There are tons of smaller manufacturers of gadgets for PC gamers, far too many to review all of them and their entire range, but we try to make a point of testing at least one gadget from most that we come across. Gamdias is the latest in the line, a Taiwanese manufacturer that has appeared in several Swedish stores this year.
Construction
We have tested the Demeter Optical, their absolute simplest and cheapest gaming mouse. We chose it among several more advanced models because it promised a lot of quality and many smart functions at a low price. It is also a mouse with a conventional design, no protruding buttons or adjustable grips, but a simple standard mouse form that fits both right and left hands. Thus, it should work just as well for those who want to surf and work in Excel as for those who want to play.
The Demeter may look a bit angular, but unlike some other mice we’ve tested, nothing comes off when you hold it. The red glowing scroll wheel can be set to any color with three rgb sliders in the control program on the computer. Or switched off if you think it bothers you.
So, with a price tag of under two hundred (around SEK 190 in several stores), what do you get? Well, you get a somewhat plastic but still well-built all-round mouse with an extra button on each side and a button in the middle to set the mouse sensitivity.
Ergonomics
The mouse fits well in the hand, it may be perceived as too small if you have large hands, and the top has a nice matte surface. The buttons on the sides are cleverly placed, easy to access but for that matter difficult to access by mistake. This is something many mouse designers do wrong, so it’s nice to see that it’s well thought out even in such a cheap model.
The only thing that really indicates that it is a mouse for those on a tight budget is that the sides and base are made of less inspiring hard plastic and that the scroll wheel, which functionally does what it should, makes a slight rattling sound.
At the back is a large luminous logo which, unlike the scroll wheel, does not appear to be extinguished.
Functions
In true gamer spirit, the mouse also has built-in LED lighting, partly in the scroll wheel, partly in a large but quite stylish company logo. The roller diode can be turned off if you want, or maybe just reduce the strength a little, or change its color. This is done from a control program in the computer called Hera, which you can download and install separately. It is the same program as for Gamdia’s more advanced mice and gives us access to a number of functions that we might not have expected in this price range.
In the program, you can primarily set things like functions for mouse buttons, mouse sensitivity in dpi (and which dpi the direct button on the mouse switches between), mouse acceleration and more. You can also set up to three different profiles with different settings, for example for different users or perhaps special exhibitions for different games, as well as record macros, sequences of mouse movements, clicks and more that can then be activated afterwards.
A fun section in the program Hera is called Muscle Memory, and contains detailed statistics about how you used the mouse. Maybe something for those who are worried about mouse arm? Here you can see exactly how many right clicks you made.
Opinion
All in all, this isn’t exactly a mouse for the most die-hard gamer, but you shouldn’t expect that at the low price. Then you should instead look at the rest of the manufacturer’s catalog. It is, for example, a clearly more expensive version of Demeter with laser technology and thus better precision on the way. This is instead a good versatile mouse for those who want something affordable that works just as well for surfing as for games and that gives a sense of what really advanced gamer gadgets have to offer in terms of functionality.
Gamdiad’s Demeter Optical GMS5000
Manufacturer: Gamdias, www.gamdias.som
Connection: Usb 2.0
Mouse technology: Optical
Sensitivity: 2000 dpi
Adjustable sensitivity: Yes
Update frequency: 125 / 250 / 500 / 1000 Hz
Number of buttons: 6
Size: 6.4 x 11.5 x 4 cm
Weight (incl. cord): 124 g
Plus: Comfortable and light. Good price. Loads of features.
Minus: Not absolute best precision. Small plastic to hold.