Capsule Review: Thermaltake Level 10 M Gaming Mouse
by Dustin Sklavos on December 21, 2012 5:37 AM EST- Posted in
- Peripherals
- Gaming
- Mouse
- Thermaltake
The Level 10 M Software
Honestly, the software developed by peripheral vendors to support their hardware is generally a horror show. I very seldom use it (although my MechWarrior Online habit has forced my hand with my own Logitech G500), and the software has become even less relevant as more and more mice simply store their configurations in onboard memory. You can install the software once, configure the hardware, then uninstall the software and go about your life.
It pains me to say it because I do like Thermaltake, but this software is really unpleasant to use. It works fine, but you can tell from the screen cap above that Thermaltake's engineers went for style first and usability a very distant second. Clicking "Air Through" or "3D Axis Movement" just opens video files with generic electric guitar music that describe the mouse itself. Yet the other "Key Assignment" buttons are blanked out until you click on the button you want to program on the mouse images. "T Key," by the way, means "macro."
If you mess around with the software long enough, you can begin to figure out how to use it, but the learning curve need not be so steep. The "Normal" and "Battle" LED mode toggles are just silly and needlessly clutter both the mouse's functionality and the software's interface. What's bizarre is that none of the mouse buttons can be configured to handle media playback or switch between profiles. The former is mostly forgivable, but the latter is mystifying for a mouse that supports both configurable lighting and five different profiles. Most of the functionality you're looking for is here, though. You can individually set the DPI settings for the four levels, configure sensitivity on the X and Y axes individually, control scroll speed, click speed, and so on.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
32 Comments
View All Comments
garypark - Friday, December 21, 2012 - link
It seems to me that the comfort of a mouse is less subjective than it is simply individually variable depending on who is holding it. No maker of gloves would suggest that we all wear the same size, but does any maker of computer mice build "sized" mice? Having a mouse that is the correct size for you hand may be the single most important factor in the "subjective" impression of comfort.DanNeely - Friday, December 21, 2012 - link
I've seen a few custom manufacturers who've sold customized mice in the past (not sure if they still do). I ran across them years ago searching for something left handed an ergonomic; but with sticker prices of several hundred dollars each they were extremely far from mainstream.I don't see this changing until/unless 3d printing approaches cost/quality competitiveness with mass produced injection molding.
colonelciller - Saturday, December 22, 2012 - link
3D printed parts are brittle... they should not be compared to injection moulded partsCannyone - Friday, December 21, 2012 - link
I have this Thermaltake mouse and am using it now. But honestly I don't like it. The reason is that there are just too many buttons on the left side. This makes it far more difficult to pick up. The original BMW design this was taken from was different.Sometimes simpler, as in fewer or even smaller buttons, is better. So why do all the new mice that hit the market now days have to come with 8, 10... 15 buttons? Is it just a marketing metric? Whatever the reason I wish some of these companies would at least take the time to build a prototype and let someone "use it" to see if its really functional.
versesuvius - Friday, December 21, 2012 - link
What a monster! Who would in his right mind buy this? Or actually use this? It is certain to cause blisters on more than a couple of spots on the hand.MadAd - Friday, December 21, 2012 - link
I wouldnt game with that if it was the last mouse on the planet.I have no idea why dont they actually confer with gamers, some of us have been gaming with these peripherals for decades now. I wish I could design my own, it wouldnt look like that for sure.
liffie420 - Saturday, December 22, 2012 - link
ALL I have to say is the greatest mouse EVER is the Logitech Marble Trackman FX . Bought one in 1998 (14 years ago) and it still works like a beast. IT was expensive for the time $80 I think, but I would gladly drop $150 for a new one these days. If you havent heard of it look it up. IT is trackball but argubaly the greatest one ever invented. Ig you can get past the looks, give it 15 or 20 minutes and you will never want to use anything else.DiHydro - Sunday, December 23, 2012 - link
"And then you get into missing features. On-the-fly DPI switching is grand, but the "DPI shift" functionality of some of Logitech's gaming mice and both of Corsair's is desperately missed. My G500 doesn't have it and I live without because the thing was designed before the concept even existed, but it's here now, and its absence in a brand new premium product is notable."It would have been a sore mistake if they didn't include on-the-fly DPI switching. You mention that your G500 cannot, but my G5, and the MX518 which it is based off of have it. This is even without the Logitech setpoint software installed. Are you certain that the DPI button on your G500 doesn't switch your DPI settings between 400, 800, and 1600 for defaults?
jonjonjonj - Sunday, December 23, 2012 - link
first the bmw case and now this? two of the ugliest products i have ever seen. time i ditch that bmw engineering team. if 80-90% of people are right handed why design mice to be ambidextrous? let left handed people either suffer and use a right handed mouse or go buy a left handed mouse instead of ruining mice that right handed people use. yes i am left handed prejudice. left handed weirdos.Evil_Sheep - Monday, December 24, 2012 - link
Very stoked that anandtech reviewed this mouse. I was all set to impulse buy this on boxing day but now having read this review I will make sure to try it out in person first. Despite what others have said in the comments, I think the 10M looks f*cking awesome and gives off the impression of a luxury vehicle or a high-end smartphone, which is more than can be said of most of its competition. You can criticize the price but look at the competition, eg the Logitech G700 at $100 comes across as extremely low-rent in comparison. There are plenty of high-end mice in the $80-120 range but none have the industrial design or craftsmanship of the 10M save the Corsair M60/90. If you're going to spend such an absurd amount of $ on an overpriced component, ditching the cheap plastic and rubber for high-end materials is the least that I expect.I used to be a logitech fan but I have had so many of their mice die on me that I have almost given up on them. IMHO if you spend $50 on a mouse it should last more than 3yrs. MS mice also drive me crazy with their lack of scroll wheel detents which ironically windows also can't handle. And razers are all, to my hand, abnormally oversized. So the search continues....