ROCCAT Savu Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse Review

Mice & Keyboards by stefan @ 2012-07-10

Savu is a mid-sized mouse that may not be very suitable for people with big hands, built from quality materials and offers no-sweat rough plastic side grips for maximum precision in games. It features an adjustable 4000DPI Pro-Optic (R3) gaming sensor, with adjustable polling rate up to 1000Hz, Teflon feet for minimum friction and a 1.8m braided USB cable. A total of 4 buttons can be remapped (left and right mouse buttons, the scroll wheel button and one lateral), the fifth having Easy-Shift [+] functionality, meant to double the mappings for the programmable buttons.

Introduction

 

At first I would like to thank ROCCAT for making a review of the Savu Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse possible.

 

About ROCCAT:

"ROCCAT™ is the snow storm to the gaming industry. Everything called gaming before needs to be redefined. You will enter a world in which three attributes will keep you on the right path: alliance, independence and truth.DO IT YOUR OWN WAY AND DON'T TALK SHIT" – this is the statement ROCCAT follows.

The ROCCATEERS can be found all over the world. And it was a revelation which led them together to energize the crucial benefit. The lake Inari long kept the secret our ROCCAT scientists call "Aimo". With every ROCCAT tool you will more and more internalize its Energy. Become part of our alliance."

Product Features, Specifications

Product Features:

 

ADJUSTBALE 4000DPI PRO-OPTIC (R3) SENSOR

with true 400, 800, 1600 or 4000dpi

EASY-SHIFT[+]™ BUTTON DUPLICATOR

with Easy-Aim + Easy-Wheel functions

CUSTOMIZABLE MULTI-COLOR LIGHTING

16.8 million colors + effects and game profile illumination

NO-SWEAT SIDE GRIPS

for extended slip-free play

ROCCAT DRIVER + MACRO MANAGER

for advanced customization + presets for games & apps

OPTIMUM MID-SIZE DESIGN

with perfectly-balanced weight

ULTRA-PRECISE 2D WHEEL

with lock-in incremental steps

ERGONOMIC RIGHT-HAND DESIGN

with soft-touch, ultra-comfort surface

BRAIDED CABLE

offering a robust, stylish connection

ZERO ANGLE SNAPPING

for true competition gaming

HIGHEST-QUALITY COMPONENTS

for a solid build and long life

 

Product Specifications:

 

4000dpi optical gaming sensor

Incl. Omron® switches

60 inches per second maximum speed

20G acceleration

125, 250, 500, 1000Hz polling rate

Zero angle snapping

1.8m braided USB cable

 

Additional Info:

 

Dimensions

Max. width 7.2cm x approx. 12cm max. length

 

Weight

Approx. 90g (excl. cable)

 

System requirements

Windows® XP/Windows Vista® 32/64-bit/Windows® 7 32/64-bit

USB 2.0 port

Internet connection for driver installation

 

In the package

ROCCAT™ Savu - Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse

ROCCAT™ ID Card

Quick-Installation Guide

 

Instructions in EN, DE, FR, ES, PL, RU, TR, DK, FI, SE

 

Product code: ROC-11-600

 

Packaging, A Closer Look

The much awaited Savu mouse from ROCCAT comes shipped inside a themed cardboard box, with a photo of the product on the frontal side along with some highlights:

 

 

 

Dr. Erik J. Dale, a ROCCAT scientist tells his opinion regarding the product:

 

 

 

On one of the package sides we will find product photos on all laterals:

 

 

 

Also here we will see the package contents, technical specifications and system requirements:

 

 

 

On the back, the product features are listed in multiple languages:

 

 

 

The box is sealed on both ends for additional security:

 

 

 

Savu is held inside a black plastic mold, and as bundle we get a black cardboard envelope:

 

 

 

The ROCCAT themed envelope contains the Quick Installation Guide and a product registration card:

 

 

 

The Quick Installation Guide contains mode in-depth information regarding the product, like the default button mappings:

 

 

 

The Savu mouse has smaller dimensions compared to the models we have tested in the past and has two differently textured surfaces; its ergonomic shape is suitable only for right-handers:

 

 

 

A Closer Look Contd.

While the top side is covered with a rubber coating, the laterals have a rough and grippy plastic surface (ROCCAT likes to name these “no-sweat side grips”); on the left side we will find a small Savu logo the Easy-Shift[+] button duplicator and one extra programmable button:

 

 

 

 

The other side lacks any extra buttons, and if we look closely, we will find the ROCCAT logo debossed on the right click button:

 

 

 

Here is also a closer look on the plastic grip surface:

 

 

 

On the front we will find the scroll wheel with lock-in incremental steps:

 

 

 

The back side of the mouse does not have anything else printed, which we really appreciate because we had experiences in the past when the logo started to peel off after 2-3 months of usage; the bottom lights can be customized with effects and also one of the available 16.8 million colors:

 

 

 

On the bottom we can spot the 4000DPI Pro-Optic (R3) sensor, but also two large PTFE feet and some serial numbers:

 

 

 

Savu comes with a fully braided cable, 1.8m in length:

 

 

 

The USB connector is shaped the same way as we have seen on the previous ROCCAT peripherals:

 

 

 

The Taito Mouse Pad

Product Features:

 

HEAT-BLASTED NANO MATRIX STRUCTURE

for quick, precise and silent mouse movement in every direction

NON-SLIP BACKING WITH HEAVY-GRIP SECURITY

provides a surface that won’t budge during hectic play

RUGGED BUILD

for a long life of extreme gaming

THREE SIZES

let you pick the Taito perfect for your desktop and your mouse sensitivity preference

TWO HEIGHTS

3mm + 5mm let you select the Taito that fits your style

 

The Taito has been tested in-house with many mouse models from different brands, to ensure that no problems occur while tracking with multiple sensors. The pad is available with two different heights (3mm or 5mm), which can be chosen depending on how much hand pressure is applied during play, to ensure extra comfort while gaming. Also, for each height, we can find three different mouse pad sizes: Mini-Size, Mid-Size, King-Size.

