To complicate things a little further, several readers / gamers have pointed out that it was possible to overclock a USB port. That needs some explanation. A USB port under Windows polls 125 times per second, meaning that the mouse can transmit its location 125 times in a second. The port has a clock speed of 125 Hz. With the increased precision of these three mice, it's also possible to increase their speed of movement (cpi, for counts per inch). Remember that this is the number of measurements made - or pictures taken, if you prefer - per inch traversed. At a speed of 800 cpi, it does seem that the 125 Hz speed of the USB port would be a limiting factor that would make the mouse less pleasant to use, since it would lack reference coordinates. That affects the regularity of its movement. However, it is possible to speed up the USB port, either via a small software program or by changing a system file. The problem is that it also affects the stability of the system. On some PCs, you can increase the speed to 250 Hz, and on others to 500 or more. But the acceleration can cause crashes and blue screens, requiring you to reboot in protected mode. Also, other random USB peripherals don't support acceleration. We can't recommend doing it, but it's up to you.

Still, for mice like the MX 1000, the MX 510 and the Razer Viper, overclocking can increase comfort and precision. And in this area, the MX 1000 is handicapped. Since it uses Fast RF wireless, its transmissions have a ceiling of 150 Hz regardless of the acceleration of the port. On the other hand, the MX 510 does benefit from the acceleration, and the Viper even more. If you use 500 Hz and re-test, you find that the MX 510 comes dangerously close to the MX 1000 in terms of precision, and the Viper even closer. However, it's not enough to close the gap with the MX 1000. Conclusion: Gamers who want to play around with overclocking might do well to wait for a wired laser mouse!

The Speed Of Light

Let's get back to our Diamondback. Razer has decided to go all out technologically. The sensor reminds you of the one used in the MX 510 by Logitech / Agilent. It has the same published characteristics. The sensor is a 30x30 pixel CMOS and operates at a frequency of 6,400 images per second, like the one in the MX 510 and the MX 1000. There's no doubt about it, we're dealing with the best that's available. Razer has stayed with a conventional red LED for illumination, but what sets them apart is the very complex optical system. Developed by Kärna Precision, a specialist in precision optics, it's supposed to provide a much higher-quality image than a simple molded plastic lens. There's no problem with transmission for the Razer, since it's a wired mouse and its LED remains lit all the time.

Logitech MX optical system.

Razer Diamondback optical system