CM STORM Octane Keyboard and Mouse Review

In Use and Conclusion

The CM STORM Octane has been on my test bench for a while now and after finally settling on the purple backlight (Pretty!) I actually put it to use. There is  little to set up on the Octane keyboard and mouse so before getting into the full gaming test. I decided to see how the Octane keyboard handled day to day use. I set about typing up a review with the pair firstly and have to admit even coming from using several mechanical keyboards the Octane was quite nice, with a satisfying thud on each keypress commonly found in new membrane keyboards.

As I have started playing through Borderlands with my good friend Dan, I decided this would be a good starting point before seguing into other games and it proved to be a solid test of both the mouse and the keyboard. Afterwards I also used the Octane keyboard and mouse for more normal boring day to day stuff.

The Octane keyboard was nice and responsive overall, I didn’t notice any ghosting issues during my testing period as it should be noted that the Octane keyboard uses a 19 Key anti ghosting matrix which is optimised for FPS style games though you are unlikely to run into issues I would feel if you play using the WASD key area primarily.

The Octane keyboard also has a few more gaming orientated features one of which allows you to lock the Windows key by pressing Fn+F11 helping to prevent accidental pressing during gaming. Tucked away there is also an option to increase the repeat rate which helps when the need for quicker repeated key presses is needed. A feature not often seen on low cost keyboards.

The Octane mouse was similarly responsive during these tests, although I did have one or two issues with it. The first is the lack of indication as to what DPI mode you are in – a minor issue I admit, as thankfully it loops so it means you can generally keep clicking to get to the one you want. The Octane mouse also felt very plasticky when compared to the Octane keyboard, with the two side buttons having a very soft click. Otherwise the mouse is well serviced by the Avago sensor hidden within it’s depths.

In all tests neither the mouse or keyboard ever became uncomfortable, with both performing well throughout.

All in all what it really comes down to is the cost. You will be surprised to hear that the CM STORM Octane keyboard and mouse bundle I have reviewed here is available for under £40 most places and that really makes them an absolute bargain. It’s a bit easy to see that most of the money appears to have been put to the Octane keyboard rather than the mouse. The pair may not appeal to keyboard purists who want a mechanical experience, but the Octane bundle offers an out of the box experience for those wanting good quality gaming peripherals with wallet friendly pricing.

As such the pair also get a Dave’s Choice award.

I would like to thank Cooler Master for providing me with these items to review.