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Cooler Master CM Storm Skorpion reviewed

by on21 September 2012

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Review: Mousetrain your rodent


Suspending the mouse cable in order to keep it from from cluttering the table and getting in the way, is an idea that Rocat turned into reality three years ago, when the company launched the Apuri. Although CM Storm wasn't even around then, this Cooler Master's brand has built up quite a name for itself since. CM Storm already has plenty of quality gaming mice and now it’s time for some accessories.

So, let’s see whether the good old Apuri has a reason to stick around, or the Skorpion’s introduction equals Apuri’s retirement.

The Skorpion looks a bit like a real scorpio. True, a real scorpio has eight feet, while the Skorpion has three, but it’s the sting that evokes the similarities.  At the same time, the Skorpion’s “sting” is its most important part, and it’s described as an active flex rubber mouse cord arm.  

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The box we received the Skorpion in is quite appealing and lets the user peek at the product from two sides. The box also lists some basic information but there’s not much to say – after all, its function is simple and quite clear.

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The Skorpion comes assembled, but you can disassemble it for the sake of mobility, which should come in handy to frequent gaming party goers.

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The central, and largest part that’s left once you remove the feet, is in charge of stability. It has an iron core inside the plastic. A fully assembled Skorpion weighs in at 171 grams.

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We’ve already said that CM Storm isn’t the first to come up with a concept of a mouse bungee. In fact, one of these products, the Roccat Apuri, has been selling for about three years. Both of the products are mouse bungees and the only difference is that Apuri comes with a 4-port USB 2.0 Hub and LED lighting in the central part. At the same time, this is the reason why the Apuri’s central part is a bit bulkier.

CM Storm didn’t think the USB Hub is necessary and besides, introducing more cables for a product that aims to reduce cable clutter would be a bit pointless.

That this is CM Storm’s product is clear at a glance - the company logo is in the centre and easily visible.

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The flex arm is the most important part. If it wasn’t tough, yet flexible enough, the Skorpion wouldn’t be half as good.

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The mouse cord arm has etched channels for routing the cable. A quality grip on the cable is essential and the Skorpion has adaptive grip grooves for thin and thick mouse cords.

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How much cable you leave is likely to depend on the surface of choice and desired mouse movement radius. Thanks to the Skorpion, we had no trouble covering the entire 45x35cm CM Storm CSX Battle Pad DP. We left about 30cm in this case.

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The Skorpion is stable enough and although its weighted base wouldn’t be enough to sustain a stronger pull, it’s the three-feet design that keeps it firmly in its spot. It doesn’t matter whether the surface is rough or slippery, as the feet are anti-shift, i.e. rubber padded on the bottom.


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The following pictures show that the mouse cord arm is flexible and allows for broad radius of movement. Even unintentional stronger tugs will not be a problem, as the Skorpion cannot be moved easily.  

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The Skorpion is a piece of hardware that isn't essential for gaming or working, but it may make both easier. Mouse bungees are devices that keep the cable suspended, making it seem as if you're using a wireless mouse. Depending on how much cable you leave out, you can ensure a wide and problem free movement radius.

Note that the Skorpion isn't the first of its kind, as the Roccat Apuri has been around for about three years. When it launched, the Apuri cost €30; it now costs €22, whereas the Skorpion will go for about €16 (€13 + VAT). Note however that the  Apuri comes with a USB 2.0 Hub inside, which we personally find quite obsolete.

The Skorpion did exactly what it is advertised to do. Although it’s classified as a gaming accessory, the Skorpion may appeal to other users as well, especially those who “mouse around” for a living. We’ve spent some time with it and can say that it will certainly help with the eternal problem of stuck or tangled mouse cables. At the same time, the Skorpion reduces cable clutter, which many will know how to appreciate.

Although it may seem as quite a mundane product at first, the Skorpion quickly turned into our valuable ally. It did so by eliminating the annoyances that, more often than not, decide whether one walks away laughing or respawns looking at the mouse with pure hatred, so our decision to dub the Skorpion a Fudzilla - top value - product is really a no-brainer. 

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Last modified on 21 September 2012
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