Software
The software utility is located in the downloads section of the CM Storm website and must be downloaded before you can configure the mouse.
The first page of the software utility handles the button assignments. This page lets us configure every button on the mouse and features a number of preset actions, including quick-fire modes and macros.
Using the navigation bar along the top of the screen, we can navigate to the next page which is labelled ‘Advanced'. This section lets us configures all other aspects of the mouse, including the switchable DPI levels, LED brightness and polling rate.
The following tab lets us configure our own macros which can then be assigned to different buttons on the first page of the utility.
Clicking the ‘Profiles' tab lets us set up different configuration profiles which can be switched at the touch of a button in-game.
Under the ‘Library' tab, we are able to import and export macros, so that they can be backed up and so that you can share them with other gamers.
The final tab is labelled ‘Support' and gives us links to version information and to the support section on CM Storm's website.
Performance
We were very impressed with the performance of the Avago 9800 sensor which boasts a massive 8200 DPI resolution. This sensor is used in other high-end gaming mice from the likes of Q-pad and is very highly regarded. We found that it tracked with absolute precision and operated flawlessly throughout our tests.
Our only slight niggle with the Reaper is the above-average weight of the mouse. This makes it feel slightly lethargic when moving it around the mat. There are certainly heavier mice out there, though, and it doesn't impact the performance of the mouse considerably. There are two Teflon strips running along the edges of the mouse on the underside which let it glide effortlessly, too.
We found that the Reaper mouse was perfectly matched to the Speed-RX surface, although many gamers (especially those who play at low sensitivities) may prefer one of CM Storm's larger gaming surfaces.