Testing and Conclusion

The CM Sentinel Advance is the first mouse from CoolerMaster’s CM Storm division for gaming hardware and accompanying software. The Sentinel Advance is a quality mouse which will surely get its fanbase as it brings the functionality, looks, ruggedness and innovation to the table. As far as we know, this is the first mouse to feature an OLED display, which although isn’t overly functional, it still has its use and many a gamer will find it to be cool. Besides checking the DPI settings on the chosen profile, you can use the OLED screen to display a custom logo.

Apart from the side keys, which we found awkwardly placed as we often ended up pushing the wrong one, the mouse was a perfect fit. It’s long and not too tall, and provides a nice support for your palm. The wheel is nicely designed and since it’s notched - it won’t let you overshoot a weapon for instance. Talking about weapons, RapidFire is also one of the options offered by the Sentinel Advance. 

The integrated memory is a great addition which allows users to use the Setinel Advance on any computer while still keeping their preferred settings. The integrated 64kb of memory will hold much more though, and there’s plenty of space for macros, scripts, etc. Dual-Laser technology allows for precision of up to 5600 DPI (dots per inch), which is more than we’re used to, and independent X and Y axis settings. Such high precision will surely fit professionals in the field of graphics and not just gamers.

You can use the keys to switch DPI settings, or even fine tune the DPI by using the keys only in 25 DPI increments. On the other hand, the excellent and extensive CM Storm Tactic interface is a jewel as well as it allows for customization and fine tuning of just about anything.

We tested the Sentinel Advance with HS-M Battle Pad SSD and CS-X Battle Pad DP. Both pads come from CM Storm’s offer, but their offer features many other gaming surfaces that will surely strike your chord.

The HS-M Battle Pad SSK (on the photo below) is a hard surface pad whereas the CS-X Battle Pad DP (on the last picture) is made of pure rubber and is huge. Both surfaces did the trick with the CM Sentinel Advance’s high DPI, as they’re built for smooth operation and high precision lasers, such as the one on the Sentinel Advance.

Both surfaces indeed provided ultra-smooth gliding, due to the smooth Duracloth Plus surface. The rubber base measures 444 x 355 x 5 mm and is made of pure natural rubber. Yours truly is more used to smaller surfaces but if you need more space, then the CS-X Battle Pad DP is a wise choice. You can find out more from the pictures and the specs below.



CoolerMaster's hard surface, probably evident from the HS in the name.



HS-M Battle Pad is a hybrid gaming surface especially good for uneven and bumpy surfaces. The surface layer is optimized to run up to 40% better with laser sensors. The glide is excellent, and the speed and precision are unhindered. 



HS-M Battle Pad is features polypropylen and special alloy coating whereas the 100% rubber base will help the surface stay in place in those long battles. 



The second test surface, the CS-X Battle Pad DP is a huge rubber-based surface. Both pads have proven to run great with the CM Sentinel Advance, as their surfaces have been specifically tailored for high precision lasers, such as the one on the Sentinel Advance. 



The rubber surface measures 444 x 355 x 5 mm and is made of 100% natural rubbre with Duracloth Plus coating.



The CS-X Battle Pad is made with e-sport professionals in mind, as they know to appreciate such minute instances and shades that do a lot in the gaming world. It is weaved to tight to provide optimum precision and highly responsive tracking. The CS-X Battle Pad is refined further through a special heat treatm, resulting in a smooth surface with ultra fine glide. With its aggressive non-slip 100% natural rubber base, the CS-X Battle Pad stays reliably in place on all large desktop surfaces.



Yours truly happened to like the smaller, hard surface much better, but it's a simple mater of preference, and you might easily find it to be opposite in your case.

CoolerMaster’s Sentinel Advance gaming mouse is priced at about €60 but if you’re looking for a top quality mouse, then look no further as Sentinel Advance will surely be a perfect addition to your gaming arsenal. Our testing revealed that Sentinel Advance is truly one excellent piece of hardware, and we had no choice but to dub it a "Fudzilla Recommended" piece of equipment. We'd like to thank Cooler Master Balkan for providing our today's test sample.