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ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 review
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Review

ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 review

by September 25, 2016
Positives

+ Replacement Teflon feet included in the package!
+ Attractive glossy white shell with grippy rubber sides
+ Clicky buttons and great scroll wheel
+ Braided cable and gold-plated USB connector
+ Comprehensive driver software
+ RGB illumination
+ Very affordable at RM119!

Negatives

- Sensor is a downgrade from its predecessor
- Serious jitter issues above 2000 CPI
- Mushy side buttons
- Glossy finish may not be for everyone
- White nylon braided cable may get dirty really easily

Pokde Scoreboard
Pokde Rating
Appearance
8.9
Features
7.9
Materials
6.9
Performance
4.9
Portability
7.9
Value
7.9
Bottom Line

Being newer AND cheaper than its predecessors, it looks like ARMAGGEDDON have themselves a winner in the SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0. Or do they?

7.4
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We have reviewed the ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III. We found it to be quite an excellent mouse, priced very reasonably for the features it offers. Today, we have the ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0, which is understandably the newer version, succeeding the model we previously reviewed. Note that we used the word newer and not upgraded. With that said, let’s go on to our review of the ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0.

 

Unboxing

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The ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 comes with the same black and yellow theme on its packaging. However it does look a lot more attractive than the packaging its predecessor came in, now sporting a product image instead of the plain blackness the old packaging had.

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Moving to the right panel, we have a list of features and specifications. Here, we notice the first change, the newer mouse actually has a less sensitive sensor compared to the older one. The main star of the game here is the Avago ADNS-3050, with a max CPI of 4000 instead of the 5000 the previous version offered.

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Over on the back we have a short list of features in various languages. ARMAGGEDDON claims to be packing an “upgraded Avago ADNS-3050 gaming engine”. More on that later.

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A nifty flip window allows you to take a look at your upcoming investment in a blister pack. The flip door has a long essay on what makes ARMAGGEDDON products Ultimate Gaming Gear. The font is really tiny so unless you have nothing better to do, there is no need to spend time here.

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And here are all the contents of the packaging. Ta-da! You get the ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0, a user manual, an extra set of Teflon feet. Unlike its predecessor, there is no driver CD included. This is indeed quite a wise decision, as it allows ARMAGGEDDON to reduce costs, as most users are capable of downloading the driver online.

 

Appearance
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The ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 sports the exact same shell its predecessor had, which means the two are indistinguishable when looking at them. It is ergonomically designed for right-handed users, so left handed gamers can stop reading now. The ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III comes in two color options, which are matte black (Sable Soviets) and glossy white (Alpine Allies). No prize for guessing which variant we got here today. The top shell is glossy white, with silver trim around the scroll wheel and CPI toggle button. The ARMAGGEDDON logo takes position on the back of the mouse.

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Two side buttons take up the right, with a nice rubber grip to enhance comfort. The left gets no buttons, but also features a strip of rubber so your pinky rests comfortably.

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Flipping the mouse over we find a lot of text. ARMAGGEDDON decided that filling the space on the underside of the mice with text to be a good idea. A warning to avoid a stare-down with the laser beam is included. Wait, we are talking about a laser beam in an optical mouse? Okay… The serial number and warranty expiry date of your specific mouse is also printed here, so you need not go digging for the packaging when you have issues with it. Four decently sized white Teflon feet should keep your mouse gliding well across most surfaces.

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It features RGB lighting for the ARMAGGEDDON logo as well as for a strip between the upper and lower halves of the shell. The brightness and vibrancy of the colors are top notch, but we will talk more about that later.

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The USB connector features gold-plating, to prevent oxidation. The 1.8m cable is braided in white, which looks great but I am not sure how long it will stay that way. White sleeving material usually yellow after some time, and also gets dirty very easily. Still, as the mouse is mainly white, having a black cord may look a little off. A ferrite core near the USB connector prevents interference from negatively affecting your mousing experience.

 

Specifications

Body material Glossy plastic shell, moulded rubber grips
Sensor Avago ADNS-3050 4000 DPI optical sensor
DPI 250/500/750/1000/1250/1500/1750/2000/2500/3000/3500/4000 (configurable in driver software)
USB report rate 1000 Hz
Switch type Omron switches, rated for 10 million clicks
Microprocessor Unspecified, with up to 1000 Hz polling rate
Cable 1.8 m, braided
Weight 102 g
Included accessories User manual
Replacement mouse feet

 

User Experience

The ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 has a driver software which you can download from its product page. You can use it without installing the driver software, but you won’t be able to take advantage of all the features it offers, like the RGB lighting.

armaggeddon-sro-5-havoc-iii-ver2-0-driver-software

The driver software is pretty neat, with everything accessible in expandable menus at both the left and right sides. In the center, an image of the mouse guides you by letting you know which number in the button assignment menu corresponds to which button on the mouse. You even get to program macros, which is great to improve productivity. Remember the little switch on the bottom of the mouse? Well, it serves to toggle between the two higher and two lower CPI. The CPI button behind the scroll wheel then selects between the two sensitivities.

