The Corsair M65 RGB Elite is an upgrade to the Corsair M65 PRO RGB. The RGB Elite is lighter, has a CPI indicator, an additional RGB lighting zone in the scroll wheel, better mouse feet, and a higher maximum CPI than the RGB Elite. The PRO RGB has a shorter lift-off distance and side buttons that are closer together. But there are other differences between these two as well. Continue reading to know which one is better.
DESIGN
RGB Elite
This is one of the more well-made mice we’ve tested so far. This mouse is more substantial than ultra-light gaming mice. You can reduce the mouse’s weight by removing three 4g weights and three 2g screws from the underside. Check out the XTRFY M4 RGB if you want a lighter mouse. The Corsair M65 is designed with gamers in mind. It has a high bump where your palm rests and a sleek aluminum and matte plastic appearance. There are two RGB zones, one on the wheel and one on the manufacturer’s logo, which is located at the back of the mouse where your palm rests. It has a few side buttons, including a sniper button that, when held down, sets your CPI to a preset number. This mouse is large and will almost not fit inside a small laptop bag. Its cable adds to its bulk, making it less portable than a wireless mouse. This should not be a problem for those looking for a gaming mouse for their PC setup. The M65’s build quality is excellent. The mouse’s main frame is made of strong and lightweight aluminum. The side plastic panels have almost no wiggle and almost no flex, which is fantastic. All of the buttons are solid and responsive. This mouse is more substantial than ultra-light gaming mice. You can reduce the mouse’s weight by removing three 4g weights and three 2g screws from the underside. The ergonomics of the Corsair M65 RGB are excellent. Aside from the side buttons and the thumb rest, the mouse is fairly ambidextrous. There is also no left-handed variant with the same design. Furthermore, the high palm rest design limits the number of suitable grips and hand sizes. On the plus side, the mouse is easy to grasp, and the thumb rest aids mouse control.
Pro RGB
The M65 has an aircraft-grade aluminum uni body frame, according to Corsair. I’m not sure if any planes in the sky use the same type of aluminum, but the mouse’s build quality is excellent. It has a pleasing rigidity and heft, weighing a hefty 135.5 grams when you secure the three optional weights to its bottom panel. The weights can be removed with a coin or a screwdriver. The mouse weighs 115 grams when all weights and screws are removed. I like how the mouse’s weight can be adjusted and how heavy it feels when fully loaded. The Corsair M65 PRO has three removable 4.4g weights on the underside that are held in place by three 2.4g screws. To change the distribution and overall weight of the mouse, you can remove some or all of these weights. The Corsair M65 Pro RGB has a soft plastic coating on the single top piece, which houses the right and left click buttons as well as the palm rest. The sides of the mouse have a textured, grippy surface for your thumb, ring, and pinky fingers, but the right side has no ledge or even the beginnings of a ledge upon which your pinky could rest. The Corsair M65 Pro RGB has five large glide pads on the bottom panel.
PERFORMANCE
RGB Elite
Excellent for the workplace. This mouse has excellent ergonomics, though people with extra-large hands may struggle with a palm or claw grip, while smaller hands may struggle with a fingertip grip. The mouse has a high build quality and a few programmable buttons that are simple to customize on Windows PCs. However, it is not wireless, and the cable may cause clutter on your desk. Excellent for FPS video games. It has a very low click latency and is relatively light when all available weights are removed. This mouse performs admirably and can be customized to your liking.
Furthermore, the build quality is excellent, and this mouse will fit most hand sizes comfortably. Only extra-large hands may struggle with the palm and claw grips, while small hands may struggle with the fingertip grip. Perfect for MMOs. The mouse has a few programmable buttons but fewer than dedicated MMO mice. The build quality is excellent, and the mouse has excellent ergonomics that are suitable for the majority of users. Extra-large hands, on the other hand, will struggle with the palm and claw grip, while small hands may struggle with the fingertip grip.
