EVGA Torq X10 Gaming Mouse Review

Performance

Working and gaming with the EVGA Torq X10 mouse has been a mixed experience. In terms of performance, the Torq X10 performed admirably on any surface that we tested it on. The Teflon feet are especially useful, making the mouse extremely easy to glide even on rough wooden surfaces. When we disabled all software acceleration, we could not spot any native acceleration coming from the laser sensor.

If there is one performance-related issue that we could complain about, it probably is the cycling DPI settings. If you are at the lowest DPI setting and click the DPI-down button, the mouse will go to the highest DPI setting and vice-versa. This is of critical importance in heavy action games, where DPI changes are almost certainly going to be made hectically and carelessly. While this is a concern, our major complaints with the EVGA Torq X10 mouse are regarding its ergonomics.

Even at its lowest possible height, the Torq X10 is a very large mouse and it is fairly difficult to grasp it comfortably, especially if you are used to non-symmetric ergonomic designs or if you have small hands. With my small to medium sized hands, the Torq X10 felt excessively large and bulky, even though I am used to working with large mice, such as the Logitech G602, on a daily basis. The placement of the side buttons feels off as well and will require at least a short learning curve before you can use them effectively.

There may be users that will like the size of the Torq X10, and tastes in mice are somewhat subjective, but there are also going to be users that simply find the X10 to be uncomfortable. Our advice is as usual that you should try this mouse in person before making a purchase.

The Software

The EVGA Unleash software that can be used to program the Torq X10 is easy to use and very well designed. There are two arched sliders at the top, one for the DPI level and one for the mouse sensitivity. For those that prefer a more straightforward input, there are also two numeric input boxes under the sliders. These will affect the DPI level and sensitivity of the current DPI setting, and the DPI can be set from just 200 DPI up to 8200 DPI.

Next to the sliders are the lighting controls, which allow the user to select from seven colors and adjust their intensity. Although there are only seven colors for the user to select from, we do not find this to be a drawback, even when compared to products that claim to offer millions of colors. Besides, once you realize how hideous every color other than red looks on the Torq X10, it is extremely unlikely that you will be switching the lighting color at all, even if only to recognize the set profile.

As for the buttons, the software allows for the complete repositioning and reprogramming of the buttons. You can switch between right hand and left hand mode by clicking a single icon and you can reposition or repurpose any button you want, even the main buttons. If you desire, you can set all side buttons to perform a single action, or disable any button entirely. As for the programmable actions, you can program the buttons to perform virtually any possible action, ranging from simple clicks and macro commands to screenshot captures and "rapid-firing" modes.

In the advanced settings tab, the user may adjust the DPI settings in detail. The first thing that can be adjusted is the number of DPI levels, ranging from just one and up to a maximum of five levels. It is also interesting that the DPI setting may be adjusted independently for each of the two movement axis. The polling rate of each DPI level may also be adjusted, although we do not really see the point with a wired mouse such as this. EVGA also added adjustments for the OS settings, including angle snapping and software acceleration. These settings are best left untouched for most people but advanced gamers will most likely want to disable them.

The macro programming and management capabilities of the software are quite good, although not iconic. It is possible to program any keystroke macro, as well as edit the time intervals. The recorder will recognize any mouse and or keyboard key pressed. However, it does not record the movements of the mouse, which is critical to perform advanced actions while gaming. Yes, you can cast several spells almost instantaneously, but you will not be able to open your inventory, swap gear and close it again in less than half a second. You will need a third-party macro recorder for that and, if it supports the compiling of .EXE files, you can then set the mouse button to launch the compiled application.

The Unleash software does support the export and import of macros to and from files, as well as the export and import of the entire profile. For those that like to share macros and other settings, this is a useful feature.