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As a mouse with support for RGB lighting, the configuration is pretty rudimentary. You get a choice of static and pulsating single color modes and the multi-color mode, which goes through the whole spectrum.

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Each mode has their own customization, for example in static mode you get to adjust the brightness, and in pulsating mode and multi-color mode you can set the speed at which it pulses/changes colors. In the single color modes, the color is determined by the color you assign to a specific sensitivity in the CPI setting menu.

Back to the topic of the “upgraded Avago ADNS-3050 gaming engine”. The sensor’s official specifications states that the sensor tops off at 2000 DPI and a maximum tracking speed of 60 inches per second (ips). ARMAGGEDDON claims 4000 CPI for the ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0, with a maximum tracking speed of a whopping 160 ips. In fact, this is greater than its predecessor which had a maximum tracking speed of 130 ips. To test whether it really works at the whopping 4000 DPI, I fired up Paint to draw some circles.

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At 4000 CPI, the ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 had jittery movement. Even at 3000 CPI the jitter was noticeable. It does work really well below 2000 CPI though, so if you don’t need the higher sensitivities this mouse is great. Actually using the mouse, I am not bugged by the jitter at the higher sensitivity settings since I am most comfortable at the 1750 CPI setting.

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The ergonomic shape of the mouse is really great to hold. Its shape is similar to the Microsoft IntelliMouse 3.0, which also inspired designs of mice like the Ducky Secret and Razer Deathadder. I guess Microsoft did a great job that allowed its design to still be relevant after so long. Comfort is top notch, perfect for palm grip users. The glossy shell is actually quite nice to hold, and nowhere as slippery as I expected it would be. If your hands are sweaty, or oily after a meal or something, you will leave fingerprints all over your mouse. That said, the white coloration does help to hide them. The buttons on the top shell are all nicely tactile while not being too loud. The side buttons are too mushy for my liking though. The scroll wheel has noticeable notches while still being quiet enough to not irritate your roommates.

 

Conclusion

The ARMAGGEDDON SRO-5 HAVOC III Ver2.0 is really comfy to hold. For RM119, it is a great mouse with a comfortable ergonomic shape for right-handers. The price is also cheaper than the original (older?) SRO-5 HAVOC III which cost RM169. For RM50 less, you get the same body but an inferior sensor. The jitter at the higher CPIs may be a deal-breaker for you if you usually use a higher sensitivity. If you are like me, and rarely use the higher sensitivities, you can seriously consider this mouse. In this case, newer doesn’t mean upgraded. But at least it’s cheaper.

About The Author
Vyncent Chan
Technology enthusiast, casual gamer, pharmacy graduate. Strongly opposes proprietary standards and always on the look out for incredible bang-for-buck.
17 Comments
  • Azraei Halim
    September 26, 2016 at 3:27 am

    Already use this mouse for about more than a month *maybe. It’s really comfortable in my hand due my hand that are long but not big (fat) some people say that this mouse not comfortable due to their hand size and shape. Really like my purchase. It’s bit late you make review for this since the v2 has been coming quite a while but at least you make it. Great review. Really recommended this product.

    • Vyncent Chan
      September 26, 2016 at 10:07 am

      Hi Azraei, we release reviews according to when the brands send us their products. ARMAGGEDDON sent us the review sample 2 weeks ago, so we could only publish it now.

  • an
    November 1, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    hi is the driver for the 2.0 same as the havoc 3 normal not 2.0 ? if not where can i find the 2.0 driver because its not in their website

  • Jeff
    November 15, 2016 at 5:18 pm

    Hey .for the driver. I run the amarggeddon havoc 3 2.0 app.however , after clicking the upgrade of the software which can be located at the top right of the app. My we went dead! I fellowship@amarggeddon about the issue.bought the mouse on 10/11/16. Use it on 14/11/16 . and died after the app updates. The mouse had no lights and could not be used. Someone help?

  • passerby
    March 14, 2017 at 10:44 pm

    is it normal if the mouse keep warm after 10 to 15 min?

  • George
    July 22, 2017 at 2:03 am

    Hello,I dont know how old this post is but I cannot find the download page for the HAVOC III V.2 can somebody drop it? Thank you very much

  • fitri
    August 3, 2017 at 7:48 pm

    is the new sensor is good compare to old

  • March 16, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    hi ,, if you still active , i got a problem, before i updated my pc into 64bit the driver work fine , but after i format my pc and change it into 64bit the driver doesnt work, i change the CPI settings and it doesnt follow my request and i cant click on save button , its like nothing change . i keep redownload this driver but its still same hm… right now my mouse colour is yellow and i cant change it ..

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