It may be the wired version of the original, however, it still packs the same punch.
What is in the box
- ROG Chakram
- USB dongle
- USB extender
- 1.8m USB cable
- Accessory box
- Japanese-made Omron switches
- Long joystick
- Joystick socket cover
- Switch tweezer
- ROG sticker
- Travel pouch
- Customizable badge
- User manual
Features
- High-performance gaming mouse with 16,000 dpi optical sensor,
- 40 g acceleration,
- 400 ips,
- 1000 Hz polling rate and adjustable lift-off distance
- Programmable, detachable joystick with 256-level Analog or 4-way directional Digital mode for superior in-game control
- Screw-less design with magnetic buttons and cover provides easy access to ROG-exclusive push-fit switch sockets and adjustable weight
Specifications
- Connectivity: USB 2.0
- Sensor: PAW3335 Optical Sensor
- Resolution: 100-16,000 DPI
- Max Speed: 400 IPS
- Max Acceleration: 40 g
- USB Report rate: 1000 Hz
- L/R Switch Type: Omron (D2FC-F-K) 50M
- Button: 9 (5 + 4 in digital joystick mode)
- Scroll Wheel
- AURA Sync: Yes
- Shape: Right-handed
- Grip style: Palm grip, Fingertip grip
- Cable: 1.8 m braided cable
- OS: Windows 10
- Software: Armoury Crate
Aesthetics:
First off would be a translucent top that has somewhat of a frosty look to it. This entire look makes the Chakram very pleasing to look at. The braided cable always adds a pleasing look to a component.
As far as RGB goes, the RGB on the front had been removed. However, the scroll wheel retains its light-up feature along with the ROG logo.
The Core is always Auro Sync Friendly so you can easily set it up to run with the rest of your setup if you make use of the Armoury Crate software.
Comfort:
The thumb Rest is still present in the core and is still a very welcoming feature. It does its job well.
The textured finish joins the thumb rest not just adding to the visuals of the mouse, but adding a comfortable grip to the mouse.
Especially handy when the situation on the battlefield requires it. The Ergonomic design of the Core really makes it comfortable to use, even for extended periods of time.
As for the joystick, even if you don’t use it. It’s placed in such a spot that it’s not intrusive at all.
The sensitivity is really amazing here there is no hindrance at all. The braided cable ensures there’s minimal stick regardless of what surface you use the Core on.
Durability:
The USB-A cable comes braided adding quality and durability to it. This is and will always be a welcoming sight.
The entire shell and design retain the same durability as the original. There seems to be no downgrade in terms of quality or durable components.
The switches on the Core are advertised to last a long time. To be blunt they will last longer than the mouse will last being used in my personal system.
I tend to swap out components on a far too regular basis.
However things tend to happen, that’s just the nature of life, and having a spare set of switches extends the life of the Core should something happen.
User Friendly And Functionality:
The main attraction of the Chakram is the joystick. Just like the original, it functions as an analogue stick-style input. It offers you four additional buttons using directional input.
You have some options here as well. It comes with an additional head should you wish to adjust its size. Or if you wish not to use it it has a plastic cap cover too.
We have our left and right click buttons at the top accompanied by the scroll wheel. On the left side, we have two additional buttons for the thumb.
We have an additional button on the bottom of the mouse this one is used to adjust the DPI. Albeit having a button for the DPI on the mouse always being appreciated, the placement of this one I tend not to prefer.
It eliminates the option to change the DPI on the fly as the term goes.
The entire top half of the mouse can be easily removed. Not only does this help with cleaning, but it also allows you to change out the switches of the leg and right-click buttons.
This allows you to play around with the switches, especially since this beauty comes with additional switches included.
The Core has pretty much the same built and layout as the original except for a few changes here and there. One of these changes is the repurposed chamber where the USB adapter was resting.
This nesting space has been repurposed to function as a weight slot where you can add additional weight to the Core. This will allow users to further customize the Core to their exact wants and needs. You can add a total of 13.6g to the Core now. Albeit this not being much, it’s still a welcome addition.
The PixArt gaming sensor is powerful offering you up to 16 000 DPI and a max acceleration of 40g. It’s worth mentioning that there is no performance difference between the original and the Core, even though there is a massive price difference.
MGR Gaming’s Conclusions:
Seeing more modular aspects in components that are not PSUs is very nice. This can be especially said about mice. This category has gotten rather stagnant over the years. So seeing new features and aspects getting introduced is a welcome experience.
Albeit this is the cheaper version of the original Chakram, it is still unique in its own right. Users that do not prefer a wireless mouse for gaming will really appreciate what the Core version has to offer.
Especially since it comes in a much more affordable price range than the original.
I must commend ASUS once again for the ingenious design here. The mouse covers can easily be removed due to their magnetic grip keeping them in place. However, even though they are magnetic there is no chance of them coming off unintentionally or during use.
It’s worth mentioning that the joystick is a nice addition to the mouse, adding four new buttons at a fraction of the space it would have used for the buttons. However, the joystick is still limited. There are not a great many games out there to fully utilize the joystick on.
Users might find that four additional buttons will be more worth it than an actual joystick. The Chakram Core is downright an amazing mouse. Comparing it to the original makes it even more so. It costs a lot less at hardly any loss of feature.
The biggest difference is wired versus wireless. I really took a liking to the Core. I’ll be honest I did not really make much use of the joystick, not for lack of wanting. Just didn’t find many opportunities to do so.
However, even though it’s niche. I still took a liking to it. It’s something new where Gaming Mouse is concerned, and I appreciate the new.
If you’re looking for a new wired mouse, definitely consider the Core.
We would like to thank ASUS_za for the opportunity to review this fantastic little mouse.
