.
Right above the bottom mouse skate there’s a little indentation to store the mouse dongle. Those who read my reviews with any sort of regularity will know that I love on-board dongle storages, so it’s nice to see this included.
Recommended Grip Types
Due to the tilted ergo shape, I wouldn’t recommend this mouse for fingertip grippers. Palm grip enjoyers can get away with using this mouse if their hands are on the smaller side, but for me this is an ideal claw grip ergo mouse thanks to the smaller size and safe shape.
Obviously, preferences vary wildly between people, so don’t take this section as stating hard facts: it’s just a guideline.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
Much like all recent competitive gaming mice by Razer, the DAV3 HyperSpeed has their third generation optical switches. These have come a long way since they were first introduced, and they’ve now come to a point where it’s hard to imagine anyone actively disliking these. Optical switches have a number of advantages over mechanical switches, but I am always far more interested in how the switches/buttons feel rather than their on-paper performance.
Luckily, Razer has done a fantastic job with the buttons on this mouse. Both pre- and post travel is limited to an absolute minimum, and there is no side travel on either mouse button. This set of clicks is quite simply extremely solid and consistent, and I have absolutely nothing to remark on this front.
Subjectively speaking, I’d say that I prefer my clicks to be a bit firmer, as the HyperSpeed’s clicks are really rather light. But that’s something completely personal.
Scroll Wheel
The scroll wheel follows the same trend as the main buttons: I have nothing to remark here. The tensioning between the different scroll steps is just about perfect for me personally. The wheel is easy enough to press, but has just enough resistance to not cause any accidental clicks. It’s also very grippy due to the rubberized coating.
I know that some DeathAdder users had issues with their scroll wheels failing after some time, but I obviously cannot comment on the durability of this wheel. The only thing I can evaluate is how it feels, and it feels great.
Side Buttons
The side buttons feel noticeably mushier than the main buttons. Luckily, there’s no noticeable post travel or button wobble on either button, so I’m satisfied with the side buttons on this mouse. Improvements can still be made in regards to the tactility and crispiness of these side buttons though.
Build Quality
When I shake the mouse up and down, I can hear the scroll wheel moving around a bit. Other than that, there’s no noise coming from the mouse at any point.
It’s also built like a tank. There’s no flex at any point in the shell, and no matter how hard I squeeze, the mouse doesn’t creak. That’s pretty impressive for a mouse that weighs just 55 grams.
I know it’s becoming a running theme in this review, but I have no objective qualms here. As far as I can evaluate, the build quality is up there with the best of the best.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor
The main aspect where you see that the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is a budget mouse is in the sensor. You only see that difference on paper though. This Focus X 26K Optical is not Razer’s flagship sensor, but 99.9% of people won’t notice any difference ingame.
Mouse sensors have been flawless for many years now, and this Focus X 26K is absolutely no exception. It translates your every move with perfect precision and without errors, so there’s absolutely no need to worry that your gaming performance is being throttled by using this mouse.
Yes, the flagship Focus Pro 35K Gen-2 sensor is technically superior, and it’s nice to see that Razer is still pushing sensor tech forward, but the differences between these sensors are made in areas that won’t be visited by the regular consumer. As an example, the Focus X 26K has 0.2% less resolution accuracy, ‘only’ goes up to 26,000 DPI instead of 35,000, and has a max speed of 500 IPS vs 750 Inches Per Second (IPS).
There are some other small differences between these sensors, but given the fact that not a single pro is playing at DPI settings that are even close to 26,000 and that it’s basically impossible to exceed 500 IPS when playing like a normal human being, these differences are not noticeable to the average gamer.
Configuring The Mouse
You can configure the mouse with a power/DPI button that’s located on the bottom, and for any further customization you can download Razer Synapse. There, you can finely tweak the DPI, change the polling rate, and so on. You can also rebind buttons and change the LOD.