 

Along with the Savu, we have received for review the 3mm King-Size Taito mouse pad; the product is shipped inside a transparent plastic packaging, with information printed on the outside:

 

 

 

Some of the main product features can be found on the frontal area:

 

 

 

Also here we have a “presentation” area, where we can touch the “Speed Surface”, along with the “Heavy Grip” surface, without the need to unseal the packaging:

 

 

 

The Taito is built with a heat-blasted Nano Matrix structure, for delivering a high-speed surface on both X and Y axis, without sacrificing the control element:

 

 

 

The ROCCAT Scientist Dr. Erik J. Dale tells us about this product: “Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small”:

 

 

 

The box can be unsealed without difficulties from the back; this is a nice touch considering that we have seen a lot of products in the past where we had to use the scissors all around the packaging for removing the seal:

 

 

 

On the back we have another leaflet, which shows, besides the product features we have listed earlier, a small product review from a professional gamer:

 

 

 

The King-Size pad variant is quite large (455mm x 370mm) and features an all black surface, with a small exception:

 

 

 

On the bottom right corner we can find the product logo:

 

 

 

The bottom side of the pad is designed with a non-slip rubberized material, for making sure that the pad won’t budge no matter how hard we would play:

 

 

 

The Software Interface

The current driver + application for the Savu is in beta stage, meaning that there could be some issues that need to be ironed out; it can be downloaded really easy from the ROCCAT Support tab:

 

 

 

The installation procedure is standard and should not create difficulties to any user:

 

 

 

The GUI has a very similar layout to the one we have found on the Kone [+]; it is split into multiple tabs named Main Control, Button Assignment, Advanced Control, ROCCAT R.A.D. and Update/Support. The Main Control section lets us customize the Sensitivity, Vertical Scroll Speed, Vertical Tilt Speed, Windows Pointer Speed, Double Click Speed and the DPI Switcher. All settings can be saved on five different profiles:

 

 

 

Inside the Button Assignment tab, we can customize the button functions, with and without the Easy-Shift function; from the same menu we can access the Macro Manager:

 

 

 

In case we click on each preset button function, a small list of other functions will appear; we can assign a macro, a timer, a profile, one DPI setting, sensitivity or multimedia functions to it:

 

 

 

The Macro Manager is similar to the one we have found on the previously ROCCAT mouse; here we can create new, edit or delete macros:

 

 

 

When creating a new Macro Set, we will be also able to choose and edit some of the preloaded macros:

 

 

 

The recorded macro will appear in the Macro Editor area; we can also record the delays between the pressed buttons by clicking on the “Record Delays between key commands” function:

 

 

 

Moving on, in the Advanced Control tab, we can adjust the Sensitivity on X-Y Axis, the Polling Rate, Colors for the LED lighting and Sound Feedback; the driver can be reset to defaults from the same menu:

 

 

 

One new feature is the ROCCAT R.A.D. which records the total Button Clicks, Scroll Steps, EasyShift and Easy-Aim usage times, along with the total travel distance; depending on what has been recorded, we can unlock trophies that will be show in the central portion of the interface:

 

 

 

In the Update/Support tab, we will be able to get straight to the Driver Download page and access Online Support page. For any other details, we can reach ROCCAT via a support form or email:

 

 

 

Conclusive Thoughts

The Savu is a light mid-sized mouse from ROCCAT, and when coming from the Kone [+], the chassis seems rather small and we had to use it with a claw grip. The lateral plastic surfaces are rougher than the ones we have seen on the Corsair M90 and the top consists of a smooth, rubbery texture. After about 3 months of usage, we have seen that the logo on the back of the Kone [+] started to peel off and we are glad that with this version we do not have a printed logo on the back, but a more stylish debossed ROCCAT logo on the right mouse button.

 

The Teflon feet help the mouse move very smooth on the surface and with the Taito we have a very nice combination; while we have found the King-Size a bit overkill, we think that most of the users will be tempted to choose the medium and small sizes instead.

 

Savu can deliver true 400, 800, 1600 and 4000 DPI, thanks to the Pro Optic R3 sensor.

 

The button functions can be doubled thanks to the Easy-Shift[+] feature; Easy-Shift[+] also gives us the advantage of Easy-Aim, which automatically reduces DPI at a touch of a button, for moments when we need maximum accuracy like sniping.

 

Most of the software features this mouse comes with we have also seen at the Kone[+], except ROCCAT R.A.D. R.A.D. is the short name for ROCCAT Achievements Display, which rewards a wide range of gaming feats like mouse movement, button clicks, scroll steps and so on. The rewards are similar to the ones we can win in Steam games and from the same GUI window we can also see the total number of button clicks, scrolls etc. Savu does not miss important features like ROCCAT Macro Manager, fully customizable lighting system or multiple profiles storage.

 

If you are in the market for a highly customizable mouse, without a lot of buttons on the sides and do not have large hands, then the Savu might be a very good choice.

 

 

The Savu can be found at online stores for prices between 60 and 65 Euros.

 

ROCCAT Savu Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse Recommended For:

 

 

 

I would like to thank again to ROCCAT for making this review possible!

 

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