RAZER Destructor Precision Gaming Mat

Testing
 
For the testing part of the review today I will be using my current rig – AquAus
 
Components included in the test rig are:
 
* Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650
* Asus Rampage Extreme
* PowerColor Radeon HD4870
* 2GB Kingston HyperX PC3-14400
* 2 x 250GB SATA II Seagate NCQ 16Mb cache 7200.10 – RAID 0
* 1 x 200 SATA Seagate Barracuda (Storage)
* Logitech G7 and G9 mice
* XTracPads FAT Mat/ RAZER Mantis (Control) mouse mats
All testing will be conducted from within Windows Vista.

Testing Method

In order to try and give our readers an holistic idea of how the RAZER Destructor mouse mat performs, I will be testing the RAZER Destructor according to the three criterion that RAZER state it excels at: speed, precision and control.

 
Because I don’t happen to have a copy of Mouse Mat Mark 08, I am going to report my findings as objectively as possible due to the lack of definitive data. And for the record my gaming style is predominantly that of a ‘twitch gamer’ as I usually play first person shooters as a preference.
For the first phase of the test I will throw myself, my Logitech G7 and G9 and the RAZER Destructor into first person shooter-ville. I will be using Valve’s Counter Strike:Source; idsoftware’s Quake 4; infinity ward’s Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and for good measure some MMORPG courtesy of World of Warcraft.

For the second testing phase I will be looking at how well the RAZER Destructor allows for user control when browsing the internet, along with some image manipulation courtesy of Adobe Photoshop CS3.

 
 
Testing
 
Speed
 
All I can say is wow…the RAZER Destructor is one fast cookie. The new Fractalâ„¢ textured surface that RAZER has included on the Destructor is the perfect medium for speed. However, it’s a controlled speed not a train wreck waiting to happen. You can really feel the difference when comparing the surface of the Destructor to that of the Mantis and Fat Mat. This is the Ferrari of mouse mats.
 
Precision
 
The increased precision is very evident with the RAZER Destructor, and making headshots in Counter Strike: Source and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare became more consistent. My RAZER Mantis (Control) mouse mat is really good for assisting where precision and control are paramount, but both it and the Fat Mat pale in comparison.
 
Control
 
I really noticed the increased control that the RAZER Destructor affords when I was testing it during a bout of Photoshop. Working around the Photoshop workspace was a breeze. Selecting various tools from the toolbar or customising colour swatches and tool presets, which can at times be fiddly, was an absolute doddle. The sometimes arduous process of cutting images out with the ‘Eraser’ tool was made significantly easier by the RAZER Destructor.
 
The RAZER Destructor is now officially my favourite mouse mat and the Mantis and Fat Mat will be relegated to the hallway cupboard.