BenQ Zowie EC1-CW review – an ergonomic gaming mouse in three sizes

The BenQ Zowie vary of gaming peripherals has been a mainstay of elite esports players for years. Their give attention to no-frills gaming options and top-tier efficiency has seen them preserve a gradual attraction. Now the corporate’s again with an up to date lineup that provides wi-fi connections to its beloved mice. Right here we’re  all three sizes of the BenQ Zowie EC1-CW, EC2-CW, and EC3-CW, having beforehand solely checked out the middle-sized EC2-CW.

All three of BenQ Zowie‘s new mice ship glorious efficiency, making them prime candidates for one of the best esports titles on our greatest gaming mouse information, no matter your hand measurement and desire. Some customers will want a distinct total form, however the ergonomic design right here has loads of attraction.

BenQ Zowie EC1-CW specs

BenQ EC1-CW options

The BenQ EC1-CW and its pair of barely smaller siblings, the Ec2-CW and CW3-CW, aren’t gaming mice that sport flashy, big-number, high-end options for the sake of it. Nevertheless, beneath their hoods they nonetheless have very succesful sensors, in addition to the core options that competitive-focused players will worth.

The most important change, as in comparison with the earlier non-CW variations of those mice, is that the brand new fashions are wi-fi. They ship with each a small USB-A dongle (together with a USB-C to USB-A adapter) and a a lot bigger charging dock/wi-fi receiver, the latter of which has a USB-C port. This offers you the choice of getting a extra transportable receiver to be used when touring, or having a extra handy charging dock while you’re at residence.

The mouse will also be related to your PC and charged by way of a USB-C port on its entrance, so that you have loads of connection choices. Within the field you get a 2m (6.6ft) braided cable that’s of a Goldilocks weight; it’s not as stiff as older type braided cables, however not fairly as skinny and flimsy because the wires on some trendy mice.

For buttons, you get simply 5 predominant ones, consisting of left, proper, and middle-click (scroll wheel press) buttons on the highest, and two facet buttons to be used together with your thumb. There’s no high DPI button, or another extras which can be instantly accessible. For a lot of aggressive FPS players, that is the popular setup, as additional buttons can typically simply get in the way in which throughout the warmth of battle. Nevertheless, if you happen to do prefer to have a number of extra simply accessible choices, this isn’t the mouse for you.

Not that the BenQ EC1-CW doesn’t have a DPI button. Flip over the mouse and also you’ll discover a DPI button that cycles by means of 4 preset ranges – 400 / 800 / 1,600 / 3,200. One other button right here enables you to cycle by means of the three polling fee settings of 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1,000Hz too.

Crucially, although, BenQ doesn’t present any technique of altering these preset choices. So, if you happen to solely need to change between two DPI ranges – a setup I usually favor – you’re out of luck and as a substitute need to memorize which shade from the LED above the DPI button corresponds to the settings you favor. The identical can also be true for the polling fee, although you usually received’t want to vary this setting once more as soon as it’s set to your most popular fee.

Via mixtures of button presses and powering on and off the mouse, you can too regulate carry off distance and click on response time (to scale back the debounce delay) however that’s your lot for adjustability.

Additionally on the underside is a change for choosing which of the 2 wi-fi dongles to attach, or for simply turning off the mouse. In contrast to many trendy wi-fi mice, such because the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed, this mouse can’t additionally join by way of Bluetooth.

In the meantime, the scroll wheel on this mouse has fairly an aggressively notched outer rubber floor, and equally aggressive detents as you rotate it. BenQ sees players utilizing the scroll wheel for exact single-notch actions, equivalent to exactly altering a weapon mid-fight, than extra freewheeling, multi-notch actions.

BenQ EC1-CW design

The core form of the ECx-CW trio is that of a reasonably traditional ‘ergonomic’ gaming mouse. What does that imply? Properly, as a substitute of the symmetrical designs favored by the likes of the Logitech G Professional Superlight X, Razer Cobra Professional, or BenQ’s many different mouse shapes, ergonomic designs as a substitute make use of a lopsided form the place the thumb facet rises a little bit greater than the little finger facet, and the latter has a smoother, extra convex periphery than the flatter or inward-dipping sides of symmetrical mice.

The consequence, which is mirrored right here, is a mouse that feels a little bit extra comfy if you happen to considerably lazily drape your hand over it, assuming you’re right-handed – there’s no left-handed possibility. This additionally makes for a mouse that’s properly suited to utilizing a palm grip the place your hand is resting on and supported by the mouse. It may well additionally work considerably properly with a claw grip, although the again isn’t significantly grippy.

These mice can even work with a fingertip grip, however they’re not significantly properly optimized for it, particularly if you happen to solely use your little finger to grip the proper edge, relatively than your ring and little finger. You might alternatively go for the smaller Ec2 or EC3 for fingertip grip, even when you in any other case have moderately giant palms. I discovered I might play moderately comfortably on the EC1-CW with a fingertip grip, however discovered a little bit extra freedom of under-palm motion with the EC3-CW.