Excellent for ultra-light gaming. This mouse is a little heavier, but it has amazing performance that you can customize to your liking. It’s a great gaming mouse, but if you want the lightest option, this isn’t it.
Pro RGB
The Corsair M65 PRO RGB is ideal for office and multimedia applications. It has a plethora of buttons, all of which can be programmed using the companion software, which is compatible with Windows and mac OS. It also has a comfortable shape that is suitable for all grip types and hand sizes. Unfortunately, no wireless connection options are available, and the scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and does not unlock for free scrolling. The Corsair M65 PRO RGB is an excellent first-person shooter gaming mouse. It has a solid feel, low click latency, a CPI that can be adjusted precisely in one-step increments, and a short lift-off distance. It also has a sniper button that, when held down, switches to a lower CPI. Its shape is well-suited to all grip types; however, extra-large hands may find the mouse too short to control with a palm or claw grip, while small hands may struggle with a fingertip grip. Unfortunately, it is also quite heavy, and the cable is not particularly flexible. The Corsair M65 PRO RGB is ideal for MMO gaming, but it lacks the number of buttons on a dedicated MMO mouse.
Nonetheless, it feels well-made and has low click latency, and you can program all of the buttons it has using the companion software, which is compatible with Windows and macOS. It also has a wide CPI range, a CPI that can be adjusted in one-step increments, and a very short lift-off distance. It is suitable for all grip types and almost all hand sizes. For ultra-light gaming, the Corsair M65 PRO RGB is adequate. It’s much heavier than dedicated ultra-light gaming mice, the cable isn’t very flexible, and the mouse feet are only adequate. Despite this, it feels very well-made, has good click latency, and has a comfortable shape that is suitable for all grip types and almost all hand sizes.
SOFTWARE
RGB Elite
On Windows and macOS, the Corsair iCUE software provides a plethora of customization options. CPI settings for five preset and the sniper button are easily adjustable. You can also change the lighting effects of the two zones or turn them completely off. The mouse also has onboard memory, which means you can plug it into a different computer and keep your settings.
Pro RGB
Corsair’s software is known as the Corsair Utility Engine (CUE), and it works across all of the company’s products that support software control, making it full-featured and flexible. The DPI range you can cycle through while gaming is probably the most important setting to tweak. You can enable up to five DPI settings ranging from 800dpi to 9,000dpi, which is pretty standard, but Corsair allows you to go even lower, down to 100dpi or a maximum of 12,000dpi, which is a huge range. When you change the DPI setting, the light between the up and down buttons changes color to indicate which setting you’ve chosen, which is useful. There is also a separate slider in the CUE for setting the DPI for the sniper button, so you can, for example, lower the DPI to 100 when zoomed in with a sniper rifle, then return it to 8,000 when you release it. You can also calibrate the M65 for your preferred mousing surface, whether it’s a good gaming surface, a wood desk, or glass. To complete the calibration, you click and drag an icon for about five seconds, so it’s a quick process.
CONCLUSION
The Corsair M65 Pro RGB has a lot to offer, as long as you’re a palm-grip, right-handed, FPS gamer. It offers an insanely accurate sensor, plenty of customization options, and extremely solid build quality, and it’s even available in white. The RGB Elite is lighter, has a CPI indicator, an additional RGB lighting zone in the scroll wheel, better mouse feet, and a higher maximum CPI than the RGB Elite. The PRO RGB has a shorter lift-off distance and side buttons that are closer together. The M65 RGB Elite may be the best gaming mouse option available. It’s a tough rodent built to last, as evidenced by its components. Does the Elite outperform the Pro? It certainly does. Is it, however, better? That will always be a matter of personal preference. The Elite is unquestionably more aesthetically pleasing, sleeker, and technically capable than its predecessor. Even if the result isn’t groundbreaking or novel, there’s much to like and appreciate about the Corsair M65 RGB Elite.
