As the world around us changes, so does gaming hardware and the public’s opinion on what is cool. Just think about the times before mobile gaming or Nintendo Switches. We are spoiled with new and exciting tech these days, and now, you really have to dazzle the consumer to stand out.
This brings me to the new release of the wired version of the MM712 Mouse, which is currently only offered in the EU and APAC regions. The thing is, this mouse doesn’t seem new at all and doesn’t offer a fresh take on what already exists- maybe I am spoiled. The mouse disappoints in some areas and shines in others, so let’s get into it to see if this is right for you at a price of $49.99 USD.
Style / Feel / Build / Hardware Opinions & Overview
Gritty Gaming
The MM712 Wired has a distinct surface texture, which delivers a tactile and gritty feel to the mouse. To those unaccustomed to such textures, it might initially seem somewhat dirty or sandy. However, this initial perception gradually dissipates with use.
RGB Saves The Day
The discrete RGB logo on the mouse exudes a sharp and unexpectedly pleasing aesthetic. This thoughtful design element adds a much-needed layer of gaming style to an otherwise bland mouse. The mouse looks way better when the RGB is on and very boring when off.
Clicking Culture
The mouse wheel is very rubbery and has about 20 notches to complete a full rotation. Said notches feel thick and locked in place, thus making scrolling a little less satisfactory. The mouse wheel also has a very cheap, breakable compression style, which was a bit of a turn-off when compared to the other solid buttons on the MM712.
Wire Management
Moving on to the wire, there is very little to no wire drag due to its weight and length, but I still use a wire holder or weight to maximize my experience. It would be nice if the cable were removable, and I can also guess that the cable seems rather sensitive and easily frayed and does not sit straight. Side note: the wire is about 2 meters, which is pretty standard and should be long enough for a happy medium of convenience and nuisance.
The Same Sauce
The MM712 exhibits the same Cooler Master geometric cuts and grooves design used in the US MM712, and this look still seems timely to me, so I am fine with deja vu with these manufacturing choices for now.
Mission Impossible
There are two macro buttons placed for a left thumb user, as this mouse is not ambidextrous. The innermost button is more optimized for palm grips, while the claw grip uses the front button. Surprisingly, these buttons have a firm, solid click, similar to the mouse paddles.
Usually, these buttons feel cheap to the touch and click, with loose seating and dissatisfactory haptic feedback. Still, the build of these buttons seems to present themselves as more durable, which was a notable plus.
Working the Bottom:
The MM712’s underside features three white friction grips, which provide a glide that is smooth to the touch but has a somewhat scratchy quality. You can even hear the scratchy friction.
The mouse’s lightweight design requires minimal navigation effort, prompting users to adjust the DPI settings accordingly for optimal control. Cooler Master even provides replacement bottom grips to future-proof your purchase. Do they expect these to wear down, or are they just trying to be nice? Time will tell.
Solid Clicks:
As previously mentioned, the left and right mouse paddles sound thick and heavy when compressed rather than light and clicky. You can decide whether this click style is favorable depending on your taste in click sensitivity. This mouse is less sensitive than others and requires a little more intention behind your fingers.
While composed primarily of plastic, the mouse doesn’t feel too cheap due to the texture, RGB light display, and lightweight build. The solidity of all buttons, except the mouse wheel, makes up for the plastic composition. Even the dpi button on the bottom feels pretty nice.
Performance / Hands-on-use / Features / User Experience / Analysis / Etc.
Longer Term Opinions
After using the mouse for a while, I found the clicks too stiff. The left and right mouse clicks are so thick it’s almost hard to tell if you click them hard enough, especially with headphones on, and you can’t hear them audibly.
Granted, this is my opinion. You might find the less responsive clicks preferable, but I tend to favor a fast, punchy input speed.
Something Isn’t Right
Also, I simply couldn’t get comfortable with how light this mouse is. For some reason, it just seems too floaty for competitive gameplay, as I was losing track of my cursor regardless of dpi. Even returning to the software and messing with all performance settings, I found a sensitivity close to what I was looking for but never quite right- the true Goldilocks of gaming hardware.
The MM712 could also be more beneficial for someone who likes to play with a lower dpi and lower sensitivity rather than high sensitivity.
Light Lag
Another minor downside is that the DPI button on the bottom provides a delayed visual indication from the RGB logo. The delay makes it slower to navigate the DPI presets as the color indicator is slowly shown, triggering my impatience.
No Rubber
Adding to the basket of unfavorable opinions, the rubber grip add-ons are a bit discomforting and lack quality above the high-quality plastic used underneath. They seem to devalue the feel and grip, and because they are black on black, the mouse can look a bit lumpy.
Conclusion
The Cooler Master MM712 is a decent entry into beginner gaming hardware, especially on budget builds, but lacks any stand-out qualities or design. The mouse offers an extremely lightweight build with high-quality plastics, keeping the cost at a modest $49.99 USD.
There are many negative trade-offs for a mouse at that price, but luckily, they are all subjective.
If everything I previously spoke about doesn’t deter you from buying this plastic RGB featherweight, then this is certainly an option accompanied by moderate to low cost.
Noisy Pixel is giving the Cooler Master MM712 Wired Gaming Mouse a C+.
If you have room in the wallet, I would look elsewhere in a similar price category. There are plenty of options with more likable characteristics and arguably better-supported accuracy. Granted, if you are a supporter of Cooler Master and want your RGB to all sync up, this could be another reason to purchase the MM712.
I also think there are better options in Cooler Master’s lineup than the MM712 but to each their own.