One issue that additionally performs a key function within the consolation/measurement/grip equation of those mice is their weight. This new vary is far lighter than the older wired variations of the ECx form, however they’re nonetheless not significantly mild by trendy requirements. The bigger EC1-CW weighs in at 79g (80g in keeping with our scales), whereas the smaller Ec3-CW is 76g (matched by our scales), which compares to simply 60g for the Corsair M75 Air, as an example.

With their barely heavier weight than another mice, I discovered these mice weren’t all that properly suited to my most popular fingertip grip, as my fingers might slide up the proper facet every now and then. These mice are a contact back-heavy when used on this type too – you actually do want two fingers on the facet to reliably carry them up and down from the mouse mat.

As for the look of this mouse. Properly, it’s all enterprise. It’s plain black with a matt end that tends to point out off fingerprints and wears to a shine fairly shortly. In the meantime, there’s no RGB lighting right here in any respect, with only a painted purple Zowie emblem on the rear of the mouse and a single white LED shining by means of the cut up between the left and proper buttons – this mild signifies charging (stable) and low energy (blinking) standing.

BenQ EC1-CW efficiency

In terms of gaming efficiency, mouse form desire, and grip type apart, the EC1-CW can’t be faulted. Its PixArt PWM 3380 sensor doesn’t declare Ludicruos most DPI numbers as excessive because the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed’s 30,000 DPI, however it could possibly hit 19K internally (downscaled to the supplied DPI ranges) and attain 400 inches per second motion velocity, together with 50g of acceleration.

Because of this, this mouse carried out flawlessly in our exams when it comes to maintaining with excessive actions. It additionally confirmed no indicators of unreported acceleration or another drops in accuracy, conserving consistent with correct tracing in Photoshop at low DPI, or bigger cross-desktop actions at excessive DPI.

Becoming in with the marginally rugged tool-of-the-trade really feel of those mice, the buttons have a really outlined click on, with fairly a low, hole form of sound. I discovered this supplied a reassuring sense of management. The switches utilized by the likes of Logitech and Razer have a barely lighter really feel that may typically err on feeling too straightforward to press. It’s the same story with the scroll wheel detents and center click on – there’s no mistaking while you’ve moved or pressed the wheel right here.

The one actual draw back relating to efficiency is once more the shortage of any additional buttons, if you happen to require them, and once more preferences on form and weight. The Cherry Xtrfy MZ1 is rather more of a fingertip grip FPS device than this mouse, however the BenQ offers you a extra comfy mouse for day-to-day use, or for palm grip gaming use.

BenQ EC1-CW battery life

BenQ pins the EC1-CW’s battery life at 70 hours, which largely tallies with my expertise. After a few days of off-dock use the battery indicator mild will begin blinking. Only a few seconds of charging will get you a lot minutes of use, and a ten-minute cost will see the mouse final many extra hours.

All advised, the EC1-CW is consistent with different rechargeable wi-fi gaming mice for battery life, though the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed‘s replaceable AA battery means it could possibly final far longer, if you happen to don’t thoughts doubtlessly swapping batteries mid-game.

BenQ EC1-CW value

The EC1-CW value of $120 actually isn’t low-cost, particularly for a mouse that doesn’t embrace any RGB lighting or additional high buttons. Nevertheless,  you do get the additional underside buttons, the charging dock/receiver, substitute glide pads/ft, and the usual USB-A wi-fi dongle. That also makes for a premium mouse, however BenQ mice have usually confirmed to be dependable workhorses so we’d anticipate the EC1-CW to carry up for a very long time too.

BenQ EC1-CW assessment conclusion

There’s a heck of lots to love in regards to the EC1-CW, EC2-CW, and EC3-CW. Their form is comfy, efficiency is superb, and construct high quality is sweet too. In case you’re a fan of ergonomic-shaped mice, or want a palm grip, these are glorious selections.

They’re much less suited to different grip types for gaming, although, and the shortage of RGB and different extra showy extras dents the worth on provide right here. The shortage of software program customization could be limiting too. The additional wi-fi/charging dock helps steadiness the books a little bit, however that is nonetheless fairly an costly mouse contemplating its essentially primary design.

BenQ EC1-CW alternate options

Razer Deathadder V3 Professional

The Deathadder is Razer’s traditional ergonomic mouse form, and it provides the same really feel to the Ec1-CW however in a barely slicker-looking kind. The Deathadder V3 Professional is the newest model, which is far lighter than the BenQ at simply 64g and rather more programmable, but it surely’s additionally dearer, costing $140.

Wonderful Mannequin D2 Professional

One other wi-fi ergonomic mouse possibility is the Wonderful Mannequin D2 Professional. This mouse provides ultrafast 8kHz polling – for an additional price – however in any other case has the same no-frills method to the BenQ, albeit with an added high DPI button and software program programmability. Plus it’s cheaper at simply $80, following in depth value drops from its unique $130 MSRP.