What’s interesting is that Razer has also included some extra tech. For example, there’s the Dynamic Sensitivity slider. This is basically a built-in mouse acceleration tool. The vast majority of gamers avoid any form of mouse acceleration, but there is a small minority of pros who prefer to have it on, so this is a handy feature for them.
In addition to that, there’s also a mouse rotation tool in Synapse. This quite simply compensates for the angle at which you hold your mouse. This is handy if you have a grip style that makes you hold the mouse at a slight angle, since your horizontal swipes won’t be perfectly horizontal in the game if you hold your mouse at an angle. Using this tool, you simply have to say at which angle you’re holding the mouse, and the mouse will compensate for that. Even if you hold the mouse at a 30 degree angle, you will always have perfectly horizontal swipes.
Both of these features are admittedly pretty niche, but it’s cool to see them included for people that need or want to use them.
Battery Life
The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed has a battery life of up to 100 ingame hours at 1000Hz. If you get a HyperPolling dongle (more on that in the next section) and use it at 8000Hz, you can expect up to 20 hours of battery life.
These are very respectable numbers in this day and age. I cannot precisely test how many hours the mouse lasts but I only had to charge it every week or so during my testing, which is more than okay with me.
HyperPolling Compatible
The DeathAdder V3 Pro HyperSpeed comes with a standard 1000Hz dongle, but the sensor is 8KHz ready. To use it at those polling rates, you need to purchase a separate HyperPolling dongle. This will bring the price of the mouse in line with Razer’s top tier offerings, but given the fact that higher polling rates aren’t a make-or-break feature for a lot of gamers (yet?) I think it’s a good solution to offer that dongle as a separate purchase rather than including it in the package and raising the base price of the mouse.
Something really important to note is that you cannot pair the DAV3 HyperSpeed with the HyperPolling dongle that comes with the Viper V3 Pro. If you have a Viper V3 Pro lying around and you thought to pair that dongle with the DAV3 HyperSpeed, that will not work. It’s a bit of a strange decision to me, as I see no real reason for the dongle that comes with the Viper V3 Pro to be only compatible with that exact mouse.
Read: Is a higher polling rate mouse worth it?
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed Alternatives
Given the fact that the DeathAdder line has a far more common shape after its redesign, there are a number of alternatives to consider. I’ll highlight the more obvious ones.
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed vs Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro
I’ve mentioned the differences here and there in the review, but I’ll summarize them here. The Pro version has a technically superior sensor and is one of Razer’s current flagship mice, but other than that there are no significant internal changes. Both mice have optical switches, flawless sensors, and are capable of polling rates of up to 8000Hz.
As such, the HyperSpeed is essentially a DeathAdder mini. It’s smaller in every way, and also lighter. As far as the performance goes, both mice are pretty much on par with each other.
See our Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed vs ZOWIE EC3-CW
The closest mainstream competitor to the DAV3 HyperSpeed is ZOWIE’s EC line. The EC1 is too large to be considered a real alternative, but the EC3 and EC2 can definitely be seen as competitors.
On paper, the Razer wins in pretty much every way. It is lighter, has optical switches, a better sensor, is capable of higher polling rates, and is more affordable. The ZOWIE comes with a charging dock and has a slightly different shape (though the in-hand experience is very similar) though.
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed Review – Conclusion
The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is anything but a budget mouse with nerfed specs. In practice, it’s very much a DeathAdder Mini with modern specs and a flawless gaming performance. It has a technically inferior sensor to its flagship siblings, but that’s not noticeable in real gaming scenarios in any way.
This is a well-executed gaming mouse with a great shape, little to no objective downsides, and some interesting extra features in the software. People who want to can also upgrade it to an 8000Hz mouse by purchasing a HyperPolling dongle.
If you’re looking for a top tier small-medium ergonomic mouse, this is a great option that should be near the top of your shortlist. Its release flew under the radar somewhat, but for me this is one of the year’s top releases, and it’s probably my new main.
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.
