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The CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Mouse ships in an attractively designed box with the product highlighted in front of a firey background.
Specifications are listed on the back of the package. The box opens in a gatefold style presentation with the mouse protected behind a tough plastic fascia. The left side of the packaging details some of the specifications and key features of the mouse.
The bundle doesn't include a software disc, however the company include an information leaflet with a direct link to the website to download the driver/software. This may seem slightly inconvenient, but it does ensure that the user will always end up with the newest version of the software. They also include a spare set of ‘glide' panels. More on this shortly.
The mouse looks almost identical to the CM Storm Sentinel Advance, which isn't a shocker. It is finished in a dark grey colour which is surprisingly reflective under light, although not as intense as the Steelseries Sensei. The buttons are all black which provides some contrast.
This is a strictly right handed product, so lefties need to look elsewhere. The two small buttons above the mouse wheel are used to increase or decrease the DPI. There is a little ridge on the left button so its easy to recognise without looking. The very top button can be used quickly to change the colours, although it can be changed to a different function in the software.
The CM Storm Sentinel Advance II mouse is equipped with eight programmable buttons. Unlike some other designs I have seen in recent months, they all seem well positioned, especially when relying on the right mouse button press, which can sometimes have other buttons close to it, causing problems in game.
The cable is high quality and braided for durability. The USB connector is gold plated.
Underneath, there is a compartment for the weighting system, which is comprised of 5 separate 4.5G weights. By default these are all installed and while real men might not have a problem, I found it was too heavy for 8-10 hours use a day. I removed two of the weights, leaving the bottom two in place (on the right and left side) with the central, top weight also in place.
It is important to remember not to remove them all from one side of the mouse otherwise it could lead to a weight ‘imbalance' when being used.
The company include a spare set of glide strips which can be used to replace all four positions underneath the mouse. A nice touch we think, especially after a couple of years of heavy use, when they tend to look worse for wear.
We look at the lighting and dpi options later in the review.
Above, the CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Mouse (left), next to the Steelseries Sensei (middle) and the Cyborg Rat 3 (right). It is a relatively large mouse and will suit people with medium or large hands. Those people with small hands may want to look elsewhere.
